Poncha Making Workshop

The Poncha Making Workshop is a 90-minute, hands-on session held on Rua de Santa Maria in Funchal's old town, teaching the traditional technique for preparing Madeira's signature drink. Participants use a wooden caralhinho, a hand-carved muddler, to press sugarcane spirit (aguardente de cana), sugar and citrus together in the mortar-and-pestle style used in the island's poncha bars, working through three classic variations: passion fruit, honey and orange. Alongside the hands-on mixing, the guide covers the drink's roots in Madeira's fishing culture, where poncha was historically prepared as a remedy before evolving into the island's most recognisable social drink. The workshop provides ingredients for all three variations plus the caralhinho tool used throughout, and runs in English in small groups, typically under 12 people, seated around a shared work table with individual muddling stations. A non-alcoholic version substituting fruit juice for the spirit base can usually be arranged for participants who prefer not to drink, if flagged when booking. Not included is food beyond the citrus and fruit used in the drinks themselves, so participants who want a full meal should plan to eat separately before or after. The workshop runs year-round with sessions available most days.