Calafate berries growing in Ushuaia. I ate one of those. We were first introduced to the Calafate berry by one of our guides in Ushuaia. It is a native, thorny shrub that grows a purple-black berry. I tasted one, and it is tart somewhat like a current. Of course, I was immediately captivated — native, edible/tasty berries are right up my alley. A couple nights later, D and I were having dinner, and the gals at the table behind us got a frou-frou drink from the bar... it was pink and frothy looking. They got them in little glasses, like they are all sharing one drink. D says something to our waiter about them and he was a little dismissive, then said, "you want something local?" We were like "Yeah!" So he brought us what was basically a gin and tonic with local berries mixed in. mmm, good! We'll be playing on this concept this summer! Wild berry gin and tonic. It was then that I started to clue in to Argentine gin. I wasn't prepared for that and didn't pivot quickly enough. We should have had more. It was dry, juniper-y, and quite good. But back to the calafate berry. We saw the Calafate berry (Berberis microphylla) in Ushuaia, and throughout our Patagonia stays. I've since learned they are native to Patagonia, and they are a relative of our native Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium). Like the Oregon Grape, the birds are happy with them too. Snacking on the good stuff! One regret on the trip, besides not tasting enough gin, was that I didn't get to taste the Calafate liquor that we started to see toward the end of our stay. Had we spent more time in touristy shops, we likely would have clue-in to it's existence sooner. I had intended to pick some up at the airport on our way out, but our airport departure was rushed and frantic (definitely not my favorite way to travel) and airport shopping just wasn't possible.