Patxaran
Patxaran [ patʃa'ɾan ] ( . Span : pacharán ) is an anise - sloe - liqueur , which since the Middle Ages in Navarre is widespread. The name is derived from Basaran , a Basque word for "sloe". The liqueur is known and available throughout Spain today, but the main distribution area remains Navarra, the Basque Country and Aragon .
Patxaran is reddish in color, sweet and has an alcohol content of 25 to 30%. It is usually drunk after a meal, chilled or with ice cubes, as a digestif .
history
Patxaran can be found in Navarre until the 15th century . In 1441, the sick Queen Blanka of Navarre is said to have taken the liqueur as medicine in the monastery of Santa María de Nieva.
Until the 19th century , however, it was only found in rural Navarre. In the 1950s it became better known as it began to be commercially manufactured and marketed. Leading the way were the Velasco families (Ambrosio and Jaime) in Viana , who also established the first of the Patxaran brands known today.
Originally, wild sloes were also used for the commercially produced liqueur. Sloes have been grown in plantations since around 1997 to meet the increased demand.
In order to protect the Patxaran from Navarre from imitation products of inferior quality after its widespread use, the regulatory authority for Patxaran production of the Consejo Regulador del Pacharán Navarro and the Denominación de Origen del Pacharán seal of quality and origin were set up in 1988 .
preparation
In northern Spain, it is still common to prepare patxaran at home. In addition, self- picked sloes are put on top with sweet aniseed liqueur . Depending on personal preference, a few coffee beans or cinnamon sticks are added, sometimes pomace brandy ( orujo ) is used instead of aniseed liqueur . The topped leaves with the fruits for six months and then ripens for another three months after being filtered.
Web links
- Pacharán from Navarra Website of the regulatory authority Consejo Regulador (Spanish)