Herbs de Majorca

Last updated

Herbs de Majorca
Hierbas.jpg
Bottles from Llucmajor, labelled in Spanish, Hierbas and "32% vol." (Alcohol by volume)

Herbs de Majorca (Catalan : Herbes de Mallorca; Spanish : Hierbas Mallorquinas) is a Majorcan herbal liqueur of medicinal origin. A form of the generic Hierbas, Herbs de Majorca has a protected designation of origin and can only be made in Majorca. [1]

Contents

A common brand is 'Tunel', first produced in 1898. [2]

Origins

The Herbs of Majorca have a medical origin. Produced in monasteries, it was used by pharmacists in the 16th century to fight diseases. [3] Herbal liquor, distilled with several herbs, seeds, roots and flowers already being used for medical purposes, was recognised for its digestive effects, was used particularly to help stomach ailments. [3] [4] In the 18th century, an annual production of 780 000 litres was recorded in Mallorca. [3]

Composition

Made from anise and other aromatic plants such as camomile, fennel, lemon, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, orange, and rosemary. [1]

This liqueur, which has a protected geographic denomination of origin, is produced and bottled only on the island. Depending on the sugar and alcohol content, three types are produced: sweet, mixed or dry; the first are made with more sugared anise, while the dry variant contains more alcohol. In terms of consumption, the liqueur can be enjoyed pure or with ice. [3]

Herbs of Mallorca is commercially produced but can also be made at home. Mallorcan families have their own recipes, adjusted to personal taste. Traditionally prepared in either spring or early autumn, the herbs and alcohol are combined in a large glass bottle and must be left for a minimum of three months before consumption. [5]

Serving

Green or amber in colour, it is usually served as a digestif, after a meal. It is often served over ice, but can also be served in a ‘chupito’ (a shot glass). [6] Some bottles have a dried piece of a plant in them.[1] Hierbas is still a popular drink today in the Balearic Islands and is enjoyed by both locals and tourists. A potent drink, it should be enjoyed in moderation! [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin</span> Distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liqueur</span> Alcoholic beverage

A liqueur is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond a resting period during production, when necessary, for their flavors to mingle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anise</span> Species of flowering plant

Anise, also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galliano (liqueur)</span> Italian sweet herbal liqueur produced since 1896

Liquore Galliano L'Autentico, known more commonly as Galliano, is a brand of sweet herbal liqueur produced in Italy. It was created in 1896 by Tuscan distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari and named after Giuseppe Galliano, an Italian officer of the Royal Italian Army of the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

Schnapps or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastis</span> Anise-flavored liqueur and apéritif

Pastis is an anise-flavoured spirit and apéritif traditionally from France, typically containing less than 100 g/L sugar and 40–45% ABV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anisette</span> Anise-flavored liqueur

Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries. It is colorless and, because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits. The most traditional style of anisette is that produced by means of distilling aniseed, and is differentiated from those produced by simple maceration by the inclusion of the word distilled on the label. And while Pastis is a similar-tasting liqueur that is prepared in similar fashion and sometimes confused with anisette, it employs a combination of both aniseed and licorice root extracts. Sambuca is essentially an anisette of Italian origin that requires a high minimum (350g/L) sugar content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitters</span> Alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter

A bitters is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chartreuse (liqueur)</span> French liqueur brand

Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur available in green and yellow versions that differ in taste and alcohol content. The liqueur has been made by Carthusian monks since 1737 according to instructions set out in a manuscript given to them by François Annibal d'Estrées in 1605. It was named after the monks' Grande Chartreuse monastery, located in the Chartreuse Mountains north of Grenoble. Today the liqueur is produced in their distillery in nearby Aiguenoire. It is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbs, plants and flowers.

<i>Aguardiente</i> Generic term for alcoholic beverages containing 29% to 60% alcohol by volume

Aguardente (Portuguese), or aguardiente (Spanish), is a type of distilled alcoholic spirit that contains between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). It is a somewhat generic term that can refer to liquors made from various foods. It originates from and is typically consumed on the Iberian Peninsula and in Iberian America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquor</span> Alcoholic drink produced by distillation

Liquor is an alcoholic drink produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit, distilled beverage, booze, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its alcohol by volume. As liquors contain significantly more alcohol (ethanol) than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered "harder." In North America, the term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is more commonly used in the UK. Some examples of liquors include vodka, rum, gin, and tequila. Liquors are often aged in barrels, such as for the production of brandy and whiskey, or are infused with flavorings to form flavored liquors, such as absinthe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitron</span>

Kitron is a citron liqueur produced on the Greek island of Naxos. It is made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree, which is similar to the lemon tree but stronger and slightly different in taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mama Juana</span> Drink from the Dominican Republic

Mama Juana is a spiced alcoholic beverage made by infusing a mixture of rum, red wine, and honey with tree bark and herbs. The taste is similar to port wine and the color is a deep red. It originates in the Dominican Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Génépi</span> Traditional herbal liqueur or aperitif in the Alpine regions of Europe

Génépi or génépy is a traditional French herbal liqueur or apéritif popularized in the Alpine regions. Genepi also refers to alpine plants of the genus Artemisia that is used to make a liqueur in the French region of Savoy, where the Artemisia génépi plants grow and where the beverage is commonly produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infusion</span> Process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent

Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time. An infusion is also the name for the resultant liquid. The process of infusion is distinct from both decoction—a method of extraction involving boiling the plant material—and percolation, in which water is passed through the material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amaro (liqueur)</span> Italian herbal liqueur

Amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestif. It usually has a bitter-sweet flavour, sometimes syrupy, and has an alcohol content between 16% and 40%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordial (medicine)</span> Drink valued for its medicinal or restorative properties

A cordial is any invigorating and stimulating preparation that is intended for a medicinal purpose. The term derives from an obsolete usage. Various concoctions were formerly created that were believed to be beneficial to one's health, especially for the heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absinthe</span> Alcoholic drink

Absinthe is an anise-flavored spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium, together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historically described as a highly alcoholic spirit, it is 45–74% ABV or 90–148 proof in the US. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color but may also be colorless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as la fée verte. While sometimes casually referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with sugar or sweeteners. Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water before being consumed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hierbas</span> Spanish liqueur

Hierbas is an aniseed-flavored Spanish liqueur served as a digestif.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hierbas de Mallorca | Local Liqueur From Mallorca". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  2. "Túnel". Antonio Nadal. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Local product Herbes de Mallorca". www.illesbalears.travel. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  4. soportehans. "History and Origin of Herbs Liqueur. – Licores & Gins Bull Terrier" (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  5. "Hierbas - Nectar of the Gods". Affordable Mallorca. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. "5 Most Popular Balearic Alcoholic Beverages". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  7. "Hierbas". www.majorca-guides.info. Retrieved 12 October 2022.