Pacharan

The pacharán is a liquor, whose alcoholic content is between 25 and 30% of the volume, obtained by the maceration of sloes, a blue-black fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa ), in aniseed brandy. It is characteristic mainly of Navarra, Spain. The Pacharán Navarro Protected Geographical Indication has been produced, but also from other nearby regions since its commercialization began at the beginning of the XX century, such as Aragon, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Castilla y León or Cantabria, and even in the French department of Pyrenees-Atlantiques.

Pacharán was already well known and drunk in Navarra since the Middle Ages. The distillation of liqueurs from juniper berries has been common throughout Europe since the Middle Ages, under the name of Gin (the name comes from the Latin name of the juniper Juniperus communis), although the Gin is normally flavored with plants other than anise.

Etymology

Sources such as the DRAE cite as the Basque language basaran "sloe", composed of basa- "wild" and aran "plum" ("sloe" in Biscay), which in Navarra appears in the variants paxaran or patxaran.

The word in Aragonese to designate the blackthorn fruit is arañón, similar to the Catalan form aranyó, which derives from the Basque arán.

History

The Middle Ages

There is evidence that pacharán was part of the menu served at the wedding of Godofre de Navarra (1394 - 1428), natural son of King Carlos III, with Doña Teresa de Arellano in 1415. It is also known that Queen Blanca I (1385 - 1441) took pacharán for its medicinal properties when he fell ill in the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nieva (Segovia) in 1441.

Modern times

The blackthorn is found in the wild throughout Europe, and recently (since approximately 1997) its domesticated cultivation has begun in Navarre. The Pacharán Navarro Regulatory Council has been, since 1988, in charge of regulating the production, quality and bottling of pacharán, being the first (and at the moment only) body that certifies the correct production of this liquor, protecting the companies attached to it. the Pacharán Navarro Protected Geographical Indication, integrated into the Navarra Artisan Products Brand.

Although there are many producers of this liquor in Navarra, and its consumption in the regional community, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Castilla y León and Aragón is growing, it is not a very well-known liquor in the rest of Spain, and barely referenced in other countries.

It became quite well known in the rest of Spain from the 1960s onwards during the summer and/or military time of Navarrese in areas such as Valencia or Madrid, where the pacharán was known as & #34;Souk liquor", this being one of the first brands to "export" They will pacha outside the regional community.

Figures

In Navarra

It is the only community where a regulatory council exists today: The Regulatory Council of Pacharán Navarro.

The total sale of pacharán in fiscal year 2000 reached 7.7 million liters, according to data from the Pacharán Navarro Regulatory Council.^{[citation required]} According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in 2013 there were a total of 8 producers that reached 3.3 million liters, with 98% of sales being national, and the rest foreign trade, assuming a economic value of almost 20 million euros in its entirety.

The 8 entities that produce "Pacharán Navarro" covered by the aforementioned regulatory council are: DZ Licores, Destilerías La Navarra, Licores Baines, Hijos de Pablo Esparza Bodegas Navarras, Pacharán Azanza, Domecq Wines España, Licores Usua and Destilerías Lafuente.

Within the Navarra Quality Wine and Pacharán Competition organized by the Navarra Association of Sommeliers, each year the best Navarrese pacharán is awarded, this being the contest with the greatest impact in the regional community.

In recent years, Navarrese producers of pacharán (who produce around 95% of the total sold in Spain) have detected a strong increase in bulk sales, without labeling and without paying the corresponding tax on the alcohol, to the point that unofficial figures handled in the sector indicate that nearly 20% of last year's total production was marketed through this channel, which means that almost one and a half million additional liters^{[citation needed]}.

This may be because the homemade preparation of pacharán is quite deep-rooted in Navarra, and therefore it is relatively easy to obtain this drink from unregulated sources.^{[citation needed]}

Basque Country

In the Basque Country there is no Regulatory Council, but there are producers who market this product, such as Licores Barañano and Destilerías Atxa from Amurrio (Álava).

Craft production is of great importance in the Basque Country. So much so, that there are numerous samples of homemade pacharán that are presented each year to the Arechavaleta Homemade Pacharán Contest (Guipúzcoa), which has been held since 1995 and which currently shares the spotlight with the Gastrononic and Folklore Fair of the aforementioned town in Guipuzcoa..

Aragon

In Aragon there is also no Regulatory Council, but there are producers such as Licores Marba from Ainzón (Zaragoza) or Pacharán Ordesano from Licores Vimesa in Broto (Huesca).

The blackthorn is called arañonera and the fruit arañón. It is usually collected from the end of August to mid-October, depending on the altitude of the terrain. Craft production in homes is quite widespread, especially in the Pyrenees area. As a result, at the end of September, a homemade pacharán competition is held each year, among the various activities within the Broto Livestock Fair.

Castile and León

In Castilla y León there is also no Regulatory Council despite being a community that has increased its production and consumption in recent decades. As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that in Soria there is a bullfighting club called 'El Pacharán de las 6', in allusion to this spirit drink.

Province of Burgos

As producers that stand out in this region are Maestros Artesanos de Licores y Aguardiente, which produces pacharán under the brand Menesa and Licores Casajús, which markets it. under the same name as well as anise liquor for the homemade preparation of pacharán.

The province of Burgos is where artisanal production stands out the most, and as proof of this you can find several competitions:

• The youngest contest is the Pacharán Casero de Villariezo contest, whose first edition was held in late August 2015.
• In the region of the Ribera del Duero it has been held every year since 2014 the “Certamen de Pacharán” of the Ribera del Duero, which has become a gastronomic event of reference in the area.
• And in the region of Las Merindades, since 2007 the Contest of jams, sweets, honeys and home liqueurs framed within the Gastronomic Days of Autumn of the Valley of Mena is held, and where the pacharan always makes a gap between the winners of the liquor category.

Province of Palencia

In this region is the producer Gonqui: Artisan spirits and liqueurs, which markets it under the label of Pacharán castellano and is under the guarantee brand Land of Flavor.

Province of Zamora

In the town of Camarzana de Tera there is the distillery Orujos Panizo S.L., which among other drinks produces pacharán under the brand of the same name. In addition, said company annually organizes the National Cocktail Competition de Orujo, which is now in its sixth edition and where pacharán is among the main ingredients of the best cocktails.

La Rioja

In La Rioja, as occurs in the rest of the regions except Navarra, there is no Regulatory Council, but in the autonomous community there is high consumption. The Licorera Albeldense produces pacharán under the brands of La Camerana and Aizu, in the town of Albelda de Iregua. And pacharán is also made in Quel, in Destilerías Picuezo, as well as anise for the preparation of said liquor at home, in addition to the alcohol companies in the region that produce pactarán

Other regions of Spain

In the rest of Spain, pacharán is not very well known. However, in recent years, some distilleries have begun producing this liquor. Additionally, in the town of Coslada (Madrid), a festival takes place on September 5 dedicated to this liquor.

Andalusia

In Andalusia there are, for example, the producers Los Alcores de Carmona, Pernod Ricard, which produces liqueurs and pacharán under the brand Ruavieja, or the brand Lágrimas de Granada .

Galicia

The company Maitines is located in Galicia; Liqueurs and spirits that pacharán produces, among other drinks.

Features

Organoleptic characteristics

The Navarrese pacharán has to be red or pink or intense orange. If it appears cloudy or with sediment, it means that it has not been filtered correctly. Brightness is a sign of youth and dull tones of old age. It should have an intense and fruity aroma and the smell of alcohol should not be noticeable.

Nutritional and medicinal values of sloe

Sloe contains vitamin C, it is tonic, astringent and fortifies the stomach. The flowers of the shrub are diuretic and mildly laxative when used as an infusion. These are medicinal properties of pacharán, which turns out to be good for the stomach, relieve the ailments of old age and prevent arteriosclerosis, heart attack and erectile dysfunction. In addition, it acts as a sedative on the nervous system.

Preparation

Homemade preparation

To make it, you need 125 to 250 grams of sloes, preferably ripe, for each liter of aniseed brandy (another recipe indicates that there should be 8 berries per liter). They are macerated from 1 to 3 or 4 months, and can last up to 7 or 8 months, always in a cool, dark place. After this time it is filtered and bottled without the need to add anything or reduce it.

You can also add a bay leaf or roasted coffee beans during the maceration period, to give it a special touch. Other additions during maceration, widely used in some regions, are chamomile flowers, poppies, rose petals or cinnamon sticks, among others.

However, the oldest and most traditional procedure for preparing this liquor according to some sources, was by using alcohol or brandy, instead of anise, and after 1 or 2 weeks of maceration, subsequently mixed with the same amount of sugar water, then letting it rest for a few days.

Preparation under the I.G.P.

For producers within the Pacharán Navarro Protected Geographical Indication, the conditions for preparing it are those indicated in the technical file, which indicates the following conditions:

The preparation of the pacharan protected by the Geographical Indication will be carried out by the maceration of the endrines in alcohol of agricultural origin, with prior or later incorporation of essential natural oils of anise and sugar. The endrins used will be of first quality in ripening and texture, and before being introduced into the pots of maceration they must be exempt from any impurity, and in this respect the existing legislation. The maceration will last for a minimum of one month and a maximum of eight months.

For the preparation of the "Pacharan Navarro" will be used between a minimum of 125 and a maximum of 300 grams of endrins (Prunus spinosa L.) per litre of finished product. The sugar content will be at least 80 and a maximum of 250 grams per litre of final product. The content in natural essential oils will proceed exclusively from the use of Pimpinella anisum, L., (known in the production area by the vulgar names of green anise, matalahúga, matalahúva, seed or sweet grass) and/or Illicum verum L., (with the vulgar names of starry anise, badian, or badiana).

Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin used will have a minimum graduation of 96 % vol., responding to the characteristics required by current legislation. By adding drinking water and initiating maceration, it will take a graduation of 26 %vol. and 60% vol. After the maceration is completed, the decanting and the subsequent filtering of the liquid is followed. In the process of processing, the alcoholic graduation will be adjusted to the final product you want to obtain, eventually having to be between 25% vol. and 30% vol.

Technical Records of the Navarro Pacharan

Tasting

It is advisable to drink it in a glass or glass and cool, between 6 and 8 °C. You can chill the bottle in the refrigerator or refresh the drink with ice, as it gives freshness in the mouth with the increase in water as it melts. It is not advisable to add a lot of ice, since excess water reduces its flavor and may even be unpleasant.

After meals or dinners you can widely enjoy its aroma and flavor, due to its digestive action, although it is increasingly consumed as an afternoon or evening drink. Pacharán does not improve over time, so it is advisable to consume it within two or three years of its preparation. Its sweet flavor invites you to repeat it, but excessive consumption can cause gastric disorders, as well as a very bad hangover.

Combined (Cocktails)

Combined (Cocktails)

Some of the most notable cocktails are:

• The butane.
• The strawberry mojito.
• The pacharan sorbet.
• They'll duck with a cava.

Controversy with n#39;Sloe liqueur#39;

Pacharán is a spirit drink with its own character, as it is even included in current legislation.

In recent years, a great controversy has arisen regarding "Sloe Liqueur" (also called False pacharán), which although it may seem the same, it is not. Among some of the characteristics that differentiate them are the amount of fruits used, the alcohol content or the rate of taxes paid on it.

Related spirits

In Germany and other German-speaking countries, Schlehenlikör liqueurs are made by macerating blackthorns with, sometimes, certain spices and sugar in vodka, gin or rum. A well-known brand is Jägermeister, based on white rum.

In the United Kingdom, a cider flavored with blackthorns called Slider is made, a traditional Devonshire product. Used blackthorns are those left after making blackthorn gin or Sloe Gin.

In Italy, Bargnolino is made, which is similar to pacharán since the fruits are macerated in alcohol along with spices and sugar, but with a higher alcohol content of 40-45%.

In Japan there is a similar liquor called umeshu made by macerating Japanese apricots (ume) and sugar in shōchū, a liquor made from the distillation of rice wine.