Basbas
Basbas, the amaro-like liqueur with 16th-century Balearic heritage, used to be “nearly impossible” to find in the US, but this summer, it’s finally available (and on sale)
Ah, the Balearic Islands. Where else can you find sobrasada, crowd-surfing horse parades, and the birthplace of mayonnaise? Away from the bummers of techno festival massification and Katy Perry rolling around endangered bird dunes, there is a precious culture whose herbaceous liqueurs are a reflection of the sublime, complex landscapes that have been developing them for hundreds of years.
Consider Basbas, the amaro-like herbal liqueur which was initially made in Ibiza by monks in the 16th century, and is enjoying a modern revival just as cocktail culture enjoys a fernet- and anise-spirit revival. While historically hard to find stateside, it’s slowly becoming more widely available for purchase in the United States. Good news: Basbas is not only in stock and ready to ship straight to your immaculately curated bar cart, but it also has a sweet little 15 percent off promotion for the rest of summer.
Basbas
While many Americans think of Ibiza as a place where the Vengaboys go, Basbas is a prime example of Balearic booze, which is world-renowned for its gin and indigenous herb-centric cocktails and liqueurs, such as hierbas ibicencas and licor de camomila, the latter of which I called “like Jägermeister, but in cursive” the first time I tried it. Basbas takes part in that tradition as a complex, anise-forward spirit that combines notes of wild sage, rosemary, and island citrus that was perfected over five generations by monks who prized its digestif properties. As the company explains, “these practices evolved, passing from monastic cloisters to local farmers, becoming an integral part of island life,” but the spirit continues to follow “a protected recipe from Ibiza’s legacy families.” If you’re the kind of person who enjoys a bitters-heavy cocktail or the aroma of a dewy, seaside rosemary bush, I highly suggest you give it a try.
The liqueur used to be “nearly impossible” to find in the United States for the average consumer. This summer, however, the brand has decided to widen its reach by launching an online storefront and offering 15 percent off orders (and free shipping) when you buy two or more bottles from now until August 31. Meaning, you won’t have to make a pilgrimage to Catalonia or even a Michelin-starred restaurant to have a sip of the award-winning liqueur.
For newcomers to complex liqueurs, rest assured that there are plenty of recipe tips on the site for using Basbas in creamy choladas, Champagne-based drinks, and a blueberry and sage spritz that makes for a refreshing departure from the usual stream of Aperol spritzes I consume starting (roughly) around Memorial Day. For legal reasons, I am not officially recommending that you simply bring a bottle to the nearest body of water near you and sip it at sunset, but it wouldn’t be a bad way to kick off summer.
Salut i visca ses Illes Balears!
Get Basbas in the US (and enjoy the 15% off deal) here.
