The Endrino

THE PLANT

The Prunus spinosa L. is a prickly bush that has for relatives cherry trees, and prune trees. In the Vasque language, it was known as "basarana" which means prune of the mountains. From this word - "basaran or basarana"- comes the word "pacharán".

The fruits are loopy, size between 10 to 15 millimetres, have a black blue colour, ripe at the end of the summer or at the beginning of autumn.
The plant grows in Europe along the woods and the paths.

The roots, the leaves and the flowers of the Endrino can be use for tea or medicinal beverages.

The fruits of the Endrino, called "Arañones", give when macerated with anis, the popular Pacharán.

ELABORATION OF THE PACHARÁN OF NAVARRA

The Pacharán is elaborated through the meceration of Arañones and alcohol of anis.
It is an old tradition in Navarra to go up the mountains and pick "arañones". Then, they are put in a bottle with alcohol of anis. The result is a liquor with a taste of arañones.

The etilic alcohol used in the maceration and which has an agricultural origin, has an alcoholic content hovering between 30 and 50 grades GL.

To elaborate a litre of Pacharán requires between 125 and 250 grams of arañones and 80 to 250 grams of sugar.

The maceration last at least a month and at most eight months.

THE PACHARÁN TASTING

Although, the Pacharan has to be drunk at a very low temprature (between three and seven degrees), when you want to proceed to the tasting, you should rather drink it at a temperate temperature.

According to a writer of a Pacharán book Jorge Sauleda, the best way to taste it is with a temperature fluctuating between 12ºC and 18ºc.
At 5ºC, the anis taste of the Pacharán is more important, hiding the fragrances of fruits.
At 25ºC the anis taste is lower and the fruits tastes are much more present, but an oxidation taste is also felt.

The Pacharán has to be drunk young because it is not going to get better when the maceration process will be over. It is an error to keep a bottle during many years.

PACHARÁN COCKTAILS

Cocktails of the Bilbao citizen Kepa Bengoetxea:

• Príncipe de Viana

  Mix a 30% of mango juice, a 30% of lemon juice, and a 30% of orange juice. Put it in a glass with ices and cover it with slices of orange and of lemon, and pour out, slowly, the Pacharán.

• Hemingway
  

  In a small cup, put 40% of pacharán, 25% of Vodka and 25% of lemon juice. Then, mix it with ice.
  

• Ribera

  Prepare in a cocktail recipient, 2/8 of pacharán, 1/8 of peach liquor, 5/8 of melon juice. Serve it with a lot of ice.

• Verde

  In a cocktail recipient, put 2/8 of pacharán, 1/8 of melon liquor, and 5/8 of lemon juice mix with water.

• Tropical

  Prepare directly in cups. 4/8 of pacharán, 1/8 of menthe liquor, 1/8 of lime, 1/8 of kiwi juice and 1/8 grenadine syrup.