Patxaran is an alcoholic beverage from the Navarre region created by soaking plums in aniseed. It derivres its name from the Basque " baso aran ", in other words wild plum. The fruit comes from a small tree, which is from one and three metres tall, and grows in the wild in Navarre.
Approximately 150 g of plums which are traditionally of the wild variety, will make a litre of liqueur. The fruit soaks in the aniseed for a period ranging between three and six months.
The better the quality of the aniseed, the better the patxaran.
The process, which is not fermentation as such, produces a pink liqueur, with a very special aroma and flavour, but not as strong in alcohol as aniseed.
This liqueur which was originally made at home, has had medicinal properties attributed to it since time immemorial. Fruit was often left in the bottle, or coffee beans put into the bottle, or lemon peel or cinnamon, to give it an additional, individual taste.
Recently, it has ceased to be a typical drink which was almost exclusive to the Navarre region and is now widespread throughout Spain. Its success has been accompanied by its industrial development, manufacturers now produce over 7 million litres each year.
The creation of the association of manufacturers and bottlers of natural Patxaran in Navarre, just over ten years ago, added momentum to this development.
