Upward of 20 herbs can go into hierbas ibicencas, Ibiza’s iconic liqueur. Listed below are the standard ones. Add others—lavender, rue, juniper bark—as desired. Use the thin end of a wooden spoon or something similar to push the sprigs, leaves and peels down through the neck of the bottle. A ratio of three parts sweet anisette to one part dry anisette is fairly standard, though adjust to personal taste and the anisette’s sweetness.
Ibizan Herbal Liqueur (Hierbas Ibicencas)
Jeff Koehler | Barcelona, Spain
Ingredients
Serving: 1 liter bottle
- long sprig(s) of thyme
- long sprig(s) of Mediterranean chamomile
- long sprig(s) of rosemary
- long sprig(s) of mint
- long sprig(s) of spearmint
- long sprig(s) of lemon verbena
- bay leaf
- small stalk of fennel
- lemon and/or orange leaf
- piece of lemon and/or orange peel
- 24 ounces (about 750 ml) sweet anisette, or to taste
- 8 ounces (about 250 ml) dry anisette, or to taste
Directions
- Sterilize a 1-liter glass bottle. Trim the herbs so that they will fit beneath the neck of the bottle.
- Feed the herbs into the bottle, using the thin end of a wooden spoon to push them down.
- Add the sweet anisette to a jug, and blend in the dry anisette to get the desired taste. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into the bottle over the herbs. Cork and label. Store in a dry, cool place for at least 3 months. Serve chilled.