🥃 Pacharán navarro
Red drink from Navarre: sloe berries steeped in spirit with aniseed oils and sugar; EU protected name, 25–30% ABV, 125–300 g of berries per litre, no berries in the bottle.
Pacharán navarro is the EU protected name for a red drink from Navarre in which sloe berries are macerated in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin with sugar and natural aniseed oils. The strength is 25–30% ABV, with 125 to 300 g of berries per litre. The colour is garnet to cherry red, and the taste is fruity and sweet with anise.
A category of its own. Pacharán is not a liqueur: Regulation (EU) 2019/787 sets it apart as category 32, sloe-aromatised spirit drink or pacharán. Under EU rules it has at least 25% ABV, 125 g of sloes and 80–250 g of sugar per litre. The protected name adds an upper strength limit of 30%, green anise or star anise, and bottling in Navarre in glass or ceramic containers of up to 3 litres.
How it is made. Alcohol of at least 96% ABV is diluted with water to 26–60%, and the sloes are steeped in it for one to eight months. The liquid is then drawn off, filtered and brought to 25–30% ABV. The sloes may not be fully reused, and putting berries in the bottle is forbidden. No other ingredients or additives are allowed.
History. According to the specification, the name comes from the Basque patxaran: pattar, "spirit", and aran, "sloe". Pacharán was served at the wedding of Godofredo of Navarre, son of King Charles III, and Queen Blanche drank it as medicine in 1441. The government of Navarre gave the drink a quality mark in 1987 and, in 1988, a specific designation with a regulatory council.
Why it matters. Pacharán was once considered a digestive remedy, but that is tradition, not proven benefit. The sweet berry taste masks a strength of up to 30% ABV and up to 250 g of sugar per litre. The WHO points out that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | specification of the GI Pacharán Navarro, resolution 106/2020 (BOE 11.09.2020); specific designation since 1988 |
|---|---|
| EU category | sloe-aromatised spirit drink or pacharán (cat. 32 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787) |
| Raw material | sloes 125–300 g/l, agricultural alcohol from 96% ABV, aniseed oils (green anise, star anise), sugar |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 25–30% ABV; sugars 80–250 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pacharán navarro → similar → 🌿 Anise spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Made from
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Digestif, 📍 Navarre
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Spaniards
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Sloe gin, 🌿 Anise spirits, 🥃 Palo de Mallorca, 🥃 Palo de Mallorca, 🥃 Pacharán
Frequently asked questions
Is pacharán a liqueur?
No. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 pacharán has its own category 32, sloe-aromatised spirit drink; sloes and anise are mandatory.
How many sloes are in Pacharán navarro?
From 125 to 300 g of sloe berries per litre of finished drink.
How strong is Pacharán navarro?
From 25 to 30% ABV, with 80 to 250 g of sugars per litre.
Why are there no berries in a bottle of Pacharán navarro?
The specification forbids putting sloes or other fruit in the bottle, so the drink keeps its colour and taste.
What does the word pacharán mean?
It comes from the Basque patxaran: pattar means spirit and aran means sloe or small plum.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
- 🌿 Anise spirits — Drinks with anise, star anise or fennel: from 15% vol.; pastis, ouzo and sambuca are separate EU categories.
- 🥃 Digestif — A small serving of brandy, grappa, amaro or liqueur at the end of a meal; French digestif, Italian digestivo. A custom, not an EU category.
Similar
🥃 Licor de hierbas de Galicia · 🥃 Palo de Mallorca · 🥃 Génépi des Alpes · 🥃 Mirto di Sardegna · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Finnish berry liqueur (Suomalainen Marjalikööri)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- MAPA (Spain): Pliego de Condiciones de la IG 'Pacharán Navarro', Resolución 106/2020 of 11.08.2020 (BOE 11.09.2020) — cat. 32 of Annex I to Reg. (EU) 2019/787; sloes (Prunus spinosa) macerated in agricultural alcohol with sugars and natural anise essential oils (Pimpinella anisum and/or Illicium verum); 25–30 % vol.; 125–300 g sloes per litre; sugars 80–250 g/l; maceration 1–8 months; alcohol min. 96 % diluted to 26–60 %; no other ingredients or additives, no full reuse of sloes, no fruit in the bottle; bottled in Navarra in glass or ceramic up to 3 l; Basque patxaran (pattar + aran); wedding of Godofredo de Navarra, Queen Blanca 1441; Denominación Navarra de Calidad 22.06.1987, Denominación Específica Decreto Foral 137/1988
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): cat. 37a sloe-aromatised spirit drink or Pacharán — Pacharán navarro (Spain)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I as adopted (legislation.gov.uk): cat. 32 sloe-aromatised spirit drink or pacharán (min. 25 %, min. 125 g sloes per litre, sweetening 80–250 g/l); cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 %)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)