🥃 Palo de Mallorca
Dark, viscous liqueur from the island of Mallorca: cinchona bark and gentian root, sugar and caramelised sugar, agricultural alcohol; protected name, 25–36% ABV, 300–500 g/l of sugar.
Palo de Mallorca is a dark, viscous liqueur made on the island of Mallorca by infusing or macerating cinchona bark and gentian with sugar, caramelised sucrose and ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin. It is a protected geographical name: 25–36% ABV and 300 to 500 g of sugar per litre.
Rules. Spain ratified the regulation of the denomination by an order of 4 July 1994 (BOE of 13 July 1994), which the Balearic government had approved by an order of 22 December 1993; the name Palo de Mallorca was listed among liqueurs in Annex II of Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89. The production area is the island of Mallorca.
How it is made. The regulation defines cinchona as the bark of trees of the genus Cinchona and gentian as the dried roots of Gentiana lutea. They are macerated in agricultural ethyl alcohol with water, or infused in water with alcohol added afterwards. Sucrose is dissolved in water and partly caramelised by controlled heating to make the syrup. Essential oils and artificial colourings are forbidden: the colour comes only from infusions of natural products and sugar caramel.
Product requirements. The liqueur is dark and viscous, with a relative density at 20 °C between 1.1200 and 1.1780 g/ml. Methanol must not exceed 1 g per litre and heavy metals 40 ppm expressed as lead. The label must show Palo de Mallorca in letters at least 2 mm high with the logo of the denomination, and producers are entered in a register kept by the Balearic government.
Why it matters to you. Palo is not a medicine: health claims on drinks above 1.2% ABV are banned in the EU. It is a strong liqueur with a very high sugar content, up to 500 g per litre. The WHO points out that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | regulation of the protected name, ratified by order of 04.07.1994 (BOE 13.07.1994) |
|---|---|
| EU category | liqueur (cat. 33 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); protected name |
| Raw material | cinchona bark, yellow gentian root, sugar and caramelised sugar, agricultural alcohol |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 25–36% ABV; sugar 300–500 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Palo de Mallorca → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Aperitif, 📍 Mallorca
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Spaniards
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Amaro, 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Hierbas de Mallorca, 🥃 Pacharán navarro, 🥃 Pacharán navarro, 🥃 Pacharán
Frequently asked questions
Does Palo de Mallorca cure malaria?
No. Palo is a liqueur, and health claims on drinks above 1.2% ABV are banned in the EU.
What is Palo de Mallorca made from?
Cinchona bark and gentian root (Gentiana lutea) macerated or infused with agricultural alcohol and water, plus sugar, part of it caramelised.
How strong and how sweet is palo?
From 25 to 36% ABV, with 300 to 500 g of sugar per litre.
Where can Palo de Mallorca be made?
Only on the island of Mallorca, by producers entered in the register of the Balearic government.
Why is palo so dark?
Because of the infusions and caramelised sugar: the rules forbid artificial colourings and essential oils.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink) — Spirit drink with a predominantly bitter taste: flavoured alcohol or distillate from 15% vol.; EU category 30.
- 🥃 Aperitif — A light dry or bittersweet drink before a meal: vermouth, dry sherry, red bitters; from Latin aperire, “to open”. A custom rather than an EU category.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Spaniards — The people of Spain; flamenco, human towers, Fallas, the world's largest vineyards and over a third of the world's olive oil.
Similar
🥃 Pacharán navarro · 🥃 Licor de hierbas de Galicia · 🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Hrvatski pelinkovac · 🥃 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
- BOE 13.07.1994: Orden de 4 de julio de 1994 por la que se ratifica el Reglamento de la denominación geográfica 'Palo de Mallorca' (Balearic order of 22.12.1993): liqueur in Annex II of Reg. (EEC) 1576/89; area: island of Mallorca; 25–36 % vol.; 300–500 g/l sugar; cinchona, Gentiana lutea; methanol, heavy metals, density, labelling
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): cat. 32 liqueur — Palo de Mallorca (Spain)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I (legislation.gov.uk): liqueur
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, Art. 4(3): no health claims on beverages over 1.2 % vol.
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)