Herbes de Mallorca
The Arabs discovered and promoted efforts to distil alcohol back in the 9th century. The discovery spread to Europe at a later date (in the 12th and 13th centuries) thanks to Venetian traders. Monasteries and ecclesiastical orders played an important role in producing distillates and originally they were used for healing and medicinal purposes. In Mallorca, in the late 13th century, the native islander Ramon Llull made significant contributions to the distillation process. In the late 18th century there were 177 stills on the island used for making spirits, producing some 780,000 litres, 60% of which was directed at local consumption.
Herbes de Mallorca has a green to amber colour with different degrees of intensity and hints of colour, with a rich blend of aromas that envelop its aniseed fragrance. Many different degrees of sweetness are available so that all consumers can find the one they most prefer.
Depending on the sugar and alcohol content, we can distinguish between three different types of Herbes de Mallorca:
Herbes dolces: with a minimum 20% alcohol content and a minimum 300 g/litre of sucrose.
Herbes mesclades: with a minimum 25% alcohol content and a sugar content of between 100 and 300 g/litre. This variety was created in response to a demand by consumers in bars for a blend of sweet and dry Herbes. Waiters used to take a bottle in each hand and skilfully pour them into a glass at the same time, so that they mixed together.
Herbes seques:: with a 35% minimum alcohol content and a maximum 100 g/litre of sucrose.
LINK
http://www.illesbalearsqualitat.es/ibqfront/producte?lang=uk&idPR=354