Looking for a US retailer of pacharán

[MC Slim JB]

I used to be able to get Basarana Pacharán in Boston, both in restaurants and local retail outlets. This is a Spanish liqueur ("patxaran" in Basque) that was first served to us at the upstairs bar of the late, beloved Biba restaurant here. It seems that no local retailer carries any kind of pacharán anymore, and I can't find a US online distributor.

Basarana isn't the only maker (they're based in Pamplona, Navarre), just the only one I've sampled. The stuff is like a sloe-infused anisette, just a lovely cordial, and it has romantic significance to us. Does anyone know where I can find it in the States? An online retailer would be ideal, but finding anyone that carries it would be useful.

[MC Slim JB]

As I discovered to my delight on Valentine's Day, thanks to a thoughtful gift from Mrs. MC, DrinkUpNY.com carries and ships Baines Pacharán, perhaps the finest of the mass-market Spanish brands (many Spanish grandpas make their own at home, I'm told).

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[penthouse pup]

That is great news! I too have heard that Baines is among the best. I will be ordering--and thanks for your help (and you've got a great Mrs.!, as do I.)

[EvergreenDan]

What is the secret magic work to get them to ship to Massachusetts? Their website specifically excluded MA and TX. I've ordered gifts from them in the past, but they went to NY.

I'm a big fan of supporting local sources. However, when they don't stock what I want, I think I should be allowed to mail-order it. In this way I can increase my stock of interesting-sounding bottles that are disappointing and end up pushed to the back beyond the reach of mortals.

[penthouse pup]

I just checked wine-searcher.com and see that three other places in NYC carry it: Chambers Street Wines, Uva in Brooklyn and Union Square WInes (the first two carry the Baines Classico and Union Square carries the Sadar, a lightened version.) I assume that at least one or more of these places will ship to MA.

[MOREKASHA]

Do any of these have the fruit in 'em?

[penthouse pup]

No--it's a liquor...

[MC Slim JB]

Not whole fruit in the bottle, like Poire William, if that's what you mean. It is made by infusing wild sloes in an anisette-like liqueur, which gives it a lovely anise/berry interplay of flavors, and a pale blush tinge. Terrific after-dinner stuff.

(The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush, not unlike a small wild plum, often seen in British hedgerows, which leads to them making their own homestyle sloe-infused spirit, sloe gin, though its base is pretty neutral, closer to vodka than gin.)

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MOREKASHA]

I bought a bottle in San Sebastian 2-3 years ago that had the berries in it.

[MC Slim JB]

How cool! Never seen that.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MC Slim JB]

She had it shipped to a friend in NH; they won't ship to MA.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[arobmadrid]

it's pretty easy to make your own, if you can get hold of some Prunus Spinosa (blackthorn or sloe) -they are quite similar to small damsons, although that would taste a bit different. You put a handful in a bottle and fill it up with semi-sweet anis (about 26º) and leave it for a year (in the dark for the first 6 months), and give it a quarter turn every week, so the fruit colours the anis, and that's it! Some people add a stick of cinnamon, and a few coffee beans. It's the best homemade drink that exisits! It should be strained into another bottle before drinking.

[penthouse pup]

Sorry, that doesn't sound "easy." I'm sipping mine right now, and I am glad I didn't need to wait a year for it.

[arobmadrid]

I guess it's different for me as I live in Spain and can just go whenever I want and order one in the bar downstairs! Try licor de hierbas - also a good digestif

[MOREKASHA]

Orujo miel, nektar of the gods.....either Gallego or Asturiano.....

[penthouse pup]

Now that's something I have been unable to track down in the US--Oruju. Does anyone have any news about availability?

[arobmadrid]

I had it in Cantabria - delicious; but pernicious for me

[MOREKASHA]

I just love it when in Spain, you ask for the Orujo and you get an unmarked bottle of the stuff. I know it's not homemade hooch, just transferred but still...

[penthouse pup]

I found a retailer in Florida but apparently, they don't ship out of state. Does anyone know of any other retailer carrying this?
If you live in Florida: http://www.liquorone.com/atpali.html

[reller52]

Just ordered some from Bevmax.com. Good luck.

[Chuckles the Clone]

I've bought it from Beverages and More, a local, west coast, chain of liquor stores. I believe they do mail order. The website says they're currently out of stock, however:

http://www.bevmo.com/productinfo.asp?...

[Gremolata]

Wow, timely post. I just came back from Spain where I really enjoyed some great pacharan, and I've been looking for it here. My wine shop just stopped carrying it (they carried the Baines "pacharan", but they tell me it's no longer imported), but they pointed me to wine-searcher.com. Using that spelling, I was able to find a bunch of retailers, including two in my area. Good luck.

[cleveland park]

I would love to get me some pacharan, i buy zoco when i go to spain for christmas but not enough to get me thru the year. Anywhere in washington dc where this is possible to get?

[butterfly]

I saw this place that ships Spanish wines and liquors worldwide:

http://www.productsfromspain.net/pach...

But what a premium. A bottle of Zoco goes for about 8-9 Euros here in Spain. Order from the site above would set you back 26 Euros plus 39 Euros for shipping! Maybe I should start an import-export business...

[HeatherT]

Just bumping this - I've been looking for a supplier in the Boston area for about 3 years. I first sampled it under the brand name Zoco in Granada.

[butterfly]

Count me in as another pacharán lover... I have a bottle of Zoco in the kitchen. I never saw it when I lived in the US. I wonder if you can you order it from here (Spain)? If it has really intense romantic significance and you can't find it anywhere else, I'd be willing to try to send you a bottle... email me off-board at:

m a-with-a-circle-around-it alpha60 dot com