Izarra (liqueur)

Izarra is a Basque liqueur.

The home of the liqueur Izarra is Bayonne in the French Basque country. For the production of green Izarra 48 different flowers and plants are needed for the yellow Izarra rich 32 The green version is drier and stronger in flavor and alcohol ( 48 percent); the yellow is lighter ( 40 percent) and sweet. Both were 1835 for the first time by Joseph Grattau, founder of the distillery produced. The pickled in brandy quality flowers, plants, seeds, rare roots and spices are distilled, and result in a very concentrated " spirit" that is then used in small dosage for the preparation of Izarra. Here, the spirit with old Armagnac syrup made ​​from refined white sugar and honey is stirred for 24 hours. Then the liquor flows through filters in oak barrels, where it deposits a long time to get his velvety softness. Before bottling it is filtered again.

Izarra is drunk in a special way. For this one fills a shot glass with liqueur and ignited it with a lighter. Burns of the liqueur, you quickly holds his palm on the glass and smothered the flame. This creates a vacuum, which can adhere to the hand area, the filled glass. Then you shake the hand of hanging the glass, the glass takes the other hand and raises his hand to the glass off slightly, so that a small opening is created. Then you quickly leads his mouth to the opening and first inhaled the gases that have been formed by the combustion below the palm. Without exhale you drink the glass out of it. Following put the palm of your hand again over the glass, lifting it up again and inhale again.

However, to consume this nation usual way Izarra is not for the untrained drinkers or people who have a problem with strong alcohol.

Under the German tourists Izarra is also known as "the devil out of the bottle ", as well as in the surfing areas of the South Atlantic as the "Green Wave" known.