Skinos Mastiha Liqueur, 70 cl

Product Information

Inspection and Certification of PDO and PGI Products". Agrocert. Hellenic Agricultural Organization . Retrieved 29 August 2017. Mastiha is a natural product and contains no additives or preservatives. Therefore, it is important to store Mastiha properly to ensure that it does not spoil. Mastiha should be stored in a cool, dark place and should not be chilled. If Mastiha is chilled, it will form crystals and will no longer be fit for consumption. Mastiha is a resinous sap produced from the trunk and branches of the Mastic tree. The mastic sap is extracted by scratching the surface of the tree with a sharp implement. The sap falls to the ground and becomes crystalized into little nuggets, referred to as mastic tears.

And if you’re craving a Greek getaway but can’t leave for one, mix up one of these drinks and pretend you’re at a five-star hotel drinking a bottle of white wine by the pool. The mastic tree, also called lenticus or Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia is an evergreen 2 to 3 meter tall tree that can live for over 100 years. It grows very slowly and it is considered developed after around 40 to 50 years. The tree begins to produce mastic after 5 years. Its productivity is maximum from the 15th year then it decreases sharply from the age of 70. The average annual production per tree is between 150 and 180 grams, but there are extreme cases where a tree can produce up to 2 kilos and others where the yield can be only 10g per year. Mastic trees on the island of Chios Mastiha is used to make a variety of products, including liqueurs, ouzo, tsikoudia, and raki. It is also used in confectionery, such as ice cream, chocolates, and pastries. In Greece, it is used to make a type of chewing gum called mastiha gum.

The island of Chios is long and narrow, with high forested mountains in its northern section that retain moisture and temper the northerly winds. Thus the southern, hilly part, acquires a distinctive climate that is mild in the winter and very dry in the summer. The hot, arid summers in the Mastiho-horia allow the mastiha to dry and harden--the most crucial part of the harvest. Rain can wash away an entire harvest, and the trees cannot tolerate frost. FARMING EUGENICS To create the liqueur, the resin is collected, then distilled and combined with a neutral grain spirit. Effie Panagopoulos, founder of Kleos Mastiha Spirit , told Observer that their premium process includes double distillation in copper pots with two forms of PDO mastiha: the raw resin and mastiha essential oil, as well as a touch of sugar and local water from the Greek island of Lesvos. “Mastiha needs heat to extract the maximum flavor and aroma compounds from the raw ingredient,” Panagopoulos explained. Kleos is layered and nuanced with a flavor profile that is botanical and lightly herbaceous. Chios. Alex Abazis/Unsplash Mastiha is used in savory dishes as well. It is an ingredient in the popular Greek dish, moussaka. It is also used in salads, such as the Greek salad, and in soups. Mastiha, also called Chios Mastiha Μαστίχα Χίου, is a liqueur made from the distilled resin of the mastic shrub. The only flavoring in the drink comes from the mastic resin or oil and it has a bit of menthol attributes. In fact, ancient Greeks would chew on mastic resin as a breath freshener! Currently Mastiha is a protected DOP from Greece, since mastic is only grown on Chios. How To Make A Mastiha Spritz

Whether you're sipping on a refreshing mojito made with fresh mint from a Greek island or indulging in a sweet and spicy concoction made with Moroccan spices, each sip is like a journey through the Mediterranean. Chios mastic has been known since ancient times for its pharmaceutical qualities due to its multiple components, less than a hundred of which have an amount that can be detected.

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When I was a teenager tending bar for a family gathering, I made the mistake of serving our Parish priest with Mastiha when he asked for Ouzo! The two apertifs are similar in flavour and they also stand alone in their taste. Greeks who enjoy either Ouzo or Mastiha are usually divided into two camps (preferring one to the other). Mastiha has a sweet, citrusy flavor with a fragrant, herbal note. It is often served chilled or over ice.

You see, mastic is also used to produce Mastixa liquour which is as strong as Ouzo, looks like Ouzo and one coud say tastes similie to Ouzo but without that “anise” flavouring. A bottle of Mastikha spirit, from the family liquor cabinet The mastic used for Skinos and also the most cherished of mastic tears come from the Greek island of Chios (Hee-YOs). Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, located in the Aegean Sea, just 5 miles from thecoast of Turkey. The Skinos liqueur is the product of pot distillation. That is to say, the alcoholic vapours coming of the bulk of the liquid are condensed above the liquid on the still outlet, on the way to the condenser. KLEOS Mastiha Spirit is the first luxury mastiha brand from Greece launched in March 2018, by the first Greek woman in history to start a liquor brand, Effie Panagopoulos. It is the only double distilled, small batch, low in sugar mastiha on the market. Traditionally, tears and mastiha liquor are used in making tsoureki and biscuits for the Easter. Mastiha tears, which are found in small, medium or large caliber can be chewed like chewing gum.

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Elma brand chewing gum contains mastic as it’s properties help to also fight bad breath. Mastic has a floral aroma to it, quite pleasant in my opinion and as for the taste…that’s more difficult to explain.

Mastika is a great addition to any diet, and can be enjoyed in a number of different ways. It is most commonly used as a tea, but can also be enjoyed in a tablet or capsule form. mastika can also be used in cooking, and is a great way to add flavor and health benefits to your favorite recipes. Due to its complex, distinct flavors, and position as an aperitif and digestif, mastiha liqueur is typically served neat before or after meals. Not only does this permit a consumer to enjoy the nuances of the flavors, but the liqueur has a digestive benefit, too. “It removes all the gas from the stomach, [which] allows you to eat more,” Panagopoulos said. So what, exactly, is mastiha? It’s a resin that’s collected from the mastic (skinos) tree, an evergreen shrub native to the Greek island of Chios. The hardened sap is an ancient superfood, and for 3,000 years, it has been used for its healing properties and as a health and beauty supplement. The southern part of Chios is the only place in the world where the tree grows and in 1997, the European Union designated the 24 villages producing mastiha as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which is similar to titles given to locales like Champagne, Cognac and Tequila. The resin droplets on the mastic tree. UCG/Universal Images Group via GBut what if you could drink something that transported you to a world where you were always on vacation?