One of only eight companies listed by the Consejo Regulador D.E. Pacharán Navarro as approved producers of authentic Pacharán Navarro, Pacharan San Cernin is run by the Munarriz family who have been making Pacharán Navarro for over 70 years. Currently led by Fernando Munarriz, the company uses modern agricultural advances when it comes to selecting their sloes.
Determining the proper time for harvest is one of the most challenging parts of Pacharan creation. Unlike wine grapes, which change color as they ripen, sloes all look the same on the outside. Therefore, pickers are forced to go through the labor intensive task of testing individual berries for ripeness.
Pacharan San Cernin remains particularly dependent on its fruit being picked at the perfect time as it’s made with 300 grams of sloes, the maximum, for each liter of anise spirit. The spirit at San Cernin is always 28 percent by volume, which lends structure and body to the Pacharan. The fruit is then macerated for at least six month, and regularly stirred.
On the palate, San Cernin possesses soft cherry and plum with smooth anisette notes, followed by a rich medley of baking spices, vanilla, and bitter almond. The finish is long and warm with a bit of sweet fire, before giving way to a final note of tart bitter fruit, similar to Campari. Round and deep in flavor, San Cernin still manages to be refreshing and lighter than one might expect.
While Pacharan is usually drunk chilled as a digestif following a meal, it also plays well in cocktails. It’s a great addition to any warmer, fruitier style cocktail, while also a great option for mixing up a Negroni or a Sbagliato. And if you can’t wait for dinner, pouring a couple drops into your Cava can make for a bubbly delight.
