Sometimes we find preparations that may give the impression of being the same, even though their recipes and preparation process are where their differences lie. This is the case of pacharán and sloe liqueur, different drinks that can lead to confusion. Pacharán, the Navarrese liqueur par excellence, and sloe liqueur are not the same drink. Although there are those who want to and hope to “trick” the consumer or buyer, the truth is that they are two different preparations, which must be recognized as such. In fact, Navarrese pacharán even has its own PGI, with a Regulatory Council that sets out the guidelines to be followed for its preparation.
Although both drinks may have the same raw material, sloes, which provide a distinctive flavour (and in the case of pacharán, recognisable), their final organoleptic characteristics of flavour, colour, and smell can reveal the evidence of their differences and also their alcohol content is very different from one another. It is time to find out more about what distinguishes pacharán from sloe liqueur.
What is pacharán and how is it made?
Pacharán is a liqueur made by macerating blackcurrants, dark blue or black fruits from the Prunus spinosa plant, in aniseed brandy or sweet anise. Prunus spinosa is a wild shrub that also grows, domesticated, in certain areas of Navarre and whose fruits are collected at the beginning of autumn. With an astringent profile, the flavour of these is offset by the sugar of the anise in which they are immersed and left to macerate.
The result is a reddish liqueur with between 25 and 30 degrees of alcohol, which is usually drunk straight (although some people prefer it with ice) without mixing it with other drinks, served in a glass or cold cup at a temperature that should be between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius. It is a drink that is normally consumed after eating, after dinner. It can also be found as an ingredient in cocktail recipes.
Although it can be found in different Autonomous Communities (Cantabria, Castile and Leon, Basque Country, Aragon or La Rioja) it is a typical drink from Navarre, a Community where it is traditionally made and where it has been consumed since the Middle Ages. There it can be found associated both with festive and celebratory moments and, in the past, with the treatment of stomach ailments or problems due to the medicinal properties that were considered associated with this purpose and, currently, as a digestive.
Since sloes also grow wild, their production in the private, domestic sphere, as a home-made drink, is popular in the different areas where this shrub grows naturally and especially in Navarre. However, this liqueur has its own Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), a quality regime established by the European Union that identifies it as originating in a specific place and associates it with a level of quality and a reputation that is related to certain characteristics.
In this case, the IGP Pacharán Navarro and its Regulatory Council were created in 1988 and, since then, they have ensured that all pacharán produced within its scope of action and labelled as such is prepared only with Navarra blueberries and anise, without any flavour or colour additives. It may have, as optional ingredients, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, high-alcohol liqueurs, and aromatic herbs.
The Regulatory Council is responsible for setting the standards for maintaining quality throughout all phases of the process, including production, decanting, and bottling. In this case, the quantity of fruit per liter of alcohol used must be between 125 and 250 grams and it must be macerated in either oak or stainless steel barrels for a period of between one and eight months. Before bottling, the resulting liquid is decanted and filtered and once bottled, it must be drunk within the following two years.
What is sloe liqueur and how is it made?
Sloe liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that does not follow a specific recipe and does not even require the presence of sloes, so it could be considered part of the family of fruit liqueurs. This drink can be made using flavorings, aromas, colourings or acidulants that give it the desired taste and smell and final organoleptic characteristics without having used a single fruit in the process. Additionally, its alcohol content can start at 15 degrees.
Differences between pacharán and sloe liqueur
As you have seen, pacharán has between 25% and 35% alcohol, but sloe liqueur can have less to be cheaper and pay less taxes. But pacharán also uses sloes, which is not the case in many cases with so-called sloe liqueur. Bottling and quality controls will always be better in the case of pacharán and there are undoubtedly clear organoleptic differences between both drinks that translate into different flavours and nuances. We review the main differences.
Alcohol content
The first difference that can be found between a Navarrese pacharán certified by the IGP and a sloe liqueur is the alcohol content. Pacharán must be between 25 and 35%, while the latter can be made from 15%, thus paying less taxes on the alcohol contained in the drink and reducing production costs.
Use of sloes
It seems obvious but, as mentioned, sloe liqueur can be made without sloes, with only one of these dark-skinned fruits being found in its composition, unlike pacharán, which always includes them and, without them, it is no longer recognizable and recognized as such.
Bottle and bottling
If it is a Navarrese pacharán that belongs to the PGI, the bottle will never be the aniseed bottle, reused after making this drink at home. A “house” pacharán can be a sloe liqueur “camouflaged” under this name as long as we observe that the content has been “filled” in a previously used bottle.
Quality standards and controls
To make sloe liqueur, not all the rules and instructions that allow quality control to be maintained in the case of the IGP Pacharán Navarro have to be followed, which represents a big difference, starting from the necessary use of sloes already mentioned but which extends to all stages of the process of making this drink.
Consequently, while there is a recognizable pacharán, which may have small, more or less marked characteristics depending on the brand that produces it, there will be as many sloe liqueurs as there are producers with their own recipes and considerations when preparing it.
Organoleptic differences
Pacharán has a more or less intense red colour, a characteristic flavour and an associated smell that are always the same, as long as it is a pacharán made in Navarra and certified within the IGP. The smell, flavour and colour of sloe liqueur can vary as much as the nature of its ingredients, which are not governed by a specific minimum or maximum.
Pacharán vs. sloe liqueur: controversy
The controversy is served in this differentiation between drinks. The semantic part and the use of the concepts confuse more, because pacharán is a liquor made with sloes, but it is not the same as sloe liqueur, because it has its own name, recipe and entity. Consequently, whoever sells or distributes sloe liqueur passing it off as pacharán not only confuses the final consumer, but also cheats the process and the result. That is why it is important to look at the labels when buying them and ask about the bottles, or look at them, when they are served to us in a bar or at a restaurant.
The best pacharanes in Spain
Although, as has been pointed out, pacharanes are made with homemade recipes that vary in each case, we can point out the Navarrese pacharanes that are part of the IGP Pacharán Navarro as those that present assured quality and can be pointed out as among the best in Spain. And, although sloes can be found in other European countries, given that this is a drink with regional roots it does not have an equivalent in other countries, we would also be talking about some of the best pacharanes in the world.
- Pacharán Baines (IGP Pacharán Navarro) and Baines Gold Label
- Pacharan Basarana (PGI Pacharan Navarro)
- Pacharan Belasco 1580
- Pacharán from Usua Liquors, a brand founded in 1964 (IGP Pacharán Navarro)
- Pacharán de Zoco, which was the first brand to bottle and distribute this drink in Spain, taking it outside its original geographical framework (IGP Pacharán Navarro).
- Pacharán Berezko
- Pacharan La Navarra (PGI Pacharan Navarro)
- Pacharan Azanza (PGI Pacharan Navarro)
- Pacharán Ordoki (PGI Pacharán Navarro)