In restaurants throughout the Basque Country, a weekend meal begins with a ceremonial vermouth service. Decanters of vermouth are presented on a tray with ice, sparkling water, olives, wedges of cut citrus, and two small bitters bottles: one full of Campari and the other filled with London Dry Gin. Each guest dictates their preferred garnish and ingredients, which the waiter then serves tableside. Acha’s classically Basque vermouth syncs beautifully with the broader vermouth tradition in Spain, heavily represented in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Basque Country. The botanicals are macerated in aguardiente – produced in a 130 year-old copper pot still – and blended into a neutral Airén wine base. Tasting Notes: This is not your standard sleepy dry vermouth; it has powerful herbaceous qualities that make it almost equal parts a dry vermouth and an alpine herbal liqueur like génépi. Intense notes of marjoram, thyme, wormwood, and rosemary, along with the natural vinous quality of the vermouth, make this a powerful cocktail ingredient. Pairing Notes: Acha Dry is the perfect vermouth for a rich, savory martini (pair with BCN gin and orange bitters for a serious Spanish sipper), but is potent enough to stand up to heavy hitters like Cynar, absinthe, aquavit, cherry tomatoes, honey, orange liqueur, and olive bitters.

Founded in 1831, Destilerías Acha has been at the forefront of distillation in the Basque Country for years. The distillery is located in Amurrio, 50 km from the Cantabrian Sea. Today, Gabriel Acha maintains the traditions and recipes passed down by his ancestors for the distillation and creation of liqueurs and spirits with all natural ingredients. The distillery is famous for many products including the traditional Basque after-dinner drink known as Pacharán.