Licor 43

For the cycling team, see Licor 43 (cycling team).
Licor 43
Company typePrivate
IndustryDistilled beverages
Founded1924[citation needed]
HeadquartersCartagena, Spain (main)
ProductsLiqueurs
ParentDiego Zamora Group
Websitewww.licor43.com
Typical coffee drink of the Spanish Canary Islands which is a mixture of espresso, milk and Licor 43

Licor 43, or Cuarenta y Tres (Spanish for "43"), is a Spanish liqueur, made in Cartagena, Spain.

History

Licor 43 was invented in 1946 by the siblings Diego, Angel, and Josefina Zamora, along with Emilio Restoy, Josefina's husband.[1] The Licor 43 website states they based their recipe on the Liqvor Mirabilis (marvellous liquid), a golden, aromatic elixir produced and infused from local fruits and herbs in Carthago Nova during the 3rd century. Liqvor Mirabilis was encountered by the Romans when they conquered the region in 209 BC; despite the Romans banning its production and consumption, the Carthaginians continued producing in secret.[2] This legend served as the inspiration for the Zamora's invention of Licor 43.

The name of the modern-day liqueur originates from its use of 43 different ingredients; while its recipe is a closely guarded secret by the Zamora family, it is known to contain citrus and fruit juices, and to be flavoured with vanilla, among other aromatic herbs and spices.[3]

Commercial performance

Licor 43 is the most popular liqueur in Spain.[4] As of 2011, it was the fastest growing premium liqueur in the world in its category, and is present in more than 60 countries.[5][6][7] During a 2015 inquiry into the best-selling alcohols in The World's 50 Best Bars (the bar version of William Reed's The World's 50 Best Restaurants), Licor 43 was ranked as the 9th best-selling digestif worldwide.[8] According to the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR), a data analytics company that tracks alcoholic beverage trends and measures country, category, and brand performance, Licor 43 was the fastest growing liquor of scale globally in 2017.[9]

Uses and variations

Mexican carajillos specifically call for "licor del 43" as the alcohol combined with espresso and ice. In the Canary Islands, it is an essential ingredient for a barraquito, a variant of the highly popular cortado condensada (espresso with condensed milk) coffee.

A "mini-beer" is a Licor 43 cocktail designed to visually imitate a beer. A miniature pint glass is mostly filled with Licor 43 and topped with a chilled dairy-based liquid, such as heavy cream or Irish Cream. The colour of Licor 43 mimics the amber colour of a pale beer, and the dairy product mimics the white colour of a beer's foamy head. A common cocktail variation in Mexico is the “Sandrillo” which includes Licor 43 shaken with whole milk.

References

  1. ^ "Licor 43 - History". Licor 43. Retrieved 2019-06-18. 1946: THE ZAMORA FAMILY STARTS THE PRODUCTION
    Mr. Diego Zamora with his brother and sister, Angel and Josefina, and the support of Emilio Restoy, Josefina's husband, gathered all they had and, with hard work and unlimited enthusiasm, started to bottle the liqueur themselves.
    A humble beginning made of passion that started the history of Diego Zamora group.
  2. ^ "Licor 43 - History". Licor 43. Retrieved 2019-06-18. 209 BC: ROMANS DISCOVER LIQVOR MIRABILIS
    When the Romans conquered Carthago Nova, they encountered the Liqvor Mirabilis – or marvellous liquid. A golden, aromatic elixir produced and infused from local fruits and herbs. The Romans banned the production and consumption, but the Carthaginians continued in secret. Nowadays, this elixir inspires the recipe of Licor 43.
  3. ^ "Licor 43 - The Golden Spanish Liqueur". Licor 43. Retrieved 2019-06-18. WHY THE NUMBER 43?
    Licor 43 derives its delightful taste and golden lustre from an age-old recipe consisting of no fewer than 43 ingredients. This recipe has been a closely guarded secret for generations, and always will be.
  4. ^ McCarthy, John D. (2017-05-24). "3 Drinks to Make with Licor 43, Spain's Favorite Liqueur". Food&Wine. Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Retrieved 2019-06-19. Though little-known in the States, Licor 43 is the most popular liqueur in its native Spain—and also quite prominent in Mexico and other Latin American nations.
  5. ^ Davis, Christian (2012-03-02). "Licor 43 hits the 500,000 cases mark". Drinks International. Agile Media Ltd. Retrieved 2019-06-18. [The] Diego Zamora [beverage group] says [that as of 2011] the international growth in the last few years of more than 75% makes Licor 43 the fastest growing premium liqueur in the world in its category, with presence in more than 55 markets.
  6. ^ "Licor 43 - History". Licor 43. Retrieved 2019-06-18. THE MOST INTERNATIONAL SPANISH SPIRIT
    The first decade of the XXI century was driven by an unstoppable international expansion. We reached over fifty countries such as Australia, Germany, Mexico, and the USA, making it the most international premium Spanish liqueur of all time.
  7. ^ "MARKET DATA". Zamora Company. Zamora Company. Retrieved 2019-06-19. The most sold Spanish liquor in the world and present in more than 60 countries. Currently Licor 43 is the fastest growing premium liqueur in the world.
  8. ^ "The World's 50 Best Bars Brands Report 2015: Aperitifs and Digestifs". Drinks International. Agile Media Ltd. 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  9. ^ Davis, Christian (2018-07-19). "Zamora and W. Deutsch part ways for Licor 43". Drinks International. Agile Media Ltd. Retrieved 2019-06-18. ...Licor 43 - the fastest growing liquor of scale globally according to IWSR at 750,000 cases in 2017...