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Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, a distinctly different type of spirit, will debut in the Miami market March 10, according to William Grant and Sons Distillers, the Scottish distillery responsible for brands such as Sailor Jerry rum, Glenfiddich single-malt Scotch, and Milagro tequila.
Ancho chile liqueur is distilled with a unique kind of chiles, which are dried poblano peppers, and were created by the Reyes family in the town of Puebla de Zaragoza during the 1920s, according to a news release.
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The new recipe was re-created by Licorera Ancho Reyes y Cia in Mexico after the company researched locally made spirits. According to Roberto Hidalgo, managing director of Licorera Ancho Reyes y Cia, the company wanted to produce a spirit that was unique to Mexico. Many of the locally produced liqueurs fell into obscurity in the postrevolutionary era there, when modernization introduced alcohols from other parts of the world.
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The liqueur’s base is a neutral cane spirit made in Veracruz, Mexico. Between 90 and 95 percent of the formula is made from ancho chiles, which are macerated in the base spirit for about six months before it’s strained and bottled. A mix of other chiles are introduced into the mixture to give the final product more depth and complexity.
Ancho chile liqueur has a sweet taste followed by mild chile heat and a slight acidity with hints of tamarind, plum, cacao, apple, and almonds. T
The liqueur is aromatic on the nose, with dried chile notes, spices, cinnamon, cacao, tamarind, and wet wood. The color is deep bronze. The alcohol by volume is 40 percent.
Advertised as a “Mexican herbal liqueur,” the spirit was originally consumed as a predinner drink but also works well in daiquiris and margaritas.
Ancho Reyes will be sold in 750-millilter bottles for $32.99. Miami is one of several markets included in the Ancho Reyes debut and can be found in restaurants and fine liquor stores in California, Nevada, Texas, New York, and Washington in the first quarter of 2014.
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