Good Question: What Is This Anise Liquor?

Tamara writes in with a good problem - unidentified (but interesting-looking!) liquor. She says:

My sister just moved and I inherited some odd liquors from her that she didn't feel like trucking across the country. One is a bottle of Palinka (Hungarian fruit brandy, this one is cherry). At my Hungarian aunt's house I've always sipped this cold and straight, but I'm sure it could be the basis of some sort of delicious cocktail.

The other stumps me more. It's a Spanish anise-flavored liquor called Anis del Mono with a scary-looking monkey on the label. I have never heard of this before and am at a loss as to what to do with it. The only anise liquor I've had before is pastis, but this doesn't seem to be so pastis-y. Ideas?

Tamara, we initially were reminded of Pernod, the famous anise-flavored liquor. Anis del Mono seems like it is similar to Pernod. We went and looked it up in the CocktailDB, a good resource for liquors. They said that this is a Catalan liqueur with a limited availability in the States. It's also considered to be very good.

• Anis del Mono listing at CocktailDB.

There is a recipe suggestion there but we'll also throw it open to the readers. Do you have drink suggestions for either of Tamara's new liquor cabinet additions - cherry brandy and Anis del Mono?

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Comments (6)

I've used it for cooking. It taste great when used in a heavy cream sauce for Peppered Stake. And if you add it in with your chocolate as you melt it for fondue or truffles you get a wonderfully intricate taste! However, there are several cocktails with Cherry Brandy in them.

200 drinks for Cherry Brandy
Cherry Brandy Chocolate Mousse
Cherry Triffle from Food Network

posted by surferartchick on September 9th 2008 at 6:44am
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*steak

lol I'm a retard.

posted by surferartchick on September 9th 2008 at 6:47am
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It's really popular in Spain, and my mother (who is Spanish) loves it. My uncles like to spike their coffee and tea with it for a little after dinner coffee/drink combo.

posted by Laura (murray hill) on September 9th 2008 at 10:16am
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I don't have cooking/drinking suggestions... but when I visited Spain I bought a tin sign with that label just because I thought it was neat looking. Now I know what it belongs to!

posted by 2T on September 9th 2008 at 10:36am
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Firstly, many congratulations on your blog, it's wonderful, we can not stop to visit almost every day.

We want to give you an idea to use the Anís del Mono, is very common in Spain added to biscuits or cakes, there is a smell and taste delicious. If you want to send a recipe.

And sorry for language, "the translator is to blame";)

Greetings from Spain

VelSid

posted by www.gastronomiaycia.com on September 9th 2008 at 3:52pm
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...and don't forget Anís del Mono's colourful history. The monkey on the label is supposed to be a humorous portrait of Darwin, who at the time of the company's foundation was on every headline because of his evolution theory. By the way, don't overdo it when you use it as its flavour can be overpowering.

posted by mcalpena on September 10th 2008 at 12:42am
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