It’s the island’s quintessential liqueur, a smooth amber nectar made with over a dozen local herbs and aniseed, served everywhere in Ibiza, from humble kebab shops to the pinnacle of VIP society. It’s an acquired taste, but a very addictive one. It’s easy to drink, and its high alcohol content can leave even the hardened partygoer with a very distinct Ibiza-style hangover. Alongside Es Vedra, a contoured bottle of Hierbas is one of the island’s best-known icons, invented by Balearic Monks in the Middle Ages for medicinal purposes. It is said to relieve coughs and rheumatism, while also being an excellent digestive. Traditionally, many Ibicenco families have their own Hierbas recipe handed down through generations, and some of these homebrews are among the best. With such a proud and honoured pedigree, here is our personal guide on the Top 5 Hierbas bottles in Ibiza.
#5 Sa Capella Hierbas
This is the first Ibiza Hierbas I had the pleasure of tasting. It was left on our table after a meal at the traditionally classic Ibicenco restaurant Sa Capella, housed in a non-consecrated church on a hill overlooking the port of San Antonio. You can almost feel the Monks who invented the drink in their presence here. It’s syrupy and smooth with no herb flakes floating in it. Its sweet taste packs a punch, and as it’s not sold over the counter, it’s hard to define its alcohol strength, but don’t fall into the same trap as we did by finishing the bottle left to us on the table, an inherent Irish trait, I’m afraid, as it kicks in like a Spanish mule when you get outside.
Image credit La Skimal
#4 Can Anneta Hierbas
The most famous Hierbas is probably the one that introduced the liquor to a Worldwide audience, thanks to the Hippies who drank so much of it at the legendary Bar Anita in San Carlos back in the 1960s and 1970s. This family, Hierbas, holds a special licence from the Spanish Government, allowing it to be sold to the public. As a result, it is the only homemade Hierbas in Ibiza that can be purchased legally over the counter. Sweet in flavour and not as heavy as Sa Capella, it’s bottled and corked in local herbs, which adds to its round flavour. With an alcohol content of 23% it can pack a sweet punch.
Bar Anita San Carlos Hierbas
#3 Can Rich Hierbas
The first of the commercial entries to our Top 5 Chart. Sold as Hierbas Ibicencas, the classic term for the liquor, it’s a high-quality product from Bodega Can Rich and a popular choice among locals on the island. Smooth, sweet, and semi-heavy, it’s rich in flavour and is the closest crossover from Hierbas, from being an after-dinner digestive to a trendy bar drink. The respected Can Rich brand adds value to this bottle of popular Hierbas.
Can Rich Hierbas
#2 Hierbas Aniseta
First produced in 1925, this is a classic Hierbas lauded by the experts on the island as one of the best you can get. The Aniseta shop in Ibiza town, just across from the Formentera Ferry terminal, is a Gallery to the art of Hierbas making, complete with copper vats and wooden kegs used to make the drink. The Aniseta store offers the widest variety of Hierbas bottles for sale on the island, including one with an alcohol content of 47%. It’s an Artisanal and high-quality Hierbas, with several varieties available, so it’s difficult to describe in general terms. Suffice to say, there are sweet versions and not-so-sweet ones, and it’s best to go in and try them for yourself, as the shop offers free samples before you make a purchase. In terms of quality, Hierbas Aniseta, in our opinion, is the best.
Hierbas Aniseta
#1 Mari Mayans
The island’s best-known commercial Hierbas is commonly sold for chupitos due to its lighter consistency. It’s not very sweet, yet easy to drink, and comes in a distinctive Es Vedra-stamped bottle. The reason we rated this one #1 was for its all-around versatility, blend, taste, body, and drinkability, thanks to its unique, slow-pour patented bottle. Mayans have struck the balance just right to enjoy this as a bar drink over ice, as well as an after-meal digestif. It’s the one I keep coming back to after trying all the others, as it’s so easy to drink over ice. It’s sold with herbs and without, but I prefer to refill my Bar Anita bottle with Mari Mayans, which enhances its flavour. This family-made Hierbas enjoys a good local reputation and is marketed effectively, which has helped it become the dominant Hierbas brand on the island, thanks to its distinctive, designer bottle shaped in the contour of a traditional Ibicenco farmer.
Now that we have listed our Top 5 Hierbas bottles on the island, here is our guide on how to drink them
How to Drink A Hierbas
- The traditional way to drink Hierbas is over two cubes of ice and served in a small brandy glass, allowing your nose to catch the scent of the sweetness and quality of the herbs contained in the drink.
- While most local restaurants will serve you the branded, bottled Hierbas, some will have their own homemade Hierbas contained in undercounter bottles. This is the one you need to ask for.
- Local tradition holds that the finest Hierbas is crafted from herbs gathered on the night of a full moon. So if you can track down a bottle of this, you are the Indiana Jones of Hierbas exploration.
- In recent years, the Hierbas “chupito” has gained popularity as a gesture of appreciation for your custom and as a symbol of the beginning of a new friendship. When toasting a Hierbas chupito, it is essential to look into the eyes of the person you are toasting when raising your glass.