Post #182500 by Trader Woody on Sun, Aug 28, 2005 1:42 AM

One of the great things about travelling around Europe is that you can step into a bar, look at the bottles behind the barman, spot something you've never seen before that's made locally, and give it a try. It can certainly be hit and miss, but you can discover some fantastic stuff. Tunel Hierbas was one we found on the island of Mallorca, and it springs to mind whenever I think of herb flavoured drinks, particularly as it has a whopping great piece of vegetation in every bottle!

It comes in three styles: A sweet one, relatively low in alcohol, a dryer one that's quite strong, and one which combines the two. On the island there are a lot of 'imitators' (I'm not sure which brand came first) all which are worth a try. Many bars had this 'Hierbas' in huge 3 foot high ornate bottles with a little tap at the bottom. I'd guess it was originally something the locals would make themselves, then over the years distilleries grew up around what were cottage industries.

Trader Woody