Little known in the US, “Licor 43” (simply Cuarenta y Tres to Spanish speakers) is the most sought after liqueur in its native Spain. Named after the forty-three ingredients from which it's made, 43 Licor is a well-kept secret recipe of the family who has been making it for nearly eighty years.
I first encountered 43 on the island of Mallorca when I was served a decadent glass of white sangria at an upscale restaurant/hotel. There was a definite something different, something quite wonderful that I couldn’t put my finger on…and it wasn’t the sparkling white wine from which it was made. Fortunately, I was able to learn the recipe from the bartender: Cava, sparkling lemonade and 43! The Bartender couldn't believe I had never heard 43 and showed me the bottle.
When exiting Spain I made sure to stop at the Duty Free to purchase a bottle to take home. The display of 43 was gigantic, by far the largest in the entire store overflowing with every name-brand liquor. I was dumbfounded that I had never heard of it in spite of more than thirty trips to Spain.
Upon returning back to the US my first sip of the liqueur I discovered what makes 43 so compelling. In its virginal state, it was a vanilla bomb laced with many complexities. It reminded me of a relative of Italian Tuaca & Galliano, both vanilla laden liqueurs. But, 43 had so many layers: cinnamon, orange peel & savory. Now, I could understand why that first white Sangria had me at “Hola!”
I have made lots of this white Sangria after that trip to
Mallorca. When I had almost finished the bottle of 43 I began to panic and wondered if I could get it shipped from Spain. I Googled it and happily found that all
the big liquor stores in the US carry it (e.g. Total Wine & BevMo). Perfecto!
White
Sangria recipe:
