Acha Blanco has a distinct profile, bringing together fresh floral notes (think honeysuckle and elderflower) with their signature green herbal bitterness. Finishes with a soft Bazooka bubblegum note that is both exciting and familiar.
In restaurants throughout the Basque Country, a weekend meal begins with a ceremonial vermouth service. Decanters of vermouth are presented on a tray with ice, sparkling water, olives, wedges of cut citrus, and two small bitters bottles: one full of Campari and the other filled with London Dry Gin. Each guest dictates their preferred garnish and ingredients, which the waiter then serves tableside. Acha’s classically Basque vermouth syncs beautifully with the broader vermouth tradition in Spain, heavily represented in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Basque Country. The botanicals are macerated in aguardiente – produced in a 130 year-old copper pot still – and blended into a neutral Airén wine base.
Initially founded in 1831 by Paúl Pomes in the city of Bilbao, Manuel Acha later joined the enterprise to manage the distillery. In 1880, the two men expanded to a larger building in the town of Amurrio. Paúl Pomes soon retired and sold his portion of the business to Manuel Acha. Destilerías Acha has been owned by the Acha family since 1886 and is led today by the savvy and charismatic Gabriel Acha, who is steeped in Basque cocktail and culinary culture.
