Dry Mastiha

Dry Mastiha started in the Summer of 2018 when I visited my family in Greece. Every year I visit and spend time with family we try to draw inspiration from the beautiful country that is Greece.

That summer we drank a lot of Mastiha on the cool summer nights, and although the domestic spirits are good they tend to be very sweet and syrupy. The idea to create a dry, no sugar dry Mastiha distillate from grapes came to be.

So what is Mastiha? It's a very aromatic resin that derives from the lentish tree and it is only grown and sold on the island of Chios Greece. The resin itself is very valuable, it is used to make chewing gum (probably the first chewing gum in history was that of Mastiha), flavor food, and of course spirits.

Mastiha production has shaped the island’s life and culture. Mastiha producing trees grow around the Mastihohoria (Mastic villages) in southern Chios, an area of 24 settlements with a population of about 5000 whose livelihood is directly linked to the resin. Mastiha production is done between the months of July to October, the resin is extracted just before dawn, in which harvesters gently score the bark for a week and then wait for the sap to trickle down, in long tears.

The production of our Mastiha distillate is also unique, we import the precious Mastic tears from the island of Chios in Greece, which we then leave to soak on our un-aged grape brandy for about three-four months. We then distill one more time, capturing only the hearts and essence of the Mastiha.

Made with Meraki.