Picon Punch, the Basque drink that triumphs in the United States

Bacon Punch. This is the name of the drink that Americans attribute to the Basques. At least, for the Basques who got there in the 19th century, but this cocktail continues to hold sway in some parts of the United States, especially in areas where the presence of descendants of Basque immigrants is more prominent. US Radio, Q97.9, published a list of the most exclusive drinks in every state. In it, the drink of choice for Nevada is the Picon Punch. Another similar list she puts on Idaho, and it’s no coincidence, because both areas have large Basque populations. But, what is Picon Punch, Euskadi’s anonymous Basque drink?

This cocktail was created by the Basques who traveled as far west as the 19th century and had never seen it before in the Basque Country. It is a mixture of Amer Bacon liqueur, brandy, squeezed lemon, grenadine and sparkling water and is “popular” in Basque restaurants, according to various publications on Basque forums in the United States. who approaches Boise in Idaho; To northern and central California, and northern Nevada, you can sample these “delicacies.” “It’s the richest drink I’ve tasted last year,” said Wayne Curtis, contributor to The Atlantic, in a report on Picon Punch.

However, Picon Punch has seen better days. “The drink is not as good as it used to be,” some regulars from the Basque diaspora say in the report. And it is that the main alcoholic drink of this cocktail, Prince Bacon, made in Marseilles, is no longer available in the United States. For this reason, it is now made from a similar drink, Turani Amer. However, the drink is still a hit in various parts of the country, especially in Nevada, as the Q97.9 list shows.

Such is its popularity, that it has its own glass in northern Nevada. In the city of Sparks, next to Reno, there is a company called “Louie Picon Glass Company”, where they made a kind of glass in which Picon Punch is served only with ice.

The recipe recommended by the web is the following: