Foraging with Syrco Bakker from Pure C**
When I go foraging, I don’t get much further than half-eaten mint from my own garden. No, take Syrco Bakker, chef of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Pure C. He ventured into the Zeeland dunes, returned with 18 different herbs, flowers and plants, and turned them into a devilishly delicious dune distillate.
Just like in Ibiza
The idea for the liqueur Hierbas De Las Dunas came about during a holiday in Ibiza. There, it’s perfectly normal to have a chupito – a small shot glass – of Hierbas de Ibiza after a meal. A great custom for ending a meal, says Syrco. And because Pure C restaurant radiates an Ibiza vibe, he wanted to create his own version of Hierbas. But with fresh products and flavours from his own surroundings; distillates are normally made from dried herbs and spices, and he wanted to break with that tradition. ‘In my kitchen, I also work exclusively with fresh products, so why wouldn’t I do the same in my drinks?’
This pure, saline-sweet drink contains flavours ranging from samphire to rocket, sea buckthorn to roses, and rosehip bushes to sea fennel. Because only fresh products are used, the flavour will vary by season. This gives the distillate a different character every time.
Also delicious in a cocktail
You drink Hierbas De Las Dunas (28% alcohol) as a chupito, but you can also use it in a cocktail. I made a Hierbas&tonic with 50 ml Hierbas de las Dunas, 120 ml Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, a little lime juice and a slice of lemon as a garnish. Deliciously refreshing! A bottle costs € 32.50 and is available, among other places, through the Hierbas de las Dunas online shop.
Also read:
- Recipe: Belvedere’s The Pomme Highball cocktail
- The 7 best cocktail bars in the country
- 5 of the most delicious Italian cocktails for this summer
