Liqueur from a star chef

Fresh herbs aren’t just suitable for use in dishes. Syrco Bakker, chef at restaurant Pure C in Cadzand, proves that. He used eighteen fresh herbs, flowers and plants to make his own liqueur, ‘Hierbas de las Dunas’.

Spanish name

‘Hierbas de las Dunas’ literally means dune herbs in Spanish. That Spanish name wasn’t chosen at random, because Syrco got his inspiration during a stay on the Spanish island of Ibiza. At a restaurant, he was served a chupito (a shot) with the bill: dune liqueur made with a secret family recipe. Once he had tasted it, he immediately knew: I want to make this too. Only with herbs and plants from the North Sea dunes.

Read a q&a with Syrco Bakker here

Eighteen herbs and plants
Back in Cadzand, the chef tests herbs supplied by an organic farmer. Together with this farmer, he explores how to get the most out of herbs. The end result is Hierbas de las Dunas, an organic liqueur made with eighteen different fresh herbs, from wild rocket and sea fennel to rosehip and elderflower. Made with organic grain alcohol and organic cane sugar, the drink is layered and complex in flavour.

The difference between this drink and the one from Ibiza? Hierbas de las Dunas is made exclusively with fresh herbs, rather than dried ones. And the dominant aniseed flavour that characterises Spanish herbal liqueur has faded into the background somewhat.

Appetising and relaxing

The liqueur contains both herbs that stimulate the appetite and herbs that have a relaxing effect. This means you can drink Hierbas as an aperitif with champagne, but also ‘on the rocks’ or mixed with tonic (you can find special cocktail recipes here with Hierbas).

Curious about Syrco’s creation? Buy the bottle here for € 27.50 (50cl). The site also features the promotional video, which is worth visiting the site for in itself.

Syrco Bakker has been the chef of Michelin-starred restaurant Pure C since 2010.

Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Photography: Ingrid Arnou/Diego Janssens