Mastic or mastiha from the Greek island of Chios is getting traction in social media as the basic ingredient for summer cocktails.
Many bartenders and amateur connoisseurs are uploading videos of how to use the “white gold” of Chios to make flavorful and refreshing cocktails ideal for the summer.
Until recently, Greece’s mastiha liqueur hasn’t been as popular as other aperitifs. Thanks to new brands’ premiumization of the category and further education on its benefits, however, mastiha is starting to gain a cult following.
The myriad mastiha coctails
Here is a take on a cocktail called “Cleopatra”:
@drinkkleos KLEOS Mastiha Spirit’s signature cocktail (The Kleo-Patra) is your Greek vacation in a glass
This cocktail is super crushable and absolutely refreshing. PLUS there’s only 110 cal. and 4g of sugar in the full cocktail
Yia Mas
#earnyourkleos #mastiha #kleostakemeaway #chios #mykonos #mixology #mixologist #mixologytiktok #athens #travelgreece #skinnycocktails #lowcal #lowsugar #cocktailrecipes #superfood #luxury #luxlife #cocktailtok #garnishgame #greeksummer #summercocktail
♬ Taste It – TELL YOUR STORY music by Ikson
According to the following video by Nikki’s Modern Mediterranean, apart from one ounce of mastiha, you will need the following ingredients to make a summer cocktail: One ounce of peach vodka, peach nectar juice, grenadine, ice, orange for garnish, and cherry also for garnish.
Another version is the rum, mastiha & coffee cocktail:
Until recently, mastiha was actually considered a peasant spirit; a cedar-forward, sugary sip, often consumed after meals in Greece. This reputation is partly due to how it was made and how it wasn’t highly consumed outside of Greece.
@jackiesfooddiary Have you tried Mastiha?! Officially my summer cocktail #mastiha #chios #liqueur #cocktail #cocktailrecipes #greek #drinkideas #summercocktails
♬ gimme gimme gimme – ❁ཻུ۪۪♡ ͎. ｡˚ °
Now, with society’s growing interest in niche global spirits, mastiha spirit has come into the spotlight, and it’s becoming more common on menus in high-end Greek beach clubs as well as restaurants and global cocktail bars, everywhere from New York to Los Angeles.
Here is yet another version of mixing mastiha with liquor:
@kforkalliopi @Cello Liqueur & I made this delicious Mastiha cocktail using their Melon Liqueur
(you’ll have to excuse the banter, I gave him a headache for an hour
) #cocktail #drink #mixologist #cocktails #italy #italian #greek #greekgirl #fyp #foryoupage #liqueur
♬ original sound – Kalliopi
Mastiha of Chios, Greece’s ‘White Gold’
Mastiha, often referred to as the “Tears of Chios” or the “White Gold of Greece,” is a product made exclusively on the Greek island of Chios. Since antiquity, this sticky resin, which seeps from the bark of mastic trees, has been harvested not only for its flavor but for its therapeutic value.
Although the mastic tree, also called “lentisk,” is native to many areas in the Mediterranean, its bark only “bleeds” mastic on the island of Chios, making it a truly unique and nearly miraculous product.
Mastic is used as flavoring in many sweets and drinks, most famously in Mastiha, a digestive liquor from Chios. The mastic “tears,” or small bits of hardened tree sap, can also be chewed like gum, a practice dating back thousands of years. Its healing properties include prevention and treatment of stomach pains and gastric disorders and rejuvenation of the skin.
Its rarity has made mastic highly sought-after throughout history. Even today, mastic is considered a precious commodity not to be wasted. The European Union has designated it a “protected designation of origin” product, confirming that only Chios can produce authentic mastic.