A refreshing and tasty cocktail that will transport you to the Aegean islands, this Mastiha spritz uses a rare and difficult to find liquor.

If you are missing out on your annual Greek summer vacation because of the quarantine, this Mastiha Spritz will bring you back to the islands, at least mentally. If you’ve never heard of Mastiha before it would not surprise me. The liqueur is only produced on one small island in Greece and comes from a strange source. Even so, my recipe for a Mastiha Spritz is one of my favorite things to make and serve for pool parties and entertaining friends.

What Is Mastiha?

Mastiha, also called Chios Mastiha Μαστίχα Χίου, is a liqueur made from the distilled resin of the mastic shrub. The only flavoring in the drink comes from the mastic resin or oil and it has a bit of menthol attributes. In fact, ancient Greeks would chew on mastic resin as a breath freshener! Currently Mastiha is a protected DOP from Greece, since mastic is only grown on Chios.

How To Make A Mastiha Spritz

One of the best things about spritz cocktails is that they are so simple to make, and great to serve in large batches. This cocktail only has three (sometimes four) ingredients!

Ingredients

100 ml Mastiha Liqueur. A accessible brand for this is Skinos, but the best quality in my opinion is Stoupakis. I know 100 ml seems like a lot, but the liqueur is only about 15% so it isn’t very strong
15 ml Apple Juice. Sounds weird, but weirdly goes well with the liqueur.
150 ml Sparkling Wine
Soda Water, optional.

You can build the mastiha spritz directly in the glass. Just add ice and all the ingredients, give a quick single stir to combine, garnish with a dehydrated apple slice, and serve. The total ABV of this cocktail is around 10-13% depending on the strength of your wine, so they will creep up on you.

Mastiha Spritz

This Greek aperitivo is perfect on a hot afternoon. A refreshing cocktail made with Chios Mastiha, you'll be instantly transported to the Greek islands.