The Old-School Basque-American Cocktail Making A Comeback

When epicures think of Basque culinary tradition, rustic charred cheesecake and shaved jamón Ibérico likely come to mind. But one ultra-bitter cocktail has emerged as a popular (if somewhat hard-to-find) sipper for Basque immigrants in America. Picon Punch has long been served at Basque restaurants in the U.S. – especially in Nevada, where much of this demographic resides. In 2025, it became the state's official drink. 

This cocktail borrows its name from its central ingredient, the bitter French liqueur Picon Amer (the Basque Country stretches between Spain and France). For the unacquainted, this deep reddish-brown tincture arrives with gentian root and orange peel on the nose, and a pronounced bitter, herbal bouquet centering cinchona bark on the palate. In Picon Punch, grenadine, brandy, and soda water enter the mix as flavorful diluting agents. 

This cocktail also boasts remarkable ease of assembly — no shaking or stirring required. To make a Picon Punch, a 6-ounce Irish coffee glass is filled with ice, then layered with grenadine, Picon Amer, a splash of soda water, and a top layer of brandy. A lemon or orange twist is a customary garnish. Harmoniously, Picon Punch offers a lightly effervescent mouthfeel from the carbonation, yet a satiny body from the brandy. The grenadine lends rounding sweetness, while the bitter, distinctive Picon Amer ties off the mélange with a cohesive, dimensional character. Regarding potency, Picon Amer clocks in at an approachable yet detectable 21% ABV.

Historically, Picon Amer found a fanbase in its native France due to an absinthe shortage (the liqueur once carried a much higher ABV). It spread to America as a medicinal tincture, where it enjoyed popularity among 19th-century Basque immigrants across the Southwest. In America, Picon Punch became (and remains) a fixture of Basque immigrant culture, showcasing European ingredients and offering a connection between bar patrons with similar roots. By 1900, a printed recipe for the cocktail appeared in William Boothby's "American Bartender."

Today, the contemporary mixology wave has placed special focus on resurrecting forgotten old-school cocktails, and aptly, this Basque-American drink has been enjoying a resurgence. California's recertification of one of the ingredients in the Torani-brand Amer led to a massive shortage of the liqueur in Nevada in 2024. In response, Torani reached out to Nevada's Ferino Distillery to offer its confidential recipe and global rights for free, supporting the regional bevy. Nowadays, the liqueur is called Ferino Amer – but the cocktail is still called Picon Punch. 

Word to the wise: Due to Amer's spotty availability in the U.S., many bars make their own versions of the liqueur using copycat house recipes. For home mixologists looking to try the cocktail for themselves, some innovative bartenders have taken to combining Amaro Montenegro and Amaro Abano as an herbal substitute.