Mastiha is made from the sap that’s collected from the mastic tree, an evergreen shrub native to the Greek island of Chios.
Aperitifs are both ritualistic and cultural. Served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, aperitif liqueurs are herbal and light, meant to be slowly sipped, not guzzled. Aperitif hour is a time for unwinding from the day, shutting down from work mode and switching to leisure. In France, it takes the form of pastis. Italy has vermouth and Aperol. And Greece has mastiha liqueur.
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.