When venturing through the crowded market square of Merida,  we happened upon a girl selling Xtabentún.  We exchanged 70 pesos for a 250 mL bottle and continued on our way.

Xtabentún is a Licor de Anis y Meil de Abeja or, as Matt likes to call it, ‘nectar of the Mayan gods’.  It is leggy and has distinct tastes of honey and anise. It is thicker than wine, but thinner than honey.  The flavor is akin to ouzo and sambuca, but is sweeter and oh-so-much smoother. This is my new favorite liquor, and we both wish we had purchased a much larger bottle! If you are at all open to the anise/licorice flavor, I strongly recommend you try it.

Serving Suggestion:  Xtabentún is great as a desert drink, served neat or on ice. I am also hoping to try it as a ice cream topping! (Will update when I try it, and let you know how it is.)

To check out Xtabentún:
http://www.casadearisti.com/productos.html

For more information about why honey is a unique product of the Yucatán, and a recipe for your Xtabentún, I highly recommend Rick Bayless’s Season 5 Episode 12.