Arbaroriza liqueur

Arbaroriza liqueur

The liqueur version

Cretan wine-based liqueur flavoured with rose geranium leaves

In Crete the rose geranium is known as Arbarorizo the leaves are used to flavour syrups for local syrup cakes and for flavouring sweetened liqueur wine. The arbaroriza can be made with white, rose, or red wine, mix your chosen wine preference with sugar and the rose geranium leaves and steep for thirty days, strain and keep until you have guests, serve as a welcome drink or chilled over ice cubes.

On the rocks

Cretan shot

A simple wine digestiv

1,5liter     of your chosen wine
900g        sugar
60            rose geranium leaves and stalks washed and dried

Dissolve the sugar in the wine without boiling away the alcohol, add the rose geranium leaves and steep in a covered container in a cool dark place. Allow to stand for 30 days.
Strain and bottle.

A quick liqueur with local flair
1liter     simple Cretan red wine
500g     sugar
15         rose geranium leaves and stalks washed and dried

Boil together quickly all ingredients, ensure that all the sugar is dissolved. leave overnight, strain and bottle. serve as a chilled liqueur.

Enjoy Arbaroriza as a liqueur, welcome drink or as an aperitif on the rocks.

Scented Geraniums - (Pelagonium graveolens)

Abaroriza - rose geranium

The scented geranium is a pelagonium species native to South Africa. It has a distinctive rose scent, hence the colloquial name. 
Pelargonium comes from the Greek; Pelargos which means stork, another name for pelargoniums is storkbills due to the shape of their fruit.
Pelargonium graveolens is a small spreading species which grows up to 1 meter high and 1,5 meters wide, they have small pale pink flowers and waxy green leaves.
Pelagonium graveolens has other uses in folk law/folk medicine. it is used for its astringent tonic and antiseptic effects both internally, for gastroenteritis, externally, for skin complaints, neuralgia and throat infections.
the essential oil is used in aromatherapy and has a delicious aroma of roses. it is also used as a relief from mosquito bites and to balance the hormonal system, menstrual flow and to clean the body of toxins.