when he was visiting Sare. In 1909, Izarra covered the walls of houses in the Basque Country with advertisements and commissioned numerous posters that appeared in Biarritz and Bayonne. In 1912, building on its success, Izarra expanded and opened a large distillery in Bayonne on the banks of the Adour. In 1926, Izarra featured in Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises. In 1929, Izarra gained further acclaim in a new cocktail called, Et moi je te dis…Maud (“That’s Maud for you”), that won the Championnat de Cocktail des Artistes in Paris. In 1934, to accompany Izarra’s arrival in the US, Zulla released its famous Izarra poster. In the 1950s, as the Basque Country's iconic liqueur, Izarra sponsored numerous events, from ski competitions in the Pyrenees to pelota championships and traditional festivals. In 1950, the poster designer Paul Colin produced Izarra’s most famous advertisement, which was seen all over the world. In 1955, Izarra acquired its rival “La Liqueur d’Hendaye”. In March 1960, the USSR minister, Nikita Khrushchev, tasted Izarra in Pau at a dinner held in his honour during the Cold War. Izarra prospered during the 1960s, opening production facilities in Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, and Spain, with more than 1,200,000 bottles sold. In 1981, Cointreau bought Izarra from the Grattau family. In 1998, the historic distillery in Bayonne was destroyed and the liqueur was produced at Cointreau’s main factory in Angers. In 2011, the Rémy Cointreau group relaunched the brand. Izarra’s head office was re-established in Bayonne. In 2015, Spirited Brands, founded and directed by Roland Giscard d'Estaing, acquired the brand. In 2018, Vedrenne took over distribution of the Izarra brand. Cocktails Six top French mixologists have created Izarra-based cocktails of which the most well known are: The Basque Mojito, a twist on the classic Mojito with green Izarra instead of rum, for a fresher flavour; The Lemon Izarra, green Izarra mixed with Lemon Schweppes or Kas Citron on the rocks. Very fresh and summery, slightly fruity, sweet, pastel green; The Emerald Coast, with gin and armagnac. Several new cocktails have been developed since 2018: Tik'Izarra, with green Izarra, orgeat syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Basquiano, with yellow Izarra, red Vermouth, Salers 16% and sparkling water. Iza Gorria, with yellow Izarra, VEDRENNE Supercassis 20% and tonic water. Beko, with green Izarra, Gascogne rosé and tonic water. References French liqueurs Herbal liqueurs Basque cuisine Bayonne