Trakal The Spirit of Patagonia Liqueur
Trakal — "The Spirit of Patagonia" — is a Chilean botanical spirit built on an apple-and-pear brandy base, triple-distilled in Osorno and layered with seven native Patagonian herbs and four native berries. Bottled at 42% ABV in a 750mL bottle, it "sips like a whiskey and mixes like a gin": approachable like gin without juniper, sweet and herbaceous with apple, red berries, fennel, and chocolate mint. Available to order online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 42% (84 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Base: local apple and pear varieties distilled into an eau-de-vie/brandy base, then triple-distilled
- Botanicals: 7 native Patagonian herbs + 4 native berries (maqui, tepa, and more), hand-picked within ~100 km of the distillery
- Origin: Osorno, Chilean Patagonia — created by co-founders Ben Long, master distiller Sebastian Gomez Camorino, and Matthew O'Brien
A New Spirit Category From the End of the World
When Trakal reached the US, the TTB gave it its own classification — "spirit distilled from apple and pear with natural flavors" — because nothing like it existed: Chilean authorities had the same classification problem. The trick is in the third distillation: master distiller Sebastian Gomez Camorino uses vapor infusion of fresh herbs plus essential oils (his mother's suggestion), so the seasonal wild herbs can be used year-round with consistent flavor. He spent nearly two years working with locals in southern Chile to find the right forest-floor scents and flavors — the goal was "like the experience of walking through a forest" in Patagonia. "Träkál" means "first warrior into battle" in the Huilliche language. Launched exclusively in Colorado in 2017, it now ships to California and beyond. Discover more Trakal or browse the liqueur collection.
Tasting Notes
Sweet and herbaceous: the apple-and-pear brandy sweetness first, then red berries, fennel, and chocolate mint over a forest-floor herbal base. Long and warming, with the 42% ABV giving it a whiskey-like sip.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over a large cube to taste the full Patagonian character — or deploy it anywhere gin goes: a Träkál Negroni, a Patagonian gin-and-tonic, or simply with soda and a twist of citrus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Träkál made from?An apple-and-pear brandy base, triple-distilled, with 7 native Patagonian herbs and 4 native berries (including maqui and the anise-like tepa), plus herbal essential oils.
What does Träkál taste like?Like "gin and brandy had a baby in Patagonia" — approachable like gin without juniper, sweet and herbaceous with apple, red berries, fennel, and chocolate mint, at 42% ABV.
What does the name Träkál mean?"First warrior into battle" in the Huilliche language of southern Chile.
Like gin and brandy had a baby in Patagonia — order Trakal online at Del Mesa Liquor.