Organic Verbena Syrup

Lemon verbena syrup for the evening

The organic verbena syrup from Bacanha is a French herbal syrup made with natural lemon verbena flavoring, produced in a workshop near Paris. Lemony, herbaceous, with a clean freshness. There are four ingredients on the label, and 400 ml makes about 20 glasses.

Verbena syrup carries the aroma of lemon verbena and belongs to the Sirop Brut range from the Parisian manufacturer Bacanha. In France, "verveine" is as common as chamomile tea is here, and hardly any dinner ends there without a cup of it. Its fragrance is lemony, without a single lemon being involved.

Lemony, herbaceous, surprisingly clear

Lemon verbena is a shrub from South America that arrived in Europe in the 18th century and has long felt at home in the south of France.

Its leaves smell intensely of lemon and lemon balm, with a green, almost resinous undertone. This is exactly what you find in the syrup: clear and fresh rather than heavy. The label lists organic cane sugar, water, natural lemon verbena flavoring, and citric acid. An herbal syrup with no detours.

Incidentally, not all verbena is the same. The native verbena, Verbena officinalis, has hardly any scent and tastes bitter. What ends up in the French cup is always lemon verbena, which owes its fragrance to essential oils in the leaves that are released as soon as they are touched.

Cold in summer, hot in winter

Poured over soda water, it creates a lemonade that tastes significantly more elegant than the name "herbal syrup" might suggest. With gin and tonic, it becomes a drink that bartenders know how to appreciate.

In winter, things flip. A spoonful in hot water and you have the "verveine" as it is served after a meal in France, just without the tea bag. It works the same way in cold green tea or drizzled over a lemon sorbet.

For those entertaining a larger group, mix up a carafe. One part syrup to ten parts water, add lemon slices and a few ice cubes, and refrigerate for half an hour. It is a drink that won't keep anyone awake late at night.

In the kitchen, it belongs in salad dressings, creamy desserts, and, mixed with powdered sugar, as a glaze on a lemon cake. For a floral direction, there is the Organic Elderflower Syrup, and for those seeking pure citrus, opt for the Organic Bergamot Syrup.

An herb that shouldn't taste like hay

The syrups are blended in Saint-Soupplets near Paris. With herbs, the difficulty lies in the process.

The aromas are created in Grasse, in the hinterland of the Côte d'Azur, the city that has been considered the world capital of perfumery since the 16th century. Extraction, distillation, and enfleurage are the methods used there to derive fragrance from plants. If an herb is treated with too much heat during this process, it loses its fresh edge and ends up tasting like hay.

"Preserving the authenticity of the aromas," as the manufacturer describes its work, is therefore a question of temperature when it comes to verbena. The organic cane sugar comes from regenerative agriculture in Brazil; all varieties maintain a pH level below 4.5 and around 60 degrees Brix. We carry 25 varieties from Bacanha's range, from citrus to floral to spice. A quiet classic.

As a glaze over a cooled cake

When prepared cold, use one part syrup to 8 to 10 parts soda water, plus ice and a slice of lemon. For an evening cup, use a teaspoon in hot, not boiling water, otherwise the freshness will evaporate.

As a glaze, stir 2 centiliters until smooth with 100 grams of powdered sugar and pour over a cooled cake. Once opened, the bottle belongs in the refrigerator and will keep for 2 months. You can find more herbal varieties in our syrup selection.

Organic control number FR-BIO-01 – French Agriculture