DESTILERÍAS ACHA BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN

Destilerías Acha is one of the oldest businesses in continuous operation in the Basque Country of Spain, initially founded in 1831 by Paúl Pomes in the city of Bilbao. Manuel Acha later joined the enterprise to manage the distillery and in 1880, the two men expanded to a larger building in the town of Amurrio. Paúl Pomes soon retired and sold his portion of the business to Manuel Acha, who was a perfectionist who sought improvement in all of his products. He traveled throughout Europe, exploring the techniques and tools, both old and new, of various distillation traditions throughout the continent. He applied the lessons of his travels and quickly became famous for a variety of products. Destilerías Acha has been owned by the Acha family since 1886 and is led today by the savvy and charismatic Gabriel Acha, who is steeped in Basque cocktail and culinary culture. The majority of Destilerías Acha’s wide range of products are sold and consumed in their native Basque region, but their future lies in expansion and experimentation beyond their borders.