When I discovered that there was a Carmelite Bodega in the nearby town of Benicassim (15 mins away), of course, we had to visit. I was privileged to work for 17 years at the only Carmelite school in Australia, the wonderful Whitefriars College and so I was very keen to learn more. When I started to research the bodega I learned that it was founded by the Carmelites from the Monasterio Desierto de las Palmas (still active) which is located in the mountains of the Desierto de las Palmas (now a national park) which overlooks the town of Benicassim. So that was exciting and I added the monastery to our list of must visits.

We booked a guided visit to Carmelitano Bodega Y Destilerias that would include tastings of the licor and award-winning gin that they produce at the bodega. It was a great day, very informative tour of the museum and bodega. We purchased some beautiful orange gin and their famous Carmelite Liqueur.

A little history. . .

In the 17th century, the Carmelites arrived in the mountains of the Desierto de las Palmas where they built a monastery, among them Fray Antonio de Jesús María, a prominent scholar and connoisseur of aromatic herbs. When it became a Novitiate House, it was necessary to attend to the needs of the novices, their studies and training, and for this reason they thought of marketing an aromatic drink, extracted from the countless native herbs of the mountains of the Desierto de las Palmas.

Stills were installed in the basements of the Monastery and around October 15, 1896, the first bottles of our famous Liqueur were marketed. Given the poor communication, it was thought to move the distilleries to the town of Benicasim and in 1912 the current wineries and distilleries were founded which, in addition to producing our exquisite Liqueur, the range of products has been expanded, combining old guidelines. and artisan recipes with the most modern current techniques. Read more on their website.