The Marí Mayans family is collecting these days in the Pitiusas the flower ofl thyme with which they make their recognized Frígola®, the first liqueur created by this historic distillery founded in 1880
The brand keeps alive an artisanal process linked to the countryside of Ibiza and Formentera, to its farmers, and to one of the most representative aromatic plants of the Pitiusan
There are traditions that ignite one night a year and others that, unknowingly, accompany Ibiza throughout the following twelve months. The Nit de Sant Joan not only marks in the Pitiusas the symbolic beginning of summer, the fire, the wishes, and the oldest rituals of the Mediterranean, but it also signals, for more than a century, one of the most special moments in the calendar of Familia Marí Mayans: the harvest of thyme, the aromatic plant with which this historic Ibizan distillery produces its renowned Frígola®, the first liqueur created by the brand in 1880 in its first factory in Formentera.
In the days leading up to the night of Sant Joan, when the Pitiusas countryside reaches one of its most aromatic moments, Familia Marí Mayans collects the thyme flower in their lands of Sant Miquel de Balansat and also receives the flowers harvested by farmers from Ibiza and Formentera, who traditionally bring them to their distillery located in the Montecristo Industrial Park.
This is how an artisanal process begins that directly connects the land, tradition, and the history of a family that has been producing liqueurs in Ibiza since 1880. After harvesting, the thyme is carefully selected and allowed to dry naturally, following the timing dictated by the plant itself and the artisanal process of the house, before being incorporated into the production at the Familia Marí Mayans factory, where 100% of its production is distilled, macerated, and bottled.
Frígola® holds a very special place in the history of Familia Marí Mayans. It was the first liqueur created by the founder, Joan Marí Mayans, and its recipe, linked to thyme in its native variety from the Pitiusas, retains that unmistakable character that has made it a drink intimately connected to the landscape, memory, and after-dinner gatherings of Ibiza and Formentera.
“Thyme is a humble, Mediterranean plant that is deeply ours. It grows among stones and wind, in difficult conditions, but it has an incredible personality. For us, it represents very well the essence of Ibiza and also that of our family,” explains the Marí Mayans family.
The collection of this aromatic herb is not only the first step of a recipe. It is also a way to preserve the traditional agricultural landscape of the islands and to keep alive a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation. At a time when many brands appeal to the concept of origin, Familia Marí Mayans continues to work with botanicals cultivated and harvested on the islands, transforming the Pitiusan countryside into liquors, infusions, and gastronomic products made entirely in Ibiza.
In addition to its emblematic Frígola®, Familia Marí Mayans has wanted to pay homage to this liqueur with its infusion of thyme and orange peel, a non-alcoholic proposal that comes from the same aromatic root and conveys that traditional, recognizable, and deeply Mediterranean flavor to another moment of consumption.
With this collection, Familia Marí Mayans once again reminds us that some toasts start long before reaching the glass. They begin in the field, in the hands of those who harvest, in the flowers that dry to the rhythm of the island, and in a tradition that, every year, is reignited around Sant Joan to accompany Ibiza throughout the year.
About the Marí Mayans Family
Founded in 1880, Familia Marí Mayans is one of the historic distilleries of the Balearic Islands and one of the most emblematic brands of Ibiza. Its products are born from family recipes passed down from generation to generation and from extensive research on the aromatic plants of the Pitiusas. From its distillery in Ibiza, the brand produces liqueurs, spirits, infusions, and gastronomic products linked to the landscape, tradition, and authenticity of the islands.
