A fascinating and sensually rewarding half-day out: find out about a traditional drink which has become a modern market leader.  

The guided tour includes  the tasting of  2 or 3 different Licor 43 combinations plus the chance to pick up a great gift pack.

Tours can be booked between 9.00 and 16.00 from Monday to Friday in Spanish, English or German. Visits in French and Italian can be organised with prior notice.

The Licor 43 Experience offers visitors the chance to get to know one of Spain’s favourite drinks, and at the same time provides a scintillating treat for all the senses. 

 

Along the way you can discover all the secrets of this refreshing concoction of natural local flavours, aromas and colours. Well, almost all the secrets: the recipe itself is kept in the hands of just three people!

On arrival at the new Licor 43 factory and showroom (expansion and modernization forced the move to new premises in 2012) visitors are greeted in the chill-out bar, which has both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

This simple concoction is so named because of its appearance, but in fact consists of a small glass of Licor 43 topped with cream, which gives it its “head”. 

The result is a dangerously delicious and refreshing beverage, and few who try it will be left not wishing for more!

The standard "Visita Premium" visit begins with a short large-screen video presentation of the group which owns and makes the Licor 43 brand,  alongside other hugely successful Villa Massa Limoncello Pacharán Zoco and the acclaimed wine labels of Mar de Frades and Ramón Bilbao.

There then follows a series of fascinating exhibits showing the history of the liqueur.

 

Legend has it that a version of Licor 43 known as “Liquor Mirabilis” was first produced and enjoyed in the time of the Romans, who conquered the city of Qart Hadasht (Cartagena) in 209 BC, but the story of the drink as we know it today began in 1946, when the secret recipe was bought by three members of the Zamora Conesa family.

Over the following decades the company was a pioneer in the field of advertising in Spain, and a series of fascinating exhibits features some of the posters, TV and cinema ads, sports sponsorship deals and promotional offers which converted this local family business into an international product: it now sells seven million bottles per year from its Cartagena base.

 

From there the tour crosses over into the factory itself, where the whole production process is explained from the moment the 43 ingredients are mixed, through the fermentation and aging process to bottling, labelling and packaging.

 

which is the market leader in its category not only in Spain but also in Germany, Brazil and Holland, and is highly popular in Mexico and the USA. Overall it’s marketed in more than seventy countries worldwide.

 

Finally it’s time to wind down back in the chill-out zone, where visitors may want to extend the tour with cocktails or coffee: both “café español” (expresso and Licor 43) and “café asiático” are on offer here. Others might be tempted to take advantage of the products on sale in the on-site shop, where a number of items make perfect gifts for friends and family either here in Spain or back home.

 

Two tour options

 

The "Visita Premium" visit begins with an organoleptic tasting of Licor43 Original, followed by the guided tour through the museum and the manufacturing plant of Licor43. There is then a cocktail presentation and tasting of “Ginger43”.

The visit lasts approximately one hour and is available from Monday to Saturday at a price of 14 euros per head (adults only). Prior booking is essential. Children may also visit under adult supervision, and must always be accompanied by adults.

Note: at weekends the bottling line is not in operation, and videos are shown on Saturdays when the tour reaches this part of the factory.  

Due to sanitary considerations masks must be worn throughout the visit, and unfortunately the maximum group size has to be set at 12.

Alternatively, an even more complete tour is available under the title of “Masterclass and Fruit Picking”. This includes an additional focus on the texture, aromas and sensations that the citrus fruits from the Mediterranean garden alongside the Experiencia 43 building provide, all of them contributing to the secret recipe of Licor 43. In the garden visitors choose and pick their own fruits for the cocktail they will prepare at the end of the visit!

 

During the Master Class, brand ambassadors transport you to a world of complex nuances as you get to know Licor 43 through its three main flavour varieties: Original, Horchata (tiger nuts) and Coffee.

 

A full tour of the factory and museum is also included, and then it’s time to show your skills and prove that your cocktail creation is the most valued among all the day’s competitors!

 

After the thrill of competition, visitors wind down with a cocktail presentation of the Perfect Serve of Ginger 43, usually outside on the terrace accompanied and accompanied by a snack.

The Masterclass and Fruit-Picking tour is held on weekdays at 12.00 noon and is priced at 30 euros per head.

Bookings at Experiencia 43 should be made here, by telephone on 968 030188 or by email at experiencia43@zamoracompany.com.

 

Tours can be booked between 9.00 and 16.00 from Monday to Sunday in Spanish, English and German. Visits in French and Italian can be organised with prior notice. 
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Spain's Favorite Liqueur

Origins rooted over two millennia ago, a secret recipe, a visionary approach to marketing… all the ingredients of success.

The history of Spain’s favourite liqueur reputedly goes back to before the Romans conquered the Carthaginian city of Qart Hadasht (modern-day Cartagena) in 209 BC. Legend has it that the locals used to drink a concoction made of local ingredients such as vanilla, citric and other fruit juices, aromatic herbs, spices and orange blossom, and  it had become such an integral part of the identity of the population that the Romans attempted to ban it. 
 
However, once they had tried it they succumbed to the temptation of this light aromatic beverage. In Latin it received the name “Liquor Mirabilis”, and although it cannot be proved, the locals still maintain that it was exported throughout the Empire in the amphorae carried by ships leaving the busy Roman port.
 
It was not until 1946 that the modern history of Licor 43 began. The three Zamoras, brothers Diego and Ángel and their sister Josefina, along with her husband Emilio Restoy Godoy, bought the recipe and began to produce the liqueur in the San Antón area of Cartagena, branding and labelling it and bringing it into the twentieth century. Diego eventually gave his name to the company.

The local population of Cartagena was won over immediately, but the real key to the success of Licor 43 in becoming an internationally successful brand was in its innovative and creative approach to promotion and marketing. The business itself began operations on a very modest level, but the initial ambition was to spread the word throughout Spain, and a multi-pronged promotional campaign was launched to convince Spaniards that Licor 43 was the ideal accompaniment for the special moments in their daily lives. 
 
“Sorbos de Felicidad” (sips of happiness) attracted the interest of the Spanish public, and in the Experiencia 43 display various items illustrate this early phase of marketing, calling to mind the 1950s and 60s through a variety of bottle designs, posters, cinema advertisements and promotional gifts, such as wallets, cufflinks, glasses, records and recipes. The “Pilé” pack (with a special ice crusher) proved especially popular, and soon the drink became part of everyday life for Spaniards: the company even sponsored bullfights.
 
In the 1970s and 1980s, as Spain moved into democracy and modernity, the focus in brand advertising shifted from the traditional to the modern.
 

Discothèques, glamour, international campaigns and sports sponsorships now formed the basis of Licor 43’s promotional efforts, bringing the product to a younger and more international audience. In English-speaking countries people were tempted to try the “haunting golden taste”, while in Germany the drinking public were enticed by “Spaniens süβe Versuchung” (Spain’s sweet temptation).
 
Nowadays the company is barred from sponsoring sports events due to the fact that the liqueur is 31% proof (22% is the legally allowed limit), but thirty or forty years ago it was common to see the brand name at high-profile sporting events. The Puerto Rico national baseball team wore the company logo, the Licor 43 cycling team took part in the Tour of Spain, and other beneficiaries of sponsorship were Spain’s 1989 motorcycling champion Manuel Hernández Nicolás, the national handball team (1986), the Santa Coloma basketball team and the first Spanish yacht to complete the Round the World Race in 1981/82.

In more modern campaigns, in Spain the Licor 43 brand has been associated with the owl (both are “the owners of the night”) while internationally it has been marketed as an ideal mixer (“Born to mix”).
 
By 2012 the brand had grown so big that new premises were needed, and the new production plant was opened just to the east of the city of Cartagena. This is the only place in the world where the 8-month production cycle takes place – an experiment to move part of the production to France was not successful – and at full capacity the 76 filling taps in the factory send out 9,500 bottles an hour. 
 
In the course of a year seven million bottles are produced and distributed to more than seventy countries, but the key to this success lies in the hands of just three highly trusted people. This is still a family-owned business, and the three original Zamora owners have eached passed down their share to subsequent family members. 
 
In all 102 staff work at the plant in Cartagena, and the new production plant has been designed to make the brand image stand out in the landscape on the way from Cartagena to La Manga. The bold, bright colours of the building pay homage to the Mediterranean ambience and the citric ingredients, and this allegiance to the brand’s Mediterranean roots is also reflected in the garden which has been planted on the southern side, next to the Experiencia 43 visitor centre. When the trees here are fully grown they will mingle with the tangle of steel branches and twigs which adorns the south face of the building, reflecting the roots of this product in the very soil of Cartagena itself.
 
Please use our web portal below for full and complete details. 
 
Our Products and New Boutique Shop

An essential part of the visit to Experiencia 43 is the Gift and Souvenir Shop which is open daily next to the Experience 43 reception area.

Licor 43 gift packs are available here - an offer which may prove hard to resist after the sample provided during the guided tour! - and many of the other drinks produced by the group can also be purchased.

Of course the shop is also open to anyone passing by the factory and it is not necessary to complete the tour to buy any of the drinks on sale or indeed the gift items which are also displayed.

Next to the shop there is also a well-presented café-bar, offering an opportunity to sit and have a special Licor 43 coffee or a cocktail either inside or on the outdoor terrace.  

If you have time then why not relax and ask one of the staff to mix you a special Licor 43 coffee or even a special Licor 43 cocktail of your choice.

 

Special Events, Business Meetings and Private Parties

The Experiencia 43 facilities can also be hired for special events such as business meetings or private parties, and in addition special courses can be organized to teach visitors how to mix various different cocktails featuring Licor 43.

Duration, activities and prices can be tailored to the characteristics of each group: simply ask the staff at Experiencia 43 for more information, specifying your group size and requirements, and a package can be put together to provide a relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable service. 


Grupo Zamora is the company which makes and markets Licor 43, and was founded by the Zamora family who bought the secret recipe in 1946. It is now a worldwide concern, making and distributing a variety of products apart from the flagship liqueur which is traditional in Cartagena.
 
Among the group’s other liqueur products are the following:

 
Pacharán Zoco – pacharán is a sloe-flavoured liqueur which is native to the Basque country and Navarra, and is known to date back to the Middle Ages. It usually also contains coffee and vanilla, and is served chilled or with ice. Zoco is the leading brand on the market, with a 45% market share.
 
 

Berezko - a unique, personal pacharan, made with a selected vintage of sloes to achieve the maximum expression.

 
 
 
Limoncello Villa Massa – the market leader among traditional Italian Limoncellos, made only with fresh Sorrento lemons and served in the finest restaurants worldwide.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gressy - a delicious drink made from the highest quality cream and authentic Irish whiskey. With 25% less fat than its competitors and an unbeatable price-performance ratio.
 
 
 
 
 
El Afilador liqueurs – this hundred-year-old brand specializes in traditional Galician liqueurs, crèmes and “orujos” (pomace brandies).
 


 
 
 
Yellow Rose is First legal Distillery in the city of Houston, TX. Inspired by the le
gend of Emily West, the Yellow Rose of Texas, it is presented as whiskey for the independent and those who forge their own path.
 
 
 
 
 
Ron Matusalem (shared brand) – A prestigious, fast-growing premium rum, founded in 1872 and now sold in over 60 countries. It is now produced in the Dominican Republic, using the traditional secret formula, and has won prizes in international competitions such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, International Rum Festival Newfoundland, Beverage Tasting Institute, etc.

 
Orujos Mar de Frades – The distinctive Mar de Frades label adorns these pomace brandies, which have won various awards and are held in high regard throughout Spain.
 
 
 
Also included in the Grupo Zamora product range are various high quality wines, including the following labels: Ramón Bilbao – A Rioja label founded in 1924 carrying on the traditions laid in the 19th century, made from Tempranillo grapes and incorporating the best of modern production techniques.
 
Monte Blanco, el Verdejo de Ramón Bilbao – from the same winery comes the best Spanish White wine of 2011, a Rueda with all the typical character of Valladolid. The heat-sensitive label features a small mountain which becomes visible only when the optimum serving temperature of 10º to 11º is reached.

 
Cruz de Alba (Ribera del Duero) – A Ribera del Duero red, an elegant and modern wine of exceptional quality.
 
 
 
 
Mar de Frades (Rías Baixas) – First created in 1987, this label has grown together with the D.O. status of the Rías Baixas, carrying with it the tradition of the Albariño grape of Galicia. At the end of the 19th century Galicia’s wineries practically disappeared after local vines were decimated by disease, but in the 1980s the tradition was reborn and Mar de Frades is now the most widely appreciated local product.

 

 
Lolea is a range of craft gourmet sangria products, a perfect combination of good wine, fruit, spices and an unmistakable sparkling touch.
 
 
 
 
Martin Miller's Gin and Liqueur "Thunder Bitch"  Is an excellent Canadian whisky liqueur with natural hot cinnamon and it has a very pleasant flavour, a bit softer than conventional whisky.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distributed brands
 

Tequila Buen Amigo - with over 20 years of experience, Dialce is the leading produces of 100% agave tequila and mixto tequila. From their blue agave fields in Jalisco, Mexico they export both retail and bulk tequila to over 40 countries.

 

 

Pommery Champagne - Champagne and Domaine Pommery inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2015.

Contact & Location
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Experience 43
 
Address:

Calle Silicio no10 Pol Ind Los Camachos Cartagena Murcia 30369

 
HOW TO GET TO EXPERIENCIA 43

The production plant of Licor 43 and the Experiencia 43 Visitor Centre are located just off the main CT-32 motorway leading out of Cartagena towards La Manga and the Mar Menor. Take the exit at km 6 and follow signs towards Los Camachos, and once on the western side of the motorway turn left at the entrance to the village.

This takes you onto Calle Granizo (the RM-F39), running parallel to the motorway, and the brightly-coloured production plant is unmissable on your right after approximately 1.5 km.
 
As you go into the production plant Experiencia 43 is in a separate building on the far right: park as close as possible in order to avoid using the covered staff parking spaces! There is space for around a dozen cars and a couple of coaches.
Telephone 968 030188
 
Email: experiencia43@zamoracompany.com