Last fall I visited Zahour Saffron, outside of Marrakech and have hoarded the Saffron Bitters, a Big Birthday Celebration was a cause for creating a splashy Cocktail. Don’t take my word for it, when there are Culinary Experts who rave about this small saffron farm. Gordon Ramsey proclaimed Zahour Saffron – Producing some of the highest grade saffron in the world.”

I’m addicted to Moroccan spice souks; actually, any spice vendor is a travel temptation. Saffron is one of Morocco’s leading exports. The Arabs brought Saffron to the kingdom of Morocco around the 10th century. The small farm grows ISO certified Class 1 Saffron, known as red gold, due to the high value.

Saffron is valued for its varied uses – from being a gourmet ingredient to being an aphrodisiac, who knew? Being the most expensive spice in the world, hopefully a small dose will stimulate amour!

A collaboration with Zahour Saffron, there are 135 strands of grade 1 organic saffron in every bottle of the Atlas Gold Bitters. Use in cocktails or enjoy on its own. My Concoction, served UP in a cocktail coupe. Toast the saffron, I had never toasted Saffron, but an online video helped…line a small saucepan with foil, heat the pan until hot, remove from heat, drop in a few threads of saffron, close the foil, and it toasts. Place saffron in mortar & pestle to crush the toasted threads. I placed the saffron in a small silver bowl with spoon, creating a dramatic presentation. Fill coupe with Champagne, dribble in a few drops of Atlas Gold Saffron Bitters into glass and sprinkle toasted saffron to float in center of glass. Sparkling Saffron!

Although it’s grown in only a few regions throughout the country, it’s sold in the spice markets. Taliouine, a little mountain village in the south of Morocco, and at the foot of the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech are two well-known regions where saffron crocuses grow. Taliouine itself is small – just under 6,000 people – but produces more saffron than any other place in Africa. Every November, a festival is held at harvest time and people from around the world come to watch and celebrate.

In Morocco the saffron is harvested between October through December whenever the six-petalled flowers appear. During this time, the local Berber women start picking the flowers at dawn. Picking the flowers in early morning ensures that the unique compounds within the filaments are preserved. The bees love the pollen in the saffron flowers and jostle with the pickers for access to the flowers. Which is why after the stigmas have been removed, the local farm will leave the flowers outside for the bees to collect the remaining pollen.

Highly Recommend Saffron Bitters Champagne Cocktail!