Mastic 'tears' have been harvested for at least 2,500 years since Greek Antiquity. The gum was first mentioned by Hippocrates who used mastic ‘tears’ for the prevention of digestive problems, colds and as a breath freshener. In fact the word mastic is derived from Greek “μαστιχειν” meaning "to gnash the teeth", which in turn became the source of the English word ‘masticate’.
The gum was widely used and its flavour appreciated. Roman emperors included it in a spiced wine and under the Byzantine Empire, the emperor had a monopoly on the trade of mastic. In those days mastic was worth its weight in gold and the thieves of the precious gum were executed!
Distilled in Halkidiki, Macedonia.