AB375, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) and Assemblymember Bert Gurr (R-Elko), would make Picon Punch Nevada’s state drink.
The current legislative version would also allow cocktails-to-go.
Gurr originally proposed making Picon Punch the state drink in a stand-alone bill, but Yeager combined that measure with a general statewide framework for legalizing alcohol-to-go sales.
The alcohol-to-go provision specifies that alcohol or cocktails would have to be in a closed, tamper-proof container. It does not change existing open-container laws.
Alcohol-to-go would permit delivery to a residence where it could be consumed. A fee of up to 50 cents on each cocktail would be collected to pay for DUI enforcement and education.
Local governments could decide whether to adopt the policy or place additional restrictions on it.
At a March 24 Assembly hearing, alcohol-to-go received strong support from the business community, but opposition from the Nevada Resort Association, representing the gaming and hotel industry.
Yeager concedes the alcohol-to-go feature of the bill needs more work.
The 50-cent surcharge is considered a tax, requiring two-thirds of lawmakers to approve it. Governor Lombardo has also pledged not to raise taxes.
As for Picon Punch, previous legislative efforts to make it the official state drink have failed.
Around the country about half the states have official state beverages, with most being milk.
Picon Punch embodies Nevada and is steeped in the legend of Western expansion and immigration.
For the unknowing, Picon Punch is a Basque-American cocktail made of grenadine, a strong bittersweet liqueur and club soda stirred together, with a brandy float and lemon peel added to the top.
The cocktail’s unique character comes from its main ingredient, Amer Picon, a bitter liqueur created in 1837 by an Italian man, Gaetan Picon.
Originally conceived as a medicinal tonic, Picon’s inspiration came during his service in the French Army while stationed in Algeria.
Utilizing the local flora, he crafted a potent 78-proof liqueur by blending quinine, cinchona bark, gentian root, and other herbs, naming it Amer Picon. Amer is French for “bitters.”
The Basque people—wedged between France and Spain—immigrated to California looking for gold. By the time they arrived, the gold rush was over.
So, they turned to sheepherding and opened boardinghouses and family-style restaurants for fellow immigrants.
Picon Punch made its way to the American West through the influence of Northern Basques, who first embraced the drink in the old country.
By 1893, Amer Picon shipped West. The Picon Punch was created at a Basque boardinghouse somewhere in North Beach, San Francisco about 1899.
In Nevada, the cocktail became a cultural staple among the Basque community, symbolizing heritage and unity.
Torani, the Italian syrup company in California, began making Picon-style amer when the original Amer Picon became difficult to find after prohibition.
About 2000, Amer Picon stopped shipping to the United States altogether. Its replacement, Torani Amer, is 78-proof.
While it faded in popularity in the Old Country, the drink found a lasting home in Nevada, where it has become a cultural icon. Its deep historical significance ensures its continued presence in Basque-American traditions.
Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno, Nevada, honored in 2024 as one of USA TODAY’s 46 Restaurants of the Year, is widely regarded as the “home of the Picon Punch.”
Picon Punch is famously served at J.T. Basque Bar and Dining Room in Gardnerville, Nevada, a cornerstone of Basque culture in the area.
The Martin Hotel in Winnemucca is a historic establishment evolving into a world-famous restaurant known for its Picon Punch.
In Elko, the Star Hotel opened in 1910 and continuously owned by Basques carries on a 115-year tradition of Basque hospitality, including serving Picon Punch.
By making Picon Punch the official state drink, the legislature would be teaching Nevadans about their state’s history and celebrating its rich heritage.
Picon Punch Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Amer Picon
1/4 ounce grenadine
1/2 ounce brandy
Club Soda
A lemon peel
Steps:
1. Pour the Amer Picon and grenadine into an Irish Coffee glass filled with ice and stir briefly.
2. Add club soda until the glass is nearly full, leaving a little space at the top.
3. Float the brandy on top.
4. Garnish with a lemon peel.
