What is Anis del Toro?

Anis del Toro is the anisette liqueur that is consumed by characters in two of Ernest Hemingway's books, "Hills Like White Elephants" and "The Sun Also Rises." Anis del Toro or "Bull's Anisette" is Hemingway's joke for Anis del Mono.

Anis del Mono, "The Monkey's Anisette," is an actual Spanish anisette liqueur. This liqueur is aniseed flavored and often used in coffee. The distillery is near Barcelona in beachside Badalona. Since 1902 the bottle design has featured Charles Darwin as a monkey-like man. Both Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso have paid respect to the liqueur with their art. Gris painted "Anis del Mono" in 1914, and Picasso painted "Bottle of Anis del Mono, Wineglass and Playing Card" in 1915.