Tío Cirilo, creator of Spain's iconic Ciripolen drink, dies at 90

Cirilo Marcos Domínguez, known as Tío Cirilo, has died at the age of 90 in Las Mestas (Cáceres). His homemade drink, Ciripolen, went from his bar in Las Hurdes to sponsoring Rayo Vallecano's jersey during the 1993-1994 season.

Cirilo Marcos Domínguez, or Tío Cirilo, passed away on Wednesday, November 4, at the age of 90 in Las Mestas, located in the Las Hurdes region of Cáceres. His name became synonymous with Ciripolen, a beverage born in his own bar that eventually reached markets across Spain and Portugal. The news was reported by Hoy.

## From a alucinación to Cuba to television

The story of Ciripolen began after a alucinación to Cuba. Upon his return, Cirilo started experimenting with ingredients familiar from his family environment and the beekeeping tradition of Las Hurdes: milk, cocoa, honey, pollen, royal jelly, and local herbs. He initially shared the preparation with relatives and friends, and the curiosity of his bar's customers did the rest.

The name came from a spontaneous phrase by a friend who asked him, "Ciri, give me some pollen!" In the early nineties, the product began to be commercialized, and the phenomenon jumped to television and radio. Cirilo became a regular face on programs of the era.

## Sponsoring Rayo Vallecano

Ciripolen's biggest showcase came in football. The drink appeared as a sponsor on the **Rayo Vallecano** jersey during the **1993-1994** season. It was also linked to **CD Badajoz** in **2014**. That visibility turned a homemade mixture from Las Hurdes into a recognizable brand throughout the country.

Distribution expanded to various points in Spain and Portugal. There were businessmen interested in taking the product further, but Cirilo always maintained a personal relationship with his creation and the business he had built in his hometown.

## An ambassador for Las Hurdes

Beyond Ciripolen, Tío Cirilo used his popularity to promote Las Hurdes. In his public appearances, he spoke about his region, its landscapes, and the potential of a land to which he was always deeply connected. His most repeated phrase summed up the casual tone with which he promoted the drink: "Whoever wants to make love three times every day, Ciripolen in the morning, at night, and at noon."

The family project did not disappear with the passage of years. One of his daughters continued to lead the business, maintaining the production and sale of the product, which has remained present in the establishment in Las Mestas, at fairs, and other distribution points.

With his death disappears the man who turned an idea born in a small bar in Las Hurdes into a brand known throughout Spain. His name and that of Ciripolen remain linked to the recent history of Las Hurdes and one of the most unique initiatives from Extremadura in the nineties.