Cocktails with Fennel seeds
Fennel seeds are the dried fruit of fennel, an aromatic spice with a licorice-anise scent.
How it's used
Crush them lightly, then infuse them in syrup or with other spices for an anise-herbal note. They suit gin, aperitivi and citrus.
Substitutes for Fennel seeds
Anise seed
The closest match, though slightly stronger and sweeter. Use a little less and taste as you go. You lose the faint piney note.
Toss in a star or two to get the same licorice flavor, backed by much more warmth.
Anise spirit
A fantastic backup. A splash of pastis drops the flavor in immediately without any steeping.
Fennel pollen
Use it by the careful pinch. It is incredibly expensive and brings a honeyed sweetness mixed with citrus.
Storage
Whole seed keeps its oil for years in a sealed jar; ground fennel is flat within months. Toasting revives an old seed only so far — if it has stopped smelling, it has stopped working.
