Cocktails with Pastis
Pastis is an anise-flavored French apéritif spirit, macerated rather than distilled, defined by star anise plus licorice root.
ABV40–50%
How it's used
In cocktails it is usually an accent: a rinse, a barspoon or a short pour for anise aroma. It can also be the base spirit. On its own it is drunk with about five parts water, which turns it cloudy (the louche) and mellows the anise.
Substitutes for Pastis
Pernod Anis or ouzo
Use the same amount. Pernod carries slightly less licorice, while ouzo louches with water just the same way.
Noticeably sweeter. Trim back any syrup by almost a barspoon for every 10 ml you pour.
Much stronger than pastis with almost no sugar. Start with half the required amount and taste as you go.
Storage
Keep it closed and out of the light. Anethole, the anise compound, is light-sensitive, and pastis left in the sun loses its aroma and its clean louche. Clouding in the cold is normal and clears as it warms.
