Cocktails with Pernod
Pernod is a French anise-flavored spirit in the pastis style, clear in the bottle but turning milky white when mixed with water or ice.
ABV40%
Substitutes for Pernod
Any pastis (Ricard) or other anise-forward spirit like Herbsaint works the same way; absinthe is stronger and more bitter, so use less.
Often confused with
Pastis
Another house making the same style, and it swaps one for one without loss. Ricard and Pernod differ less than their marketing does. The difference is the house, not the drink.
Stronger — around 60% ABV against 40% — and noticeably more bitter from the wormwood. Pour about half and watch the sugar: syrup will not take bitterness out.
Storage
Anethole, the compound that gives Pernod its anise and its louche, is sensitive to light — which is why the bottle is tinted, and why it should stay out of the sun once opened. There is sugar in it too, so this is not one of the indestructible bottles. Cool, dark, closed.
