Pastis: The Favored French Drink

Pastis is an anise (licorice) flavored drink that was created and favored in France. It was created in 1915 when absinthe was banned. According to foodreference.com, pastis is actually of a reworking of absinthe that omitted the banned item of wormwood. Wormwood is an herbaceous perennial plant. During the brewing the wormwood was picked during full bloom only using one leaves and flowering tops.

The reworking now uses more star anis and sugar as well as lower alcohol content. Further, according to Wikipedia.com, ingredients include black and white peppercorns, cardamom, sage, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. However, there is no specific recipe as each maker has their own way of producing pastis.

When brewed it is a dark transparent yellow. When served it is diluted with water which causes the pastis to turn a milky yellow. Often it is served straight along with a jug of cool spring water that allows the drinker to make the drink to their own liking. Often it is mixed with five parts water to one part of pastis. Ice can be used which melts to dilute pastis, but most who drink pastis prefer cool spring water. Pastis is preferred and popular during the summer to help cool the drinker.

Pastis can be used as a mixer with other drinks to create unique cocktails; the people at Food Reference offer the following three: (1) The Perroquet (word means parrot) which is pastis and green mint syrup; (2) The Tomator (tomato) which is pastis and grenadine; and finally (3) Death in the Afternoon which is pastis and champagne. This drink was created the Hemingway and was originally created using absinthe.

No one is quite sure how absinthe, then pastis after reworking the formula, was created, but there is a favored tale that flows around as much as the drink does. That tale was that a hermit brewed herbs in a large metal pot. After the brewed was finished and cooled, he had found that it now had remarkable healing properties as well as fully quenching his thirst. It is claimed that it helped him survive the Black Plague. He further decided to give this drink to others who had been suffered and thus in turned helped them. It was at this pointed that he decided to come out of hiding. He opened a bar in Marseille and began to sell his drink until his death. Although this tale might not be the truth, it is often told and favored nonetheless.