French drink Pastis: What it is, Degrees and How to take it

The French Pastis drink is one of the most popular in Marseille and Provence for its refreshing qualities and its powerful concentration of alcohol.

Going to one of the bars in these two regions of France is a guarantee of tasting this rich drink, although it is becoming increasingly popular in Spain and throughout Europe.

Today you will see what the Pastis drink is, what it contains, what its recipe is and how it is taken to fully enjoy its rich aniseed flavour.

What is the Pastis drink in France and who invented it?

The French drink Pastis is a French anise liqueur that has an alcohol concentration of around 40 and 45 degrees and is made from water, star anise, licorice, herbs, sugar and spices.

The word that defines it, Pastis, has its origin from the Provencal Occitan pastis whose meaning is mixture or pâté.

The Pastis has a very particular yellowish colour that becomes milky when prepared and mixed with water.

Its invention dates to 1916, when absinthe or wormwood was banned in alcoholic beverages from France and Europe because this substance was believed to be hallucinogenic and toxic.

It should be noted that absinthe was the most popular drink of that time.

And it was a man named Paul Ricard who was inspired by absinthe and the new law to create a new liquor based on aniseed snacks that, to this day, remains one of the most consumed in bars in France.

It was exactly in 1932, when this young man of only 23 years manufactured a formula for the alcoholic beverage that we know today as Pastis Ricard.

In addition, although the Pastis drink could be sold in 1938 with its concentration of 45° of alcohol, from 1940 to 1949 the consumption of alcoholic beverages exceeding 16 degrees of alcohol was prohibited.

How many degrees of alcohol does Pastis have?

This typical French drink has an alcoholic concentration of between 40 and 45 degrees of alcohol, which means that it is a strong drink that should be taken properly.

Of course, there are some types of Pastis that are made without alcoholic concentration for those people who want to enjoy its flavour, but without it going to the head.

It is highly recommended that it is never consumed directly because it can cause serious effects on the consumer.

General characteristics of the Pastis drink

These are the distinctive features of this French drink:

• Aniseed liqueur of high concentration and yellowish colour.
• It gives off a rich smell of anise and liquorice.
• The taste it offers is sweet and a little aniseed.
• The best Pastis brand in France is Ricard.
• It is a liquor that is taken as an aperitif.
• It does not contain Abalone.
• Suitable for vegetarians.
• It is a type of alcohol considered as Herbal Liqueurs.
• It has a good value for money.
• It can be stored for 18 months in conditions from 12°C to 30°C without being exposed to natural light.

Discover our selection

RICARD 1L	PASTIS 51 1L
PRADO 1 L	PERNOD 45 1L
UN MARSEILLAIS 1L	HENRI BARDOUIN

What does Pastis contain and how is it obtained?

Among the ingredients contained in the Pastis drink are:

• Ethyl alcohol.
• Water.
• Liquorice.
• Sugar.
• Herbs, such as chamomile, currant leaves or thyme and fennel.
• Spices.
• Star anise.
• Caramel to give it a yellowish colour.

With these ingredients, the process of composition of the Pastis drink is carried out by applying water and ethyl alcohol, then macerating the herbs and flowers, adding the other additives, putting star anise back into the mixture and, finally, the caramel.

There are cases when caramel is not added, since its function is to give colour to the French drink Pastis, and some people look for them white, without colour.

Visiting Marseille or Provence, in France, is the best opportunity to enjoy this rich, refreshing drink characteristic of the popular gastronomy of the region.

How is Pastis taken?

The best thing about the Pastis drink is that it can be enjoyed in various ways, and more depending on the creativity of the bartender and consumer.

1. Among the ways to take Pastis we have:
2. You can enjoy its rich flavour as a cold appetizer perfect for the hottest days of summer.
3. It can be taken mixed with water, with syrups, such as grenadine, strawberry, or mint, with lemon juice or another citrus.
4. It can also be used for the manufacture of cocktails of the best quality. And, due to the strong alcohol concentration of the Pastis, the cocktail is unique because it accentuates the flavour of the alcoholic fruit. 

Some are:

• Cocktail Piscine.
• 6 Nations, with orange juice, guava, natural pineapple juice and sparkling water.
• Cachaça 51, with a touch of lemon juice and a small tablespoon of sugar.
• Parrot, with a pinch of mint syrup.
• Tomato cocktail, with a splash of grenadine syrup.
• Cooler, which has ice cubes, lemon juice, soda, or tonic.
• Margarita, with slushie.
• Moorish, with ice water and a stream of horchata syrup.

All the combinations to take the Pastis that exist make this typical French drink one of the delicacies that should be among your tasting lists.

Now, what is the way to prepare the Pastis drink?

The first thing you do is take a glass that is narrow and elongated and two ice cubes are poured into it.

After this, about 30 millilitres of Pastis and between 150 and 210 millilitres of water are applied to reduce its alcohol concentration.

The next step is to take a spoon and mix everything.

There are cases in which a little lemon juice or syrup is applied, as we already mentioned, or a slice of fruit is placed on the edge of the glass.

Can you drink Ricard alone?

The truth is that we are talking about a very strong liquor, so serving Pastis alone is a very risky decision.

However, many bartenders offer a bottle of the typical French drink with a jug of water, so that the consumer can make the mixture according to their preference.

But it is important to be clear that you should NOT drink Ricard alone, as it has a very high alcohol content.

Recipe of the French drink Pastis

The recipe for this rich French anise liqueur is:

• 30 ml pastis.
• Between 150 and 210 ml of water.
• 2 ice cubes.
• Syrup (if applicable).
• Lemon juice (if applicable).

Most popular brands of this typical French drink

The most popular brands in the world in the manufacture and sale of the Pastis drink are Pernod Ricard and Bardouin.

It should be noted that, when the prohibition of absinthe emerged in 1916, Pernod and Ricard were two different production companies that combined to form what we know today as the Pernod Ricard alliance.

And it is by far the most popular Pastis producer that exists in France and all of Europe.

Conclusion

As you can see, the Pastis drink is one of the most popular in the south of France, around Marseille and Provence.

It has a high concentration of alcohol degrees, as it is around 40-45%.

In addition, it is an aniseed drink that should be taken diluted with water of 5 to 7 parts for each part of Pastis, with ice and never direct.

A typical French drink refreshing, sweet to the palate and with a delicious aroma, without a doubt, you should try the Pastis.

And, of course, if it is of the Ricard brand, much better because it is the most prominent manufacturer of Pastis in France and all of Europe.