Pastis (Pastis, emphasis on the second syllable) is a French tincture on alcohol with a strength of 38-45%, which necessarily includes anise and licorice. The drink may contain other herbs and spices (more than 50 items), but without wormwood. Each manufacturer has its own secret recipe. Pastis is very popular in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Similar alcoholic beverages include Italian sambuca liqueur, Greek ouzo vodka, and Middle Eastern arak.
Any French housewife must keep aniseed vodka in the kitchen, since pastis is suitable not only for consumption in its pure form and for making alcoholic cocktails, it is added to pastries, meat dishes, soups. It is necessary to store anise tincture in a dark, cool place, but not in a refrigerator, otherwise anise essential oils will crystallize and precipitate.
The story of the pastis
Despite the fact that this French anise-licorice drink came into fashion after the ban on absinthe in most European countries (late 50th – early XNUMXth century), pastis appeared much earlier. In the south of Europe in general, and in Provence in particular, cool herbal tinctures are highly respected, and pastis can contain up to XNUMX ingredients, including chamomile, parsley, coriander, veronica, spinach and anything else – except wormwood. Therefore, “anise” is very similar in taste to absinthe, but much softer in effect and does not carry the threat of insanity due to the narcotic substance thujone contained in wormwood.
Even the French themselves do not know where the name “pastis” came from. Rather, they still cannot come to a consensus. Today there are several main versions:
They say that in Old French the word “pastis” meant “cloudy”, “dirty”, “opaque” – when diluted with water, the liquor takes on a milky white hue. To be honest, we were not able to check this version: there is no such word in the online dictionaries of Old French, but perhaps they mean an earlier version of the language that has not yet been digitized and not made available to the public.
According to another version, “pastiche” in the Provencal dialect means “mixture”, “potion” (licorice, anise and other spices are often the basic components of various medicines, so pastis really tastes like a cough remedy to some). We also failed to test this hypothesis.
Finally, from modern French “pastiche” is translated as “fake”, “imitation” – how can one not recall the role of “absinthe substitute” that pastis played at the beginning of the XNUMXth century? Everything is in order here, there really is such a translation, but how it influenced the name of the drink and whether pastiche really transformed into pastis is unknown.
The official date for the appearance of pastis is considered to be 1915 – before that, the drink existed in home-made variations. Despite the common name, we can talk not about one liquor, but about a disparate series of family recipes, united only by a couple of common ingredients.
Initially, pastis had a strength of 30%, then gradually this parameter was brought to 45%, and during the Second World War it was again reduced to 16%. In 1951, the government lifted the ban on strong alcohol, in connection with this, a new variety of anise immediately appeared – Pastis 51.
How to drink pastis
Pastis is used, firstly, as an aperitif (a drink served before meals) to whet the appetite before a hearty meal. Anise, which is part of it, improves digestion and relieves stomach pains, so such tinctures were used for the same purposes in ancient Greece.
In addition, pastis is also good as a digestif – that is, an “afternoon” alcoholic drink. It is drunk both after a luxurious feast, and before going to bed, or even between meals. You can eat pastis with any dish, it is believed that it goes well with fish, for example, with tuna in olive oil.
Anise fortress can reach up to 45%. A Russian person, accustomed to stronger drinks, can drink pastis undiluted (the so-called “Marseille method”), but traditionally it is customary to mix it with ice water in a ratio of 1 to 5. This is a reference ratio, from which you can deviate in any direction, varying degrees of aniseed vodka to your liking.
In general, in the south of Europe, pastis has occupied the niche of beer – it is sipped just like that, while having a leisurely conversation, reading a newspaper or sitting in a rocking chair on the veranda.
Pastis is served in small glasses with a thick bottom and drunk in small portions. Instead of water, you can mix the drink with juice or syrup, or you can sweeten it with ordinary sugar through an absinthe spoon: a piece of refined sugar is placed on a special teaspoon with holes and water is poured on top, the resulting solution immediately flows into anise liquor.
One of the key properties of this drink, for which the French love and appreciate it, is the feeling of coolness even in the most stuffy heat, so pastis is a democratic liquor that is liked by the working class, respectable bourgeois townspeople, and the aristocracy. This is a strong alcohol, but with a light character, the embodiment of the spirit of France itself. Pastis is still served at official receptions and family celebrations.
Famous brands
Aniseed vodka “Pernod” is well known in France and abroad. It is believed that this is an improved equivalent of absinthe, in no way inferior to the original “green fairy”.
Another popular manufacturer is Ricard. The founder of the company, 22-year-old Paul Ricard, worked for a year to create the perfect recipe – pastis options that already existed on the market seemed too cloying to him. In 1932, Ricard created a new formula. Apparently, the young man was a perfectionist – he even drew the labels for the first bottles of his anise, and, of course, the success was overwhelming.
The Ricard recipe is kept in the strictest confidence, and therefore no one has been able to repeat this fresh and perfectly balanced taste. It is currently the most popular pastis producer in the world.
pastis recipe
You can make pastis at home. You will get a drink that resembles French counterparts, but do not forget that this is just an imitation.
Ingredients:
- vodka (alcohol 40-45%) – 0,5 liters;
- anise seeds – 1 teaspoon;
- star anise – 2 stars;
- licorice (licorice) – half a teaspoon;
- cumin – 1 teaspoon;
- sugar – to taste.
Preparation
1. Put all herbs and seeds in a jar.
2. Pour in vodka, mix, tightly close the lid.
3. Infuse for 14-16 days in a dark place at room temperature. Shake the jar every 4-5 days.
4. Filter the infusion through gauze, squeeze the herbs well.
5. Add sugar (to taste). Before use, keep for 1-2 days in a dark, cool room for stabilization.
6. Drink homemade pastis neat or dilute with water (may become cloudy).
