PASTIS: THE COOLING AND SOOTHING SPIRIT

Pastis: The cooling and soothing spirit

Pastis, an anise-flavoured spirit, combines cooling and medicinal properties, offering both refreshment and relief, writes Kasia Sobiesiak from My Wine Adviser.

Kasia Sobiesiak, My Wine Adviser

Since antiquity, across the Occident and the Orient, aniseed, fennel, and star anise have been known for their medicinal properties. People used them to soothe maladies and ward off ominous dreams. Today, anethole –the major oil component of these herbs and spices – helps us deal mainly with heat and provides a cooling refreshment in the form of an alcoholic solution: pastis.

The anise-flavoured spirit was created in France after 1915 as an alternative to absinthe and quickly became an intoxicant in its own right. However, it was banned during World War II due to its predecessor’s negative reputation, only to rise again after restrictions were lifted in 1951. Today, it is most commonly found in the Mediterranean, and remains a popular summer refreshment, though this wasn’t always the case. While perfect for a cooling respite, its shady origins also suggest a drink meant for pain-numbing and soul-soothing.

In 1918, right after the absinthe ban was introduced across France, the son of an absinthe producer in Avignon, Jules-Félix Pernod, modified and rebranded the family’s production as Anis Pernod. However, it was Paul Ricard, who in 1932 commercialised the anise spirit and named it pastis, an Occitan word for a mash-up or blend. A catchy tagline, “the true pastis of Marseille” was added for the ultimate victory of the brand. After years of fierce competition between Pernod and Ricard, pastis’ great commercial success eventually led to the companies’ merger in 1975. Today, the Pernod Ricard conglomerate remains the biggest producer of pastis globally, with Ricard alone selling over 40 million litres of it annually.

Pastis may be popular among the French, but it’s often a polarising drink outside the Mediterranean. Sure, the Greeks have ouzo, the Turks raki, the Lebanese arak, the Balkans mastika, and the Italians sambuca or anisette – each based on the family of anise-derived aromas and flavours. However, it can be a hard-to-love drink if, for some, a distaste for its medicinal-like flavour is rooted in childhood memories of cough syrup. Despite the presumed repulsion, looking back at the remedial history of anise and other anethole-bearing herbs, it’s hard to overlook their healing properties.

Pastis’ dual nature of anaesthetising pain by numbing, and quenching thirst by cooling is truly magical. So, what makes it a refreshing and soothing marvel at the same time? The aforementioned anethole works on our taste buds and soft tissue by triggering nerve receptors much like menthol in mint gives a cooling sensation or capsaicin in chilli creates perceived heat. This is the anesthetic property, but anethole is proven to work as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial compound as well as an antioxidant in our bodies. You can find anise-flavoured lozenges for a sore throat but let’s be honest, if you’re looking for true cure and pleasure combined, you know what comes to the rescue: pastis. The recipe for crafting the real deal is strictly regulated by law in European Union.

The precise definition, presentation, labelling, and protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks are closely controlled by the European Parliament. Accordingly, a spirit labelled ‘pastis’ must contain specific amounts of natural extracts of anethole but also glycyrrhizic acid, which is derived from liquorice root. The sugar content is limited to fewer than 100 grams per litre, and the alcohol content must be at least 40 per cent. There’s an additional designation – a grand cru if you will – ‘pastis de Marseille’. When this is stated on the label, the requirements for ingredients are stricter, with alcohol at a minimum of 45 per cent. Pastis is often of an amber or yellow hue, and this is due to the brown sugar or caramel used for colouring and sweetening.

The list of prescribed ingredients and their limitations isn’t long, but other herbs can be added according to the producer’s recipe or house style. The production of pastis follows the principles for maceration of botanicals and distillation, sometimes involving redistillation of the alcohol with herbs and spices or the addition of prior distilled essences. The aromatic oils extracted during distillation are soluble in alcohol but not in water. When diluted in aqueous solution the drink turns magically cloudy white. Chemically, it emulsifies – the oils are no longer soluble and form larger particles in the watery suspension scattering the light. This ‘ouzo effect’ is scientifically called louching (pronounced: looshing).

On that note, as chemically fascinating or mystical as it may seem, there’s a specific sequence of building a pastis drink in the glass, so the louching takes effect. The Paul Ricard method suggests a ratio of five parts water to one part pastis (though this doesn’t quite cut it for my vodka-washed palate). This might be the ideal refreshing mix, but if you need something stronger, un p’tit jaune – literally ‘a little yellow’ aka undiluted – might just do the trick for you. The principal rule is to add icy cold water to the already-poured pastis and then drop in an ice cube, but only if you must. Don’t reverse the order: the delicate essential oils in pastis may experience ‘shock’ if poured directly over ice, causing crystallisation. This makes the colloid appear sparkly like snow in the sunlight but a bit grainy, resembling whey separated from milk solids. While it doesn’t affect the flavour, it loses some of its magic potion charm and smooth texture.

This summer, with pastis perfectly prepared to your taste, whether on the rocks with soda water and a wedge of lemon, or as a Piscine cocktail with water to spirit ratio of 7:1 (or as a straight up shot for a sore throat), you might dream of the Mediterranean sun, azure waters, or lavender fields. And even if your first instinct in 30-plus-degree Antipodean heat is to down a bucket of your favourite Tassie gin with tonic, a well-chilled Clare Valley Riesling, or perhaps guzzle a few pints of Pacific Ale, remember – there’s pastis. Don’t get me wrong, these are all fine selections, but it’s possible to kill two birds with one stone – not only the chaleur exquise but also douleur exquise, and it’s scientifically proven too.

Jean Boyer Pastis de Campagne, 45% | $125 | jeanboyer.com

Importer: Cerbaco Distribution | cerbaco.com.au

Top shelf of French pastis. Jean Boyer was founded in 1994 as a company working closely with boutique producers of hand-crafted spirits. This one has quite a rich nose, with hints of cocoa powder and baking spices, green coffee bean and rum-aromatised dark chocolate with hints of fresh leather. On the palate it resembles infusion of a masala mix. Sweet tones evoke winter vibes but offer ultimate refreshment in summer’s heat, no less.

Jean Boyer Pastis Domaine des Restanques, 45% | $120 | jeanboyer.com

Importer: Cerbaco Distribution | cerbaco.com.au

The whole Jean Boyer collection of pastis is exquisite, so you can’t go wrong with any given style, and they have a few. This one is yet another take on pastis, bringing to mind aromas a la gin. It’s full of dried herbs giving a bitter-savoury finish. It’s a composition of candied citrus peel, meadow flowers and herbs, think lavender, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, tarragon with essential oils scents like tea tree and stone pine needle. Its composition takes your nose straight into the Mediterranean garrigue. Gin lovers are going to love it.

Pastis Garagaï Cuvée 2022, 45% | $92 | distillerie-garagai.fr

Importer: Mosaique Wines | mosaiquewines.com.au

Idiosyncratic expression. It was started by Maixent Dubois in 2019 in Puyloubier at the foot of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. It’s a beautifully ‘raw’ expression, slightly cloudy and sweetened by Butinarello lavender honey. In the glass with water, it becomes cloudy with a green tinge. It shows lots of savoury tones of herbs that open up with lemon and grapefruit peel, green peppercorn, green tea leaf, nettle, clove and just a smidge of nougat. It’s a unique and delicious pastis worth seeking out.

Jean Boyer Pastis de Campagne, 45% | $125 | jeanboyer.com

Importer: Cerbaco Distribution | cerbaco.com.au

Top shelf of French pastis. Jean Boyer was founded in 1994 as a company working closely with boutique producers of hand-crafted spirits. This one has quite a rich nose, with hints of cocoa powder and baking spices, green coffee bean and rum-aromatised dark chocolate with hints of fresh leather. On the palate it resembles infusion of a masala mix. Sweet tones evoke winter vibes but offer ultimate refreshment in summer’s heat, no less.

Jean Boyer Pastis Domaine des Restanques, 45% | $120 | jeanboyer.com

Importer: Cerbaco Distribution | cerbaco.com.au

The whole Jean Boyer collection of pastis is exquisite, so you can’t go wrong with any given style, and they have a few. This one is yet another take on pastis, bringing to mind aromas a la gin. It’s full of dried herbs giving a bitter-savoury finish. It’s a composition of candied citrus peel, meadow flowers and herbs, think lavender, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, tarragon with essential oils scents like tea tree and stone pine needle. Its composition takes your nose straight into the Mediterranean garrigue. Gin lovers are going to love it.

Pastis Garagaï Cuvée 2022, 45% | $92 | distillerie-garagai.fr

Importer: Mosaique Wines | mosaiquewines. com.au

Idiosyncratic expression. It was started by Maixent Dubois in 2019 in Puyloubier at the foot of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. It’s a beautifully ‘raw’ expression, slightly cloudy and sweetened by Butinarello lavender honey. In the glass with water, it becomes cloudy with a green tinge. It shows lots of savoury tones of herbs that open up with lemon and grapefruit peel, green peppercorn, green tea leaf, nettle, clove and just a smidge of nougat. It’s a unique and delicious pastis worth seeking out.

Argalà Pastis Artigianale, 45% | $100 | argalart.com

Importer: Giorgio De Maria Fun Wines | giorgiodemaria.com

This is a wild card – an Italian pastis! Yes, Italians make sambuca, but this is different, and it couldn’t be more ‘Italianesque’ in character. Established by Enrico and Piero in 2011 in Bove, a small town in the foothills of the Maritime Alps. Made with 35 locally sourced botanicals, it’s a darker, brick-orange-tinged colour, sweetened with muscovado sugar, and you can’t help but think of Italian Amari. Burnt orange peel, a hint of cola root, espresso, Campari, saffron, bergamot tea, caramel, persimmon, apricot stone. You’re going to love this if you love Earl Grey and negroni.

Echuca Distillery Pastis, 45% | $78 | echucadistillery.com.au

Echuca is a distillery in the Murray River region and the owners are head distiller David De Vries and his wife Fiona. Their production started with the love of gin and now includes other spirits. Their pastis opens with a strong floral perfume, coriander, caraway, sweet blossoms a la frangipani, scented candle wax, green parsley, and mandarin peel. It turns quite opaque-milky after water addition and remains very perfumed in the mouth. Flavours follow with sugar almond and almond friand, orange peel and honey/rose water-soaked baba. An opulent and aromatic example.

Hurdle Creek Still Pastis, 45% | $95 | hurdlecreekstill.com.au

Owners Simon Brooke-Taylor and Wendy Williams craft a range of artisanal spirits. The main botanicals for their pastis are native aniseed myrtle and round-leaf mint bush. There’s a strong character in this pastis, fresh chamomile flowers and herbal tea, wild honey and fennel, herb garden, quince skin –all beautifully concentrated and with great depth of detailed flavour. Earthy notes of mushroom, sage, and caraway, along with hints of dark chocolate wrapper create a savoury, bitter finish. A wonderfully composed pastis.

7k Distillery Modern Pastis Sweet Liquorice Spirit, 43% | $85 | 7kdistillery.com.au

7k Distillery is owned by Tyler Clark and it’s based in Tasmania. This modern pastis comes with a twist. In addition to anise, it has been infused with elderberries, thus reminding a sloe gin styled spirit or patxaran (Galician anise drink steeped in sloe berries). The aromas are of poached strawberries and rose hip, cranberries, cinnamon and rooibos tea. While it may look and smell sweet, that’s not quite the case in flavour. There’s a hint of red liquorice to taste, but it’s well-balanced and remains herbaceous and spicy. With this one, it feels just right to pour it over ice (!) with a blood orange wedge.

Forêt Pastis, 43% | $99 | foretdistilling.com.au

Forêt Pastis is a very small, boutique production, a pastis-only passion project started between two friends, Charles-Andre Lemire and Nathan Malcolm. This could easily be the gateway drug for pastis newbies, as it has a very gentle nature full of herbs and citrus, blossoms, fresh spice and it’s easy on the aniseed intensity. In the glass, it evolves into notes of pear, tarragon, mint, nettle, fennel, grapefruit, and melon skin, with hints of rose water, sugar almond, and strawberry friand. So much pretty detail.

Molly Rose Brewing Our Pastis and Buckets Of Love, 45-48% | $78 | mollyrosebrewing.com

Molly Rose Brewing in Melbourne’s Collingwood is led by the founder and brewer Nic Sandery. Beside beer, he makes a couple of different pastis styles. First, ‘Our Pastis’, finished with fresh pandan leaves, has toasty aromas with crushed cereal, caramel nuts, pine needle, marzipan and amaretti biscuits on the nose, then candied grapefruit peel and spice in the back palate. The second, ‘Buckets of Love’, is made with cocoa husks and it has a pure chamomile tea extract with honey, the aroma of freshly made hot chocolate and then a refreshing pine resin scent; it’s a little fruity and a touch nutty, which works well. Both are very tasty, creative and adventurous drops.

About Kasia Sobiesiak

Kasia Sobiesiak is Co-founder of My Wine Adviser, a wine consultancy firm providing brokerage services, and a wine reviewer for The Wine Front. She completed the WSET Diploma and Certified Sommelier courses. Currently, she’s studying in the Master of Wine program.