My Grandfather told a story about Molly drinking an ocean liner dry of Pastis on a journey to England. Now this could have been the last dram from the bottom of a dusty bottle on the back bar, but we won’t let that get in the way of a good story. Pastis is in my blood! I love it! I love the smell, the taste and the way it turns cloudy when you pour it over ice. It’s just magic!
So when I started distilling at Molly Rose, I had the goal to make sure that Pastis isn’t just the dusty bottle on the back bar. I want to bring it to the front and fill every aperitif with milky, cloudy, aniseedy deliciousness.
So what is Pastis? I describe it in different ways to different people. Sometimes I say it’s baby Absynth or a French version of Ouzo with more botanicals, other times just mentioning Pernod or Ricard is enough to remind people of the flavour profile. However, I do often begin conversations with a caveat around liquorice; if it's negative, I just ask those people to leave the room because they are never going to be won over… However, for those still within earshot, I explain that pastis is a sweet spirit (or strong liqueur) that you drink poured over ice and diluted with water either before meals or whenever you the fuck you want to. The major botanical components of Pastis are drawn from green aniseed, fennel, star anise or liquorice, with the remaining 10-20 botanicals (usually) drawn from a list of regular herbs, spices and fruits used in gin, vermouth, bitter aperitifs; think coriander, angelica, gentian, rosemary, hyssop, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper or vanilla.
Pastis is the number one spirit in France, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be more popular here. That’s my mission, and if you care to join me on it, then you will enjoy the rest of my 2-5 blogs on Pastis. If not, then leave all the black jelly beans for me and get out.
SIP PASTIS | GET LOUCHE HATS FOR SIPPING PASTIS | BLACK JELLY BEANS CAN BE DROPPED OFF HERE