Pastis

Pastis comes from the word Provençal which can be translated as "mixture". And that's the case! Pastis as we know it is the result of a blend of a blend of neutral alcohol of agricultural origin and plants, herbs and roots that were at hand in the Provencal countryside. Every family every hamlet had its recipe. The first time that the word "Pastis" was used on a bottle label is by Paul Ricard who created in 1932 its brand Pastis Ricard, with an original recipe adding to the traditional recipes of licorice. All around the Mediterranean has a great tradition of alcoholic drinks based on anise and licorice. Pastis is used in a lot of cocktails (MAuresque, Tomato, Parrot, Key West), but it is well as an aperitif elongated with ice water that it is most consumed. Pastis is usually yellow once it is lengthened with water but there are also white pastis and blue pastis.

The paid holidays of 1936 of the Popular Front were the catalyst for the development of pastis in France. The French have brought back from their holidays in the sun this alcohol which evokes so much the holidays and the sun.

Pastis must have a minimum titre of 40 ° in France, but to obtain the designation Pastis de Marseille it must be at least 45 ° alcohol and must have a sugar content of less than 100 gr per liter.