A Mash up about Pastis
Our recently released Pastis Blue is vibrant, refreshing and has “bouquets” of spice. Let us bring you into the world of Pastis, a botanically brilliant libation!
The meaning of Pastis…
The word Pastis means “mash up”. Almost two decades after Absinthe was banned in France, Pastis became available and quickly grew in popularity. The Anise flavor profile, without the hallucinogenic effects of Absinthe, made Pastis an welcome replacement. A fondness for anise liquors has long existed historically in the Mediterranean tradition such as Turkish Raki and Greek Ouzo.
What is Pastis?
Pastis is a style of sweet herbal aperitif that is anise flavor forward. It can be produced simply by blending a neutral spirit with alcohol with flavorings, or it can be made by distilling directly with botanicals like making a gin.
A family of Anise!
Spirits and liqueurs featuring anise flavors have been around for a very long time and most countries in the Mediterranean have their own version!
Sambuca (Italy)
Raki (Turkey)
Ouzo (Greece)
Arak (North Africa)
Aguadiente with Anise (Peru)
What is the Louche?
The classic way to enjoy Pastis is mixed with chilled water. Traditionally served 5:1 chilled water to Pastis. The cloudy effect that takes place in the mixture, called the “louche”, comes from the fragrant plant oils of the botanicals reacting with water making the liquid opaque. We recommend our Pastis Blue is served over crushed ice since our warm Caribbean temperatures can quickly melt ice to perfectly chilled water.
Find your perfect louche!
Find the blend that works best for you! For our Pastis Blue, we recommend filling a Collins (tall thin) glass with ice and adding 2 ounces of Pastis, mixing gently as the melting ice opens up the spirit and brings about the louche. Sip and savour over time letting the botanicals dance on your palette.
A cocktail game changer.
Loaded with bold flavor, the addition of Pastis to any cocktail is guaranteed to be an infusion of botanical flavor. Note the addition of any acid such as citrus will magically modify our Pastis Blue from vibrant royal blue to violet, or even to pink!
Some cocktail variations to enjoy:
Tomate
2 oz Pastis
1 oz Grenadine
Ice
Chilled Water
Fresh Rosemary to garnish
Pour Pastis and Grenadine in a tumbler glass.
Gently stir. Add ice.
Top with chilled water.
Garnish with fresh Rosemary.
Perroquet
1 ½ oz Pastis
¼ oz (dash) Mint Syrup
Ice
Chilled Water
Fresh Mint to garnish
Pour Pastis and Mint Syrup over ice, preferably into a highball glass.
Fill with chilled water, stir well and serve.
Garnish with fresh Mint.
Pastisito
1 oz Pastis
1 oz White Rum
1 ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Sugar Syrup
Fresh Mint
Soda Water
Crush the fresh mint and add to chilled glass.
Add Pastis, White Rum, Lime Juice, and sugar syrup.
Fill glass with crushed ice and stir slowly to mix.
Top with Soda Water.
Created your own personal favorite cocktail with Pastis Blue? Tell us about it!