Anissete The Anise-flavored Liqueur, Favourite Of The Mediterranean

Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries, mainly in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel, and France.

It is colorless, and because it contains sugar, is sweeter than dry anise flavoured spirits e.g. absinthe.

The most traditional style of anisette is that produced by means of distilling aniseed, and is differentiated from those produced by simple maceration by the inclusion of the word distilled on the label.

While Pastis is a similar tasting liqueur that is prepared in similar fashion and sometimes confused with anisette, it employs a combination of both aniseed and licorice root extracts.

Sambuca is essentially an anisette of Italian origin that requires a high minimum (350g/l) sugar content.

The liqueur is not commonly taken straight on account of its strong flavour.

When included in mixed drinks however, it produces a sweet agreeable flavour.

It is often mixed simply with water, where it produces a milky white consistency.

That mixture is called in Spanish speaking countries called palomita.

All the liqueur has to be dropped into very cold water at the same moment.

Pouring it from a bottle even quickly does not produce the same result.

A very white liquid denotes that a good anisette has been used. A palomita with just a drop of anisette can be drunk as a refreshing drink.

In the Mediterranean Basin, anise-based or liquorice based spirits include:

Spain: Anis del Mono or the monkey's anisette, has been produced since 1870. The label, with a monkey holding a scroll and a bottle, was designed by Ramon Casas i Carbo.

It is the anisette of choice in Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano. Characters in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises and his short story - Hills Like White Elephants - drink and discuss Anis del Toro or Bull's Anisette.

Another type, Aguardiente de Ojen, is produced by Dominique Mertens Impex.

It gained fame abroad and is popular in New Orleans, Louisiana, especially during the Mardi Gras festivities.

France: Pastis, made by Paul Ricard since 1932, and Anisette, made by Marie Brizard since 1755

Italy: Sambuca

Greece: Ouzo

Bulgaria and Macedonia: Mastika

Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Albania: Rakı

Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt: Arak

Algeria: Anisette Cristal

Anise-flavoured alcohols from other parts of the world include Aguardiente from Colombia and Mexico.

Anisette is used in modern occultism and spiritual practices to make spirit water, which is used as an offering for various deities and spirits.


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