The difference between Absinthe and Pastis
What the heck is pastis, and how does it differ from absinthe? When absinthe was banned it created sort of an empty space in the market, and distillers wanted to invent a substitute for absinthe to profit from that space. A number of different substitutes was produces around the world, and in France they made pastis. The name comes from the French word ”pasiche” which means apparently means ”imitation”, although Google Translate doesn’t agree with me on that one. You were suposed to drink it like an absinthe and you could continue using your drippers, foutains, glasses and spoons. It never got really popular as an absinthe substitute though, maybe because the taste of wormwood was a big part of what made absinthe so popular. If you that is what you want, and along comes a substitute without it, the substitute will feel very flat and uninteresting to you.
Since wormwood was the problem with absinthe, pastis is made without wormwood and focuses much more on anise. It has a lower alcohol level and it usually contain sugar. Also, I don’t think you color pastis with herbs, not sure though, if anyone out there knows then please leave a comment! It´s said that you can use pastis as a substitute in drinks that call for absinthe, but on their own they are not very much alike. Pastis is more alike to other anise-flavored spirits like Raki or Ozou. Personally I have a bottle of pastis that I use in hot chocolate, where I think absinthe does not work as well.