The pastis is made by macerating different plants.
Making pastis is a long and difficult process, requiring experience and rigour.
To extract the aromas from the aromatic plants, they must be left to macerate in high levels of alcohol ranging from 30 to 96° for between 2 weeks and 2 months. In addition, each plant must be treated separately in different tanks.
Next comes the draining phase, which involves extracting the juice. The residue can then be processed by distillation in a still. .
The last stage in the production process is the most delicate. The distillates must be mixed with pure water and anethole. The aim is to obtain an alcohol content of no more than 45°.
This is the general idea. To make Pastis, each manufacturer uses his or her own method and specific aromatic touch.
The production of Pastis, like all strong alcohols, is regulated. You can’t just do anything.
According to European legislation, pastis must be made by flavouring neutral alcohol of agricultural origin with extracts of :
- Green anise
- Star anise (badiane)
- Fennel
- Liquorice
And other plants containing a similar aromatic ingredient.
This process can be carried out in one of three ways (or a combination of them):
- maceration and/or distillation
- re-distillation of alcohol with aromatic plants
- or adding natural extracts of distilled plants.
For all you little chemists out there, here’s the scientific composition of Pastis.
Pastis mainly contains anethole (1.5-2 g/l), found in aniseed and dill, as well as chalcones and glycyrrhizic acid (0.05-0.5 g/l). These are the main active ingredients in liquorice root extract.
After filtration, the aniseed-flavoured liqueur is slightly sweet (less than 100 g/l) and caramel-coloured, giving most pastis a yellowish or even slightly amber hue. However, some producers do not use colouring agents.
Generally speaking, the basic aromatic ingredients used by all producers are aniseed and liquorice. They give pastis its unique aroma and flavour. The drink is also enriched with other ingredients, but their quantity and selection is a closely guarded secret for each manufacturer.
Our Pastis Anista is made from locally sourced organic aromatic plants, with no added sugar or colouring (no caramel). Its beautiful golden colour comes only from nature.
