Anisette drink

Anisette, or Anis, is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed in most Mediterranean countries, mainly in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and France. It is colorless and, unlike some other anise-based liqueurs, contains no licorice.It is sweeter than most anise-flavoured liqueurs.

True anisette is produced by means of distilling aniseed. Pastis, a similar-tasting liqueur, is made by maceration, using a combination of aniseed and licorice.

The liqueur has a powerful flavour when drunk straight, and can even produce irritation to the throat if not taken slowly due to its high alcoholic content. 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 “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.