Ricard Pastis de Marseille

Provence, France

Ricard Pastis de Marseille is the world's best-selling pastis and the archetype of the anise-liquorice spirit category. When diluted with cold water (typically 1:5 ratio), the anethole compounds louche — turning the liquid opaque and milky. This louche effect is caused by the emulsification of essential oils that are soluble in alcohol but not in water. The ritual: ice first, pastis second, cold water third.

Pairings

• aperitif: Pastis and Provençal food is inseparable. Brandade's salt cod, garlic, and olive oil are the food equivalent of pastis's terroir. Both are quintessentially Marseillais.
• casual: Ricard and pan bagnat are both Marseille's working culture classics; the anise bridges all the Mediterranean ingredients
• aperitif: Ricard Pastis and tapenade is Marseille's classic aperitif pairing; both come from the same Provençal tradition
• aperitif: Ricard and Provençal spreads is the most quintessential Southern French aperitivo: the anise-licorice refreshes between bites of intensely flavoured tapenade and anchoiade; ice-cold louchée contrasts the room-temperature spreads
• aperitif: Ricard is from Marseille and so is bouillabaisse; drinking pastis before the fish stew is Marseille's aperitivo tradition; the anise bridges the saffron's aromatic character while the pastis refreshes before the rich fish broth
• aperitif: Ricard pastis is the Marseille aperitivo tradition; socca is the street food of the same Mediterranean culture
• fish course: Pastis beurre blanc in the sauce is the ultimate circular bridge — cooking with pastis and drinking pastis. Anise-fennel food register mirrored exactly by the aperitif.
• aperitif: Pastis's herbes de Provence character and the tian's vegetable-herb preparation share the same Southern French aromatic landscape; serving a pastis before eating the tian extends the garrigue-herb experience