Has anyone tried making pastis? (absinthe-like liqueur)

[z-bob]

I'm not sure if this should go here or in the distilling forum, but I'll start here because I'll be buying the grain alcohol instead of making it. Mods, feel free to move it if it belongs somewhere else.

First I ought to buy a bottle of Ricard or Pernod to see if I like it, and assuming I do, to have something to judge my own liqueur against. I've seen several recipes online about steeping star anise, licorice root, and a few other spices in vodka, then sweetening with a small amount of simple syrup. I would expect the water in the syrup to make it go cloudy if you're not really careful mixing. I'm planning to use Everclear (it's 151 proof in this state instead of 190 proof) to extract the flavors from the spices, and then use vodka to make the simple syrup. I want the final product to be between 100 and 120 proof, and clear until you add water at serving.

https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-pastis-make-your-own-anise-pastis-recipe

 

[z-bob]

I bought a bottle of Ricard, and I do like it but I don't like it much. Enough to warrant seeing if I can makes something like it. (I should try some ouzo...) I bought a handle of 120 proof grain alcohol to work with and I started a batch yesterday. I put 12 ounces in a mason jar with a dozen star anise pods and 3 tablespoons of fennel seeds that I'd coarsely ground in a coffee whizzer. No licorice root.

I'll let it steep for a few days, then filter into a 750ml bottle, and add 12 ounces of vodka with 100 grams of sugar dissolved in it. I will top off the bottle with plain vodka. The end result should be about 99 or 100 proof. It will be just a little sweeter and stronger than Ricard.

 

[z-bob]

I poured the grain alcohol extraction into a 750 ml bottle today. It smells like licorice and alcohol and a little bit like menthol. I put 12 ounces of vodka in the jar to pull out whatever it can, including the grain alcohol I left in the jar because I was not all that careful to get every drop. (I was more concerned about leaving all the solids in the jar)

A half hour later and the vodka is already picking up some color. I'll add the sugar to the vodka (after I filter it off the spices) and add it to the first extraction, then top up the bottle with an ounce or so of vodka, and it should be done. Whether it's actually good or not remains to be seen

 

[z-bob]

I finished making it. It's right at 100 proof, with 100 grams of sugar in 750ml. It's not bad but it's a little too-everything. Too sweet, too alcoholic, too licorice-y. But not by much. The good thing is I can drink this diluted with a good bit of ice water (the way the French drink pastis) and it tastes good; I do the same thing with Ricard and it tastes watery. When I use up a few ounces to make room in the bottle, I'll add a little more vodka to dilute everything, then probably sip it over ice.

It does "louche" or "Ouzo effect" (turns milky) when I add water. If I pour it over ice it takes a while for enough ice to melt to make the anethole drop out of solution.

I'll try this again (eventually), using less fennel seeds and less sugar, and shoot for 90 proof. And I'll skip the second extraction; it doesn't need it. I'll just rinse the solids with vodka because vodka is a lot cheaper than grain alcohol.