The yellow bottle with the slanted signature has stood in French bars for the best part of a century. Order a Pernod in Marseille and you are not getting pastis. You are getting something older.
Expert description
Pernod is a French Anise Liqueur made from distillates of star anise and fennel and bottled at 40%.
Alongside star anise and fennel there are fourteen other aromatic plants, coriander and mint among them. The star anise comes mainly from Vietnam and southern China and is distilled to draw out a clean, potent anethole. The liquorice content is low, and that is precisely where Pernod parts company with pastis: less sweetness, more anise, and a drier, more floral line.
The story starts in 1805, when Henri-Louis Pernod opened Pernod Fils in Pontarlier and made absinthe. After the absinthe ban a wormwood-free version appeared in 1920, and the Pernod we know today was created in 1938.
Tasting notes
Nose
Clean star anise, sharp and obvious. Fennel behind it, and a light minty coolness lifting the whole thing.
Palate
Anise takes up most of the room, but without the heavy liquorice sweetness. Coriander brings a light citrus spice, and there is a floral tone through the middle.
Finish
Clean and fairly short. The anise ebbs away and leaves a cool, almost menthol sensation.
Specifications
Name: Pernod
Distillery: Pernod
Region/Country: France
Type: French Anise Liqueur
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3047100090316
Serving suggestion: 1 part Pernod to 5 parts iced water
Flavour profile
Anise · Fresh · Floral · Spiced · Dry
Did you know?
Pernod is a fixture in French kitchens. A splash into the pot with fish soup or mussels burns off the alcohol and leaves the anise behind — that is how a proper bouillabaisse gets its spiced undertone.
See our full range of Pernod
See our full range of Liqueur
