Un Ricard, svp

Everyone knows French wines, or has at least heard of them. Wine is definitely the drink #1 in this country, and any good dinner is served with wine. Well, French beer would never get such a good reputation, but the wine is worth it, you have to admit.

In Marseille, however, it's the Pastis. If you go into a pub here you'll see more of this funny liquid being served than wine, rivalled only by beer (a Heineken or something German if you're lucky). I've gotten quite fond of it and the fact that I sometimes randomly carry a bottle of ready-mixed Pastis around and get annoyed when I don't have any left has given me some reputation with my ERASMUS-friends so they take it in turns to check on me if I have to be taken into some kind of therapy.

The best Pastis (by vote of anyone I've talked about this so far) is the Ricard, which, like all real Pastis', comes straight from Marseille (note that I'm mixing some other people's opinion into my post here). However, there's many different kinds and most of them really come from here.
It is usually served in a high, not very wide glass and mixed with water about 4-5:1. Interestingly, although the Pastis itself is transparent, it becomes opaque when mixed with water for a chemical reason I really couldn't care less about (that's the Marseille influence that is).

It is based on anise (like Ouzo, which I don't like that much though) and was apparently invented when Absinthe was banned in France.

The amount of Pastis I consume here justifies writing about it, I think. Pastis goes well as an Apéritif, as an afternoon drink, as a starter drink for bar nights...

So if anyone feels like having a glass with me, just come around! Or have one at your place and tell me when, I'll have a remote drink with you.

Cheers!