🥃 Anisette
Anisette is a sweet anise liqueur. EU law has no separate anisette category, so the liqueur rules apply (at least 15% ABV, at least 100 g/l of sugar). Marie Brizard Anisette is 25% ABV, according to the producer.
Anisette is a sweet, clear anise liqueur. EU law has no category called anisette: a spirit drink flavoured with aniseed, sweetened to at least 100 g of sugar per litre and bottled at 15 % or more counts as a liqueur. Its best-known example, Marie Brizard Anisette from Bordeaux, goes back to 1755. 14
The liqueur rules. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 a liqueur is a sweetened spirit drink with at least 15 % alcohol and, in most cases, at least 100 g/l of sweetening products expressed as invert sugar. Aniseed liqueurs belong to a short list that may be flavoured only with flavouring foodstuffs, flavouring preparations and natural flavouring substances, not with other flavourings. 1
Anise drinks compared. An aniseed-flavoured spirit drink takes its taste from natural extracts of star anise, anise or fennel and needs at least 15 % alcohol. Anis must owe its flavour only to those plants and reach 35 %, and distilled anis needs at least 20 % of its alcohol distilled with the seeds. 1
Pastis is different. Pastis also contains liquorice root extract, has at least 40 % alcohol, under 100 g/l of sweetening and 1.5–2 g/l of anethole; pastis de Marseille needs 45 % and 1.9–2.1 g/l of anethole. So a sweet anisette and a dry, strong pastis follow quite different rules. 1
Marie Brizard. According to the company, Marie Brizard was born in Bordeaux on 28 June 1714 and in 1755 founded the house Marie Brizard & Roger with Jean-Baptiste Roger, creating its anisette. By 1763 she had finalised the recipe, and King Louis XV ordered anisette for banquets at Versailles. 4
Spreading worldwide. In 1827–1829 the firm exported cases of anisette to South America and the United States; it showed at the 1893 Chicago exhibition and the 1900 Paris exhibition, and anisette appeared on the menus of the great Parisian hotels and restaurants. 4
The recipe today. Marie Brizard Anisette is made to a secret recipe of eleven plants and spices that bring out green anise from the Mediterranean. It is crystal-clear, sweet and slightly acidic, bottled at 25 % in 70, 75 and 100 cl bottles, and in 2021 the house moved its liqueurs to natural flavourings and cut sugar and alcohol in some recipes. 24
How it is served. The producer suggests anisette neat, over ice or as a long drink with water and a dash of lemon. 2 Because it is a liqueur, a glass contains both alcohol and a substantial amount of sugar. 1
Why it matters to you. Check the legal name and the strength on the label: liqueur, anis and pastis follow different rules for sugar, alcohol and flavourings. 1 The WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. 3
Facts
| EU category | Liqueur (category 33): at least 15 % ABV and 100 g/l of sweetening 1 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Anise flavour from natural sources only; Marie Brizard: green anise and ten other plants and spices 12 |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | Marie Brizard Anisette: 25 % ABV 2 |
| Region | Bordeaux, France: Marie Brizard since 1755 4 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Anisette → kind of → 🌿 Anise spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🌿 Anise spirits, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Anis, 🌿 Sambuca, 🌿 Pastis, 🥃 Ouzo, 🥃 Chinchón
Frequently asked questions
Is anisette the same as pastis?
No. Pastis has at least 40 % alcohol, liquorice extract and under 100 g/l of sweetening, while anisette is a sweet liqueur with at least 100 g/l of sugar. [1]
What is the ABV of anisette?
There is no fixed strength: as a liqueur it needs at least 15 %, and Marie Brizard Anisette is bottled at 25 %. [1][2]
Who created anisette?
The best-known version comes from Marie Brizard, who founded her Bordeaux house in 1755 and finalised the recipe in 1763. [4]
Can anisette contain any flavouring?
No. EU rules allow aniseed liqueurs only flavouring foodstuffs, flavouring preparations and natural flavouring substances. [1]
How do you drink anisette?
According to Marie Brizard, neat, over ice or as a long drink with water and a dash of lemon. [2]
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🥃 Ouzo — Ouzo is the Greek and Cypriot aniseed spirit, EU category 29 «distilled anis»: alcohol flavoured with anise, from 37.5% ABV; copper pot stills up to 1,000 l; turns milky white with water or ice.
- 🥃 Anis — Anis is an aniseed spirit (EU category 28) flavoured only by anise, star anise or fennel: from 35% ABV, natural flavourings only; in Slovenian also janeževec.
Similar
🌿 Sambuca · 🥃 Ratafia · 🥃 Crème de cacao · 🥃 Crème de menthe · 🥃 Crème de cassis · 🍇 Crème de… liqueur
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I (categories 25, 26, 28, 33)
- Marie Brizard: Anisette (25% ABV, eleven plants and spices, serving)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)
- Marie Brizard: L’Histoire de Marie Brizard (1714, 1755, 1763, 1827–1829, 1893, 1900, 2021)