Pernod - anise liqueur and poor quality absinthe substitute

Pernod is a pastis (French, licorice-flavored aperitif) that managed to survive the decades-long ban on absinthe because it removed thujone from its recipe. Absinthe was banned in the U.S. in 1912 because it was thought that it caused hallucinations and physical impairment, though research has now concluded that factors such as high alcohol content, poor-quality alcohol, over indulgence and other factors were probably much more to blame than thujone. Consequently in 2007, absinthe became legal in the U.S. again, albeit with a strictly controlled limit on thujone in the alcohol. This has lead to a huge proliferation of absinthe labels available in the U.S. as well as much interest among distilleries in creating American absinthe.

So where does this leave Pernod? It still seems to be quite popular, and in Washington state, it's available at most liquor stores. I'm just not sure why though since Pernod is really a poor substitute for many better anise liqueur products. It is artificially colored green rather than colored by its ingredients as are most good quality pastis. It has no complexity whatsoever, having simply a bitter licorice flavor that's not enjoyable, even when water is added (the typical way to drink a pastis). The only thing I can figure out is that tradition and a relatively cheap price keeps people buying it.

So I've been slowly trying to get rid of my bottle of Pernod by making an occasional Sazerac (a New Orleans cocktail) which calls for a splash of a pastis. At this rate, my bottle should be good for another decade or two.

This Sazerac recipe is adapted from Dale DeGroof in his classic "The Craft of the Cocktail," and it deviates from the traditional New Orleans recipe by adding Cognac. I find it adds some nice complexity.

Sazerac
Splash of Pernod (or if you were a smarter buyer, Ricard, Herbsaint or an absinthe)
1 oz VS Cognac
1 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz simple syrup (you can quickly make simple syrup by filling a small jar with half water, half sugar and shaking vigorously)
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Swirl the Pernod in a glass and discard. Shake the remaining ingredients with ice and pour into the glass you used to swirl the Pernod.