🥃 Anisette
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 anise liqueur. EU law has no separate category called anisette: a spirit drink flavoured with aniseed, sweetened to at least 100 g/l of sugar and with at least 15% ABV, is a liqueur under Regulation (EU) 2019/787.
Neighbouring anise categories have other rules: an aniseed-flavoured spirit drink is at least 15% ABV; anis is at least 35% ABV; pastis is at least 40% ABV and has under 100 g/l of sweetening products.
Example. According to the producer, Marie Brizard Anisette is 25% ABV, made to a secret recipe of eleven plants and spices that bring out Mediterranean green anise. It is clear, sweet and slightly acidic, and can be served neat, over ice, or as a long drink with water and a dash of lemon.
Why it matters to you. Check the legal name and the strength on the label: liqueur, anis and pastis follow different rules. The WHO says that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| EU category | no separate category; as a liqueur: at least 15% ABV and at least 100 g/l of sugar (Regulation (EU) 2019/787) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | Marie Brizard Anisette: 25% ABV (according to the producer) |
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. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 pastis is at least 40% ABV, contains liquorice extract and has under 100 g/l of sweetening products; anisette is a sweet liqueur.
What is the strength of anisette?
There is no fixed anisette strength: as a liqueur it must be at least 15% ABV. Marie Brizard Anisette is 25% ABV, according to the producer.
How is Marie Brizard Anisette served?
According to the producer, neat, over ice, or as a long drink with water and a dash of lemon.
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 main population of France; their cheese culture is camembert, brie, Comté and roquefort, and the country has 51 dairy AOP names.
- 🥃 Ouzo — A Greek and Cypriot aniseed spirit, EU category 29 «distilled anis»: agricultural alcohol flavoured with anise, from 37.5% vol.
- 🥃 Anis — Aniseed spirit (EU category 28) flavoured only by anise, star anise or fennel; from 35% vol.; in Slovenian also janeževec.
Similar
🌿 Sambuca · 🥃 Ratafia · 🥃 Crème de menthe · 🥃 Crème de cacao · 🥃 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)