The Ingredients

30 ml Pastis, 10 ml Orgeat Syrup

How To make a Mauresque

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice for 10 seconds. Strain and serve in Old-Fashioned glass.

Social and Cocktail says:

This is a nice long and refreshing drink with distinct aniseed and almond flavours. The Mauresque is regarded as a classic French aperitif which is very popular all across France and in certain parts of Spain. The Mauresque cocktail is often consumed by female drinkers who find Pastis a little too strong.

Pastis is known as the national drink of France and is extremely popular across the country. Latest figures show that approximately 115 million litres of pastis are consumed annually in France, second only to whisky as the favourite tipple of the country. The drink has a strong anise flavour which is derived from a distillation of star anise which is a herb of Asian origin. The drink is typically 40-50% and is often diluted with water. Pastis stands in a long line of anise-flavoured liqueurs that have gained huge popularity across Europe, such as Sambuca, ouzo and arak.

For those who want to experience Pastis, but are put off by the intensity of its flavour, the Mauresque cocktail works well as the sweetness of the Orgeat Syrup helps neutralise the strong and intense flavours of the anise in the Pastis. Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from sugar, almonds and orange flower water and is perhaps most famous within drinks circles for its inclusion in the tiki cocktail classic, the Mai Tai, whose original recipe was created in the 1930s in California by the famous tiki originator, Don the Beachcomber.

Did You Know?

Mauresque is French for "moorish". Pronounced 'Mor-Esk', this classic drink is very popular in the South of France. This cocktail is a classic French apéritif very common all over France. Pastis is probably one of the most popular beverage in the country. It was originally created by French soldiers serving in the Bataillon d’Afrique during the Algerian campaign of 1830s – 40s. The Mauresque is often drunk by women instead of pure Pastis.
And orgeat is a syrup made from almonds. In the past, it was made from orge (bailey), hence its name.