Mauresque

A beloved French aperitif from the south of France that blends the bold anise of pastis with the sweet nuttiness of orgeat and a generous pour of cold water.

The Mauresque — French for "Moorish" — is one of the great classic aperitifs of the south of France. Its origins trace to French soldiers of the Bataillon d'Afrique during the Algerian military campaigns of the 1830s and 1840s, where the drink was also known as Bureau Arabe. The cocktail gained enduring popularity as a variation on the traditional Provençal custom of drinking pastis diluted with cold water. Adding orgeat syrup, a sweet almond-and-orange-flower-water syrup, softens the intensity of the pastis and makes the drink more approachable. The combination creates a beautiful milky cloudiness called the louche effect, caused by the natural oils in the anise spirit separating when diluted. The Mauresque is still a staple at café terraces throughout Marseille and the Côte d'Azur, where it is enjoyed slowly in the afternoon sunshine. Approximately 115 million liters of pastis are consumed annually in France, and the Mauresque is one of its most famous variations.