Pacific

The drink is built around natural anise extracts, with aromatic plants sourced from the Mediterranean and further afield. Like its alcoholic counterpart, it turns cloudy when mixed with water, delivering that distinctive milky swirl that is inseparable from the southern French café experience. The anise character is clean and herbal rather than aggressively liquorice-forward, with a coolness that works particularly well in summer. Sugar-free and calorie-free, it sits apart from the sweetened cordial alternatives that sometimes try to fill the same gap.

Pacific occupies an interesting position in the alcohol-free market. Unlike the wave of dedicated AF brands that emerged in the 2010s and 2020s, it predates the whole category by decades. It was never positioned as a wellness product or a response to dry January. It was simply made for people who wanted to take part in the pastis ritual without drinking alcohol, which in retrospect makes it one of the earliest serious alcohol-free alternatives to a specific spirits category.

In the UK, Pacific is a niche find. It turns up through specialist import retailers and French food shops rather than the supermarket spirits aisle, where Ricard pastis itself has limited presence. For anyone with a taste for anise-based drinks, it is well worth tracking down. The range includes the original Pacific as well as the Sensation Anis variant. Both come in one-litre bottles at a price point that reflects the import positioning rather than premium branding.