The "licorice" liqueurs:
anise, anisette, ouzo, pastis, and sambuca

These anise-seed liqueurs are so potently flavored that a dash is about all that's ever needed - unless, of course, you have a real liking for licorice.

The anise plant has small white or yellow flowers that leave behind fragrant seeds used for flavoring and as a medicine for expelling intestinal gas.

Anisette - the most common anise-flavored liqueur, which is typically made in France - is lower in proof than either anis or pastis. (Anise is a French or Spanish liqueur flavored with aniseed, and pastis is a French liqueur made with licorice and aniseed.)

These cordials are sweet, usually colorless, and range in proof between 60 and 100. Ouzo, which typically has the highest proof of these liqueurs, is a popular Middle Eastern grape brandy flavored with anise.

Of all these liqueurs, Sambuca, a proprietary Italian cordial, has the slightest anise-seed flavor.

Some mixologists use these liqueurs as absinthe substitutes, though none has ever become as popular as Pernod, a former absinthe producer that corners the market in anise-flavored liqueurs.