Pernod Absinthe is an exceptionally versatile ingredient for cocktails. Createdby Paul Ricard in response to the 1915 ban of the sale of absinthe, it’s got a similar anise-flavored base, but is different in several key respects. First off, it’s got no grand wormwood, the supposedly hallucinogenic herb that got absinthe banned in the first place. Second, it’s flavored with star-anise, the fruit of a dried Chinese evergreen tree rather than the true green anise used for absinthe.