The Low Down on Louching

Any discussion of anise seed flavored aperitifs is not complete without a discussion of louching. You’re likely asking, “What the heck is louching and why does it sound like a very dirty, unsophisticated slang word for an even more unspeakable verb?” Rest assured your question will be answered in this article, but more importantly, the reasons for and effects of louching will also be discussed in the next few paragraphs.

Louching occurs when water is added to an aperitif or alcoholic beverage containing anise or anise seed. The essence oil of this herb is soluble in alcohol, but not in water. So dilution creates a separation of the essence oils from the surrounding solution that is the rest of the drink, forming an emulsion whose droplets scatter in the light. In simple terms, this has the effect of changing the color of the drink from clear and dark when it is first poured, to cloudy and lighter in color. Aperitifs that respond particularly well to louching include Pastis, Absinthe, and Ouzo. These all contain enough anise or anise seed essence oil to allow the emulsion process to occur when diluted.

In many social circles, louching is looked upon as part of the enjoyment process of the alcoholic beverage. Others, particularly Westerners see it as a disgusting way to ruin a drink. Why would anyone want to put water in his or her alcohol? For most Europeans who practice louching on a regular basis, drinking is often more about enjoying an experience rather than the feeling of being drunk, and, in their opinion, louching enhances the experience and social value of many aperitifs. Some in the European Union would never even think of enjoying many of their favorite most invigorating appetite-enhancing drinks without first diluting them to allow for a little pre-dinner louching

Yes, louching is a relatively foreign process in the US but the lack of availability of aperitifs and alcoholic beverages that benefit from this process helps to explain why this is so. No one wants to dilute beer or whiskey or rum with water. Or do they? History is filled with cases where dilution of alcohol with water is advantageous to the consumer for simple and complex reasons alike. Gin and tonic, a popular drink in the US, is an excellent example of a cocktail that’s alcohol diluted with water, or in this case, sparking water also referred to as tonic.

Historically, sea farers would add alcohol to their water stores to keep the water from turning rancid and, if it did happen to turn, keep the drinkers of this putrid water from smelling or tasting much more than water mixed with a little rum. So here we have an example that exists in reverse, people diluting water with alcohol. But nonetheless it can be seen that dilution of people’s drinks has been occurring in socially acceptable, and extremely useful ways for hundreds if not thousands of years.

A process that many argue would destroy the enjoyability of a drink for one person actually enhances the drinking experience for others. Depending on what type of alcohol you’re drinking, louching might just be the best thing for you.