Homebrew Underground

Anise and fennel both provide a similar licorice like aroma and flavor to liqueurs. These two herbs are very complimentary and harmonious when used together. I have been looking at several liqueur recipes that use both anise seed and fennel seed. I have noticed that many of these age old recipes use proportionately less fennel than anise. For example, if a recipe calls for 4 parts anise, then there will usually be 3 parts fennel.