Ricard has an alcohol by volume of 45%. This concentration places the drink well above wine or beer, and imposes a metabolic workload on the liver proportional to the amount of ethanol ingested. Diluting pastis in water changes the taste and volume of the glass, but not the amount of pure alcohol absorbed.
For the liver, heart, and brain, it is this amount of pure alcohol that determines the level of risk, regardless of the shape of the glass or the color of the drink.
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Hepatic metabolism of Ricard: what the alcohol content changes concretely
When ethanol reaches the liver, it is transformed into acetaldehyde, a toxic and carcinogenic substance, before being broken down into acetate. This enzymatic process has a limited capacity. Beyond a certain threshold of consumption, the liver becomes saturated and begins to store fats: this is hepatic steatosis.
Steatosis is reversible if consumption stops. However, repeated exposure over weeks or months can trigger alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver, abdominal pain, jaundice), followed by cirrhosis where functional liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. These stages are not theoretical: they constitute the classic progression of alcohol-related liver diseases.
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The article detailing the impact of Ricard on the liver reminds us that the metabolic burden imposed by a spirit at 45% is significantly higher than that of a fermented beverage, at equal glass volume. A standard pastis served at the bar contains as much ethanol as a glass of wine, provided the reference dose is respected. The problem arises when drinks are consumed in succession without the drinker perceiving the accumulation, as the aniseed flavor and dilution mask the actual potency.
Licorice and cardiovascular risk: a specific factor of pastis
Ricard is not limited to ethanol. Licorice, a characteristic ingredient of pastis, contains glycyrrhizin. This molecule, at regular doses, can cause sodium retention, potassium loss, and elevated blood pressure. In individuals already hypertensive or on antihypertensive treatment, this effect adds to that of alcohol.
Licorice can promote hypertension, palpitations, and hypokalemia in sensitive profiles. Hypokalemia (low blood potassium) disrupts muscle contraction, including that of the heart muscle. This mechanism distinguishes Ricard from other spirits of the same alcohol content, such as vodka or whisky, which do not contain glycyrrhizin.
The available data do not allow for a precise threshold of licorice above which cardiovascular risk significantly increases. Field reports vary on this point depending on profiles (weight, age, medication). What is documented is that alcohol exacerbates the risk of atrial fibrillation and alcoholic cardiomyopathy in the medium and long term, two conditions that affect the rhythm and structure of the heart.
Particularly exposed profiles
- Individuals under treatment for hypertension or cardiac rhythm disorders, where glycyrrhizin can interfere with the effectiveness of the medication.
- Pregnant women, for whom any dose of alcohol poses a documented risk of fetal developmental disorders.
- Individuals with a pre-existing liver disease (steatosis, viral hepatitis), where even moderate consumption can accelerate liver degradation.
Effects of Ricard on the brain: beyond immediate intoxication
The most visible effect of alcohol on the brain is disinhibition. After one or two glasses of Ricard, the prefrontal cortex (the area of judgment and planning) sees its activity decrease. This drop in vigilance explains the euphoria, but also the impulsivity and irritability that may follow.
The stakes go beyond the evening. Repeated consumption disrupts memory, cognitive flexibility, and sleep quality. Alcohol fragments deep and paradoxical sleep cycles, which limits the consolidation of learning and brain recovery. The regular drinker sleeps, but recovers less.
Executive functions and emotional regulation
Executive functions (the ability to organize, anticipate, inhibit an automatic reaction) are among the first to be affected by chronic consumption. Data from neurological research indicate that the brain needs several weeks of abstinence to regain normal functioning after a period of regular consumption.
Emotional regulation also deteriorates: increased anxiety between drinks, underlying irritability, difficulty managing frustration. These effects are not related to licorice or the aniseed character of Ricard, but to ethanol itself. Any spirit at 45% would produce comparable effects on the brain at equivalent doses.
Dilution, dosage, and perception of risk: what water does not correct
A common argument is that Ricard is consumed diluted, so the risk would be lower than for neat whisky. Dilution does not reduce the amount of ethanol in the glass, it only increases the total volume of liquid. A pastis prepared according to the usual dose (one volume of Ricard for five volumes of water) contains the same amount of pure alcohol as a standard glass of wine.
The trap is perceptual. The aniseed flavor softened by water and the coolness of the glass give the impression of a light drink. Consumers tend to multiply glasses during a prolonged aperitif, accumulating an amount of alcohol they would not have reached with a spirit consumed neat.
- A properly dosed glass of Ricard corresponds to one standard unit of alcohol, or about the same hepatic load as half a beer or a glass of wine.
- Two pastis on the terrace equate to two units of alcohol, which already approaches the daily limit recommended by French health authorities (no more than two glasses per day, and not every day).
- Three glasses or more in one sitting constitute excessive acute intoxication, with a peak blood alcohol level and a proportional hepatic overload.
Ricard is neither more nor less dangerous than another spirit of the same degree, at an equal dose of ethanol. What makes it particular is the combination of a high alcohol content, the presence of licorice (with its own tension effects), and an image of a convivial drink that leads to underestimating the actual amount consumed. For individuals under treatment, suffering from a liver or cardiovascular condition, the question is not one of moderation but of prior medical advice.