Licorice, often listed among America's most disliked flavors, is experiencing a renaissance in the culinary world. Despite its rank as the second "most hated" food in a survey, the anise-meets-fennel taste is making a comeback in beverages across coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. At Dayglow Coffee in LA, the French Dispatch espresso drink, which includes anise, has seen multiple returns due to popular demand. Additionally, the shop has created drinks with Underberg, a bitter digestif, that pay homage to various films. Bartenders like Mike Wait and Gina Hoover are also embracing licorice flavors in cocktails, experimenting with local liqueurs and anisettes to create unique drinks that challenge and satisfy the palate. Hoover believes the pandemic has played a role in expanding people's taste preferences, with lesser-known spirits gaining popularity. As a result, the once-reviled licorice flavor is being reintroduced in inventive ways, potentially changing previous perceptions and broadening culinary horizons.
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