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1
Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice and set aside to chill.
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2
Cut the lemon rind to a circle about the size of a quarter, without pith.
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3
Stick a toothpick through the star anise and into the lemon rind until only a small bit of the toothpick shows from the top, breaking off the extra beneath the lemon.
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4
Set garnish aside.
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5
In a separate glass, put shiraz syrup at the bottom of the glass and cover with the rye whiskey and the bitters.
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6
Stir to dissolve the syrup.
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7
Stir briefly.
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8
Empty the chilled glass and add the Absinthe substitute to it, swirling around to coat it and leaving a small pool of what is left at the bottom.
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9
Strain the cocktail into that glass and add the Star Anise as a floating garnish.
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10
**Shiraz Syrup**
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11
Equal Parts Light Brown Sugar and Shiraz (one cup of each will yield approximately A 1/2 cup of syrup).
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12
Place Shiraz in a sauce pan on medium heat and bring to a boil.
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13
Slowly add sugar while stirring with a whisk.
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14
After all sugar has been diluted, bring to a slow boil and reduce heat.
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15
Repeat bringing it to a boil and cooling back down 2 or three times until the mixture is reduced to a thickness that sticks to the bottom of the pan when you lean it forward.
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16
Allow to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a serving bottle.
