▁comes ▁from ▁Occ itan ▁past ís ▁which ▁means ▁" m ash - up ". ▁ ▁Com position ▁By ▁legal ▁definition , ▁past is ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁an ise - f lav ored ▁spirit ▁that ▁contains ▁additional ▁flav or ▁of ▁lic or ice ▁root , ▁contains ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 0   gram s / l ▁sugar , ▁and ▁is ▁bott led ▁at ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁ 4 0 % ▁AB V ▁( p ast is ) ▁or ▁ 4 5 % ▁AB V ▁( p ast is ▁de ▁Marse ille ). ▁While ▁past is ▁was ▁originally ▁art isan ally ▁produced ▁from ▁whole ▁her bs ▁like ▁most ▁spirits ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁creation , ▁modern ▁versions ▁are ▁typically ▁prepared ▁by ▁mixing ▁base ▁alco hol ▁with ▁commer cially ▁prepared ▁flav or ings ▁( ess ences ▁and / or ▁extract s ) ▁and ▁car am el ▁color ing . ▁ ▁Past is ▁is ▁often ▁associated ▁with ▁its ▁historical ▁prede cess or , ▁abs int he , ▁yet ▁the ▁two ▁are ▁in ▁fact ▁very ▁different . ▁Past is ▁does ▁not ▁contain ▁grand ▁w orm wood ▁( Ar tem is ia ▁ab sin th ium ), ▁the ▁her b ▁from ▁which ▁abs int he ▁der ives ▁its ▁name . ▁Also , ▁past is ▁obtain s ▁its ▁an ise ▁flav or ▁from ▁a ▁dist ill ation ▁( or ▁industri ally ▁prepared ▁dist ill ates ) ▁of ▁star ▁an ise , ▁a ▁her b ▁of ▁Asian ▁origin , ▁whereas ▁abs int he ▁tradition ally ▁obtain s ▁its