Pastis in the Summer

Hi Dad, As it's been quite hot here recently I've turned to having a glass of Pastis over the past few days. I was explaining to someone that there are lots of different brands and that there is many better brands than Pernod and Ricard. Can you reccomend a few brands of Pastis I can get in the US that are good? What makes a good Pastis? I'm also curious to understand it's origins and if it's always been a drink that is mixed with water? Finally, Absinthe is a very trendy liquor to mix into swanky cocktails these days. I've tried a few in the US and they are not really Absinthe since they dont contain wormwood. The wormwood-less exportable Absinthe seems quite similar to Pastis and is made by the the same companies that make Pastis. Is this a new phenomenon or have they always had 2 types of absinthe? Hope your cooling off with a little Pastis! Stephane