What is the symbolism of the anise / licorice / absinthe ?

The short
story Hills like white elephants talks about a girl called Jig who is waiting to take the
express to Madrid with her American boyfriend. As they wait, they talk about an operation that
Jig is supposed to have. Their conversation verges on an argument as it becomes increasingly
clear that Jig is not keen on going through with the operation, even though her boyfriend is
totally for it. The operation in question is an abortion.

The couple orders a
drink called Anis del Toro, which they have with some water. Jig has never had this drink
before. Upon tasting it, she says, It tastes like licorice," to which the man replies,
Thats the way with everything." Jig then says, Yes, everything tastes of licorice.
Especially all the things youve waited so long for, like absinthe." Her companion is not
amused by her comment and says, Oh, cut it out."

In trying to
understand the symbolism in this part of the couples conversation, we need to understand the
meanings of licorice and absinthe in the given context. Absinthe is a distilled,
bitter-sweet, anise-flavored drink with high alcoholic content. It is mostly diluted with water
before consumption. It also has narcotic-like effects and tastes like licorice. It is worth
noting that absinthe was banned in most parts of the western world, in the early years of the
twentieth century, due to its narcotic-like effects on people. Licorice, on the other hand, is a
sweet tasting aromatic plant extract used in making candies and liquors. So when Jig says that
everything tastes of licorice, she could be referring to their life as a couple, a life that has
been focused on travels and drinking sprees, a heady life that has little real substance. It is
a bitter-sweet life, sweet because of the fun, and bitter because of the consequences of the
fun, such as the unwanted pregnancy. She compares their life to absinthe, perhaps drawing on the
narcotic-like effects of the drink. She could be saying that their heady life is addictive, so
that it is momentarily sweet, with dire long-term effects.