The most famous and well-traveled of all the Greek alcoholic beverages, ouzo is a drink that reminds most people of warm days by the sea (in Greece only hardcore ouzo lovers order it in the middle of the winter).. It goes really well with lots of Greek starters, like seafood. Ouzo. It has been linked with the sun, the sea, the joy of life. 1. ginger ale, metaxa, ice cubes, lemon juice, ouzo, lemon slice Honeydew Ouzo Cocktail Mia Kouppa lime, fresh mint leaves, cold water, water, honeydew, simple syrup and 5 more Process of Distillation, Barbayanni Ouzo Distillation Procedure, Ouzo Production Alcohol Content. Do enjoy it on a hot, sunny, late afternoon or at an early evening happy hour. Now adding water changes the taste slightly and makes it kinda foggy instead of … This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Both the quality of the distillation process and the flavorings make each brand of ouzo very different in taste. Ouzo is very strong; drinking it on an empty stomach is a very bad idea. 3. There is a similar version made with a tsipouro, and on the Cyclades islands, particularly on beautiful Amorgos island in the Cyclades, they prepare what is known as “psimeni” (roasted) – a warm intoxicating drink which is accompanied by the “pasteli” sweet and their own cheese pie known as “anevates”. As with wine, tasting various brands will teach you to distinguish the fine ones from those that qualify as “rotgut.”. If you want to get the most out of your trip to Greece, then look no further. The ouzo will turn from clear to cloudy as the anise reacts with the ice. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Ebullient Athens vs Eternal Rome: 7 Travel Differences, Cosmopolitan Spetses: A Pocket-sized Isle Near Athens. Do sip it slowly. 7. Do not be tempted by the inexpensive brands – both your head and your stomach may regret it! If you are in a bar and you plan to be there a while sip, your drink and have a good time with out getting Hammered, you put 2oz of water and 2oz of Ouzo in a tall glass at room temp and sip. If you visit Greece in summer, many regions hold open-air festivals dedicated to raki- or tsipouro-making with lots of food, live song and dance, and drink… of course! It’s then distilled into a high-proof alcoholic beverage that’s flavored primarily with anise, which gives it a distinctive licorice taste. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. The ouzo will turn from clear to cloudy as the anise reacts with the ice. Ouzo is a sweet, strong alcoholic beverage similar to a liqueur, which is made from the by-products of grapes after they’ve been used for wine-making (mainly the skins and stems). Place one or two ice cubes in a small glass. Ouzo is Greece's national drink, always served with a selection of delicious "Meze". Your email address will not be published. Ouzo is usually served with ice and water and always in small, slim glasses. It is drunk slowly and is always served with at least one meze (a small dish of food) because of its potency. When serving or drinking ouzo, raki, or tsipouro glasses are never filled to the top, just barely past the half point. How to Drink Ouzo in Greece. The Perfect Drinks to Serve High-Maintenance Guests, Bringing Back the Swinging ’60s, One Whisky at a Time, KAH® Tequila Joins Stoli Group USA’s Award-Winning Wine & Spirits Portfolio, Meet Aquavit, a Flavorful Spirit No Longer Bound to Europe, 7 Wines Under $20 Perfect for Thanksgiving, Warm Beer? Ouzo can also be drunk straight from a shot glass. Ouzo, though so well known abroad, is often misunderstood. Thank you for joining! Almost everybody’s heard of it, but very few people know what ouzo actually is – or how to drink it properly. Whether you are looking for the perfect drink for your next party or something special to enjoy with your favourite Greek dishes, Ouzo 12 is always a great choice. Ouzo is a low class drink. That’s why you should add some water if you want a lighter version of the … Greeks Meet Virtually to Drink Ouzo Together Under Lockdown By Anna Wichmann -Dec 6, 2020 Traditional Greek and ouzo. The taste doesn’t complement traditional Greek entrees. 3. Required fields are marked *. 8 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Mac & Cheese Taste Like You Made It from Scratch + Newsletter Shop Site Feedback FAQ / Help Center. Greeks may add iced water to dilute the strength, which causes the liquid to turn an opaque, milky white. So join me and let’s Travel, Learn and Grow… in Greece, together. Ouzo is generally served as an apéritif, as lemonade, or an after-dinner drink, but it's also a reason for friends to get together and enjoy good company and conversation at any time. The Greeks take pride in pairing and serving specific types of mezedes with ouzo, such as grilled octopus, shrimp, or squid; cheese-veggie-meat platters, or other “little bites.” There are even special establishments called “ouzeries” dedicated solely to this practice. Or, pour a small amount of Ouzo into a glass, neat, then add a splash of very cold water in lieu of ice. Check your inbox to confirm your subscription. You can also say “eviva” which many believe to be derived from the latin word for “live” but in reality it comes from the ancient Greek “evi evan” exchanged initially among drinkers during the festivities dedicated to the God of Wine, Dionysus, and which to this day means “to health” – salutations. Ouzo. Flavor and how to serve ouzo. The flavours pair well with traditional Greek appetisers like calamari, feta cheese, and olives. What is ouzo. Ouzo drink with its strong anise flavour and with a little hint of Greece is a clear drink which gets milky-like when water is poured into it and aromas emerge and demonstrate its other qualities. Rakomelo should never be boiling hot just warm, very much like the temperature Japanese sake is served. Ouzo (Greek spelling ούζο, pronounce “OOH-zoh”) is an alcoholic drink with an anise flavour. Just a ‘little’ drink, nothing pretentious or serious about it, an ouzaki can be an excuse to pause in the middle or end of a busy day for a chat with friends or a cardinal feature of a summer holiday on an Greek island. Or, pour a small amount of ouzo into a glass, neat, then add a splash of very cold water in lieu of ice. Luckily, its popularity escaped beyond the borders of Greece. This liquor has its base with grapes and is then mixed with herbs and spices, especially anise (which tastes like licorice). Barbayannis Liquor Distiller is an ouzo producer in Greece producing 100% distilled ouzo and following this procedure since 1860, coming up with ouzo exclusively flavoured by … Give CrushBrew Your Ear We’ll show you a 5min cooling method. Or, pour a small amount of ouzo into a glass, neat, then add a splash of very cold water in lieu of ice. Ouzo is often served with a small plate of a variety of appetizers called mezes, usually small fresh fish, fries, olives and feta cheese. Do drink it cold, but don’t refrigerate it. discussion from the Chowhound Spirits, Ouzo food community. The essential oils of anise, the herb that gives ouzo its distinctive aroma, are soluble in the high-grade neat ouzo. The country’s nationwide lockdown, however, … You can order it in a bar or cafe before going on to a restaurant, or order it in the restaurant to have before your meal or with plates of meze. Ouzo is a distinctly Greek drink, and it has the EU-approved Protected Designation of Origin, so it can only be made in Greece. Souvlaki Aug 18, 2013 at 7:01 pm. How to pronounce ouzo. Last but not least: When we toast in Greece, we gently tap each other’s glasses – so if there are four friends, you tap four times (imagine when there are nine of you!) Do drink it cold, but don’t refrigerate it. It is classified as an aperitif, a drink meant to be served before the main course with appetisers, called mezethes. Ouzo really is a beloved drink throughout Greece, and especially in the islands of the Aegean. – raise our glass, say “Stin Ygeia Mas” (Health to All), smile and drink. Contribute Your Craft to CRUSHBREW Magazine. ADVERTISEMENT. Ouzo is full of lip-smacking flavors (like fennel, coriander, and cloves), so much so that it delivers quite a taste punch. Ouzo is usually mixed with water, becoming cloudy white, sometimes with a faint blue tinge, and served with ice cubes in a small glass. Ouzo is the official drink of Greece. Ouzo: the national drink with an international career – Interview with Nikos Kalogiannis, president of the Isidoros Arvanitis Distillery of Plomari. Credit: Greek Reporter Drinking ouzo with a group of friends gathered around a table full of delicious mezedes, or small dishes, and sharing the latest news is a quintessential Greek experience. The main difference between Ouzo and Sambuca is that the Ouzo is a anis drink and Sambuca is a Italian anise-flavoured liqueur. Join the discussion today. Once you add ice to your ouzo it turns cloudy. Forget mac ‘n’ cheese or potato salad,... By Sam Hill You’re headed to a pool party and you make a stop to pick up your favorite craft beverage to share with your pals. Add some water if you want it light. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 6. Then chat a bit with your friends, free yourself of any irksome thoughts, and then one more round… languidly as if time is of no matter or meaning, enjoying the life right this moment – in the NOW. Place one or two ice cubes in a small glass. Its recipe is simple and at the same time exquisite. These keep the effects of the alcohol from overwhelming you and enable you to sit and drink slowly for hours in a profoundly calm state of mind where all is beautiful and life is fine. Don’t Fear! On some occasions, you may observe a louche or “ouzo effect” where the drink becomes cloudy. 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