Ouzo: all you need to know about the mythical Greek aniseed liqueur

Ouzo is the typical Greek liqueur aromatized with anise, fennel, the cousin of sambuca and French pastis. You will find a nice glass of frozen ouzo ready to welcome you on every Greek table, it is the classic aperitif that you can drink accompanying it with the classic mezedes, the Greek appetizers.

History of ouzo

Ouzo is an ancient liqueur, produced in Greece for centuries, so much so that legend has it that its origin is due to the first distillation tests of the monks of Mount Athos. But you should not be surprised, as you well know all the knowledge and techniques have been saved and tested by the monks, true custodians of the culture, indeed of the passage of medieval and Arab culture to the men of the Renaissance. And the monks of Mount Athos seem to have found the formula for making ouzo, starting from a simple distillation, which was intended to create medicinal elixirs. But the same goes for gin, invented by the monks of the Amalfi coast while trying to produce a juniper oil to treat pain and arthritis.

Where ouzo is produced

Over the years the technique has been refined and from a distillate produced at home with coarse methods, we have passed to a product that covers all of Greece and Cyprus, the only two countries that can boast the PDO. Everyone can produce ouzo, but only they can call it that, exactly like Grappa for Italy or Cognac for France.

And since we are talking about grappa, ouzo derives above all from Tsipouro, the Greek brandy (wannabe grappa) produced from marc or wine, which is later (possibly) flavored with anise.

How ouzo is made

The big difference is that Tsipouro is a flavored brandy, whereas ouzo is produced like sambuca and therefore is a flavored and sweetened liqueur. Basically, take alcohol at 96 degrees, infuse the anise, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon and a thousand other spices, flowers and other botanicals in it and then let the ingredients soak. In this way, the ethyl alcohol is impregnated with the essential oils of the botanicals and is then distilled for the first time to obtain a first very alcoholic and raw brandy. A second distillation is then carried out to define the ouzo at an aromatic level: the heads and tails are discarded and then added to the subsequent distillation, while the heart can be distilled a third time or, if necessary, sugar is added and bottled. The process is always the same: with the distillation, the alcohol is evaporated at 75 degrees, the vapors are collected in a coil cooled with water and based on how much the master distiller chooses to keep or discard the taste of ouzo is created.

It’s the same method used to make triple sec or gin or sambuca: nothing new under the Aegean sun, but the result is a liqueur that knows how to liven up dinners and evenings, even though ouzo-based cocktails are truly scarce….

Alcoholic degree of ouzo

By law, the minimum is 37.5 degrees and it reaches up to 50 degrees, but usually, we are around 40, it does not want to be a battle liqueur, but rather a delicate and fragrant digestive-aperitif.

How to serve Greek ouzo

If you serve it as an aperitif with the classic meze, it should be served at 8 degrees, frozen. Pour it into small shot glasses and do not add water. Just like French pastis or Italian sambuca, if you add 1 tablespoon of water to the ouzo, it becomes opalescent. It is not magic, but only the terpenes that become untied from alcohol, due to its dilution. By adding water, the terpenes (light and very volatile substances) rise to the surface of the liqueur, freeing themselves from the alcohol, but at the same time bringing with them the most floral and delicate aromas. If you want to enhance the aromas of ouzo, add a little water, close your eyes, and smell. It is also excellent when served as a digestive, but never serve it with ice, otherwise, you would kill aromas and flavors by numbing your tongue.

Cost of Greek ouzo

The best bottles are rarely found abroad, it’s produced in very low quantities and therefore consumed on the local Greek market. There are the usual big brands to choose from: starting from 12 to get up to 25-30 euros.