ouzo

ouzo is Greece’s national drink, an anise-flavored distillate geographically defined and protected under EU law since 2006. Its history goes back far further, although the origins are somewhat cloudy. According to the linguist Achilles Tzartzanos, writing in the 1950s, the name “ouzo” arose in his hometown of Tirnavos in the late 1800s, when a textile trader tasted a friend’s anise-scented raki and proclaimed it “uso Massalía”—the designation used to denote the top-quality silkworm cocoons destined for Marseilles. See raki. Others, however, believe the word arose from the Turkish üzüm, meaning “grapes,” and that it originated in the northern Aegean islands, as did the anise plant.

Originally, ouzo was based on grape-derived spirits; today, the law allows for any plant-based ethyl alcohol, and many producers opt for alcohol derived from grains or molasses, which are less expensive than grape-derived spirit. By law, at least 20 percent of the distillate must be distilled with its aromatic compounds; the best are generally considered those that take their flavor entirely from distillation rather than maceration, and these are labeled “100 percent distilled.”

While anise (Pimpinella anisum) is widely considered the main flavoring, the law stipulates no minimum amount, and other plants containing anethole such as fennel and star anise may also contribute to the spirit’s hallmark flavor. In addition, distillers can add a host of other aromatics, such as angelica, cardamom, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, mastic, mint, and nutmeg. Styles vary according to region as well: in Thrace in northeastern Greece, star anise plays a larger role that in Macedonia, where the local fennel is given precedence; on the island of Lesbos, the areas of Mytilene and Plomari use the anise grown on the coast in Lisvori. European Union law recognizes all four areas, plus Kalamata, with PGIs (protected geographical indications) for ouzo.

After distillation, the ouzo is left to rest for twenty to twenty-five days before adding water to bring the final alcohol content down to 37.5–46 percent. The Greeks traditionally water it down further to serve it, whereupon the liquid louches, or turns cloudy, as the water-phobic anethole forms tiny light-reflecting beads. See louche. As with whisky, the addition of water often makes it easier to appreciate the spirit’s complex aromatics, and also makes it a friendlier companion to food, which always accompanies ouzo in Greece.

Hellenic Republic General Chemical State Laboratory of Greece. https://gcsl.academia.edu/ (accessed April 30, 2021).

Piggott, John, ed. Alcoholic Beverages: Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Research, Cambridge: Woodhead, 2012.

By: Tara Q. Thomas