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“The belly is not FROM ouzo, the belly is FOR ouzo,” the Greeks say. Well, or we could talk. This strong liquor, generously flavored with anise and other spices, is considered one of the national drinks of the country of the Hellenes. Today we will talk about the history and modern production of Ouzo, find out how and with what it is customary to drink it, and also, of course, consider the recipe for making Ouzo using an ordinary home distiller.
Greek vodka Ouzo is a strong drink that is made on the basis of grape distillate (or, according to modern laws, a mixture of brandy and rectified), infused with a variety of aromatic herbs. Depending on the region, the composition may include star anise, fennel, coriander, mastic, veronica, cardamom, cloves, bitter almonds and more. There is only one constant component – anise. In general, the production process is similar to homemade sambuca, only the Greek version of anise is less sweet and does not contain black elderberry.
Ouzo attracts, in addition to its unusual rich taste, with an original way of serving – the drink is usually drunk not in its pure form, but diluted with cold water and / or ice. In this case, an opalescence effect occurs – with a decrease in strength, essential oils are released from the liquid and form a milky-white emulsion. This cocktail is called “Io’s milk”, in honor of the beautiful beloved of Zeus, which the jealous Hera turned into a cow.
Greek “vodka” Ouzo – history, name, production
Anise-based drinks have been popular in the Balkans since Ottoman times. The islands of Kalamata, Tirnavos and Lesbos are considered to be the birthplace of Ouzo, where, by the way, anise grows very well. There is an interesting legend about some monks from Mount Athos, who allegedly invented the first drink recipe. But, most likely, the recipe was brought from Turkey or Central Asia – it painfully resembles the local Raki or Arak.
There is no consensus on the origin of the name. There is a version that “Ouzo” is the Greek name for anise, but Google translator refutes it. The most plausible theory says that the word “Uzo” comes from the Turkish “üzüm” – grape. The names are really consonant, and the theory is confirmed by the fact that in private distilleries Ouzo is still made exclusively on grape distillate, rectified is added only at industrial enterprises in order to reduce the cost of the product.
And here is another interesting version of the origin of the name Ouzo. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, French bohemia demanded a replacement for the banned absinthe. Sambuca-raki-mastics from all over Europe poured into Marseilles, which did not contain thujons, but at least slightly resembled the “Green Witch” in taste.
The Greeks also provided “humanitarian aid” to the thirsty beau monde – on barrels of local aniseed drink they wrote “Especially for Marseille”, “uso a Massilia“. Eventually, the name was shortened to just “Uso”, or Ouzo in the local manner.
Now this alcohol is mass-produced. Its strength can vary from 20 to almost 50 degrees, a variety of “brooms” of herbs are allowed in the composition. In southern Greece, ouzo is sweeter, in the north, on the contrary, it is dry. As already mentioned, only 20% grape distillate can be included in the purchased Ouzo. It is better to buy a homemade drink, which is made by many private moonshiners – fortunately, in Greece the laws on this matter are simpler. Distillers try to follow the old traditions and prepare a local analogue of chacha – tsipouro – which is then distilled along with anise, sometimes “workshops” with old copper devices stand right in the middle of the vineyards, there are also shops where the product can be purchased.
There are especially many such industries in Lesvos. In the homeland of Sappho, there are four of the largest factories in Greece, and a whole museum in Plomari, completely dedicated to this drink. In the town of Mytilini, at the end of July, a whole Ouzo-fest is held, with tasting (sometimes even free) of various Ouzo varieties, dance songs and local snacks.
Ouzo – a drink for the leisurely
How to drink Greek vodka Ouzo? Of course, you can tip it over in its pure form, with whole stops, “for a hot and spicy snack.” But, most likely, the anise flavor will critically annoy you after 100-150 grams. Only great anise lovers risk doing this, and even then, in this case, the drink is served very chilled and should be immediately washed down with clean water. Remember, Ouzo is an insidious booze that leaves thoughts clean, but quickly turns off the body! They shouldn’t get involved.
To reduce the concentration of esters, to make the taste softer, and the aroma not so sticky in the nose, it is customary to dilute Greek anise vodka. They do this either with cold water in a 1: 1 ratio, or with ice in cubes, or with both. For proper opalescence, water must be poured into a glass in a thin stream, like in absinthe. Ouzo with ice is most often drunk without snacks, as a cocktail or digestif. You need to drink it in small sips, passing over the entire surface of the tongue and enjoying the various facets of taste.
The drink is served most often with traditional Greek meze – a set of small plates with snacks: anchovies, octopus fried in garlic sauce, shrimp, olives, cheeses, zucchini and pickled vegetables. Also, local fried sardines – “sardeles”, considered one of the best in the world, cannot do without ouzo. Tourists can taste all these delicacies in special establishments – “uzeri”. Yes, and at home it is quite possible to build quite a decent snack under Ouzo – almost any vodka snack will do.
Greek anise vodka at home
Making ouzo with your own hands is not at all difficult, the manufacturing process is almost identical to, for example, homemade gin or menthol liqueur. All you need is a simple small distiller, quality raw materials (alcohol, double grain or sugar moonshine, and best of all homemade chacha), anise and some other herbs.
You will need:
- Alcohol 96% – 1 liter;
- Water – optional;
- Anise – 60 grams;
- Star anise – 25 grams;
- Fennel – 25 grams.
- Sugar – about 200 grams.
Note – alcohol can be taken less strong, but not less than 70%. The total number of seeds should not exceed 20 grams per liter of water-alcohol mixture, but their composition can be varied – for example, add a little cardamom, cloves, star anise or fennel to replace cumin – to your taste.
Preparation:
Pour spices into a jar and pour alcohol. Infuse for two days in a dark, warm place (if you take alcohol of a lower strength, it is better to increase the infusion time). After that, there are 2 options – pour the entire mixture together with the grounds into the tank, or filter it, send only liquid to the cube, and put the spices in a steamer or hang it in a gauze bag over alcohol directly into the tank. The tincture must first be diluted to 25-30 degrees.
Run slowly, 1-2 drops per second. Approximately 2% of the heads are taken, the body is driven up to 46-47 degrees in the jet. Tailings can be taken up to 20° for the next distillation. Now you need to measure the strength of the finished product and dilute it with clean filtered water up to 45 degrees, or even stronger, otherwise the liquid may become cloudy. After that, sweeten to taste with sugar, syrup or fructose.
The good news for the most impatient is that an ouzo drink prepared at home does not need to grow old, it is ready for tasting after 2-3 days of rest, moreover, according to many reviews, after 2-3 months of storage, it loses much in aroma and taste. A sign that you did everything right is a beautiful opalescence when diluted with water!
That’s all and ready, a pleasant aperitif!