Ouzo drink: the origin of the name and photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Anisette Greek vodka with such a magical name "ouzo" has an incredible taste. In addition, in moderation, ouzo drink is very useful. According to the legends, the gods used it to gain immortality. And in ancient Greece, this vodka was the main alcoholic drink during various feasts.

Today the Greeks proudly call this kind of alcohol their national treasure. Any person who was lucky enough to visit the ancient country considers it his duty to try ouzo.

Product Description

Ouzo drink is made from raki and a variety of herbs. Anise is a must. Usually the strength of vodka reaches 40-50 degrees. The smell of the finished liquid resembles cough syrup, so many travelers do not immediately agree to taste the product. But if they still risk doing it, they are delighted with him.

This vodka has one nice property: fromthe person who uses it will not smell of alcohol at all. In a room where there is ouzo, the drink also does not leave amber of alcohol.

In Greece, the named vodka is used in the following way: a third of ouzo is poured into a tall narrow glass, and then water is added to the container. Thanks to anise oils, the liquid acquires a milky color. But there are other ways to drink this vodka. We will talk about them further.

Ouzo is served with a wide variety of appetizers, from seafood to candied fruit. But you can drink it as an aperitif, without snacks. Connoisseurs recommend drinking undiluted drink, eating it with melon.

Origin of the name

As one of the stories tells, the drink ouzo got its name thanks to one inscription. And it all happened like this: a long time ago, one of the enterprises for the production of alcoholic products received an order from Marseille. The customer was delivered a ready-made drink in a box on which it was written - uso Massalia. Translated, this phrase means "for consumption in Marseille."

Over time, the word Massalia disappeared from everyday life. But the word uso remained, and they began to call it a drink. This version has no scientific evidence, and therefore is today only an assumption that does not lose its relevance.

There is another theory as to why the ouzo drink bears this particular name. According to this hypothesis, the title is associated with the word of Turkish origin üzüm, which translates as "grape tincture" or "grapebunch".

In 1989, the title "Uzo" was registered by Greek figures. After that, the product gained national status. It is allowed to produce alcohol only on the territory of the Greek state.

Vodka production technology

Ouzo drink is made by combining moonshine made from grape pomace and forty-degree alcohol. The resulting mixture is insisted on coriander, spinach, chamomile, fennel, almonds and cloves. A few months later, the composition is distilled again. This technology provides the product with a mild taste with distinct notes of spices and herbs. Ouzo is somewhat reminiscent of Italian sambuca.

But there are other recipes for making this vodka. True, here it is necessary to adhere to the only rule established by Greek law: at least 20% of the alcohol base should be wine spirit, which is obtained from cake and juice. Anise should also be an obligatory component of the drink.

Cooking aniseed vodka at home

Ouzo - an alcoholic drink - can be prepared at home. For this you will need:

• one hundred grams of anise;
• one liter of vodka or diluted alcohol;
• 20 grams of star anise;
• two liters of water;
• five grams of cardamom;
• two carnation buds.

Pour vodka into a saucepan or other suitable container and add cloves, anise, cardamom and star anise. The vessel is closed with a lid and placedfor two weeks in a dark room. During this period, it is necessary to control the temperature indicators of this room. The temperature in it should be between 18-20 ° С.

After two weeks, the tincture is filtered, water is added and the resulting composition is poured into a cube for distillation. Now you need to put spices in a steamer, but you can also tie them in gauze and hang them in a distillation cube. All this is distilled and the finished vodka is kept in a dark room for three days before drinking.

The resulting drink has a taste close to the original.

How to drink ouzo

The Greek drink ouzo is drunk in a variety of ways. We have already described the classical method for the inhabitants of Hellas. Now consider other options for the use of aniseed vodka. Ouzo can be drunk with ice - ice cubes slightly soften the persistent anise flavor. If the drink is pre-cooled, then its taste will also become a little softer. Since the product in the mouth instantly heats up, it immediately changes its taste characteristics.

In Greece, drinking pure vodka is a common option. This variant is called Sketo. The temperature of such an ouzo should be 18-23 degrees. They drink alcohol slowly, taking small sips, so you can appreciate its taste. Since alcohol provokes appetite, it is advised to drink it as an aperitif.

Seafood or light salads are used by the Greeks as an appetizer. But this vodka goes well with fruit, dessert, cheese,deli meats and strong coffee.

Ouzo in cocktails

In Hellas, it is customary to use ouzo only in its pure form. Drink Greece considers blasphemous to use as the basis for cocktails. But in European countries, bartenders offer incredibly delicious cocktails based on aniseed vodka. For example, a cocktail with the Greek name "Iliad". Includes:

• 60 milliliters of Amaretto liqueur;
• 120 ml ouzo;
• three strawberries;
• one hundred grams of ice cubes.

The glass must be filled with ice, pour the liquor, add strawberries chopped on a blender and mix the ingredients. After that, Greek vodka is added to the container and everything is mixed again.

Another ouzo cocktail is called the Greek Tiger. It consists of 30 milliliters of anise extract and 120 milliliters of orange juice. Pour juice and vodka into a glass with ice cubes and mix the liquids together. If orange juice is not available, then lemon juice will do.

Museum dedicated to vodka

Ouzo is the national drink of Greece, so he is respected here and even a museum was founded in his honor. The institution is located in the town of Plomari on the island of Lesvos. Here, new technologies are constantly being introduced to produce a product. And the museum has the first tools that were used to create vodka. The famous blue stickers that were put on the bottles before, as well as the first cauldron, dating from 1858.

The museum belongs to the Barbayanni family. It's famous in Greecealcohol producers. The walls of this place continue to preserve the secrets of Barbayanni production, which give the drink its special taste and quality.

The doors of the souvenir shop and reception are open for guests, and everyone can participate in ouzo tasting.

Choosing a good ouzo

Tourists often bring ouzo vodka to their relatives as a souvenir. It is always better than magnets and figurines that have become boring to everyone. Many travelers succumb to the temptation and buy vodka in gift bottles that copy the shape of ancient Greek statues. But just such purchases should be abandoned, because only the packaging is chic here, and its content leaves much to be desired. Real ouzo is bottled in "karafki" - bottles made of transparent glass and characterized by a simple shape.

It is also better not to buy the famous vodka in the shopping tourist outlets. The best product is sold in the central market in Athens, which is located at the foot of the Acropolis. But the highest quality anise vodka in Greece is made on the island of Lesvos. This rule should be followed when buying the described alcoholic beverage.