| Quick Links: >>>
index page |
||
|
|
A taste of Greece: Ouzo
|
|
 |
They say that you can make alcohol out of
just about anything! Well, take what is left after the grape has been pressed,
and all that nice juice has gone off to be fermented for wine; What is left
is the skins, pips, stems etc. Mix these with a few herbs, root, berries
and flowers, let it ferment for a while, then distill it and you have an
alcohol that was then said to be the origins of Ouzo. Even today the Greeks still drink cheapero, fermented grape residue, which is then distilled to produce a very strong alcohol. If you are offered this in quantity, then be prepared to write off the next day! However, the modern day Ouzo comes from alcohol distilled from molasses, mixed with the very distinctive anise plus other aromatic herbs. To the less discerning it may be difficult to tell one Ouzo from another, although the experts will tell you that a good one must be re-distilled, unlike the majority which are simply mixed. You will find that there is a wide range of Ouzo which vary in alcohol content (around 40%), price and in the strength of the aniseed taste. The connoisseurs say that some of the best Ouzo comes from Macedonia and the Lesvos regions, although there are a large number of stills operating all over Greece. It makes a nice "taste of Greece" to take home to friends, and some are packaged in attractive bottles that can be used as vases or for ornaments. If you would prefer to keep it for yourself then you will find it is normal to drink it mixed with water and it makes an excellent complement to your Meze. |