Ouzo - It’s all Greek to me

Do you know why Ouzo appears milky? No? I’ll tell you then; It’s the anethole (be careful how you say it) you see. Anethole is what supplies the aromatic taste to Ouzo, and it dissolves in alcohol, but not in water, so when Ouzo is diluted, the anethole separates and turns the drink milky. Not a lot of people know that, as Michael Caine once said, but this isn’t a story about anethole, it’s about that wonderful Greek institution, Ouzo.

Like the drink, Ouzo’s history is a little murky too. Although the popularity of Ouzo as we know it today, rocketed during the nineteenth century, there are some who believe the drink to be much older. The claim is that Ouzo is the offspring of Tsipouro, a drink that was distilled during the Byzantine Empire and adopted by the Ottomans. The home of Tsipouro was said to be a monastery on the much revered Mount Athos, where fourteenth century Monks would prepare a type of Tsipouro that was flavoured with anise, and it was this that eventually came to be known as Ouzo.

Following Greek independence in the nineteenth century, distillers on the island of Lesbos began a tradition that is still strongly followed today, with the island being a major producer. The islanders have a strong claim to be the originators of the drink, at least in its modern form. When people fell out of love with absinthe in the early part of the twentieth century, they turned to Ouzo, which was described as absinthe without the wormwood so the drink gained status. Copper stills were introduced in 1932, which is now considered an essential for any Ouzo maker worth his salt. Varvayanis, who are located in the town of Plomari, are one of the main producers of Ouzo. You will also find the home of Pistillate in the same town.

One of the arguments cited by the pro-tsipouro lobby, is the visit to Thessaly in 1896 of Professor Alexander Filadelfefs, who claimed that the name changed to Ouzo after the following event; At that time, Thessaly exported fine quality cocoons to Marseille, and in order to distinguish the crates from the run-of-the-mill production, they were stamped with ‘Uso Massalia’, which means ‘to be used in Marseille’, so these two words in effect meant ‘Superior Quality’. When a Turkish diplomat by the name of Anastas Bey visited the town of Tymavos, he was requested to sample the local Tsipouro. As he savoured the aromatic drink, the diplomat exclaimed ‘this is uso Massalia my friends’, and as the story spread, the name Ouzo began to be used.

However, there is another explanation of the name; Sir G.Clauson tells us that the word Ouzo is a derivative of uzum, which is Turkish for grapes, so it would seem that not only the origin of the drink is in question, but also the source of the word by which we identify it.

Anyway, you could argue about it until you’re blue in the face, but I prefer to think about it whilst I’m drinking it. Ouzo is Ouzo; it just is. I’d rather discuss which is the best way to drink Ouzo. The traditional way is with water in a small glass, but the brave ones amongst you may like to try it neat. Adding Cola has become a very popular, but in my opinion, barbaric option which neutralises the liquorice taste. Go and drink an alco-pop if that’s what you like. It is also traditional to eat bite-sized snacks with your drink, or a small portion of sardines, much like the Spanish Tapa, but the real, main ingredient for enjoyment is the same as any drink; surround yourself with friends, Greek if possible.

Ouzo is also considered a medicine, especially by the older generation, who refer to the drink as ‘To Farmako’ (the medicine). It is said to relieve toothache, but I suppose any alcoholic drink would if you drank enough. Other medicinal uses of Ouzo are; as a liniment for aching muscles, to calm the nerves, as an expectorant, as a diuretic and as something to settle an upset stomach.

In 2006, Greece won denomination rights for Ouzo, Tsipouro and Tsikoudia, which disallowed foreign distillers from using the names.


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