Ouzo is a Greek anise-flavored aperitif, distilled or compounded from alcohol flavored with anise and other botanicals such as fennel or mastic. It is clear in the bottle but turns a cloudy, milky white when mixed with water or poured over ice, an effect known as louching, caused by anethole, the aromatic compound in anise, coming out of solution as the alcohol is diluted. Ouzo is protected as a product that must be made in Greece or Cyprus to carry the name, and it is traditionally served as an accompaniment to mezze, small shared plates of food, in Greek taverna culture.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin Period, From (Year)quote describes tsipouro, the precursor drink, not ouzo directly, and the Mount Athos monks predate ouzo by several centuries Origin Regionquote describes tsipouro, the precursor drink, not ouzo directly, and the Mount Athos monks predate ouzo by several centuries Connections
Expresses Tradition
Uses Ingredient
Sources
1. Ouzo - Wikipedia
History sectionQuote, History section
Ouzo has its roots in tsipouro, which is said to have been the work of a group of 14th-century monks on Mount Athos.
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