Tsipouro

Tsipouro is an unaged Greek brandy from the regions of Thessaly, Epirus and Macedonia, typically 40 to 45 percent alcohol by volume and traditionally double distilled from grape pomace left over after winemaking, or sometimes from wine itself. It is produced in a plain version and in an anise flavored version, and tradition, though not well documented, credits its invention to Greek Orthodox monks on Mount Athos in Macedonia during the fourteenth century. Greece obtained protected designation of origin status for tsipouro in 2006, with the anise flavored style especially associated with Macedonia and Thessaly. Though anise flavored tsipouro tastes close to ouzo, the two differ in production, since the lower distillation level of tsipouro lets it retain more of the aroma of the pomace, while ouzo is made from more highly refined alcohol that loses those flavors.