Spirit
Ouzo
Ouzo is the anise-flavoured aperitif of Greece and Cyprus, a clear, sweetish spirit distilled from a neutral grape or grain base and rectified with aniseed and often fennel, mastic and star anise; poured over ice or cut with cold water it turns a cloudy milky white, the famous louche, and is drunk slowly with meze through a long Mediterranean afternoon. Protected as a product of Greece and Cyprus, it is the national spirit of Greece and the soul of the taverna table.
BalancedSpirit-forward
At a glance
Signature
Anise & Liquorice
Fennel
Strength
Spirit-forward
by taste profile
Sweet and aromatic, ouzo leads with a clean liquorice-like anise that fills the nose and mouth, backed by fennel, a green herbal lift and a faint piny, resinous edge of Chios mastic, with hints of coriander seed and warm baking spice from the supporting botanicals. Neat it is warming and lightly sweet with a soft, rounded pot-still texture at around 37.5 to 50 percent alcohol; over ice or with cold water it blooms into the milky white louche, turning cooler, softer and more perfumed, the anise sweetness stretching into a long, cleansing, faintly liquorice finish that resets the palate for the next bite of meze.
Taste balance
BitternessSmooth
SmoothBitter
StrengthStrong
LightStrong