Spirit
Tsipouro
Tsipouro is a Greek pomace brandy distilled from the grape skins, stems and seeds left after winemaking, and sometimes from whole grape must, into a clear, high-strength spirit of around 40 to 45 percent alcohol; made either plain or flavoured with anise, it is Greece's mainland answer to Italian grappa and the close cousin of Cretan tsikoudia, drunk cold in small measures as an aperitif and digestif alongside meze.
Dry & cleanSpirit-forward
At a glance
Signature
Grape & Aniseed
Spirituous
Strength
Spirit-forward
by taste profile
Clear and high-strength, tsipouro leads with clean grape and grapey pomace over a fiery, spirituous lift, faintly floral and green with the raw vinous character of its marc. In the anise-flavoured style, added aniseed brings a sweet liquorice-and-fennel aroma that turns the spirit milky and louched when water or ice is added, closer to ouzo. Plain tsipouro is dry, grappa-like and warming, its texture spirituous and its finish clean and slightly peppery; the anise version is rounder and sweeter-smelling. Both are served cold in small measures to cut the salt and oil of the meze table.
Taste balance
BitternessMedium
SmoothBitter
StrengthStrong
LightStrong