Post #128570 by Trader Woody on Thu, Dec 2, 2004 4:26 PM

Good question!

And the short answer is, again, no. At a stretch you could probably use it instead of pernod or absinthe in a cocktail that just required a touch of either of those.

I've got to be one of those few people outside of Greece (And Germany - there seems to be a bit of an ouzo fanclub there) that likes the stuff. There are few places as peaceful as a Greek island harbour at mid-afternoon with a plate of mezedes (grilled octopus if available), a carafe of chilled water and a decent glass of ouzo with a couple of ice cubes floating in it. Sounds pretentious, but this is pretty much the cheapest food/booze combo in Greece.

There are a vast number of Ouzo brands available, and from what I understand, the best stuff comes from Lesbos. Anyone who ventures into Athens should check out Brettos Bar right in the middle of the tourist district as they make their own ouzo (and brandy).

Anyway, my advice is to wait for the summer and drink it with a lot of ice, and top it up with water as you see fit.

Trader Woody