Ouzo

Facts and Information about the Ouzo Liqueur
The alcoholic drink Ouzo is a clear licorice flavored Greek liqueur which is produced from aniseed and is made from pressed grapes with the addition of different herbs. Liqueurs are sweet alcoholic drinks which are flavoured with a variety of different ingredients and come in a variety of different colors. The word 'liqueur' derives from the Latin word 'liquifacere' which means to melt or dissolve - the flavorings used to make liqueurs are dissolved. The correct spelling for this famous liqueur drink is Ouzo but there are several misspellings including oozo and ozoo.

List of Recipes which contain Ouzo
Click any of the following links on the list for recipes which contain this famous liqueur:

Ouzo Flavoring - Information about Ouzo
Ouzo flavoring: Liqueurs are flavored with a whole variety of different ingredients! These ingredients include fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, nuts, roots, plants, barks, eggs and cream. The following list details the main ingredients of Ouzo together with other info about the flavoring of this famous liqueur.

• Ouzo flavoring the main ingredients of Ouzo - anise (or star anise), licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel, coriander, cloves, angelica root, hazelnut, cinnamon and lime blossom

• Country of origin -  Greece

• The correct spelling for this famous liqueur drink is Ouzo but there are several misspellings including oozo and ozoo.

• Ouzo has a spirit base which is generally made from pressed grapes  

• Color - Clear but when mixed with water it turns opaque

Greek Ouzo - Additional background information about Ouzo
Additional background information about Ouzo:

• Ouzo is the Greek National drink

• The distinctive smell of ouzo comes from the anise which is added as a flavouring

• It is thought that  a form of ouzo originated in ancient Greece on the island of Lesbos

• Famous Greeks such as Hippocrates prescribed anise based drinks for medicinal purposes

• Herbs and other flavorings are added at the fermentation stage

• The alcohol and flavourings are distilled in warmed copper stills

• Anise is also used in other Anise flavored liqueurs such as Galliano, Raki and Arak

Absinthe and Ouzo
Additional background information about Ouzo:

• Ouzo is often used as a substitute for Absinthe without the wormwood (and its component thujone) which was banned in some countries

• Ouzo is used as a substitute for absinthe as both of these drinks have a licorice flavoring which is produced from aniseed

How to serve the Ouzo Liqueur
Liqueurs are made in nearly every country of the world and come in a variety of different flavors and colors. This makes every liqueur drink, such as Ouzo, an extremely versatile drink. Liqueurs can be served:

• Ouzo is usually served 'Straight up' - Perfect as after dinner drinks and usually served at room temperature

• On the rocks - If a cold drink is preferred liqueurs can be chilled and served over ice cubes or mixed with crushed ice

• Served with coffee

• Liqueurs can be mixed with cream or other mixers to create some really good and extremely colorful cocktails

Rainbow Liqueur Drinks - Floating Liqueurs
Ever wondered how bartenders create those unusual rainbow effects when making cocktails? They use a method called 'Floating liqueurs' which is achieved by 'floating' a measure of liqueur in a glass by pouring it slowly over an inverted spoon or down a glass rod on top of previous layers. This creates a rainbow effect in a glass when using different colored liqueurs or cordials. Liqueurs are sometimes referred to as Cordials, which causes some confusion. In America a cordial mean a sweet, syrup like alcoholic beverage. However, in the UK a cordial means a non-alcoholic, sweet, syrupy drink!

Quantities and Proportions of ingredients in Ouzo cocktail drinks
Quantities of ingredients tend to cause confusion - no problem, just use the correct proportions of each ingredient to create the best authentic & original Ouzo cocktail recipe! You can use a thimble, cup or even a pitcher ( if you are making this recipe for a group or a crowd ) when you make a cocktail! The following simple guidelines will also help with the different quantities referred to in other cocktail recipes:

• 1 oz (ounce) equals 2 tbsp (tablespoons) or 3 cl (centilitres)

• 30ml equals 1 oz

• 1 shot equals 3 tbsp (tablespoons) or 1½ oz (ounces) or 45 ml (millilitres)

• 1 cup equals 8 oz (ounces) or 24 cl (centilitres) or 240 ml (millilitres)