Greek Culture
Ouzo
An anise-flavoured Greek spirit drunk before meals with mezedes and a glass of water.
Ouzo is a clear, anise-flavoured spirit that turns milky white when water or ice is added — the famous "ouzo effect", a Tyndall scattering phenomenon. Drunk before or during a meal alongside mezedes (octopus, fava, sardines), never neat in one shot.
The most prized variant is Ouzo of Plomari from Lesvos. The northern Greek equivalent (slightly stronger, often unanis-ed) is tsipouro.