UZO drink: the origin of the name and photo

Aniseed Greek vodka with such a magical name "Uzo" has an incredible taste. In addition, in moderate quantities, the ouzo drink is very useful. According to the legends, the gods used it to gain immortality. And in Ancient Greece, this vodka was the main alcoholic drink during various feasts.

Today, the Greeks proudly call this kind of alcohol their national treasure. Any person who was lucky enough to visit an ancient country, considers it his duty to try ouzo.

Product Description

Drink ouzo is prepared from crayfish and a variety of herbs. An essential component is an anise. Usually the strength of vodka reaches 40-50 degrees. The smell of finished liquid resembles cough syrup, so many travelers do not immediately agree to try the product. But if they still risk to do this, then they come from him in raptures.

This vodka has one nice property: from the person who uses it, the aroma of alcohol will not come at all. In a room where there is ouzo, the drink also does not leave an alcohol ambience.

In Greece, the named vodka is used in the following way: a third of the ouzo is poured into a tall narrow glass, and then water is added to the container. Thanks to anise oils, the liquid becomes milky. But there are other ways of using this vodka. We will talk about them further.

To ouzo they serve a variety of snacks, starting with seafood and ending with candied fruits. But you can drink it as an aperitif, without snacks. Experts recommend to use undiluted drink, eating it with melons.

origin of name

As one of the stories tells us, the ouzo drink got its name thanks to one inscription. And it all went like this: a long time ago one of the enterprises producing alcohol products received an order from Marseilles. The customer was delivered a ready-made drink in a box on which it was written - uso Massalia. In translation this phrase means "for use in Marseilles".

Over time, the word Massalia disappeared from everyday life. And the word uso is left, and they began to call the drink. This version does not have scientific evidence, and therefore is today only an irrelevant assumption.

There is also another theory of why the Uzo drink bears precisely this name. According to this hypothesis, the title is associated with the word of Turkish origin üzüm, which translates as "grape tincture" or "grape bunch".

In 1989, Greek actors registered the title "Uzo". After that, the product gained national status. To produce alcohol is allowed only in the territory of the Greek state.

Vodka production technology

Drink ouzo is made by combining the moonshine, made from grape pomace, and forty-degree alcohol. The resulting mixture is insisted on coriander, spinach, chamomile, fennel, almonds and cloves. A few months later the composition is distilled again. This technology provides the product with a mild taste with distinct notes of herbs and herbs. Something like an Italian sambuk.

But there are other recipes for making this vodka. True, it is necessary to adhere to the only rule established by Greek law: at least 20% of the alcohol base should come from wine alcohol, which is obtained from pomace and juice. An anise must be an obligatory component of the drink.

Preparation of aniseed vodka at home

Ouzo - alcoholic drink - you can cook at home. To do this, you will need:

• One hundred grams anise;
• One liter of vodka or diluted alcohol;
• 20 grams of badjan;
• Two liters of water;
• Five grams of cardamom;
• Two buds of a carnation.

Vodka is poured into a saucepan or other suitable container and added cloves, anise, cardamom and baden. The dish is closed with a lid and placed for two weeks in a dark room. During this period, it is necessary to control the temperature of the room. The temperature in it should be in the range of 18-20 ° C.

After two weeks, tincture is filtered, water is added and the resulting composition is poured into a distillation cube. Now it is necessary to put spice in the dry-cup, but you can also tie them in cheesecloth and hang them in the distillation cube. All this is distilled and the ready-made vodka is kept in a dark room for three days before use.

The resulting drink has a taste close to the original.

How to drink ouzo

Greek drink Uzo drink in many different ways. Classical for the inhabitants of Hellas method we have already described. Now we will consider other variants of the use of aniseed vodka. Ouzo can be drunk with ice - ice cubes slightly soften a firm anise aroma. If the drink is pre-cooled, then its taste will also become a little softer. Since the product in the mouth instantly heats up, it immediately changes its taste characteristics.

In Greece, a popular option is to use vodka in its pure form. This is the variant of Sketo. The temperature of this ouzo should be 18-23 degrees. Drink alcohol slowly, making small throats, so you can appreciate its taste. Since alcohol provokes the appearance of appetite, it is advised to drink it as an aperitif.

Seafood or light salads are used by the Greeks as a snack. But this vodka is ideally combined with fruit, dessert, cheese, meat delicacies and strong coffee.

Ouzo in the cocktail

In Hellas, it is accepted only in pure form to use ouzo. Drink Greece considers it sacrilegious to use as a basis for cocktails. But in European countries bartenders offer incredibly delicious cocktails based on aniseed vodka. For example, a cocktail with the Greek name "Iliad". It includes:

• 60 milliliters of liquor "Amaretto";
• 120 milliliters of ouzo;
• Three berries of strawberry;
• One hundred grams of ice cubes.

The glass should be filled with ice, pour the liqueur, add the strawberries crushed on the blender and mix the ingredients. After that, the container is topped up with Greek vodka and mixed again.

Another cocktail using ouzo is called "Greek Tiger". It consists of 30 milliliters of anisic infusion and 120 milliliters of orange juice. Pour juice and vodka into the glass with ice cubes and mix the liquid with each other. If there is no orange juice, lemon will do.

Museum dedicated to vodka

Uzo is the national drink of Greece, therefore it is respected here and even a museum was founded in his honor. The institution is located in the town of Plomari on the island of Lesbos. Here, for the production of the product, new technologies are constantly introduced. And in the museum there are the first tools that were used to create vodka. Known stickers of blue color, which glued to the bottles before, as well as the first boiler, dating from 1858.

The museum belongs to the family of Barbayannis. These are the producers of alcohol known in Greece. The walls of this establishment continue to save the secrets of the production of Barbayannis, which give the drink its special taste and quality.

For guests open the doors of the souvenir shop and the reception, and everyone can take part in tasting ouzo.

Choose a good ouzo

Vodka ouzo tourists often bring their relatives as a souvenir. It is always better than all the magnets and figurines. Many travelers lend themselves to temptation and acquire vodka in gift bottles that copy the shape of ancient Greek statues. But just from such purchases it is necessary to refuse, for smart here only packing, and its maintenance leaves much to be desired. The real ouzo is poured into "karafki" - bottles made of transparent glass and featuring a simple shape.

It is also better not to buy famous vodka in the tourist tourist spots. The best product is sold in the central market in Athens, which is located at the foot of the Acropolis. But the best quality anise vodka in Greece is made on the island of Lesbos. This rule should be followed when buying the described alcoholic beverage.