Don’t get drunk: drink real A grade Greek ouzo

Following Twitter references to ouzo and #ouzo there is a very specific group of people with old bad memories of ugly hangovers associated to ouzo drinking.   This is commonly the result of improvised cocktails or slammer abuse but more commonly I would guess due to low grade pseudo (non distilled) ouzo or non A brand… Continue reading Don’t get drunk: drink real A grade Greek ouzo

How GrecoGerman family businesses will rule the world

It is fashionable (and easy) to target family run businesses as the source of a country’s problems.  Whether it is the Economist’s view of a region or the complaints of a middle manager who “just couldn’t get a promotion in there”.   I have studied family businesses as clients, as numbers and statistics.   I… Continue reading How GrecoGerman family businesses will rule the world

Ich trink Ouzo, was trinkst du so? – I drink ouzo, what do you drink?

It has been called “The book on the crisis” and “A love letter to Greece”.   The journalist Stella Bettermann has written a real “feel good” book.   Even the longer stories leave a nice taste in your mouth as the author describes her childhood summers with parents and brother every year in  Greece. The magic, the… Continue reading Ich trink Ouzo, was trinkst du so? – I drink ouzo, what do you drink?

Is the ouzo industry too small to survive?

One of the problems facing ouzo is that it is generally produced by companies too small to help properly promote it.  It is indicative that at the recent ProWein international spirits trade show, there were only two companies with ouzo to show!   And of those, only ouzo Plomari the market leader in Greece, actually… Continue reading Is the ouzo industry too small to survive?

A scientific exploration of why ouzo gets mirky with water

Here is the short version as I understand it: put the water first and then the ice.  Depending on how much alcohol the ouzo has it will react differently to extreme cooling.  Don’t overdo it cooling this drink because you then kill the aroma. And here is the long version: “Anethole is a rather nonpolar… Continue reading A scientific exploration of why ouzo gets mirky with water

Therapeutic qualities of aniseed: drink and then bathe in it!

It isn’t just the aroma of aniseed that gives ouzo that distinctive flavor. “This spice possesses gas-relieving property. It is an excellent medicine for expelling wind from the stomach. It can also be taken, in combination with other digestive foods like ginger, cumin and pepper, in the form of an infusion. An easy way to… Continue reading Therapeutic qualities of aniseed: drink and then bathe in it!

Ouzo dimino – what a bad name for a drink!

“Dimino” in greek means “every two months”.  Seems a rather bad name for ouzo, but here is a useful text about the Production Methods:   (Pardon the Google translation slip ups!) “Small and big secrets of ouzo Lisvori anise “Pimpinella anisum“, fennel “foeniculum vulgare miller“, the star anise, cinnamon, the coriander, cardamom (kakoules)  enter the… Continue reading Ouzo dimino – what a bad name for a drink!

Fried mussels with lemon and ouzo sauce

INGREDIENTS 1/5kgr mussels in shells 3 cloves garlic (whole) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2/3 cup of ouzo or tsipouro 2 lemons (juice) Salt and pepper METHOD Wash the mussels with a brush to remove the fluff parts. In a saucepan sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Once the garlic begins to golden brown, remove… Continue reading Fried mussels with lemon and ouzo sauce

What rhymes with the word “ouzo”?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDr0S1X3jo0] (Traditional song entitled “ouzo” by Babis Gkoles and his orchestra as shown on Greek national television.) Even before drinking the stuff you will be hard pressed to find anything to rhyme with this word!   Making a song about it in any other language other than Greek will be a challenge unless you are… Continue reading What rhymes with the word “ouzo”?