Ouzo
The Greek anise drink that turns milky white as soon as water is added. What ouzo is, where that effect comes from, how to drink it, and which glass to use.
Why ouzo turns milky white
Ouzo is a Greek distilled drink whose flavor comes predominantly from anise. Its base is neutral alcohol, which is distilled again with aniseed and often fennel, star anise, coriander, or mastic. It is a protected name: only Greece and Cyprus may use it. Most of it comes from the island of Lesbos, particularly from the town of Plomari.
Its best-known characteristic is what happens when you add water: the clear drink turns milky white in an instant. This is called the ouzo effect, and it is not a trick. Anethole, the flavor compound in anise, dissolves in alcohol but not in water. When you dilute the drink, the compound comes out of solution and floats as microscopic droplets that scatter the light. Exactly the same thing happens with pastis, raki, and absinthe.
In brief
Four anise drinks side by side
Among ouzos, the main difference is the alcohol percentage. Then there is the French cousin, which does exactly the same thing but tastes different.
Ouzo 12
The best-known ouzo outside Greece, with twelve herbs in the recipe. Full of anise with a soft, slightly sweet finish.
Ouzo 12 Gold
Bottled at a slightly lower percentage, making it smoother and rounder. The most approachable bottle in this selection.
Plomari Ouzo
From Plomari on Lesbos, the place where most of this drink comes from. Drier and more pronounced than Ouzo 12.
Ricard Pastis
Not ouzo but pastis, from Marseille. The same milky-white effect, but with liquorice added, making it fuller and sweeter.
Raki from Turkey, sambuca from Italy, and absinthe all do the same thing with water, but taste quite different from one another.
Anise, with herbs around it
Anise & fennel
Bright and direct anise, with fennel and sometimes a spicy or citrusy note underneath. There is little to discover: this is a drink that immediately reveals itself.
Lightly sweet and cooling
Lightly sweet, with a cooling sensation from the anethole. With water, it becomes softer and the accompanying spices really come forward.
Long and dry
A long, dry finish in which the anise lingers. That is exactly why ouzo works so well with fatty meze and fried fish.
Flavor profile of Ouzo 12 at 38%. Gold is softer and scores lower on intensity; pastis scores higher on sweetness due to the licorice.
Three ways to drink ouzo
In Greece, ouzo is almost never drunk neat and certainly not as a shot. It is enjoyed slowly, with water and food.
With water and ice
5 cl in a small glass, topped up with the same amount of cold water. The drink turns milky white and softer, and the accompanying spices open up. Add the ice only after the water, otherwise the anethole will clump.
Glass: tumbler →With meze
A bottle of ouzo with a table full of small dishes: grilled octopus, fried anchovies, tzatziki, and olives. The anise cuts through the fat, and that is the whole reason this pairing exists.
More questions →Ice-cold, but not as a shot
Some Greeks pour it straight from the refrigerator into a small glass and sip it. Downing it in one go is not a Greek custom: at 38%, that would mainly be a waste of the drink.
Glass: small glass →Ouzo in cocktails
Ouzo is rarely used in cocktails: the anise overwhelms almost everything you add to it. It does work as a small part of an aperitif.
Aperitif cocktails
The collection of pre-dinner drinks that ouzo fits into perfectly.
Summer cocktails
Long, refreshing drinks with plenty of ice. A splash of ouzo adds a spicy edge.
Anise spritz
Prosecco and sparkling water over ice, with a small splash of ouzo instead of liqueur.
Making shots
The complete collection of shot recipes, from layered to ice-cold from the freezer.The right glass for ouzo
In Greece, ouzo is served in a narrow, straight-sided glass. A small tumbler or a highball glass works just as well. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Anise drinks on glazen.nl
We do not yet have brand pages for ouzo itself. These related bottles are listed here.
Sambuca
The Italian anise liqueur, with star anise and elderflower. Considerably sweeter than ouzo, with the same milky-white effect.
To sambuca →
Fernet-Branca
Not an anise drink but herbal bitters with a strong menthol note, served after meals just like ouzo.
About Fernet-Branca →
Underberg
The German herbal bitters in the 2 cl bottle, and the best-known digestif outside the anise category.
About Underberg →Our drinks page lists all the brands we cover, from liqueur to whisky.
Everything you still wanted to know about ouzo
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →