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This article will go into detail about some other Greek spirits that the typical traveler is unlikely to be aware of or heard about. Make a toast to your forthcoming trip to Greece as you read about the distinctive history and origins of the best Greek libations below!
Greeks may be more well-known for their fantastic cuisine and folk dancing skills than for their selection of alcoholic beverages, but you can be sure that as a whole, they know how to drink! Greece, one of the oldest civilizations, has a long tradition of making and drinking wine. While one could write an entire essay about the variety of delicious Greek wines, this article will focus entirely on the famous Greek spirit and flavors!
What is actually the Greek spirits about?
The most widely consumed distilled spirit in all of Greece is ouzo, which was brought to the nation with the refugees from Asia Minor. Robert Botet claimed in a Journal of Physics paper about the molecular structure of ouzo that this spirit is manufactured from anethol oil, which is present in anise plants, which are native to the Mediterranean region.
The kumquat tree has been on Corfu, the island in Greece’s northwest, since 1924. Kumquat is literally translated as “golden orange” in Chinese, which accurately describes the fruit’s appearance. Although it is a bitter citrus fruit that cannot be consumed raw, the liqueur is frequently referred to as the Greek equivalent of Limoncello.
The mastic of Chios is another of Greece’s most well-known liqueurs. This PDO product, which comes from the island of Chios in northern Aegean, is a flavored liqueur made from the oil extracted from the mastic tree. The mastic tree has been cultivated since ancient times and is the island’s trade secret. Mastic trees are actually found all over the world, but the only location where the trees generate the resin that gives the flavor is Chios.
Finally, the last of the Greek spirits that we would like to mention is the liqueur known as Tentura was first created in the 15th century in the Greek city of Patra, which is situated in the eastern Peloponnese. Tentura is only made in Greece. Typically, this herb and spice liquor contain alcohol, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and citrus fruits, along with other spices that would be exchanged into Patra’s port.
Which are the most traditional Greek spirits?
‘Ouzo’ is without a doubt Greece’s national beverage! Only in Greece is ouzo manufactured, an anise-flavored alcoholic beverage.
As opposed to ouzo, tsipouro, tsikoudia, and raki are all grape distillates, making them all have the same spirit. Although ouzo is supposed to cause greater hangovers, tsipouro has a higher alcohol content and can therefore be seen as being stronger. Before spreading to the rest of Greece and Macedonia, tsipouro is thought to have started at Mount Athos in the 14th century.
Greece has also a sizable beer production business, and several of the regional beers are popular with beer connoisseurs all over the world. Fix, Mythos, Bios, Blue Island, Nisos, and Vergina are a few of its most well-known brands.
You can’t leave if you don’t get a taste of Greece’s wines!
The oldest known Greek alcoholic beverage is wine, and Greece was the continent’s first wine-producing nation. Greek legend holds that wine was first produced in Greece when Dionysus, the half-god, half-man son of Zeus, learned how to make it while living in the highlands.
Many of the wine grapes grown exclusively in Greece are only sometimes if ever, used abroad. While red grapes like Kotsifali and Mandilaria also exist, the majority of these unusual grapes are white grapes like Assyrtiko and Vidiano.
