The Aphrodite ouzo, liquor aperitif is produced from pure ingredients, aniseed and a number of the other sweet-smelling herbs and seeds. Its taste is dry and ripe, making the palate overflow with sensation.

An anise bomb Yet, when it comes to tasting it, the Barbayanni delivers a ton of aniseed. Apart from it, it has a powerful hot spice and menthol note, which makes drinking it neat at room temperature slightly less pleasant. Nevertheless, the ouzo is quite balanced with no cloying sweetness.

Greek law states that the finished distillate must contain no less than 20 percent of the original ouzo yeast and be bottled at a minimum of 37.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 75 proof). Most ouzo falls around 80 proof. While that seems mild in comparison to high-proof whiskeys and rums, ouzo is potent and fiery.

Ouzo is clear in color but does turn slightly cloudy (often described as “milky-white”) when water is added. It also has a relatively high alcohol content of somewhere between 37.5 (the mandatory ABV to call it an “ouzo” in Greece) and 50%.