Just discovered Ouzo

[MicBacchus]

Recently had ouzo for the 1st time (Lesvos) & have fallen in love. The waiter brought it neat & also a glass w/ice for me to see which way I liked it --- neat, please. Didn't bring or suggest the water. What other brands are out there that I should try?

Also, I know there are anise-flavored liqueurs in other countries - any recommendations on which of those I should/must sample?

[mrbigjas]

pernod and ricard from france, and raki/arak from turkey are the first things that come to mind.

[slkinsey]

Sambuca from Italy.

Pastis (Ricard, Pernot, etc.) is basically an absinthe substitute and strikes me as not quite in the same family as ouzo and sambuca, although they are all anise-flavored. The French version of ouzo would be anisette. If I were going to make a gross overgeneralization, I'd say that it tends to be the case that sambuca is better than ouzo is better than anisette. YMMV, of course, and individual examples will contradict this generalization.

[birder53]

Sambuca from Italy.

Pastis (Ricard, Pernot, etc.) is basically an absinthe substitute and strikes me as not quite in the same family as ouzo and sambuca, although they are all anise-flavored. The French version of ouzo would be anisette. If I were going to make a gross overgeneralization, I'd say that it tends to be the case that sambuca is better than ouzo is better than anisette. YMMV, of course, and individual examples will contradict this generalization.

Look for Molinari sambuca. According to Dale deGroff's Craft of the Cocktail, it is the best selling sambuca in Italy. Sambuca Romano is for export only but it is also the best selling sambuca in the USA. Romano is fine for adding to espresso, but Molinari is the only one worth sipping.

[mrbigjas]

Sambuca from Italy.

Pastis (Ricard, Pernot, etc.) is basically an absinthe substitute and strikes me as not quite in the same family as ouzo and sambuca, although they are all anise-flavored. The French version of ouzo would be anisette. If I were going to make a gross overgeneralization, I'd say that it tends to be the case that sambuca is better than ouzo is better than anisette. YMMV, of course, and individual examples will contradict this generalization.

is most sambuca in italy not as cloyingly syrupy as the sambuca romana that people drink here in the usa? i've always wondered that. it's so damn sweet here.

[cdh]

yeah. The ouzo I've met is much closer to pastis than it is to sambuca... the sambuca is syrupy sweet, none of the rest are. I'd say that sambuca is the outsider in this comparision.

[winesonoma]

Try the Henri Bardouin Pastis if you can find it. It's the lightest that I've tasted and My personal favorite. http://www.franceway.com/w3/Travel/regions...nribardouin.htm

[Jeffy Boy]

I've also become an Ouzo fan recently, after a great visit to a Greek restaurant. I'm currently working on a bottle of Ouzo Boutari.

I prefer mine with equal parts Ouzo and water, with lots of ice.

[Jason Perlow]

I like Arrak -- In particular, I like the "Razzouk" brand from Lebanon.

Sambuca Romana from Italy is definitely sweet, of all the anisette flavored liquors I have tried. I haven't tried the Molinari.

In terms of Ouzo I like the Metaxa brand.

[alacarte]

If you like ouzo (and even if you don't), you might enjoy reading Ouzo-palooza, one reporter's account of her adventures trying ouzo for the first time while in Athens "to cover parties and nightlife during the Olympics." Ach, reporters have such a hard life sometimes.

Actually, it's a pretty funny account of "writing while intoxicated."