The Secrets of Lesvos’ Intoxicating Spirit: Ouzo

As the summer holiday season takes hold, and true to uncovering the best that the Greece travel experience has to offer, the Greek Travel Pages (GTP)  invites food specialists, the Greek Gastronomy Guide (GGG),  to join us in revealing the secrets this month of ouzo.

The island of Lesvos is a famed producer of this world-renowned anise-flavored aperitif which is distilled from the skins and lees of the grapes left over from wine pressing.

In its feature on the ouzo production of Mytilini, the GGG reveals not only the distillation process and the history behind the popular liquor but also presents an entertaining tale about its past.

In 2006, Greece managed to claim the right to label ouzo as an exclusively Greek product, the Lesvos towns of Mytilene and Plomari secured the appellation PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and the EU established it as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product.

Lesvos is renowned for the quality of its ouzo, boasting 17 distilleries, which account for 50 percent of Greece’s total production. Some of the most popular labels include Barbayanni, Pitsiladis, Matarelli & Co, Tsikellis and Plomari.

Ouzo is a very popular drink in summer, traditionally served in small long glasses straight up, with water or ice together with plate of appetizers known as mezedes, including small fried fish, olives, cheese, tomato and cucumber.

While on Lesvos, don’t forget to visit the Ouzo Barbayanni Museum in Plomari.

For ferry info to Lesvos, destination details, news and much more, don’t forget to click your way to the GTP.