shing and tart, this Ouzo Cocktail is the perfect summer drink to cool off on a sunny day. With its bright citrus flavor and subtle aniseed aroma, this ouzo-based cocktail is a summer must-have!
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What is Ouzo?
Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored Aperitif from Greece. It's a clear colored liquor made from grape must. It turns white and completely opaque once you add ice or water to it. It's traditionally served with water and ice along with an assortment of Greek mezes (small appetizers).
There are many varieties of Ouzo. Most have notes of star-anise, mint, fennel, mastic, or coriander. Anise (or black licorice) flavor is the most prominent. It also must be made either in Greece or Cyprus in order for it to be called Ouzo.
I tried Ouzo for the first time when I was in Greece on vacation years ago and have been dreaming of it until I got myself a bottle of the spirit. Tasting it instantly brought me back to Greece. Now I can't wait to create even more cocktails with it!
Why You'll Love This Cocktail
Something new - If you've never tried Greek Ouzo before and love licorice, you've got to give this cocktail a try! I highly recommend also trying Ouzo the classic way with ice or water. You can serve it as an aperitif before a meal or over some appetizers enjoyed with friends. It's such a unique drink and I highly recommend you give it a try!
Simple and bright - Ouzo has a very strong flavor that goes really well with citrus. Since it's traditionally served with just water and ice, I wanted to still keep it simple. All the cocktail has is freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, and agave syrup. You can also add a string of mint but that's totally optional.
Ingredients
- Ouzo - This anise-flavored Greek liqueur is the star of the show here. It has a very specific flavor that's hard to replace with anything else but similar alternatives would be Raki, Arak, Sambuca, or Pastis.
- Orange juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice will give you the best flavor!
- Lemon juice - Again, fresh lemon juice is the best, but bottled 100% lemon juice will work just as well. Just try to avoid one from a concentrate.
- Agave syrup - To keep the cocktail simple, I sweetened it with agave syrup. You can also use simple syrup (either store-bought or homemade). To make simple syrup, simmer water and cane sugar together in a 1:1 ratio in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes. Try my Lemon Simple Syrup in this cocktail!
Variations and Substitutions
- A different spirit - You can make the same drink with a different spirit if you don't have ouzo or don't want the bold anise flavor. Vodka, silver tequila, or white rum would work great in this recipe.
- Fresh lime juice - If you don't have lemons, you can use freshly squeezed lime juice instead.
- Mango or pineapple juice - To change up the flavors even more and add more sweetness, try adding a splash of mango juice or pineapple juice!
- Garnish - This is totally optional, but I like garnishing the drink with fresh mint, a slice of lemon, orange, or a twist of lemon. You can also add a sprig of rosemary to change up the flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Brush the rim of your glass with agave syrup and dip it in cane sugar or coarse sugar.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes and garnish with a slice of lemon, an orange slice, and fresh mint leaves if desired. Set aside.
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- Add the ouzo, orange juice, lemon juice, and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker followed by a handful of ice.
- Shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to the touch.
- Strain the cocktail into your prepared glass with ice and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Add ice first to your serving glass and last to your shaker. I recommend filling your glass with ice before you shake the cocktail to avoid the drink getting watered down in the cocktail shaker. You also want to add all your ingredients to the cocktail shaker first, before you add the ice. This way, the ingredients won't melt the ice.
- Pitcher version: Multiply the ingredients by however many servings you need and stir everything together in a large pitcher. Cool it down in the fridge for a few hours without ice before serving to avoid watering it down.
FAQs
Raki from Turkey is very similar to ouzo, just be mindful of the alcohol content of Raki, it tends to be much stronger than Ouzo, so you'd add much less of it to the cocktail. Other similar alternatives would be pastis, sambuca, and arak.
Ouzo has a very specific anise (black licorice-like) flavor that's hard to replicate, but anything with anise would work great to mimic the flavors.
Other Citrus Cocktails
Below are five citrus-based refreshing cocktails, perfect for a hot summer day! Head over to Cocktails to see all the latest ones!
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Print📖 Recipe
Ouzo Cocktail
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Refreshing and tart, this Ouzo Cocktail is the perfect summer drink to cool off on a sunny day. With its bright citrus flavor and subtle aniseed aroma, this ouzo-based cocktail is a summer must-have!
Ingredients
- Sugar rim: 1 teaspoon agave syrup + 1 tablespoon cane sugar
- Garnish: orange or lemon slice, a sprig of fresh mint (optional)
- Ice cubes
- 1 ½ oz ouzo
- 2 ½ oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ oz agave syrup (or ½ oz simple syrup)
Instructions
- Brush the rim of your glass with agave syrup and dip it in cane sugar. Fill the glass with ice and garnish with a slice of orange, lemon, and fresh mint if desired. Set aside.
- Add the ouzo, orange juice, lemon juice, and agave syrup or simple syrup to a cocktail shaker followed by a handful of ice.
- Shake vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to the touch.
- Pour the cocktail into your prepared glass and enjoy!
Notes
The cocktail is best made right away, I don't recommend storing it.
Pitcher version: Multiply the ingredients by however many servings you need and stir everything together in a large pitcher. Cool it down in the fridge for a few hours without ice before serving to avoid watering it down.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Bernice says
I have to say, I am NOT an ouzo fan but my husband is so we always have a bottle in the house. I made this cocktail for him on the weekend and he says it tastes reminds him of tiger tail ice cream!
Noelle says
So creative! Love the simple combo of fresh juices. Garnished with fresh mint and its perfection!
Marta says
I'm normally not a fan of ouzo, but this cocktail converted me! The freshness of the fresh orange juice balanced the flavor of the ouzo perfectly.
Sharon says
This Ouzo cocktail gets a kick of summer with the addition of orange and lemon juice. This is a great warm weather sipper!
veenaazmanov says
My first attempt to checking this Ouza Cocktail. I love everything citrusy and refreshing drinks for Summers are my favorite.
Jenny Graves says
Any drink with Ouzo has to be good (grin). Thoughts of the Cyclades Islands came to mind as I was sipping this citrus delight. Well done!
Kathryn says
This cocktail is so refreshing and perfect for hot summer days! This was my first time hearing about this drink and I'm so glad I found the recipe.
Jacqueline Debono says
I have loved ouzo since discovering it in Greece! But, have never used it in a cocktail. This sounds so good. On my to-make list!
Katie Crenshaw says
I have never thought to pair ouzo with orange and lemon juice, but it made the perfect combination. This cocktail was refreshing and delicious. I will be making this all summer.
Sean says
So my dad sent me a bottle of ouzo and I had no clue what to do with it. This recipe was easy and delicious and I will be making it again.
Erin says
I had some ouzo and no idea what to do with it. This was perfect! Perfect for these hot days. And so easy!