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!
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What is Ouzo?
Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored Aperitif from Greece. It's a clear liquor that turns white and completely opaque once you add ice or water to it. It's traditionally served with water and ice.
There are many varieties of Ouzo. Most are flavored with anise, mint, mastic, or coriander. Anise (or black licorice) flavor is the most prominent.
I tried Ouzo for the first time when I was in Greece on a 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 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 aperitif 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 yield the best flavor!
- Lemon juice - Again, freshly squeezed is the best but bottled 100% lemon juice will work just as well.
- Agave syrup - To keep the cocktail simple, sweeten 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Brush the rim of your glass with agave syrup and dip 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 to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
Shake vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to the touch.
Pour the cocktail into your prepared glass with ice and enjoy!
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 four refreshing cocktails, perfect for a hot summer day! Head over to the Cocktails category to see all the latest cocktails.
📖 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, fresh mint (optional)
- Ice
- 1 ½ oz ouzo
- 2 ½ oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ oz agave syrup (or sub ½ oz simple syrup)
Instructions
- Brush the rim of your glass with agave syrup and dip 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 to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
- Shake vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to the touch.
- Pour the cocktail into your prepared glass with ice and enjoy!
Bernice
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
So creative! Love the simple combo of fresh juices. Garnished with fresh mint and its perfection!
Marta
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
This Ouzo cocktail gets a kick of summer with the addition of orange and lemon juice. This is a great warm weather sipper!
veenaazmanov
My first attempt to checking this Ouza Cocktail. I love everything citrusy and refreshing drinks for Summers are my favorite.
Jenny Graves
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
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
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
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
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
I had some ouzo and no idea what to do with it. This was perfect! Perfect for these hot days. And so easy!