Tsipouro

If you are a true expert on Greece, you will surely know this drink the Tsipouro. Not to be confused with the famous Ouzo, symbol of the nation and much better known, Tsipouro we can say that it is for connoisseurs and for those who love strong flavours.

We can categorize this powerful quintessence as an unaged brandy or grappa with a percentage of 40-45% alcohol by volume produced from both the pomace and the wine after the grapes and juice have been separated. A distillation of alcoholically fermented grape skins that remain immersed in the wine until filtered.

By the Greeks it is considered the original alcoholic spirit which represents the friendliness and hospitality of the people who gather around a table and between a glass of Tsipouro and a mezedes (for those who still don't know they are Greek appetizers), hours pass and hours of talking about it, discussing it animatedly after a few more sips and then everyone becoming friends again.

Defined as the poor relative of wine as the second product of wine production, it was a drink of rural people. Its ancestor was the Trimma known in the Hellenistic era produced by boiling the peels, the art of distillation appears in the Byzantine era in the  Mount Athos monasteries the third finger of the Halkidiki Peninsula where the monks began this process also spreading it to the religious people of the Meteora region that has been involved in viticulture since the Paleolithic as evidenced in the Teopetra cave when excavations found grape seeds. In the 15th century it expanded to Epirus, Macedonia, Thessaly, Crete and other parts of Greece, becoming very popular and widely consumed. Among other things, some dare to consider it the son of Raki with Turkish origins flavored with Limos anise or the Mastiha of Chios, where the raw materials were fermented and then treated in complex bronze stills built by hand, but speaking of the Raki there is a long history of belonging but we will talk about it in another article.

For a long time it was produced only on an amateur level, it could be marketed but only in small quantities, strictly loose only in neighboring areas and above all it was forbidden to bottle it. These rules served to safeguard the earnings of farmers in the counties and not enter into economic competition with the rest of the territory.

In 1883 the government made taxation on alcohol official with a law and in 1896 it officially granted licenses for the production of Tsipouro but the possibility of commercialization at an industrial level and for bottling only arrived in 1989. Hence an enormous change in terms of concerns the quality of the distillate which officially becomes an international alcoholic beverage. Finally, in 2008 it was recognized by the European Community as a DOP product.

Depending on the area, Tsipouro changes flavor. The current homeland linked to a long tradition and abundant production is Thessaly. Its organoleptic particularities make it stand out from others and this happens because it is produced with well ripe grapes with different aromatic varieties such as Roditis or Muscat of Hamburg. It is also perfumed with fennel or anise especially in the Volos areas, Larissa and Karditsa although according to the Greeks the best is the natural one without any perfumed scent. The best way to enjoy Tispouro is smooth and fresh. It is usually served in tall, narrow glasses and diluted with water and ice. Perfect as an aperitif with land mezedes such as spicy sausages, cheeses, salted pork or with seafood dishes such as octopus in vinegar, or anchovies, in short, you can decide what to accompany it, it will be a delight in all cases.