Ouzo turns cloudy when water is added. (Photo by Shawnee Custalow)
Sipping anise-flavored liquors — diluted and with food — is part of a longstanding ritual in Mediterranean countries, where arak, mastic and ouzo hold sway.
1. The Mati Cocktail
$9 at Demi’s Mediterranean Kitchen
Mastic, the sap gathered from Greece’s Pistacia lentiscus tree, was once as valuable as gold. It provides the cedar-fumed foundation for the liqueur masticha, served here over ice with soda, Tito’s vodka and garnished with cucumber ribbons.
2. Absinthe Press Cocktail
$9 at Can Can Brasserie
When you pair Can Can’s patio and the once-taboo absinthe mixed with limoncello and fresh lemon juice over crushed ice and topped with sparkling wine, people watching in Carytown takes place through green fairy-colored glasses.
3. Chateau Ksara ‘Ksarak’ Arak
$7 at Natalie’s Taste of Lebanon
From Lebanon, this arak is derived from the heart of the distillate, which is aged in amphorae for two years. Natalie's serves arak traditionally, straight up with glasses of mint, ice and water on the side for a DIY sipper.
4. Ouzo Tray
$10 at Stella’s
Greek socials typically kick off with ouzo and ice cubes, along with towering trays of mezes. Dry, but with a licorice perfume, ouzo’s secret formula includes fennel, mastic and cardamom, and can vary by producer. Prep with the tray’s fixings — the usual ratio is two-thirds water, one-third ouzo poured over ice.
5. Pernod
$33.99 per 750ml at Virginia ABC
Created in 1932 in reaction to the absinthe ban, this star anise-based pastis turns cloudy when water is added. In Les Baux-de-Provence (Van Gogh’s stomping grounds), trays of Pernod are presented on warm afternoons with ice and water.
