Ouzo with blueberries

Ouzo with blueberries

The classic Greek liquor infused with Quebec blueberries and a touch of basil.

We are all the product of so many different parts. Today, we thought it would be fitting to marry two flavours, from two different parts of the world, both of which are integral to who we are. The first, ouzo from Greece. Our parents’ homeland, the land of our cultural heritage, our family, our deep-rooted identity. And second, blueberries from Quebec. Our birthplace, the province where we have lived our whole lives. It seems fitting especially today as we celebrate the Quebec National holiday of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and the Christian holiday of the nativity of the Forerunner, John the Baptist, a very important day in our Orthodox faith tradition. So, we decided to mark the occasion in the best way we know how – through food, and drink.

You may have already noticed that we love to play with ouzo, creating delicious cocktails such as our cantaloupe frosty with ouzo and our honeydew ouzo cocktail. This time, we used frozen blueberries and basil to infuse our ouzo with a delicious flavour and a stunningly gorgeous colour! Summer sipping at its finest.

Pin this recipe if you like it!

Ouzo with blueberries

Because we love to maximize our efforts, and refuse to let anything go to waste (especially when that anything is blueberries plumped up with ouzo), the berries we used to flavour the ouzo found their way atop rich vanilla ice cream. We have to admit, the combination of the cool and creamy ice cream and the juicy, boozy blueberries is out of this world…but comes from both parts of our world!

Ouzo with blueberries
Ouzo with blueberries

Helpful hints

Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen blueberries?

You can, but we much prefer the colour that the frozen blueberries give off. The frozen blueberries also soak up so much of the ouzo, we think more than the fresh ones would (although we can’t be certain). Good news, you can experiment with what you like best, and enjoy all your different attempts!

Do I have to serve the ouzo straight or can I mix it with some water?

Ouzo is often served mixed with some cold water; it is delicious this way but it does become an opaque white. This is called the “louche effect’ and occurs whenever water is combined with essential oils found in the ouzo. There is not enough water in the frozen blueberries to have this happen (your blueberry infused ouzo will remain clear) but if you then combine it with water you will likely get an opaque coloured drink. Maybe you prefer this! We suggest serving the ouzo separately in a shot glass as we have pictured with a tall glass of ice water. Each person can then decide how to deal with it 🙂

Ouzo with blueberries

Are you thirsty for more? Check out these other amazing drink recipes:

Rose flavoured lemonade

Toes in the sand island rum punch

Cactus pear, orange and Metaxa cocktail

We love hearing from you!  If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!,  please leave a comment below!

Ouzo with blueberries
Ouzo with blueberries

Ouzo with blueberries

The classic Greek liquor infused with Quebec blueberries and a touch of basil
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Resting time: 1 day
Author: Mia Kouppa

Ingredients

For the ouzo drink (3 - 4 servings of ouzo)

  • 1/2 cup ouzo
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 basil leaf

For the ice cream topped with ouzo soaked blueberries (1 serving)

  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Instructions

For the ouzo blueberry drink

  • Combine all ingredients in a jar and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
  • To serve your ouzo, pour the liquid into small glasses and add 2 or 3 of the blueberries to the drink. Garnish with a small basil leaf if desired. Serve with a tall glass of cold water.
  • Enjoy!

For the ice cream topped with ouzo soaked blueberries

  • Place vanilla ice cream into a serving bowl.
  • Top with as many of the ouzo soaked blueberries as you would like.
  • Garnish with a leaf of basil if desired.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

The ouzo drink has a beautiful colour and a subtle taste of blueberry and basil. The longer you let your drink infuse with the blueberries, the more pronounced the flavour will be.  
We use frozen blueberries (as opposed to fresh berries) as they impart a deep blue-purple colour to the ouzo, and we prefer the texture of these blueberries when we use them to top ice cream. 
The serving sizes listed here are estimates; it all depends on how much ouzo one drinks, and how many berries you will put onto your ice cream.
 

Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating