Best Greek ouzo cocktails
Ouzo is the quintessential Greek anise-flavoured liqueur that is a staple of Greek living. It is considered to be the national drink of Greece, and because it is interwoven in Greece’s history and culture has been granted a European Union-approved Protected Designation of Origin. So, although ouzo can be enjoyed anywhere, it can only be made in Greece.
Ouzo is prepared through the distillation of rectified spirits, and the anise flavouring is then added to it. Ouzo is widely consumed throughout Greece and Cyprus and is perfect to serve alongside mezes or Greek appetizers. Although it can be enjoyed straight, over ice, or mixed in with water, I also enjoy having fun with it. Here are some of my favourite cocktail creations – unique ways to enjoy ouzo that I think you will love (and that are enjoyed even by people who think they don’t like ouzo!).
Ouzo lemondade
This amazing ouzo lemonade cocktail recipe could not be simpler to make! All you need to do is combine lemonade and ouzo, pour it over ice and add some sliced lemons and a sprig of rosemary for garnish. It is refreshing, delicious, and loved even by people who think they don’t like ouzo!
I like to serve this drink on hot summer days. When I have the time I make homemade lemonade, which makes this drink even more delicious. However, even a store bought, good quality lemonade does the trick. Also, when I don’t have fresh rosemary, I garnish the cocktail with some fresh mint or lavender. If you don’t have either, don’t worry about. Simply add a slice of lemon, and enjoy!
This ouzo lemonade cocktail goes really well served with some mixed nuts, or other mezes like Greek meatballs (keftedes) or grilled octopus.
Cantaloupe frosty with ouzo
For something truly surprising and delicious, delight your guests with this cantaloupe frosty with ouzo. This cocktail recipe is really easy to make. All you need is some frozen cantaloupe, some fresh lime juice, simple syrup, water, ouzo (of course) and some fresh mint for garnish. Mix everything (except the mint) together in a blender, and voila! A slushy sensation.
Cantaloupe and ouzo is a great combination. There is actually a simple recipe of cantaloupe and ouzo, often served as a dessert, the inspired me to create this recipe. I love how beautiful the colour is, how flavourful the drink is and how absolutely refreshing.
I plan ahead and when I have leftover cantaloupe I cut it into cubes and I freeze it. I don’t know about you, but where I live I can find all sorts of frozen fruits at the grocery store, but never cantaloupe! So, I make sure that my freezer is stocked with my own. I use it to make fruit smoothies, and of course, this cocktail.
Ouzo with blueberries
Oh yum! All you need to make this amazing blueberry ouzo recipe is three simple ingredients, and time. Combine your ouzo with some frozen blueberries and fresh basil and allow this to sit for at least 24 hours. Afterwards, remove the blueberries and basil and set them aside. Your ouzo will have become a beautiful colour, and will have a gentle taste of blueberry and basil.
When I serve blueberry ouzo I like to add a couple of the ouzo soaked blueberries to the glass. I also serve water on the side for anyone who might want to combine the blueberry ouzo with the water. To garnish, I sometimes add a fresh basil leaf. A fresh mint leaf would work as well.
Although you can. use fresh blueberries as well, the colour that the frozen blueberries give is far superior. Remember not to let those ouzo soaked blueberries go to waste! I like to use them to top either Greek yogourt or vanilla ice cream. This is always a delicious and beautiful surprise to family and friends.
Strawberry and watermelon frozen ouzo cocktail
Can you say gorgeous? The colour of this strawberry and watermelon frozen ouzo cocktail is just amazing! No surprise given the vibrant red of the frozen strawberries and frozen watermelon. To these fruity ingredients all you need to add is a bit of water, some simple syrup, and the ouzo. Blend everything together for a quick and easy cocktail that your guests will definitely ask for more of.
I either use purchased frozen fruit or I freeze it myself. When I freeze my own fruit I cut it up into small pieces and lay them on a baking tray to freeze. Once frozen I transfer them to a freezer safe bag. This saves space in my freezer.
This drink is best served immediately after it is made, but you can easily double, or triple (even quadruple) the recipe to make several drinks at once. The only limiting factor is how large your blender is!
Honeydew ouzo cocktail
Frozen honeydew, mint, lime juice, simple syrup and just the right amount of ouzo are all you need to make this amazing honeydew ouzo cocktail recipe. This is one of the most popular drink recipes on the website, and with good reason. It is surprisingly delicious, beautiful to serve and easy to make.
I freeze my own honeydew melon by placing small chunks on a baking tray. Once frozen, I transfer them to a freezer bag and they are ready and waiting to whip up this easy and refreshing frosty cocktail.
This drink is best served immediately after it is made. Like other frosty cocktails, it gets whipped up in a blender and the recipe can be increased to serve as many people as you need to. With its sweet flavour, I like to serve this cocktail with something salty. Have you tried my recipe for Kefalograviera crackers with sesame seeds? They are the perfect accompaniment to any drink!
Ouzo lemonade slushy
The flavour combination of ouzo and lemonade comes alive in a frosty way with this ouzo lemonade slushy recipe! To make this amazing recipe you need frozen cubes of lemonade, fresh lemonade, ouzo and some simple syrup. The result is an opaque white slushy drink that looks as refreshing as it tastes.
Whenever I have fresh lemonade or even a good quality store-bought lemonade I pour some in ice cube trays. This frozen lemonade can then be added to a glass of water to give a lemon flavour boost. It can also be added to a glass of lemonade that you want to chill, so that you don’t dilute the flavour with regular ice cubes made of water. By the way, have you tried my Rose flavoured lemonade? It is SO good, and pretty!
Of course, I also use these frozen cubes lemonade to make this amazing ouzo lemonade slushy. It is best served soon after it is made – it’s a good thing that it is so easy to make once you have the ingredients handy!
Ouzo pineapple cocktail
This might be the simplest cocktail ever! All you need are two simple ingredients for this ouzo pineapple cocktail, and you are good to go. For this cocktail the ouzo is combined with pineapple juice and served over ice, or not! I like to serve this drink with a few chunks of fresh pineapple. Other great options include a sprig of mint, or a maraschino cherry.
When I plan ahead I like to make frozen pineapple juice ice cubes. I then use these to make my drink even colder; the juice ice cubes are great because they do not dilute the drink as they start to dissolve. Other times I will freeze fresh pineapple and use that to make a pineapple ouzo smoothie, simply whizzing everything together in a blender!
When I am entertaining I often make an entire pitcher of this drink to serve my guests easily and quickly. The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled…anything you need!
Related recipes
If you love these cocktail ideas, then check out my whole selection of drinks, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic. There is something for everyone here: