Ouzo "This is "uso Massalia", my friends"—referring to its high quality. The term subsequently spread by word of mouth, until "tsipouro" gradually became known as ouzo. However, the major Greek dictionaries derive it from the Turkish word "üzüm" 'grape'. Ouzo production begins with distillation in copper stills of 96% alcohol by volume (ABV) rectified spirit. Anise is added, sometimes with other flavorings such as star anise, fennel, mastic, cardamom, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon. The flavoring ingredients are often closely guarded company "recipes", and distinguish one ouzo from another. The result is a flavored alcoholic solution known as "flavored ethyl alcohol", or
Ouzo This technique of double-distillation is used by some distillers to differentiate their products. Makers of high-quality "100% from distillation" ouzo proceed at this stage with water dilution, bringing the ouzo to its final ABV. But most producers combine the "ouzo yeast" with less expensive ethyl alcohol flavored with 0.05 percent natural anethole, before water dilution. Greek law dictates that in this case the ouzo yeast cannot be less than 20 percent of the final product. Sugar may be added before water dilution, which is done mostly with ouzo from Southern Greece. The final ABV is usually between 37.5 and 50