Ouzo it is generally considered poor form to drink ouzo "dry hammer" ("ξεροσφύρι", "xerosfýri", an idiomatic expression that means "drinking alcohol without eating anything") in Greece. The presence of food, especially fats or oils, in the upper digestive system prolongs the absorption of ethanol and ameliorates alcohol intoxication. Ouzo is not used in many mainstream cocktail drinks, although in Cyprus it does form the basis of a cocktail called an Ouzini. Ouzo is a clear liquid. However, when water or ice is added, ouzo turns a milky-white colour. This is because anethole, the essential oil of anise, is completely soluble in
Ouzo percent; the minimum allowed is 37.5 percent. Ouzo production itself does not include fermentation. In modern Greece, "ouzeries" (the suffix -erie is imported from French) can be found in nearly all cities, towns, and villages. These café-like establishments serve ouzo with "mezedes"—appetizers such as octopus, salad, sardines, calamari, fried zucchini, and clams, among others. It is traditionally slowly sipped (usually mixed with water or ice) together with "mezedes" shared with others over a period of several hours in the early evening. In other countries it is tradition to have ouzo in authentic Greek restaurants as an aperitif, served in a