Zipouro is a traditional Greek liqueur made from pomace wine and has an aniseed-like flavor. It is difficult to find outside of Greece and is often substituted with raki or ouzo. It is served hot or cold and is usually accompanied by meze or desserts.
Zipouro is a traditional liqueur produced in the Greek city of Arachova, located in the southern region of Thessaly. It can be difficult to get this liqueur outside of Greece, where it’s a regional delicacy, and some people substitute raki or ouzo for zipouro if they’re having trouble finding it. It can also be written as “tsipouro”, incidentally, reflecting the difficulties involved in transliterating from the Greek alphabet into the Roman alphabet.
This liqueur is classified as a pomace brandy, meaning it is made from pomace wine. Pomace wine is a wine obtained from the skins, seeds, leaves and other remains of the pressing. It tends to be of lower quality as a wine, but can provide an excellent base for brandies, which are made by distilling wine from pomace. Many nations have a tradition of making grappa from pomace, ensuring that every part of the vintage is used. Zipouro has an ABV of around 45%, making it a pretty formidable liqueur.
Records suggest that pomace wine distillations have been done in Greece since at least the 14th century. Supposedly, distilled spirits were developed by monks, who wanted to find a use for pomace, and came across the idea of distilling it. After distillation, the pomace can be used as a fertilizer, while the distilled spirits can be consumed or used to make medicinal tinctures.
Like Ouzo, a much more famous distilled liquor from Greece, zipouro has an aniseed-like flavor and can be served hot or cold, depending on the weather, and is often diluted with water to reduce the alcohol content. Cold zipouro is used as a refreshing drink in summer, while hot zipouro can warm your body after working outdoors in winter, especially during rain and snow. Typically, zipouro is heated by mixing it with hot water, which makes it milky in colour; otherwise, zipouro is generally clear.
Zipouro is rarely eaten on its own. Consumption of distilled liquor usually takes place at social occasions in Greece, and is accompanied by meze, or “small plates,” platters of light snacks such as olives, stuffed vine leaves, bread, almonds, cheese, and so on. Zipouro can also be enjoyed after dinner with desserts such as baklava, with the lively liquor cutting through the sweetness of the baklava and leaving a pleasant finish behind.
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