Ouzo - Tsipouro

A few words about the historical background…

There are lots of theories about the origin of ouzo. The most prevailing and well-documented one is that referred in the sources of Achilleas Tzartzanos, the father of the Greek Grammar, according to whom the word ‘ouzo’ is derived from the paraphrase of the term ‘use (uzo) Massalie’. The term ‘use Massalie’ was used as an indication on the wooden boxes with the silk exported from Tyrnavos to the port of Marseille around the mid-19th century.

As this silk was of superior quality, the local people, who didn’t speak the English language, considered the indication ‘Massalie’ as a synonym for the best quality. When someone first tasted the distillate of grapes (tsipouro), in which people from Tyrnavos added anise, while conducting experiments, exclaimed: this is uzo Massalie (namely, of superior quality). The Kardasis ouzo is produced according to a traditional recipe, owned by the family since 1914.

The secret of this recipe is the combination of 15 aromatic seeds and herbs, some of which are extremely rare, in balanced proportions. This sweetness characterising the KARDASIS OUZO is attributed precisely to the use of these herbs, since it doesn’t contain any sugar.

This extract of seeds and herbs of superior quality is distilled in a small copper pot still, manufactured by Greek craftsmen in Istanbul. The distillation process is done slowly, almost mystically. The distillate is collected and, after being diluted, is stored in stainless steel tanks for a short period, until the aromas are balanced. Then, it is filtered and bottled. The soft taste and intense aromas of anise, cinnamon, bitter almond, nutmeg and mastic (and not just these) are characterizing the KARDASIS OUZO.