There’s no such thing as hating Ouzo. There’s loving it or just not loving it YET. But this spice fuelled, punchy spirit is beautifully complex and perfect to win over the naysayers.
This release is close to the heart of Twenty Third Street Distillery’s Managing Director, Angelo Kotses. It’s named after his grandfathers. The bottle featuring a photo of the pair taken in Aetos Florina Greece, on the day Angelo was born, each grandfather with a glass of Ouzo in hand.
Angelo says: “This photo was taken on my date of birth, 19th December 1960. As you can see just by looking at my grandfathers faces, they were expecting a girl and got a boy – me. The man on the left is Matthew, my Dad’s Dad, and the man on the right is Dimitrios, or Jim, my Mum’s Dad.”
This classic Ouzo is massively aromatic with sweet, clean fennel notes deepening to caraway and star anise. Palate is round and full, with just enough sweetness. Refreshing, assertive spice and herbal flavours are followed by pleasantly lingering liquorice warmth. Perfect for pairing with seafood and saganaki, and best enjoyed as is, over ice.
Whole star anise plus whole seeds of fill, caraway and fennel are steeped first in pure water for 24-48 hours. Then 23rd Street adds its signature Queensland sugar cane base liquor and soaks for another 24 hours. Slowly and thoroughly, this method extracts the full spectrum of flavours. The liquid is copper pot distilled, then sweetened with just a touch of cane sugar before filtering to crystal clarity.
The Classic Ouzo provides an exploratory cultural experience while still showcasing authenticity and traditional storytelling.
Twenty Third Street Distillery’s Matthew & Jim’s Classic Ouzo is available nationally from Vintage Cellars, select Dan Murphy’s, leading independent liquor retailers, direct from the Distillery in Renmark and online via Sippify.
Find Twenty Third Street Distillery at the corner of Renmark Avenue and Twenty Third Street, Renmark, South Australia 5341.
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