Highballs and long drinks · Other
Aniseed and fresh orange sound like an unlikely match until the first cold sip. The juice softens the ouzo's liquorice bite, lemon keeps it lively, and a sugared rim and a few drops of bitters turn it into a proper long drink for warm evenings.
1 oz
ouzo ideally Cypriote.g. Ouzo 12 · Plomari · Barbayanni · Tsantali
2½ oz
orange juice
¾ oz
lemon juice
2 dash
Angostura bittersBuy on Amazon →
pinch of
powdered sugar for the rim
Garnish: Sugar rim and orange slice · Ice: Ice cubes
Ouzini
Fresh and fruity with orange and lemon up front and a cool anise finish, softened by the sugar rim. Light and refreshing.
The Ouzini is a Cypriot long drink built around ouzo, the anise-flavored spirit that is protected as a traditional product of Greece and Cyprus in the European Union. Cyprus has its own ouzo distilling tradition, and the Ouzini is presented there as a way to enjoy the spirit in a lighter, fruitier form than the usual serve with water and ice.
There is no documented creator. The drink combines ouzo with fresh orange and lemon juice, local produce on an island known for its citrus, and adds bitters for depth and a sugared rim for contrast. The result belongs to the family of simple spirit-and-juice highballs, with the anise giving it a distinctly Mediterranean character.
Fresh orange and lemon with a cool aniseed finish, lightly sweet from the sugar rim.
Its anise oils dissolve in alcohol but not in water, so they form a milky emulsion when diluted or chilled.
Yes. Cypriot ouzo is traditional, but any good ouzo works.
The perfect sound
An Aegean evening full of anise and sea air.
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