Greek aged spirits, led by tsipouro, have made great strides in quality upgrading and in establishing in consumers' minds that they can offer the same moments of enjoyment as established international drinks. The aged samples excel in international competitions and foreign markets, with the situation of a decade ago now a distant past.

Let's get to know them together

Since we will mainly talk about tsipouro today, let's look briefly and without many technical details at the basic production steps: Tsipouro is usually the product of distilling the residue from the vinification of grapes for wine production. So the winemaker, after pressing the grapes and taking the free-run must for the wine he wants to make, provides the distiller with the skins and the rest of the must. This pulp will ferment to produce alcohol. Alcoholic fermentation will thus convert the sugars into a low-strength alcoholic product (usually 3% to 6%). Imagine it as making a "beer" from the initial material. This low-strength product is then distilled further into the final product. Alternatively to the above, and if the producer wants to make a product driven by absolute quality, he will use the entire quantity of must without making wine from the free-run juice. The final product is called, instead of tsipouro, grape distillate (apostagma), and it is of higher quality and, of course, considerably more expensive. The aromatic elements of a wine come from the skins; consequently, the subsequent aromatic intensity and complexity of the tsipouro is strongly linked to the grape variety we used. We now come to the main topic of today's article: ageing in barrels Up to this point the tsipouro has aromas of fruit and flowers (especially the popular Muscat gives crystal-clear notes of rose) and sometimes more "green" elements too. But what happens if we want to get a tsipouro that combines the best characteristics of a Cognac, a Whisky, or an aged Grappa? Well, of course, we put the tsipouro into barrels and let time work its magic. The barrels are usually French oak, which gives an elegant and refined result, but also, more rarely, American ones, which give a sweeter and more extroverted aromatic dimension.

What do I expect to find in the glass?

Aromas of honey, nuts, smoke, herbs, candied citrus, and much more, which have nothing to envy from top products of a similar style from abroad.

What do I pair it with?

If you choose an aged tsipouro, prefer alongside it nuts, raisins and chocolate, or even a few slices of bottarga from Messolonghi. Two or three drops on a raw shellfish will take you to unprecedented experiences, while a cigar after the meal will keep it wonderful company.