Top 10 Best Ouzo Cocktail Recipes

1. Ouzini

Invented by novelist Michael Paraskos, the Ouzini was created for a Cyrpus Tourism Organisation campaign and focuses just on local ingredients.

You’ll need the following to make it:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ouzo
• 75 ml (2½ Oz) Fresh Orange Juice
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Drops Bitters
• Orange Slice
• Sugar

Run an orange slice around the rim of a highball glass and coat it in sugar before adding ice. Shake the ouzo and juices with ice until well-chilled and strain into the highball glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

2. Ouzotini

Throughout this guide, you’ll see a number of refreshing summery cocktails that use fruit juice. Indeed, ouzo tends to contrast nicely against tropic and citrus juice and the Ouzotini is a great example.

It requires the following ingredients:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ouzo
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Vodka
• 60 ml (2 Oz) Pineapple Juice
• 1 Tsp Fresh Lime Juice
• Sugar

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish. Although a lemon twist is a popular choice, peeled cucumber rounds out the flavours.

3. Greek Coffee

Although it may sound surprising, coffee and anise pair very nicely together. You simply need to look at how sambuca is often served in Italy to understand that. To make a Greek Coffee, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Ouzo
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Coffee Liqueur
• 120 ml (4 Oz) Cold Coffee
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Simple Syrup

Add the syrup, ouzo, and coffee liqueur to a wine glass filled with ice and stir. Top it up with cold coffee and garnish. For additional complexity, you can make fennel syrup instead. It takes more time to prepare but it can bring the cocktail to another level.

4. Ouzo Lemonade

A wonderfully refreshing anise cocktail that is somewhat reminiscent of a classic mojito. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Ouzo
• 45 ml (1½ Oz) Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp Honey
• Mineral Water
• Mint Leaves
• Lemon

Pour the ouzo and lemon juice into a shaker and add the mint leaves. Muddle to release the oils and transfer the ingredients to a chilled glass. Add the honey and stir until dissolved and then top up with water. You can use soda water if you prefer something fizzy. Garnish with a lemon slice.

5. Ouzo Tonic

Continuing with the wonderful lemon and ouzo pairing, this cocktail uses Italian limoncello to produce a boozier experience:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Ouzo
• 20 ml (2 Oz) Limoncello
• 1 Tsp Sugar
• Lemon
• Tonic Water

Add the ingredients to a tumbler glass filled with ice and stir. You can either opt for limoncello or the same quantity of just lemon juice if it’s not convenient. Top up with tonic water to taste and then garnish with a lemon wheel.

6. Tropical Dream

What better way to escape a suburban nightmare than with a tropical dream? With its bright blue colour, it looks a bit like a science experiment. Hopefully, though, a few glasses of it won’t turn you into Mr Hyde!

It requires the following ingredients:

• 15 ml (½ Oz) Ouzo
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Coconut Rum
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Banana Rum
• 15 ml (½ Oz) Blue Curaçao

Simply stir the ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

7. Blue Négligée

Another funky-looking cocktail, the combination of herbaceous notes makes it a bracing and refreshing drink. Given the use of Chartreuse, it’s a great choice for an après-ski.

You’ll need:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ouzo
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Parfait Amour Marie Brizard
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Chartreuse Green Liqueur

Shake all the ingredients with ice until cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

8. Ouzo Massalia

Playing off the Italian origins of ouzo’s name, Ouzo Massalia features two different types of vermouth to produce an excitingly different beverage.

You will need the following:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ouzo
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Sweet Vermouth
• 30 ml (1 Oz) Dry Vermouth
• 10 ml (⅓ Oz) Lemon Juice

Stir all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon, making sure to twist it over the drink so it releases its oils.

9. Ouzo & Cola

Ouzo and Coca-Cola are a surprisingly pleasant combination. The spirit imparts its herbal complexity, which is offset by the coke’s sweetness. We suggest a 1:3 ratio to best enjoy it.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 30 ml (1 Oz) Ouzo
• 90 ml (3 Oz) Coca-Cola
• Lime

Add the ouzo to a tall glass with ice and top up with Coca-Cola. Garnish with a lime wedge.

10. Greek Tiger

A very simple mixture, the Greek Tiger is barely a cocktail. However, as you’ve probably noticed, citrus-based juice goes nicely with ouzo!

It just needs the following ingredients:

• 60 ml (2 Oz) Ouzo
• 240 ml (8 Oz) Orange Juice

You can use basically any 1:4 ratio of orange. Simply pour the ouzo in a tumbler glass with ice and top up with the orange juice. Add a twist of lime for additional complexity.

What Next?

Now that you have read about the best ouzo cocktails, why don’t you check out some of our related spirit guides?

• What Is Ouzo?
• Best Ouzo Brands
• What Is Jenever?
• Sambuca Guide
• Best Spirit & Liquor Glassware
• Alcoholic Spirit Homepage