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5 Fantastic Greek Cocktails

Tears of Chios Mastiha Cocktail

Tears of Chios Mastiha Cocktail, Adapted from GB Rooftop Garden in Athens, Greece and Jules Catering by Jacqueline Anderson

Summer is just the time to kick back and sip cool cocktails with friends. Regardless of whether you do it from the comfort of your own backyard, or if you go down to the local hotspot, as long as you’re equipped with the tastiest cocktails, you’re bound to have a great time. If you’re making them yourself, make sure that you get good fake ids so you can buy the alcohol you need to create these cocktails without being questioned. This is all part of the fun after all. In that spirit, we’ve gathered together five of our favorite Greek cocktail recipes to share with you!

Tears of Chios Mastiha Cocktail

This lovely brings the taste of mastiha, a gum like resin from Chios – my dad’s side of the family is from Chios so this one is a family favorite!

  • 2 ounces Skinos Mastiha Liqueur
  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 ounce agave
  • 4 red grapes, plus extra for garnish
  • 4 fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish

Muddle grapes and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients with ice and shake vigorously. Strain and serve over ice and garnish with grapes and mint leaves.

Adapted from GB Rooftop Garden, Athens and Jules Catering
by Jacqueline Anderson

Greek Mojito

For you mojito lovers, this is muddling magnificence my friends – that’s all I can say. Actually, I can say more, much much more about the amazingness here but I’ll let you just taste it instead!

  • 4 mint sprigs
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 1/2 ounces Metaxa brandy
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • ice
  • 1 ounce chilled club soda

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint with the brown sugar and lime juice. Add the Metaxa, lemon juice and ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with the club soda.

from Estia Restaurant , Philadelphia

Santorini Sunrise

Try a Santorini Sunrise and you’ll know a real taste of heaven. An especially pretty drink, I’ve enjoyed this cocktail at Molyvos in NYC a number of times and it never disappoints. Found the recipe in Saver Magazine a couple of years ago and it’s become a party staple around here!

  • 2 slices pink grapefruit, quartered (8 total pieces)
  • 4 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 2 tsp. honey (Greek honey, if available or substitute agave nectar)
  • 2 oz. ouzo
  • 3 oz. freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
  • 1 oz. Campari
In a highball glass, muddle seven of the quartered grapefruit slices together with mint and honey. Fill with ice; add vodka, juice, and Campari and stir. Garnish with remaining quarter slice of grapefruit and additional mint leaves.
from Molyvos Restaurant via Saveur Magazine

Aegean Fizz

I first found this beautiful brandy based drink back a few years ago in an old issue of Imbibe Magazine. The original recipe includes one egg white and though it has been suggested to me that aquafaba might be the perfect substitute here, I simply omit the egg white with wonderful, albeit less fizzy, results.

  • 2 oz. Metaxa 7-Star brandy
  • 1 oz. fresh blood orange juice
  • 3/4 oz. cinnamon bark syrup (recipe below)
  • club soda

Dry shake (meaning, shake without ice) the Metaxa with the blood orange juice for 20 seconds. Then add ice and the cinnamon bark syrup to the shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a glass and top with club soda. Add the twist by squeezing the peel side down atop the drink and rubbing around the rim. Lay the cinnamon stick across the top of the glass.

Cinnamon Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar in the raw
3 cinnamon sticks

Mix water, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and heat on high until sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks, cool and bottle. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Original recipe by Jonathan Pogash, New York City

Ouzo and Coke

Ok, this may not sound very inspired but it IS fun and pretty traditional really. Couldn’t be simpler and, yes, it’s sweet but not in an overly so way. The licorice of the ouzo just goes so well with whatever the crazy-chemical flavors in Coke. You must serve this over ice though and I do suggest letting it sit for a bit to just every so slightly water down the drink. Worth going out and buying a can of Coke for!

  • 1 shot glass of ouzo
  • 3 shot glasses of Coke
  • ice

Combine and serve over ice in tumbler.

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One Response to 5 Fantastic Greek Cocktails

  1. Argy February 17, 2017 at 4:22 pm #

    I came across your website as I was looking for an authentic recipe for Gigantes. After looking most of the recipes I love that they are with simple ingredients and they sound truly Greek. I was looking at the Greek Mojito and when I had visited Virginia Beach a few years ago, I was served Greek Mojito, but it was ouzo with seltzer instead of brandy and lime–brought me back to my summers in Chios on the beach! Delicious

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