Tsipouro is the famous passtime of the locals. Learn the basics of the etiquette!
Production
Tsipouro is produced after a double distillation of the by-products of wine making (pips, skins, etc). In the second distillation herbs are added. Each producer has its own secret recipie! Its production is not only by professional distillers. All over Greece farmers gather in early November to prepare their home batch, with the partitipation of friends and neighbours in an all-day feast. Generally, aniseed is not used in tsipouro, except in Thessaly and some regions of Central Macedonia. You can tell if there is aniseed, because the drink turns white as soon as you add water. And this is how you should drink it: diluted with cold water and/or ice. Older people say that ice affects the taste, so you should only add water, but in the Greek heat ice is more than welcome!
The difference with the Cretan tsikoudia and the Lesbian ouzo is that it the first is usually single distilled, while the second uses agricultural alchool as its base.
The tradition
Tsipouro is traditionally a lunch passtime in Volos. You may notice that most tsipouradika close in the afternoon. They were traditionally the places for a lunch break from the factories of the city, that's why it was originally regarded as a male realm. Volos is not known for its wine production. Due to the large demand, today most of tsipouro is brought to the city from the town of Tyrnavos, with its extensive vineyards.
The small plates of food, mezedes, were combined with tsipouro by the local fishermen. They cooked and served whatever was left over from their catch. The one who brought the mezedes was responsible for distributing them; this still survives at the tsipouradika who often bring just one knife per table. The influx of the Asia Minor refuges in 1923 introduced a different cuisine in the town, which includes many cooked vegetables, while the emigration of farmers from other parts of Thessaly added meat into the mix. Thus, today you can find all these influences.
Traditionally, you do not order food at a tsipouradiko. The more you drink, the better plates of mezedes you get. You may start with aubergines, potatoes and canned sardines and work you way up. Each tsipouradiko has its own identity, depending on the appetizers it serves. Some stick to a very strict sequence of mezedes, while others change their tastes often. However, only a few old shops stick to the tradition. Most new establishments also serve fish and other food on order.