Rick Steves’ Europe: The sips and sounds of a Greek taverna

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Whenever I’m in Greece, I don’t let a sun go down without enjoying a nice glass of ouzo. It’s funny, because I don’t even like the taste of that licorice-flavored firewater when I’m back home in the United States. But you can’t experience Greek culture without really tasting it – from olives at breakfast to ouzo after dark.

You don’t drink ouzo straight; instead, you add ice or water, which turns the ouzo from clear to milky white. When my waiter brings my glass, I give him a melodramatic little show – artfully trickling a few drops of water into my ouzo, magically giving it a milky swirl. It’s a performance in a glass and suddenly, to him, I’m not just another tourist. I’m a cultural chameleon, mastering a little slice of the Greek life – ind