The Smell of Greece
When thinking of something to do for my first post, I immediately thought of Greek drinks.
My mother is Greek and I thought it would be easier to attempt to fill Brenda Pederson’s shoes if I started with something familiar. Ouzo seemed too common, so I chose retsina wine.
Retsina has been produced in Greece for over 3,000 years. Back in the day of the bota, before more sophisticated winemaking techniques came about and bottling was common, wine that needed to be shipped by Greeks was packed in barrels sealed with pine resin. The resin imparted a piney aroma and flavor to the wine. Akin to the way British India Pale Ale was born and stuck, the flavor became popular; even after the process became unnecessary.
Boutari is the bottle used and seems to be one of the more popular brands. It is made in Thessalonica, the main retsina producing region in Greece. The label itself does not mention the addition of pine resin, but when the bottle is opened you will not doubt it’s in there.
People agree that the resinous quality of retsina definitely make it an acquired taste, but it is popular among Greeks. Being familiar with retsina, I figured it deserved some credit and might even make a good cocktail. At fewer than ten dollars, retsina is an inexpensive experiment for anyone willing to brave the bad reputation retsina has for being terrible rotgut. Generally you would find retsina wine at Greek tavernas served in a tumbler poured from a barrel, but I was able to find several varieties at the local grocery store. The bottle I chose was $8US.
If enjoyed cold and with bold flavors, such as those in Greek food, retsina is great. I chose to make a variation on a martini substituting the retsina in place of dry vermouth. The pine flavors marry well with the gin to make a refreshing, tasty cocktail. I used two parts retsina to one part gin, but you can make yours in the ratio you like. The 2:1 ratio brought out a light sweetness in the wine and showcased the pine flavor. It was perfect when a twist was added.
If this recipe turned out bad, I thought I would name it the “Turpentini”, but it didn’t, so I opted for something more serious. Opa!
Argonaut Cocktail
1 oz. gin (I used Bombay)
2 oz. retsina wine (Boutari in this case)
Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a twist.
Interesting info on Retsina. Since growing up with a negative opinion of it, I never gave it a try. Now I will! I like gin so maybe the “Argonaut” will be a good introduction to Retsina. (I’ll let you know if I think “Turpentini” better describes it!)