Raki vs. Ouzo

kentuckyklira

I may be pretty new here and may risk getting labeled an alcoholic but since I just had some Raki after lunch I felt like asking the question.

They are similar but I like Raki more. It´s obviously slightly stronger alcoholwise but somehow tastier to me.

merlin

I prefer rakı to Ouzo. I like the drunkenness, somehow more blissful than other strong liquors. 

Roland

Pernod vs Ricard 45?

kentuckyklira

Roland said:

Pernod vs Ricard 45?

Pernod

skunkwerx

I had Ouzo once. I seem to remember it being aniseed which I love. 

Usually I go for a shot of sambuca on fire in the Indian. I think I preferred sambuca. Not the black one though, that wasnt as nice.

Not a huge drinker. 

Though I will be if we dont get back to the office this year... fuck me. That or bloody painkillers.

ESBlonde

I'm a very placid and laid back dude, but I once got drunk on Ouzo and felt ready to take on the world...Very uncharacturistic. I've never touched the stuff since. Of course it might not be related to that particular beverage - I was on a peaceful family holiday at the time, I removed myself from company until the strange feeling subsided.

Very odd.

the_jaffa

I thought this thread was going to be another boxing one with two fighters I'd never heard of.

Grunfeld

Arak, don't forget arak.  It's another from that part of the world with the anise thing going on.

And the pimp daddy of them all:  absinthe.

(Proper stuff, not vodka that's been dyed green.)

I'm not exactly sure I miss it but, well, I miss it a bit. 

skunkwerx

ESBlonde said:

I'm a very placid and laid back dude, but I once got drunk on Ouzo and felt ready to take on the world...Very uncharacturistic. I've never touched the stuff since. Of course it might not be related to that particular beverage - I was on a peaceful family holiday at the time, I removed myself from company until the strange feeling subsided.

Very odd.

Theres a guy in work who reckons a certain brand of beer does that to him. Weird eh! 

I’ve not experienced it myself but I generally stick to what I know I like. 

Maybe it was just the alcohol bringing out your subconscious feelings in that instance? 

kennedydream1980

I remember the first 'lads' holiday I went on in Malia, that was my first and last encounter with Raki. I have 2 main memories of it from that holiday.

The first one being on our very first day. We went straight to the bar in the hotel. The Barman was slipping us free shots of it with every round. Most of us managed to drink 2 shots and realised this was serious stuff so we left it alone from there. One of my mates thought he was billy big bollocks and continued to drink shot after shot, saying it 'wasn't so bad'. After about 8 shots of it he went downhill rapidly. The entertainment being watching him attempting to walk the 20 or so feet back to his room, which was directly opposite the bar on the ground floor and spending half an hour trying to get his leg over the 2 foot balcony wall. The whole pool area was in hysterics watching the whole thing. 

Day 3 came and we were all a bit hungover after 2 days of heavy drinking. We had every intention of having a quiet night in to recover. 

The barman at our hotel seen the state we were in and brought us over 2 rounds of Raki. Most of us were nearly sick at the thought of drinking it (Billy big bollocks was actually sick). But the Barman insisted we drink it as it would 'sort us out'. So down the hatch it went. Within 10 minutes we were all ready to take on the world again and we went out on the town. 

hywelg

Ouzo. Tsipouro. Raki in that order. 

Must be unbearably hot. It must have lots of ice and ideally a whole bottle, one shot is never enough.

And there must be two of the following

1. Salted almonds
2. Marinated anchovies
3. Olives
4. Marinated octopus
5. Garlic bake rolls
6. Pickled garlic.

Sassafras

Raki cured my backache. I could literally feel my chi being energised throughout the whole process.

merlin

It's a different vowel with a different pronunciation, btw. The Turkish spelling is not Raki but Rakı. Instead of "Rakee", it's pronounced by pushing the lips forward and voicing the ee sound as in the ou "could". 

Turkish people (and actually anyone who drinks either rakı or arak) always drink it with food. Never on its own. 

Kittyfrisk

^ Same in Greece, ouzo is served as an aperitif or with meze, never on its own or as the Greeks call it, "dry hammer" (xerosfyri).
It tends to be tourists (surprisingly, Brits) that neck it on its own & make arses of themselves. Funny that 

Snap

ESBlonde said:

I'm a very placid and laid back dude, but I once got drunk on Ouzo and felt ready to take on the world...Very uncharacturistic. I've never touched the stuff since. Of course it might not be related to that particular beverage - I was on a peaceful family holiday at the time, I removed myself from company until the strange feeling subsided.

Very odd.

I'm exactly the same, but with cider. So I avoid it big time!! It's weird isn't it?
Ouzo, Raki, all this stuff, god it's rough stuff. Like mouthwash. This is proper alky brew! Just cos it's a tradition somewhere doesn't make it good!! 

Wazmeister

I went to Albania, and stayed in a small village called Borsh. Lovely people, and extremely poor.

We visited a lovely couple who were home brewing Raki, in a very old still through a sock ! Ive never tasted anything like it; sweet, sour and very strong.

My head spun after one small measure !

Revolting1

Roland said:

Pernod vs Ricard 45?

Best to have some Pastis while considering it.

merlin

Revolting1 said:

Roland said:

Pernod vs Ricard 45?

Best to have some Pastis while considering it.

Pretentious twat that I was, after spending two weeks in France approx 35 years ago and before it had really arrived in this country, I ordered two pastis in my local pub. Landlord asked if I wanted beef or chicken. 

BigBearKris

I thought that boxing is back on and it was a fight thread.

CHRISB50

Snap said:

ESBlonde said:

I'm a very placid and laid back dude, but I once got drunk on Ouzo and felt ready to take on the world...Very uncharacturistic. I've never touched the stuff since. Of course it might not be related to that particular beverage - I was on a peaceful family holiday at the time, I removed myself from company until the strange feeling subsided.

Very odd.

I'm exactly the same, but with cider. So I avoid it big time!! It's weird isn't it?
Ouzo, Raki, all this stuff, god it's rough stuff. Like mouthwash. This is proper alky brew! Just cos it's a tradition somewhere doesn't make it good!! 

I’m the same but with whisky. It’s almost got me into some pretty nasty situations in the past. I won’t touch the stuff anymore. 

Personally I hate aniseed, but love Ouzo. Strange really.

It was the chaser of choice on my stag do. 

ThePrettyDamned

Raki is one of those very inconsistent drinks. The best I had was a home made one in thessaloniki. In Serbia I had another home made one, but it was (for all intents and purposes) a completely different drink.

Where did you get it from? I'd be interested in trying it again... 

I wonder how much culture we lose in this country to supermarket spirits? Another example for me would be whisky. Most folk in this country would say Bells, Teachers, Jack Daniels, but there is a whole world of culture and flavour out there, to a point that some whisky doesn't taste anything like others.

Musing out loud here tbh.