It is not often you get to try a taste of mediterranean Greece from the comfort of Launceston but that's what the Koumozo Ouzo is bringing to town.
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The aniseed aperitif is a famous Greek spirit, and the the team behind Elaia Cafe have joined with Michael Stevens and Peter Hayes to create Tasmania's first ouzo.
Ritsa Nicholas, one of the central figures behind Koumozo Ouza, said the venture was inspired by her heritage.
"It wasn't until recently when my mum told me the stories of my late father's distillery and his success," she said.
"Fascinated by my father's Greek Island entrepreneurship, I set out to find out more which was made difficult by the lack of records kept and many of his peers having passed away."
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Made in central highlands of Tasmania at Miena, the team wanted to use Tasmania botanicals throughout the drink.
"Our point of difference is that we are a locally made product and the ouzo [aniseed aperitif] is not made in the traditional way as it's made in Greece [from grapes]. The addition of Tasmanian botanicals that complement the aniseed," she said.
"After painstaking effort to find those long lost relatives that worked with dad, and Michael and Peter doing research and testing of their own, the first batch of Koumozo Ouzo was created.
"We believe they came up with a pretty damn good ouzo.
The eventual goal is ambition, to sell the Tasmania made spirit to the spiritual ouzo home in Greece.
"We believe we have an opportunity to market this product not only in the local market [Tasmania] but to the national market as well as exploring international exporting opportunities," she said.
"Our goal is to sell Tasmanian made Ouzo to Greece. An audacious goal, but why not?"
Koumozo Ouzo will be launched on July 1.
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