Today, we cool down with a fun Greek inspired drink recipe, the Apollo Cooler.
We’re not too sure how the weather has been by you, but here in California, it’s been hot! The humidity, the 90F degree days, the heat…yep, we’re deep in summer here folks!
I suppose being August, we’ve got about a month left, but it just feels like the last few weeks have been the hottest of the year.
Maybe it would have been much more amazing sitting in a cafe along the shores of the Aegean, or that white table with blue chairs on the island of Mykonos (Μύκονος). We can all dream can’t we?
Here, let’s all gaze at this picture and imagine we’re sitting there discussing Greek food while sipping on a nice Greek wine as the sun sets….
Alas, here we are. Sitting at home, or on the bus, at work, or wherever you’re reading this. Hopefully, not in the car while driving though…if that’s the case, put down your phone. We’ll wait for you.
The Greek Apollo Cooler, is something of a fun drink that you may not technically find in Greece, although more bars are starting to incorporate ouzo and Metaxa into mixed refreshments (some are even including olive oil!), mostly for the younger crowds and visitors however, not necessarily because the Greeks themselves desire it.
While you may know ouzo, Metaxa may be something new to you. Being not as well known as the former, the latter is also a national drink of Greece.
You can think of Metaxa as a brandy, well sort of. It’s process is a bit unique and interesting. At its base, it starts with a variety of white wines from all over Greece. This mixture is then aged in french oak casks along with some muscat wine, mediterranean herbs, and floral extracts.
The result is a smooth light brown liquid that’s just as strong as whiskey, alcohol
content wise.
For me it tends to have a sweet taste, so the thought of balancing it out with something like ginger ale seemed like a good idea.
A funny sidenote about ginger ale, we always seem to order it on a plane. Don’t know why, but it seems we’re not alone in this.
When you mix the Metaxa, ginger ale and a dash of ouzo for flavor, you’re left with a refreshing complex drink that produces the flavors of Greece. So on that hot summer day, while you stare at the picture above with one of these Greek Apollo coolers in hand, dreaming of being there becomes a bit easier. It could be because you’re drinking a strong drink, but we’ll let you decide 🙂
OPA!
Kenton & Jane
PS. If you’re an ouzo fan, be sure to check out our Ouzo Lemonade!
Apollo Cooler
Ingredients
- 4 ice cubes
- 1 ½ oz or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ oz or 3 tablespoons Metaxa
- ½ teaspoon ouzo
- ginger ale
- lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- Add ice to a tall glass.
- Add in lemon juice, Metaxa, and ouzo, mix.
- Fill glass with ginger ale (you can add less if you prefer), mix.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
- Enjoy!
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Mykonos photo credit: Lonely Planet
