Lesbos Ouzo and Mezedes

Ouzo is distilled across Greece, but Lesbos and specifically the south-coast town of Plomari account for a large share of it, and the town smells faintly of anise when the stills are running. The spirit is redistilled with aniseed and a shifting supporting cast of fennel, coriander, mastic and other seeds, then cut with water, at which point it turns cloudy white. It is not a drink taken alone. The island's table is built for it: salted sardines from the Kalloni gulf, grilled octopus, ladotyri cheese aged in oil, chickpeas, capers and greens, brought in small plates and eaten slowly over an afternoon.

What you actually see

• Plomari's distilleries - the town where most Greek ouzo is made, several open to visitors.
• The louche - the clear spirit turning milky the moment water goes in.
• Kalloni sardines - the gulf's small salted sardines, the island's signature plate.
• The ouzeri rhythm - small plates, water, ice and a very slow pace.

When to go

Late spring through early autumn suits the coastal tables, and the seafood side is at its best in late summer when the sardines are running. The pace is an afternoon one, starting around two and running until the heat drops. Distillery visits generally need booking, and several close or shorten hours between November and March, when much of the south coast shuts down.

Honest expectations

Ouzo is strong and the anise flavour genuinely splits people; nobody should commit to an afternoon of it without trying one glass first. Drinking it without food, in summer heat, ends badly and locals will tell you so. The drive to Plomari is long and winding from Mytilene and not fun after lunch. Distillery tours are short and more commercial than the town's reputation suggests.

Nearby

The petrified forest is in the far west of the island, and the Kalloni gulf salt pans lie between the two coasts.