Tsipouro (Greek: τσίπουρο)is a pomace brandy from Greece that comes in two types: pure and anise-flavored. The one distilled in the Zagori region in Epirus is of the pure type.
Ripe grapes are passed through crusher/destemmers. The mass is left to settle for a few days or week, just enough to get fermentation started. Formerly, wine would be collected and only the solid residue would be used for tsipouro in an attempt to get the most out of the plant. This method is outdated and modern producers tend to use the whole grape mass, which is a huge improvement in quality.
In the next stage, the mass is fed into the distillation unit. The first and last distinct batches (the ‘head’ and the ‘tail’) are discarded. Only the intermediate batch (known as the ‘heart’) is kept to make tsipouro. This process is repeated at least once more, giving a double or multiple distilled result. Finally, the distillate is left to settle and mature. It can also be aged in wooden barrels to give ‘aged tsipouro’, a relatively new beverage that can be compared to whiskey
