Lesbos produces about half of all the ouzo consumed in Greece, and Mytilini's waterfront ouzeries are the place to understand why. The major local brands — Plomari, Veto, Mini, Barbayanni — taste different here than they do in an Athens bar, partly because the bottles are fresher, partly because the accompaniments (cold mezedes, the sea air, the complete absence of urgency) are right. Order a small carafe, add a little water to turn it milky, and let it come to you. Most ouzeries on the south harbour promenade serve tastings of two or three local brands side by side if you ask.