Table of Contents:
NEW BEER.
TYPES OF BEER.
SUMMARY.
Wines of Greece, Greek Spirits.
VERY OLD BEER
Beer in Greece goes back to ancient times. In general, they were brewing it locally. Also, they were consuming them locally.
Fast forward 3000+ years to the 1900s and Greece has a few breweries. They make enough to supply the country.
In the 1960s, several European mass-market beers start to make their way into the market.
In general, they are more in quantity than quality which is fine because Greece is not a beer-drinking destination.
And Greeks are not beer drinkers. In due time, the European Brewers buy up all the Greek breweries.
NEW BEER
Due to this, beer goes from a cold beverage on a sunny Greek afternoon to something people seek out. In fact, today, there are close to 80 breweries in Greece.
So, which ones are the best? The answer is the one YOU enjoy best. In other words, don’t go by what others say you should like, decide for yourself. Now a day you have several to choose.
In fact, finding craft beers in Athens (and Greece) is a two-part project.
In the first place, where do they sell it? A Google search under “micro-brew beer Athens Greece” should give you 300,000+ options. Which one is best? Once again, that is up to YOU. Try several.
Second, now that you know where to find these beers, which one do you try? Probably the best I can offer is to break it down into different types of beers. Also, add a few suggestions (in no particular order) of beers that appear on “favorite” or “Best of” lists.
Following the beer, the name is the location of the brewery. While in Athens, you should be able to find most of these. On the other hand, outside of Athens, you may only see the local brews. Above all, ask the bartender or server what’s currently the best.
Types of Beer
Lager
To be sure, pale lager is the most popular beer in the world. Not only pale, but you can also find it in golden, amber, or dark.
- BIOS5 (Athens),
- Vergina Lager (North East Mainland),
- Eza (Peloponnese),
- Magnus Magister (Rhodes Island),
- Corfu (Corfu Island),
- Red Donkey (Santorini Island),
Ales
Brewing is with yeast. As a result, they usually have a fuller-body and have a hint of fruit or spice.
- Alexander the Great (Athens),
- Mary Rose Red (Athens),
- Septem Sunday’s Honey Golden (East Central Mainland),
- Canal Dive Brown Ale(Corinth),
- Solo (Crete),
Pilsner
A type of lager, it usually has a very light, bright color from (pale to golden-yellow). Also, a flavor and aroma of hops.
- Zeos Pils (Peloponnese),
- Z (Central Mainland),
- Ionian Pilsner (Corfu Island),
IPA
Standing for India Pale Ale, these can vary from country to country. Malt is the common ingredient for brewing the original, which goes to India. While in the USA, many breweries use American Hops.
- Kirki (Athens),
- Strange Brew Jasmine IPA, (Peloponnese),
- Flaros IPA (Northeast Mainland),
Weiss (wheat)
Originating in Bavaria has a very distinct taste due to the pale wheat and barley malts used.
- Brew Wolf Weiss (West Central Mainland),
- Alli Weiss (Thessaloniki),
- Volkan Grey (Santorini),
- Amorosa (Corfu),
Stouts & Porters
Stout features a creamy head and gets its flavor and coloring from barley. The Porter beer tastes a little sweeter. Think dark, fruity-dry ale.
- Voreia Smoked Amber Ale, (West Central Mainland),
- Chios Smoked Robust Porter (Chios Island),
- 7 Island/Sknipa Bare Handed Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Corfu Island),
Greek Beer in Summary
In short, you can find exciting new beers from the north, to the Peloponnese, to the islands. This list is only a handful of the beers in Greece and as a result, is just a guideline. A good bartender or server should be able to point you to the right μπίρα (bíra). Above all, drink the ones YOU like.
In Greek, the word for “health” is Eyia – (Yah),
The word for “your” is su – (soo),
and the word for “our” is mas – (mas).
Yasou – (Yah soo) To your health – when saying cheers to 1 person. Also a casual hello.
Yamas – (Yah mas) To our health – when saying cheers to more than one person