Beer in Crete
Greece is a country of wine, not beer. The vast majority of the local population prefers a grape drink to a barley one, but beer is produced and sold in Greece quite a lot, although its main consumers are numerous tourists
If you have visited Crete, then you can easily list the typical selection of beer in most shops, taverns and cafés. These are “Mythos”, “Alpha”, “Amstel”, “Heineken” and “Fix”. The latter is brewed on the mainland of Greece like the above mentioned brands. “Fix” meets both light and dark. Dark “Fix” is very pleasant with a slight taste of burnt barley. You will drink it very easily and without any malaise at the after time. Fans of dark beer will be able to find canned Irish “Guinness” in large Cretan supermarkets.
Perhaps, Mythos light beer is the most popular in Greece, produced from the highest grade of barley and hops giving rich foam and a refreshing taste. The brand was established in 1997 and soon becomes one of three largest brands on the Greek beer market.
Alpha light beer has a delicate aroma and is one of the oldest brands of beer in Greece. It’s produced in the Athens brewery for 48 years and was the first beer with a Greek name.
Fix is the famous and largest brewery in Athens, has been operating since 1864. Fix light has a mild taste and is well refreshing.
Is there any local beer in Crete? Yes, some few marks: basically, this is crafted beer made by small private breweries.
One of these mini breweries is “Brink’s Brewery” in Rethymnon. Thanks to an enterprising German, they brew organic “Brink’s” beer―dark (rather half-dark) and light one. This beer is fresh and natural, brewed in accordance with the German purity law of 1516. It’s not pasteurized and not filtered. That’s why it has full rich taste.
The same brewery produces also other types of beer by order of the company Manoukarakis SA. The master of brewing from Westphalia uses natural Cretan mountain water to produce a transparent special soft light lager―Cretan Kings Mountain Beer and Cretan Kings Zythos.
https://www.facebook.com/cretankingsbeer/
Another such facility is “Solo brewery” located in the industrial zone of Heraklion: it brews Σολο (Solo beer). This beer is not for everyone, has elegance and is produced in over a dozen varieties. All of them are products of brewer’s invention and spirit.
https://www.facebook.com/SoloYourCretanCraftBeer/
One more such facility is “Cretan Brewery” in Chania producing “Charma Beer”. There are several varieties of it―dark and light. Every year they try to invent something new. Only direct in the factory, you can buy this beer in bottles. Basically it’s a draft beer. From April to November the brewery arranges visiting tours: for acquaintance with brewing and tasting delicious refreshing beers in a village surrounded by olive groves and orange trees.
Unfiltered and not pasteurized fresh Cretan beer “Lyra” is brewed in the vicinity of Kissamos (regional unit Chania). The brewery produces it in limited quantities from pure ingredients: Greek barley, carefully selected hops and high-quality yeast without any additives and preservatives.
https://www.facebook.com/LyraCretanBeer/
Taste a local Cretan Beer! You will enjoy it!