If we go back in history, one will easily discover that archaeological excavations reveal that beer was first made in Greece in the Bronze Age. Nonetheless even though Greek wines and spirits are world famous, beer has never been a product of export for Greece. Whether that be Ouzo, Raki, Tsipouro or Mavrodafni. There are equally many places worldwide famous for their beers brewing and undoubtedly Greece isn’t one of them. Well this is rapidly changing. In the past 2 decades, many new craft breweries have opened their doors in mainland Greece and on some of the islands, producing great beers of different colours, tastes, aromas and strengths that are attracting global attention.
In modern times, the first commercial brewery opened its doors 1864 and today, more than 75 local beers are made, with beer being an important part of Greek culture, especially in the heat of the summer. The first king of Greece, Othonas, and his followers wanted a piece of their homeland, Bavaria, and beer proved to be the best reminder.
The best known Greek beers are Fix and Mythos with sales globally as their reputation is growing rapidly. These two brands companies are the most popular ones (they control 80% of the market in Greece especially as they now are now produced by the multinationals Heineken and Carlsberg), but the remaining 20% is brewed by innovative, independent breweries with increasing success such as Alpha beers.
In the past years, there is an “explosion” in microbreweries where many passionate beer lovers trust their local products and with knowledge and passion create and promote local beers! Now also establishing farms to grow their own hops and barley, they are truly a joy to your taste-buds and arguably even better enjoyed in Greek climate.
Here at The Greek Delicatessen Ltd, we are able to provide each of the above 3 popular brands, ensuring you get the chance to taste our quality Greek Beers, no matter where you are in the UK.
Mythos, a light straw-colored lager beer, is one of the most popular of all beers in Greece. So are the other two large Greek breweries, Alpha and Fix. Alpha is produced by the Athenian Brewery and it is exclusively made of Greek barley, having a light taste. Fix Beer was first produced in Greece in 1850 and although the brewery closed down in the late 20th century, it opened again under the new administration in 2009.
Which one should I go for, you may ask? Picking your favourite beer is most definitely not easy, especially when there is such a variety of deliciously tasting Beers. So let’s have a look at the 3 most popular beers, which we also happen to stock and provide to our customers nationwide.
Mythos
In 1992, the Boutari Group purchased the Henninger Hellas S.A. company, the local Greek distributor of the German Henninger beer, founded in 1968, and in 1994 it was renamed as Northern Greece Brewery S.A., as part of a strategy to turn it into a genuine domestic Greek beer company. This was accomplished by the introduction of Mythos beer in 1997, and in 2001 the company renamed itself as the Mythos Brewery S.A., as Mythos had become its primary product. In 2004 Scottish & Newcastle became majority shareholders. Since 2008 it has been a subsidiary of Carlsberg Group which finally, in 2015, reformed Olympic Brewery after the merger of Mythos and Olympic Brewery, which already owned.
To order yours today for nationwide delivery on both Wholesale and Retail simply click here.
Fix
In January 1833, the Greek state had its first king appointed, Prince Frederic Othon of Wittelswach of Bavaria. The controversial young Othon brought along with him Bavarian troops, civil servants and civilians seeking a better fortune in the resurrected glorious state.
Amongst those Bavarians was Johan Ludwig Fix, who founded a small enterprise selling his home made beer at Kolonaki (today’s expensive and celebrated shopping area in the heart of Athens). In 1864, his son, Charles Johan Fix, founded the Fix Brewery in Athens, coinciding with the appointment of the next king of Greece, George Christian Wilhelm Glyxbourg, from beer-loving Denmark.This new royal court – full of beer enthusiasts – encouraged Charles’s efforts, and Fix Company soon became the official purveyor to the Greek Royal Court.
For one hundred years, the Bavarian love for the art and perfection of brewing created a distinct and famous brewing school that flourishes until today.
To order yours today for nationwide delivery on both Wholesale and Retail simply click here.
Alpha
ALPHA beer is one of the oldest beer brands in Greece while it was the first beer with a Greek name! It first appeared on the Greek market in 1961 and was re-launched by the Athenian Brewery in 2000, keeping the same pure traditional recipe – with a bright golden yellow colour and a mild aroma of malt and yeast – while its bottle bears several similarities with the first bottle of ALPHA of the 60’s!
To order yours today for nationwide delivery on both Wholesale and Retail simply click here.
What is the best Greek beer is subjective and you might struggle in your decision of which beer to try first while in Greece! The good news is that all local Greek breweries have done an exquisite job in creating some world-class beers. The choice is yours but most definitely, give them all a try.
The Greek Deli
Whether is is beers, or anything else Greek you are looking for, simply visit our dedicated e-shop and check out our plethora of delicious Greek food items available both for cooking as well as immediate consumption. The Greek Deli stocks artisanal products, including Greek juices, tsoureki, egg dyes, olive oils, wines, cheeses, and mezedes. In addition, ready meals (such as pastitsio and gemista), sweets (such as baklava and kourabiedes), and Greek coffee (Loumidis) can be found in our online shop. We even stock beloved Greek chocolates and cookies. Furthermore, brands such as Lacta, Ion, Sokofreta, and Gemista cookies, as well as an impressive selection of Greek wines. You can purchase and customise our unique Greek gift boxes, with your favourite products or pre-made. One box includes extra virgin olive oil, two bottles of wine and two jars of olive paste. Along with roasted peppers, honey, chilies, and balsamic vinegar. Perfect for sending the best of Greek tastes to a distant beloved!).
Accompanied by the very best of what Greek nature has to offer, we find our way into your homes and into your hearts. The Greek Deli has maximized our efforts so our deliveries are swift and provided in a safe and hygienic manner!
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