Forget The Banks. Greek Beer Is What Needed A Bailout.

Dionysus (or Baccus in Ancient Rome) was the Ancient Greek god of wine. Like the rest of Southern Europe, wine defines THE way of life for Greek imbibing. In fact, archeological evidence will have you know that wine has been made in Greece for over 6,500 years. This and other evidence have found that Greece is home to the origin of crushed grapes, grapes specific to wine, and wine itself. Today, 28 different wine grape regions (appelations) exist in Greece, though many grapes are imported from France and Italy as well. In terms of their brewing history, the Greeks have had a spotty record. It has been found that the Minoans (who lived on Crete from 3650BC to 1100BC) were the first to brew fermented alcoholic beverages from barley among other things. Beer had never really enjoyed the widespread influence as wine did. In fact, it was seen as a foreign and almost treasonist during the rule under Alexander The Great who conquered brewing rich Egypt in 332 BC. Because brewing had such a rich legacy in Egypt, the Greeks regarded the beverage as the drink of their enemies. They stubbornly stuck with their wine until the era of modern Greece, where major European companies like Heineken International N.V., and Amstel brought their large scale brands to local markets. During this period, many attempts were made to establish larger scale breweries in Greece as well. Unfortunately, many of these failed, while some had to be scaled back or bought out by international firms. This was the way things were for beer in Greece until the turn of the millenium, which saw a surge in domestic and micro brewery interest. This was a result of lessening restrictions on the German Reinheitsgebot purity laws, which had legitimacy in Greece. The law was made effective in Greece since the early 19th century when the first Greek King Otto brought it from Bavaria. Since then, many smaller and local companies have been emerging across the country as new life has been poured into the industry.

Stin ijiasas.

Rated Greek Beers


9-13-12 - Athenian Brewery Marathon Lager - 2.69, Greek Adjunct Lager, 5.00%

Popular Beer Styles in Greece

  • Euro Pale
  • Pilsner
  • Light Pale

    • Greek Breweries with Rated Beer

  • Athenian Brewery - Athens, Greece