What to Drink in Greece

 If a cocktail is what you are going for, why not try one with local ingredients while enjoying the coastal nightlife?

Lots of places along the Athens Coast pride themselves in their cocktails and bartenders are now advertised like DJs.  Ark in Glyfada (pictured above) is a great place to enjoy a seaside cocktail.  Check out these local spirits…

Mastika

After your dinner, have a little Mastika – a sweet, sticky liquor seasoned with mastic, a resin gathered from the mastic tree native to the island of Chios (and the origin of chewing gum).

A photo posted by Bakery|Coffee|Event planning (@lovemade_bakery) on Oct 17, 2016 at 9:05am PDT

 Metaxa

For an after dinner drink, go with Metaxa (‘7-star’ if  you’re a snob, ‘5-star’ for the rest of us) which is a sweet Greek brandy.

A post shared by Paul Ipate (@paulipate) on Jul 4, 2018 at 11:06am PDT

Ouzo

What most of the world thinks of when they think of Greek liquor.  An anise flavored aperitif served with ice and water, usually consumed with seafood while enjoying the sea-view.

A photo posted by Clem (@__lost_in_somewhere__) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:11am PST

Raki / Tsipouro

Raki or Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40-45% alcohol and is produced from the pomace (the residue of the wine press).  Drink this slowly or shoot it as a shot!  I’ve never had a hangover from Raki, and that includes three straight days of drinking it during Greek Orthodox Easter in Folegandros in 2015.

A photo posted by Zorica Kovacevic (@zozi_gr) on Oct 5, 2016 at 3:44am PDT

If you are feeling less adventurous, stick with the basics

Beer

Fix seems to be the current beer everyone likes. After Alpha and Mythos were in vogue for a while, Fix now seems to be the trendy choice. Best on draught if they have it.

A photo posted by Mahouarn (@mahouarn) on Oct 23, 2016 at 4:12pm PDT

Wine

Greek wine is good! When dining at taverna, ask for a litre of local wine. Not a bottle. It’s cheap and comes in a carafe. The wine varies from place to place and you’ll need to be chilled about it.  Of course if you want to be more sophisticated, try on on the Wine Bars along the coast.  

While drinking

Greek law (and common sense so lacking in the UK) seemingly prevents you from drinking without a little food on the side. This is known as ‘Mezedes’ and is the only way to continue the Greek tradition of staying out late with your friends if you started drinking at 6pm. Sometimes Mezedes is a simple bowl of olives with some crackers or sometimes some chopped cucumber in salt.  If you are at more of a drinking establishment, you can expect nuts or something else small to munch on.