A significant part of your holiday in Greece is meeting local cuisine and drinks. Some drinks are specific for certain areas only like kumquat liqueur is for Corfu and citron is for Naxos, and the limited quantities do not allow mass sale all over the country. Other islands, Lefkada and Crete, boast with the creamy-white non-alcoholic drink made from almonds and sugar, called soumada.
But since you may not be able to visit these particular geographic regions, see which are the drinks you can find anywhere in Greece and you must try during your stay. Forget about whiskey and champagne for a while and go for the local specialties.
1. Frappe
The cold refreshing drink is everywhere - you will find it at every beach bar, cafe or bakery. And it is not only for the summer, Greeks drink it all year round. Frappe is made from instant coffee and water, stirred with a mixer until rich foam comes out, filled with milk and ice. The best drink to have while lying on the sunbed by the sea.
2. Greek Beer
Being in Greece and not trying the mythical Mythos beer is a pity. Along with Alfa, this is the most common beer brand in the country. Both are light, the taste is individual and the choice between both is yours.
3. Retsina
While frappe and beer are more like daily drinks, retsina is the companion for your dinner. This is the world-famous Greek resinated wine served cold in small glass bottles. There are numerous retsina brands all over Greece but if you do not specify it when you order, probably you will be served a local brand or one of the few most common spread - Malamatina, Michali Georgiadi or Kehribari.
4. Ouzo
Talking about spirits, ouzo is more popular than beer. It is anise-flavored drink and namely this distinguish it from the ordinary raki, or tsipouro in Greek (in fact, there is anise-flavored tsipouro as well but its taste differs from ouzo due to production methods). Ouzo is quite strong and usually some water is added to the glass, as this process changes the color from transparent to cloudy white. The most famous ouzo brands come from Lesbos - Barbayianni and Plomari.
5. Mastiha Liqueur
We are not done with alcohol yet, although this one is offered as digestive or included in cocktails. The mastic liqueur is transparent like water, flavored with mastic drops or mastic oil from Chios island. The precious mastic trees are very rare and in Greece they are cultivated only on this island. The mastic drops they secrete are known as "the tears of Chios". If you are not keen on spirits but you are curious about mastiha, you can try the Greek dessert ipovrichio - a sweet paste made of sugar and mastic gum, served in a glass of water (it is suitable for kids as well).