Open Breweries

Open Breweries 2024

Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 September
Visit one or more of the participating breweries and indulge in the wonderful world of beer.

The Hellenic Association and its members, renew their annual meeting with beer lovers, and not only, to share their common passion for the world’s most popular drink, beer.

“Open Breweries” initiative gives the possibility to the public to visit some of the most important breweries and microbreweries in Greece. Through visiting the breweries, the visitors get to know beer, its characteristics, and its history, to learn about the beer production procedure, the ingredients of beer,  to meet the brewers in person, try different types of beer and find out what are the special characteristics that make them stand out.

participating breweries in 2024:

Type of events offered by the breweries:
• Guided tours in the brewing section of the breweries
• Guided beer tasting of diverse types of beer, to get familiar with the correct way beer is tasted and learn its characteristics
• Opportunity to meet the brewers in person and to interact directly.
• Tasting of well-known beers and of new beer recipes and tasting of fresh beer directly from the production

Entrance to all breweries and participation in the activities is free.

Pre-registration is requested for the tours and tastings and/ or priority order is respected due to the limited space. We recommend communicating directly with the brewery you plan to visit to find out opening days and hours and to book your tour (all breweries accept a limited number of people by tour – booking or registration is required).

It is pointed out that beer consumption is permitted for people over the age of 18, while keeping as reminder that we always consume responsibly!

What are “Open Breweries”?

“Open Breweries” is an initiative of the Hellenic Association of Brewers, which has been successfully held for four years: 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Big and small well-known breweries across the country, all members of the Hellenic Association of Brewers, are participating in the initiative, offering visitors a comprehensive experience that includes guided tours, tastings, and food pairing.

“Open Breweries” offer people the opportunity to visit some of the most important breweries and microbreweries of our country.

By visiting the breweries, consumers have the opportunity to get to know beer, its characteristics and history, to get acquainted with the stages of its production process, to learn about the raw materials used in brewing, to talk to the people responsible for the production of the products and, above all, to taste different types of beer.

We are waiting for you all during the next two days of “Open Breweries” for an unforgettable experience!

What are “Open Breweries”?

“Open Breweries” is an initiative of the Hellenic Association of Brewers, which has been successfully held for four years: 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Big and small well-known breweries across the country, all members of the Hellenic Association of Brewers, are participating in the initiative, offering visitors a comprehensive experience that includes guided tours, tastings, and food pairing.

“Open Breweries” offer people the opportunity to visit some of the most important breweries and microbreweries of our country.

By visiting the breweries, consumers have the opportunity to get to know beer, its characteristics and history, to get acquainted with the stages of its production process, to learn about the raw materials used in brewing, to talk to the people responsible for the production of the products and, above all, to taste different types of beer.

We are waiting for you all during the next two days of “Open Breweries” for an unforgettable experience!

Events

Visitors have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, through which they will get to know the beer production process, learn useful information about their favourite drink and, of course, taste different types of beer.

Events
Visitors have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, through which they will get to know the beer production process, learn useful information about their favourite drink and, of course, taste different types of beer.

Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, through which they will get to know the beer production process, learn useful information about their favorite drink and of course taste different varieties of beer.

Type of events during “Open Breweries”:

As part of the “Open Breweries” event, each brewery introduces its audience to the secrets of beer and its special production methods. Depending on the brewery they choose, participants have the opportunity to join:

How can you join?

Entrance and participation in all brewery events is free of charge.

For the guided tours and tastings, pre-registration is requested and/or there is a priority order due to limited positions. It is recommended that visitors contact the brewery they are going to visit directly in order to be informed about the full programme, availability and opening hours.

Please note that beer consumption is prohibited under the age of 18 and we remind you to always consume responsibly.

See all participating breweries here:
Map
SIRIS CRAFT BREWERY

Based in Serres (ancient Greek name: Siris), Siris Craft Brewery, one of the first microbreweries in Greece, has been producing fresh, unpasteurised beers rich in aromas and flavours since 2013.

Armed with the passion of friends and fellow home brewers and the support of a state-of-the-art technical equipment that is used for the first time in a microbrewery, we offer flavours full of freshness and a long aftertaste, for all beer lovers in Greece and abroad. Siris Craft Brewery with its team of eight, manages to harmoniously combine passion, taste, innovation and expertise. Using high quality malts and hops from all over the world, it creates unique high-quality beers for every occasion. Specifically, Siris Craft Brewery produces the award-winning craft beer Voreia in ten different product codes with the motto “Passionately crafted in Prefect Harmony. It’s the way we brew up North”. At the same time, Siris Craft Brewery produces a unique range of craft beers called Happy Brewers, which reflects the brewers’ freedom, creativity, imagination and love for good beer.

Standard Microbrewery of Thessaloniki

Everything is possible as long as you believe it. This is our philosophy and with this thought we started a few years ago to “brew” as home brewers.

We are George, Angelos and George. In 2010 we started as a group of home brewers.

All we had in our hands was our taste, sufficient knowledge of how to make our own pure beer and most importantly, a desire to experiment with new beer recipes.

Driven by our passion and love, and ensuring all the necessary protection and safety measures, we decided to create our own microbrewery.

The Standard Microbrewery of Thessaloniki.

Five years later, we declare with pride that we succeeded. Now as a microbrewery, we made our love, our passion, our madness… a profession.

We managed to give the possibility to everyone to try a fresh beer. A beer unpasteurized and unfiltered. A beer with rich aromas and flavors.

OLYMPIC BREWERY SA – Thessaloniki

With a steady pace, extroversion, innovation and, above all else, its people, Olympic Brewery is growing steadily, contributing substantially to the development of the brewing industry in our country.

It has two privately owned production units in Sindos and Ritsona, where 13 products are produced: FIX Hellas, FIX Dark, FIX Anef/Lemon, Mythos, Mythos Radler, Mythos Ice, Kaiser, Carlsberg, Henninger and Tuborg Soda, Tonic & mixers. The company leverages an extensive network of partners, suppliers and points of sale, both at home and abroad, with a presence in almost 40 countries on 5 continents, serving thousands of consumers every day. At the same time, Olympic Brewery imports and distributes in our country internationally recognised brands such as Guinness, Kilkenny, Grimbergen, Schneider Weisse and Somersby.

Its course is marked by the passion and dedication of all its people in the art of brewing, always combined with innovation, passion and love for their work, as well as the mutual respect and trust with its partners and consumers.

OLYMPIC BREWERY SA – Ritsona

With a steady pace, extroversion, innovation and, above all else, its people, Olympic Brewery is growing steadily, contributing substantially to the development of the brewing industry in our country.

It has two privately owned production units in Sindos and Ritsona, where 13 products are produced: FIX Hellas, FIX Dark, FIX Anef/Lemon, Mythos, Mythos Radler, Mythos Ice, Kaiser, Carlsberg, Henninger and Tuborg Soda, Tonic & mixers. The company leverages an extensive network of partners, suppliers and points of sale, both at home and abroad, with a presence in almost 40 countries on 5 continents, serving thousands of consumers every day. At the same time, Olympic Brewery imports and distributes in our country internationally recognised brands such as Guinness, Kilkenny, Grimbergen, Schneider Weisse and Somersby.

Its course is marked by the passion and dedication of all its people in the art of brewing, always combined with innovation, passion and love for their work, as well as the mutual respect and trust with its partners and consumers.

CHIOS MICROBREWERY

Our brewery started operating in 2011 and its first beer was bottled in early 2012. All the production equipment was housed in a ground floor space in the area of Kampos in Chios, in about 100 square meters. It was one of the first microbreweries in Greece and certainly the smallest.

As time went by and the demand for the local beer of Chios grew, we had to move our facilities to a new, larger space.

From 2019 the production site has been moved near the area of Vavili (a small village in Chios). It is a much larger space and can accommodate our production needs.

Our doors are always open to visitors who would like to visit our small premises, taste fresh beer straight from the tank, or leave loaded with bottles, glasses, coasters and t-shirts. So, if you’re passing by Vavili, stop for 5 minutes; we can treat you to a beer and show you how we make our products.

SEPTEM MICROBREWERY

Septem Microbrewery started its story in 2009 on the island of Evia, by the chemist-oenologist Sofoklis Panagiotou and his brother, the economist Giorgos Panagiotou. It all started from a “crazy” idea, as from the beginning the goal was to produce beer that resembles wine in intensity and complexity, while the bioclimatic brewery was designed on the model of a small winery that is open to visitors.

The oenology approach to production, constant experimentation and the search for special hop varieties from all over the world have contributed to the creation of unique, innovative products. For the founders of Septem, hops are the “grape” of beer and their commitment to producing exclusively unpasteurised beer aims to preserve its taste and aroma in the final product.

Today, Septem Microbrewery produces 12 different types of beer in its main product range, while every year it launches seasonal one-off products in the Hoppy Hobby Series, including the first Greek beer brewed exclusively with fresh Greek hops grown in Evia.

Since 2009, Septem Microbrewery has been awarded more than 50 times in international competitions, with the top distinction of being named Best Brewer of Europe at the International Beer Challenge 2015 in London.

Septem’s continuous distinctions, its significant investments in equipment and know-how, its commitment to the vision of craft beer and the stability of its quality have contributed to its international recognition and its impressive activity in exports, as its beers are now available in twelve countries and four continents.

MYKONOS BREWING COMPANY

Microbrewery of Mykonos, the first and only brewery of Mykonos.

Since May 2017, we have been brewing, bottling and serving excellent beers to the island of Mykonos and beyond.

Our brewery is located a few minutes outside the town of Mykonos, in the enchanting Argyraina.

We use pure ingredients and our high quality malts make the brewery smell like Greek and Belgian barley.

We started as two friends brewing beer at home to quench the thirst of their insatiable friends with quality, experimental beers.

After years of soul searching, we decided to take the plunge and turn our hobby into a profession, but we ended up becoming so much more!

We studied brewing, we explored, we brewed beer, we failed, we brewed more, we failed again, we brewed again and we learned.

We learned what fresh, innovative, experimental creation means to us.

We learned what craft culture and craft beer means to us.

We love what we do, and we always try to spread our passion to everyone who either visits the brewery, drinks our beer, or just shares our table.

So welcome, friends, to Mykonos Microbrewery.

Let’s have a beer.

Cheers.

MICROBREWERY LOCAL STREETS BEER

The involvement of the Malamoulis family with the brewing industry began 50 years ago, when they symbolically cultivated brewing barley on the family estate in Kokkina, in the Municipality of Rigas Feraios, Magnesia, an activity that continues to this day.

The existence of a privately-owned restaurant in Brussels in 2012-2015 brought the members of the family in contact with the field of quality craft beer and gave the impetus for the experimental home production of beer, mainly from Greek barley.

Home brewing led to professional involvement in the creation of quality craft beer.

In 2018, after a three-year period of home brewing, it was decided to establish a modern microbrewery in the city of Volos, the installation of which was completed in early 2019.

The LOCAL STREETS BEER brewery is located in a central street of Volos and the production capacity can reach 250,000 litres of ready-to-drink beer per year.

The first, classic range of products produced by Local Streets Microbrewery includes the following: Local Streets Pils, Local Streets Pale Ale and Local Streets Weiss.

CYCLADES’ MICROBREWERY ΟΝ TINOS ISLAND

Greek and small, NISSOS was born in Vagia of Tinos, lives in the Cyclades, sails in the Aegean Sea.

NISSOS of Cyclades is a true, quality, delicious and fresh unpasteurised beer created in the homeland loved by people filled with curiosity, imagination, creativity and passion.

For Alexandros Kouris, it all started with a strong desire to change his lifestyle and professional direction. A man of communication, marketing and strategic consulting with extensive experience in food, beverages and tourism in Greece and abroad, he decided to make his dream come true when he met Tinos through the eyes of his partner, journalist Maya Tsoklis. So in 2012 he started the Cyclades Microbrewery from scratch on Tinos.

For us, NISSOS is much more than an internationally awarded beer. It reflects our way of life and our values, expresses Greek creation and production and is a proud ambassador of the spirit and beauty of the Cyclades and the Greek islands.

KAVALA’S MICROBREWERY

The adventure of Kavala’s Microbrewery started in early 2012 on a kitchen plate, along with some books. First as home brewers and later as professionals (2017) we got to know, love and follow the culture of Craft Beer.

Within its first five years, Marmita Beer managed to release more than 10 labels, travel all over Greece, make its first (small) steps abroad, triple its stock and be loved as much as it loved in return.

As for us, the people of Marmita Beer, and as for the future, we want to read more and become better at brewing, “cook” new recipes and not miss the opportunity to serve our beers to the world. To party, to gather new experiences and (why not?) to add our story to the “Craft Beer Revolution”. We will keep wearing other breweries’ t-shirts and drink their beers, we will keep brewing home-brewed beers in Aphrodite’s garage and we will be here for anyone who wants to get to know, visit and taste our world. *Cheers*

MANI BREWERY

MANI BREWERY

NEMA BEER

The first beer of Messinia

fresh – unfiltered – unpasteurized

NEMA means nod in the local dialect of the Mani region.

Nema beer invites you to taste her, to get to know her and live the experience.

The brewery is located in the village of Agios Nikolaos in Western Mani, in an area of 300 square meters. At each brewing stage we make sure all the necessary controls and procedures are followed, to produce our unfiltered and unpasteurized beer.

Our beers: NEMA

Summer Ale, Blonde, India Pale Ale, Porter

For all those who wish to visit us, our brewery is open to the public from June to September, We will guide you through the wonderful world of beer and you will taste cool beer with a view of the picturesque port of Agios Nikolaos.

CRETAN BREWERY SA

Cretan Brewery SA has been operating since 2007. It was the first microbrewery in Chania and one of the first in Crete.

We produce pure and natural beers, rich, tasty and with high nutritional value, in a modern and environmentally friendly brewery, respecting our land and the people who enjoy them.

This is where Charma beers are produced: the popular Blonde Lager, the aromatic Pale Ale, the full-bodied Weiss, the refreshing Pilsner and the jet-black Dunkel.

Our beers are fresh, meaning they are unpasteurised and unfiltered, chilled and available in 20 litre kegs and, soon, we will also offer them in glass bottles! Our fresh and unfiltered beer is the purest and most natural beer and retains all the nutrients from its raw materials and yeast, which has a high nutritional value.

Our brewery is open to visitors and there is a restaurant on site.

You are welcome to visit us!

CRETAN BREWERIES – ZIDIANAKIS SA

The production unit of Cretan Breweries – Zidianakis SA is located in Heraklion, near the village of Elia, next to the gorge of Karteros, with an annual capacity of 100,000 hectolitres, making it the largest microbrewery in Crete.

In 2018 began the construction of the brewery, in the 29,500 sq.m. privately-owned premises with 3,050 sq.m. of covered areas. The facilities include a brewery, water treatment plant, bottle, can and keg production line, analysis laboratory, sewage treatment plant, warehouses, offices and tasting room.

Following tradition and believing in the application of the purity law, Candia Beer is brewed using only water, barley malt, hops and yeast.

IKARIAKI BREWERY

Four people had a shared vision & love for their homeland, Ikaria, when they created the Ikariotissa brewery. Irene & Aphrodite Kouloulia, John Kefalas & Vaggelis Aggeloudakis put all their eggs in one basket and made their dream come true. Their love for beer, the addictive beauty of Ikaria & meraki for what they did, made the Ikariotissa beer! “We love this place, because it’s pure, Ikaria is an island firmly rooted in tradition, the values that Ikaria epitomizes are very rare these days.” That’s how this Ikarian beer from this small island conquered Greece.

SANTORINI BREWING COMPANY

A brewer from Serbia, Boban Krunic, a multi-talented American, Majda Anderson, a Greek oenologist – wine producer, Giannis Paraskevopoulos & an English wine merchant & home brewer-aficionado, Steve Daniel, make up the multicultural corporate mix of the newly established Microbrewery of Santorini since 2011.

This very small and unique brewery was set up in the traditional settlement of Mesa Gonia, Santorini.

There, our brewers combine the water of the volcanic island of Santorini with carefully selected malt from Germany & Austria, with really rare types of Hops from New Zealand, Oregon, the Czech Republic & Slovenia and with yeasts from Belgium & America to create these special beers with the donkey logo.

So, what are our beers? The most apt description would probably be that of “Lagered Ales”, a kind of crossbreeding. A hybrid, if you like, between the thirst-quenching Lager & the full-bodied, aromatic Celtic Ale. Wherever we classify them, their character remains unique, clearly distinct! Let’s meet the donkeys!

PLASTIGA BREWERY

Creator and founder of Plastiga Brewery is George Papadiotis, a beer specialist, as he is a third generation brewer and a lover of flavours and challenges.

Plastiga Brewery is located in the centre of the city of Volos, on the most commercial street, Ermou Street.

The location of the brewery gives pedestrians the opportunity to watch the magical procedure of brewing, making our space familiar and accessible to the public and giving us the opportunity to promote beer culture to the public. We have blended modern industrial and traditional elements, which is all reflected in the contents of our bottle, i.e. our beer.

What sets us apart is our state-of-the-art equipment, our Greek partners, our quality assurance procedures and the value-for-money ratio. Beer is part of everyday life and we take care to design high quality products that are accessible to the public. We use the best ingredients and our love for what we do is the yeast for endless fermentations aiming for the most enjoyable, tasteful journey.

PINEIOS BREWERY

Pineios Brewery is the first – and, to date, only – brewery in Larissa. It was established in early 2018 and is located in a privately owned and well-equipped brewery, on the 7th km of the Larissas – Sykouriou Road. The brewery has been organised in such a way that the production process is carried out with completely environmentally friendly methods, in order to ensure the maximal reduction of its ecological footprint. The company has developed and follows a food safety and hygiene certification system according to EN.ELOT ISO 22000:2018 (HACCP) and almost all its products are certified as VEGAN. Pineios Brewery produces 7 labels on a permanent basis: Lola Pilsner, Lola Belgian Ale, Lola American IPA, Lola Porter, Cambos Lager, LoCo (Herbal Ale) and LoChes (Chestnut Amber Ale) as well as different anniversary or collector’s beers(Marzen, Dort, Dunkel, Bock, etc). The brewery is open to visitors, having obtained the appropriate “Brewery Open to the Public” from the Ministry of Tourism.

ELIXI MICROBREWERY

At the beginning of 2014, Elixi microbrewery was founded in Drosia, Chalkida. Since the beginning, the company invested in technological equipment and large refrigeration chambers for maintenance and maturation in order to produce craft beer with re-fermentation in the bottle, while successfully launching the Delphi & Marea brand. The brewery is in a privileged location due to its proximity to Chalkida and its direct access to the main road axis of the country.

In March 2023, Sofoklis & George Panagiotou, owners of Septem Microbrewery, acquired Elixi, which is the second microbrewery operating in Evia.

Investment in human resources and technological equipment have been its key priorities from the outset. Elixi Μicrobrewery in Chalkida now operates as a brewery that is open to visitors.

The aim is to further grow some of the company’s existing brands, but mainly to produce a new range of low-alcohol beers, which will be launched in early 2024.

The new era of Elixi Microbrewery holds many surprises and unique tasty delights for beer enthusiasts!

VAP P. KOUGIOS

In 2006, the company VAP P. KOUGIOS decided to enter the sector of beer.

With the main focus being on customer satisfaction and with the production of high quality beer from natural raw materials, selected to meet the highest standards, being non-negotiable, the company started production in new facilities in the Tsairi area of Rhodes on April 11, 2009.

ZYTHOS VAP is a premium lager, which remains faithful to the original beer recipe and is produced only using natural ingredients. To produce it, brewers only use the 4 main ingredients of beer i.e. barley malt, hops, yeast and water.

ZYTHOS VAP is a blonde beer, crystal clear, with a smooth taste of caramelised malt going hand-in-hand with the fruity aromas that emerge upon opening the bottle, combined with a balanced bitterness that will have you enjoying this beer to the last drop.

ACHAIKOS ZYTHOS

Toul’s Brews microbrewery was created by brothers Elias and George Touliatos in 2018, in Vasiliko, Achaia. The idea was born while they were both abroad and brought them back to their homeland to make it happen, with great success.

Toul’s Brews is equipped with the most modern brewing equipment. At the core of its philosophy lies quality and differentiation. Through constant experimentation, recipe testing and combinations of ingredients, it produces beers with a unique taste, consistent quality and non-negotiable freshness.

The goal of Toul’s Brews is to establish itself as the microbrewery that brought out the flavour of beer through innovative brewing methods, highlighting the uniqueness of this special drink.

ATHENIAN BREWERY SA – Thessaloniki

Athenian Brewery SA is the largest beer production and marketing company in Greece. It was founded in 1963 and has since been constantly evolving, expanding its product range and strengthening its production base in Greece.

The company has a wide portfolio of high quality products, offering some of the most popular beer brands (with & without alcohol) in Greece. It produces the beers Amstel, Heineken, ALFA, Fischer, MAMOS (with a trademark license from the Mamos family), NYMFI, as well as the two cider brands MILOKLEFTIS and Strongbow.

Its modern facilities consist of two breweries and malting plants in Thessaloniki and Patras, the microbrewery Athineo in Athens, while it has been the largest exporter of beer in Greece for over 40 years.

For the last 60 years, in Athenian Brewery we “Produce a Better Future”, keeping our commitments and directly linking our business activities with the concepts of responsibility and contribution to the national economy, society and the environment.

ATHENIAN BREWERY SA – Patra

Athenian Brewery SA is the largest beer production and marketing company in Greece. It was founded in 1963 and has since been constantly evolving, expanding its product range and strengthening its production base in Greece.

The company has a wide portfolio of high quality products, offering some of the most popular beer brands (with & without alcohol) in Greece. It produces the beers Amstel, Heineken, ALFA, Fischer, MAMOS (with a trademark license from the Mamos family), NYMFI, as well as the two cider brands MILOKLEFTIS and Strongbow. 

Its modern facilities consist of two breweries and malting plants in Thessaloniki and Patras, the microbrewery Athineo in Athens, while it has been the largest exporter of beer in Greece for over 40 years.

For the last 60 years, in Athenian Brewery we “Produce a Better Future”, keeping our commitments and directly linking our business activities with the concepts of responsibility and contribution to the national economy, society and the environment.

ATHENIAN BREWERY SA – Athens

Athenian Brewery SA is the largest beer production and marketing company in Greece. It was founded in 1963 and has since been constantly evolving, expanding its product range and strengthening its production base in Greece.

The company has a wide portfolio of high quality products, offering some of the most popular beer brands (with & without alcohol) in Greece. It produces the beers Amstel, Heineken, ALFA, Fischer, MAMOS (with a trademark license from the Mamos family), NYMFI, as well as the two cider brands MILOKLEFTIS and Strongbow. 

Its modern facilities consist of two breweries and malting plants in Thessaloniki and Patras, the microbrewery Athineo in Athens, while it has been the largest exporter of beer in Greece for over 40 years.

For the last 60 years, in Athenian Brewery we “Produce a Better Future”, keeping our commitments and directly linking our business activities with the concepts of responsibility and contribution to the national economy, society and the environment.

Previous Events
Press Releases

The initiative “Open Breweries 2023”, organized by The Hellenic Association of Brewers and its member -breweries was concluded with significant participation and acceptance from the public. The public responded to the call of the member breweries of The Hellenic Association of Brewers and visited the breweries of their choice during the weekend 30.09.23 & 1.10.23. […]

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