Think of Greece and beer does not automatically come to mind; it’s more known for its wine. Despite this, there is archaeological evidence to show that beer has been brewed there for over 4,000 years and the country hosts the Greek Beer Awards.
Today, most of the breweries are less than 30 years old. The exception is the Fix Brewery, which is thought to be the oldest still operating. Johann Fix founded his brewery, (Φιξ in Greek), in Athens in 1864, although it is thought that his father was brewing around 30 years earlier. Fix had pretty much a beer monopoly for over a century, despite there being a number of breweries set up during the late 1800s. Notwithstanding Fix’s success, including the takeover of the Olympus-Naoussa Brewery in 1926, the business declared bankruptcy in 1983. That wasn’t the end however; the beer was re-introduced in 2009 under new ownership but with the same branding.
Despite Fix’s heritage, it is by no means Greece’s biggest brewer. As in many countries, the largest producers in Greece are now owned by international companies. The top two are the Mythos Brewery, founded in 1997 and taken over by Carlsberg in 2008, and the Athenian Brewery (1961), known for its Alfa beer, which Heineken took over in 1965. The third largest however, Atalantis (also known as EZA), is now wholly Greek owned, having originally been founded as a subsidiary of Lowenbrau.
The first microbrewery in Greece is thought to be the Craft Microbrewery, founded in 1997. However, local knowledge suggests that it was probably ahead of its time. Supermarkets wanted quantity and the quality was reported to have suffered accordingly. However, the brewery, which is outside Athens, still survives. The main boom for craft started around 2009 and the term microbrewery started to become better known. According to the Brewers of Europe(a trade body of 29 associations of brewers from 29 countries), Greece had only seven microbreweries in 2011. By 2017, this had jumped to 30 and the Hellenic Association of Brewers (HAB) estimate that there are currently around 75 breweries, with a number of ‘gipsy’ brewers bringing the total to about 100.
A visit to Septem’s Brewery, a microbrewery located on the largest Greek island, Evia, offered a chance to talk to their founder, Sophocles Panagiotou. Sophocles, a chemist and oenologist, founded the brewery in 2009. He is also President of the HAB but is just about to step down after seven and a half years. He said, “It’s an unpaid role and I feel that I have done what I can. It’s time for someone else to take over.” Septem has a large range of beers, which are distributed all over Greece and also exported. The brewery has won a number of awards.
Fortunately for its brewers, beer consumption in Greece has grown steadily, driven by the increasing urban population and the growing middle class. The forecast is that beer consumption will rise by around 5% year on year for the next few years. Consequently, the number of microbreweries is rising, although being a small brewer is not easy; as in the UK, there are only limited profits to be had.
Costs, as with most breweries in Europe, have been increasing in ‘a crazy manner’. These include energy and ingredients, with it not helping that the bulk of the malt and hops has to be imported. Also, breweries usually need to have a distributor and these costs have increased too. Most of the bars in Greece are independent and thus have to be approached one by one.
As in the UK, there are some tax advantages. Sophocles explained, “A microbrewery brewing less than 200,000 hectolitres has a 50% tax saving but we’d like to see a graduated tax, rather than the drop off that we have currently, to encourage growth.” And it isn’t a level playing field for brewers versus wine producers. Sophocles explained, “A winery can have a tap room as part of their business. In comparison, a brewery is not allowed to sell its beer on its premises. A brewery can’t have a tap room unless it is separate with two separate licences and incurring the associated costs.” There are also some strange restrictions on brewing ingredients; for example, you can add honey but not fruit.
Nicola Radisis, founder and director of the Greek Beer Awards, gave more details on the Hellenic Association of Brewers. “The Association has only 17 members. Membership is open to all but the smaller brewers are suspicious of the bigger brewers. This is despite the fact that there are a lot of issues that affect both and we need a joint approach to lobbying the government. We need to reduce the bureaucracy that affects the Greek beer market and change our taxes to be more supportive of small business.”
The Greek Beer Awards reflect the growing interest in beer, not only in Greece but in a number of other less traditional beer countries. The first competition was held in 2014 as the BeerBartender Awards. As the Greek beer market grew, in 2017, a blind tasting was introduced and breweries were invited to submit beer to be judged. Then, in 2020, this was widened to encompass the evolving beer production in south eastern and east European countries, plus those countries which ‘share the Mediterranean Sea’. Nicola said, “We want to encourage newer craft brewers in Greece and all Mediterranean countries as well as further afield, such as Balkan countries; places that are less known for their beer.”
Today, the competition has expanded to 50 different beer style categories, broken down into top fermented beers, bottom fermented beers and ‘other’ (such as low alcohol, Kolsch and radlers). The number of entries has continued to increase, with 130 in 2025. The competition has developed a solid reputation with beers assessed by a select group of experienced beer judges from all over Europe. In 2025, the judging took place in Athens, which enabled the judges to enjoy the local culture and food as well as the beer.
Nicola is optimistic about the future. “There is a lot of work to do,” he said, “We want a sustainable beer industry. We see education of the public and the trade, both brewers and pubs, as key to this. We are looking to provide this in the future to support quality and growth.”
There are a lot of similarities in the beer markets of both London or Athens, with hurdles and opportunities. If you are off to Greece this year, seek out the craft beers and bars and give them your support. If you would like to find out more about the Greek Beer Awards and see the 2025 winners, visit https://greekbeerawards.eu/.
Christine Cryne