Best Greek Beers: 25 Brews Worth Trying in 2026

While Greece is famous for its wine, the local craft beer scene has exploded. If you are visiting Greece, skip the imported brands and look for these local lagers, pilsners, and IPAs.

The big names (found everywhere):

• Mythos: The most famous Greek lager. Light, refreshing, and perfect for the beach.
• Fix Hellas: The oldest Greek beer brand (since 1864). A premium, slightly bitter lager.
• Alfa: A smooth, golden lager that pairs perfectly with traditional Greek taverna food.

The Rare Island Microbrews (Hard to Find): While you can find Mythos at any supermarket, the best Greek beers are produced by small island microbreweries. You will only find these specific beers at select beach clubs and local tavernas:

• Chios Beer (Chios): Famous for their Smoked Porter and Mastic Ale.
• 56 Isles (Paros): An award-winning Aegean Wit beer.
• Donkey Beer (Santorini): The iconic Santorini craft beer.
• Volkan Beer (Santorini): Brewed with Santorini honey and citrus.

Greece has been famous for its wine since the beginning of time, but not for its beers. And that is a mistake that needs to be fixed.

But honestly, there is nothing better than enjoying a local beer in the Greek summer, and if you want it in a restaurant or a taverna, don’t forget to tip (read also my tipping in Greece guide)!

In the last 10-15 years, the beer brewing industry in Greece has been booming, with a new microbrewery popping up in the country every year. These local breweries usually become an integral part of the local economy and, in many cases, even an attraction for the area or the island, like the wineries in Santorini.

Commercial Beers: Mythos Beer, Fix Beer, Alfa Beer

Microbreweries in mainland Greece and Greek Islands: Mamos Beer, Vergina Beer, Eza Beer, 56 Isles Beer, Ammousa Beer, Chios Beer, Corfu Beer, Donkey Beer, Delphi Beer, Flaros Beer, Fonias Beer, Ikariotissa Beer, Nissos Beer, Zeos Beer, Volkan Beer, Lafkas Beer, Kirki Beer, Samos Beer, Septem Beer, Noctua Beer, Notos Beer, Zythos VAP Beer

In the following list, I have picked some of the most well-established Greek beer brands and some local beers from different parts of Greece (Greek islands and mainland Greece).

What is Greek beer?

Greek beer is overwhelmingly pale lager. Mythos, Fix Hellas, Alfa and Mamos are the four brands you will meet in almost every taverna, and all four are light, 5% golden lagers built for heat rather than for contemplation. Underneath them sits a second layer that most visitors never see: roughly thirty small independent breweries, many of them on single islands, making IPAs, wheat beers, stouts and barrel-aged ales. The list below covers 25 of them, from the supermarket giants to beers you can realistically only drink on the island that makes them.

Who actually brews Greek beer: two multinationals and everyone else

The single most useful thing to know before you order is that the four beers you see everywhere (Mythos, Fix Hellas, Alfa and Mamos) come from just two companies, and neither is Greek-owned. Mythos and Fix Hellas are both brewed by Olympic Brewery, which the Danish Carlsberg Group now owns outright. Alfa and Mamos are both brewed by Athenian Brewery, which belongs to Heineken. Choosing Alfa over Mythos moves you between two multinationals rather than toward a local brewer.

That matters in a practical way. If a menu lists Mythos, Fix, Alfa, Amstel and Heineken and calls it a beer selection, it is offering you five products from two breweries. The genuinely independent Greek beer is the stuff further down this page.

Olympic Brewery was set up in January 2010 and brought Fix back to the market. Carlsberg’s Mythos Brewery then merged with it, a deal completed in 2015, and Carlsberg later bought out the remaining minority stake. Athenian Brewery is older: three Greek entrepreneurs founded it on 12 June 1963, production started two years later, and it has been part of the Heineken group since Heineken acquired Amstel in 1968. Its two breweries and malting plants are in Thessaloniki and Patras, with a small Athineo microbrewery in Athens, so “Athenian Brewery” is a company name rather than a description of where the beer is made.

Consolidation reaches the small end too. Elixi, the brewery behind Delphi Beer near Chalkida, has been part of Septem since 2023, so two entries on this list now share an owner.

Greek beer brands at a glance

Every beer covered below, with where it is made and what it actually is. The three at the top are the ones you can buy in any supermarket; the rest range from regionally distributed to genuinely hard to find.

Greek beer styles, and what to ask for

Almost every Greek beer sold at volume is a pale lager, which is why a “Greek beer” ordered blind will usually arrive cold, golden and around 5%. The craft breweries are where the styles open up.

What a beer costs in Greece

A supermarket beer costs around €1.50 and the same beer in a bar costs three to four times that. Where you drink it matters far more than which one you pick: the gap between a Kavala taverna and a Santorini caldera terrace is wider than the gap between the cheapest and most expensive beer on this page.

These are crowd-sourced averages from cost-of-living trackers rather than fixed prices, and they move with the season. Treat them as a sense-check on whether a bill is reasonable, not as a quote.

How to order a beer in Greek

The word for beer is μπύρα, pronounced BEE-ra. You will also see ζύθος (ZEE-thos), the older, formal word. It is why the Rhodes brewery is called Zythos VAP, why a brewery is a ζυθοποιία, and why the national trade body is the Hellenic Association of Brewers, Ελληνική Ένωση Ζυθοποιών. Nobody orders a ζύθος in a bar, but it is worth recognising on a label.

Asking for a ντόπια μπύρα is the single most useful phrase here. On an island with its own brewery it will usually get you the local beer rather than the one the distributor pays for, and it works even where the menu lists nothing but Mythos.

25 Greek beers worth trying, brand by brand

What is the most popular beer in Greece?

Undoubtedly, the most popular beer in Greece is Mythos Beer, a 5% pale lager introduced to the Greek market in 1997 and has since grown in popularity.

1. Mythos Beer

Mythos beer is probably the most recognizable Greek beer brand, but it’s not very old. It was established in 1997 and has since become synonymous with “Greek beer.”

Mythos is a refreshing lager that perfectly complements the hot summer in Greece. It is exported worldwide and can be found outside of Greece in many European countries or even the US. However, Mythos is not produced by any independent artisanal brewery. It has been part of the Carlsberg Group since 2008, and since the 2015 merger that created Olympic Brewery it shares a parent company with Fix Hellas.

2. Fix Beer

Johann Karl Fix founded the first proper Greek brewery, the “Fix brewery” (Φιξ in Greek), in Athens in 1864. His father started producing beer in Greece around 30 years before that, and he had the know-how. Fix beer was the only Greek beer for over 100 years (a monopoly, pretty much) as it was the King’s favourite beer.

However, this Greek lager brand declared bankruptcy in 1983 and returned to the market when Olympic Brewery was set up in January 2010, under new ownership but with the same branding, which was loved in Greece and other countries. Fix beer is a premium lager beer with soft flavours and a light bitterness that leaves a refreshing taste in the mouth.

3. Alfa Beer

ALFA or ΑΛΦΑ beer is one of Greece’s oldest brands and the first one to bear a Greek name. It is produced by Athenian Brewery, which despite the name brews in Thessaloniki and Patras and keeps only a small Athineo microbrewery in Athens. This is a golden-hued beer with a moderate malt yeast fragrance and a sparkling gold colour. This refreshing brew pairs well with Greek cuisine because of its creamy foam and smooth taste, which make it ideal for sipping on a hot Greek summer day on a Greek island.

With a golden colour and a mild malt aroma, this beer has a 5% alcohol level. It is brewed with 100% Greek barley. Alfa first appeared in 1961, vanished from the market, and was brought back in 2001. ALFA’s flavours are both delicate and well-balanced.

Tender meats and seafood, home-cooked Sunday roast dishes, and any meal that can be shared by a group of friends all work well with this beer. Alfa beer is usually compared directly with Mythos as they are very similar, even though I prefer Alfa.

4. Mamos Beer

Mamos Beer is a full-bodied beer with a distinct hop scent, a thick head, and a lingering finish. It has an ABV of 5%. This Greek beer is a collaboration between the Athenian Brewery and the Patras-based Mamos family business brewery, which resulted in its release in 2018.

At the time, the goals were restricted to Patras and Western Greece, hoping that achieving them would open doors for the local brand’s growth. It wasn’t until the first sip that people began to fall in love with the beer, and rightly so; it managed to conjure up memories and resurrect its distinctive flavour through its original recipe, which is loved all over Greece.

According to analysts, this debut has stimulated a growing Greek market for small-batch beers with distinctive labels and native characteristics. Additionally, the company used its distribution network to spread the summertime vibe of Mamos across Greece in 2018.

It distributed the product where it needed to be at the right time and place. Mamos is considered a macro lager beer with a mildly bitter malty taste and thin body, which makes it perfect for these hot summers in Greece.

5. Vergina Beer

Vergina is a Greek pale lager from the Macedonian Thrace Brewery in Komotini, northern Greece (also called Macedonia; not to be confused with North Macedonia, the country). This is a subtle lager with a light hoppy flavour and a hint of malt.

Vergina is the capital city of ancient Macedonia, the motherland of Alexander the Great. Was he also enjoying a pint of beer…?

Who knows? The fact is, though, that Vergina is very popular in northern Greece, but can be found anywhere.

The founder of Vergina Beer, Dimitrios Politopoulos, set up the Macedonian Thrace Brewery in the 90s, and the very first bottles of “Vergina” went on sale in 1998. This Greek beer has a very crisp initial mouthfeel and overall taste, and if you travel to Northern Greece, you have to try it.

6. Eza Beer

The Hellenic Brewery of Atalanti, a town in central Greece, produces eza beer. This Greek beer has been on the market since the late 1980s and is now considered a big player in the Greek market. The brand has evolved greatly in the last few years and is now owned by an international fund.

Eza is one of the oldest Greek beers. It’s like a pommy blonde lager with rich aromas and taste. HBA brewery sits next to the famous Parnassos mountain, where fresh artisanal water produces Eza beer.

7. 56 Isles (Paros island)

56 Isles beer is produced by the “Microbrewery of Paros” on the Greek island of Paros in the Cyclades group of islands. In 2014, two friends founded this microbrewery in Paros, and the rest is history. They wanted to pay homage to the beauty of the Cyclades region, which has 56 islands; thus, the beer’s name.

The beer was an instant success in the local market of Paros and was loved by visitors to the island. The beer has a unique taste, and its founders call it the “Aegean Wit,” which is pretty close to the Belgian Wit in character but with a Greek heart.

The microbrewery also produces a Pilsener version, which is rich in foam and produced by Parian barley that grows under the Aegean sun. 56 Isles is a beer now internationally recognised and loved by many beer enthusiasts.

8. Ammousa (Patras)

Ammousa beer is another success story from the city of Patras in western Greece. This new artisanal Greek beer was introduced to the market in 2016 after its founder, Georgios Ntanos, decided to produce his home-brewed beer in larger quantities in a proper microbrewery. He tested and learned the whole process in the basement of his house!

Ammousa has been awarded many prestigious awards worldwide, but it is not a beer you can find easily, even in Greece. You would only be able to find it in very select restaurants and delis in Greece, and that’s exactly how its founder wanted it to be: a truly artisanal beer for the very curious beer lovers.

The beer itself is an English IPA with fruity flavours and hoppy bitterness at the end. If you are lucky enough to find this Greek beer, try it!

9. Chios Beer (Chios island)

Chios Beer comes from the lovely island of Chios on the eastern side of Greece, close to the sea bordering Turkey in the Aegean Sea. A local microbrewery on the island has been producing Chios beer since 2012, and it’s a Greek beer with many varieties.

Chios Beer is producing a fresh blonde lager, a black stout, a smoked BBQ Beer, a Wheat Mastic beer (the only one with real mastic), and a new IPA. The Chios microbrewery has recently expanded into a larger area as the demand for its beer has grown significantly.

10. Corfu Beer (Corfu island)

Corfu Beer is a beer that (you guessed it right…) has been coming from the lovely Ionian island of Corfu since 2006. This fast-growing brewery, founded by Spyros Kaloudis in Arillas, Corfu, produces real ale in many variations. There is a Red Ale, a Dark Ale, an IPA, a Weiss, and a Pilsner.

They are all produced with 98% Greek malt from barley or wheat, a natural process without added sugars or additives. If you are in Corfu, this microbrewery is worth a visit as the owner’s family will welcome you in a lovely beer-tasting session along with some of Corfu’s delicacies.

11. Donkey Beer (Santorini)

The list of Greek microbreweries wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the famous Donkey Beer of the island of Santorini, brewed by Santorini Brewing Company. The microbrewery is calling its beers “Lagered Ales”, which are all unfiltered, unpasteurized, and preservative-free. There are several different beers, such as Red Donkey (dark lager), Yellow Donkey (greek lager), Crazy Donkey (this is the first IPA ever produced in Greece!), White Donkey (Weiss), Slow Donkey (matured in local Assyrtiko Wine barrels and produced in very limited quantities), Lazy Ass (refreshing lager) and the new Blue Donkey (a Blonde Saison).

The microbrewery is close to the famous Kamari beach area and has a bus stop outside. It is now one of the most visited microbreweries in Greece, mostly due to the island’s fame, but its beers are definitely worth a try, as they are extremely refreshing and unique.

12. Delphi Beer (Chalkida, Evia)

Delphi beer is another Greek microbrewery success story from the island of Evia, close to Chalkida. The beer is named after Delphi, not brewed there. Elixi Microbrewery produces it, and Elixi has been part of Septem since 2023.

Delphi beer is an artisanal unpasteurised pilsener beer with Mediterranean character and flavours that perfectly accompany the Greek cuisine. The microbrewery also produces Marea beer, a more everyday pale ale and blonde with a fruity taste and white peach and bergamot finishes.

13. Flaros (Athens)

Flaros is an incredible microbrewery from one individual’s passion: its owner, Othonas Theofanous, from the beautiful island of Sifnos. This is a unique, “homey” beer you cannot find easily. Usually, it’s found in artisanal delis and restaurants, mainly in Athens and, of course, in Sifnos island, but try it wherever you find it because it’s rare!

The microbrewery mainly uses nomadic brewing. It does not have an established microbrewery yet, but it plans to expand as much as possible because sales are booming. Flaros Greek beer is now producing a Session Ale, an IPA, a Wheat beer, an Amber Ale, and even a new Porter (black) beer.

14. Fonias Beer (Samothraki island)

Fonias beer comes from the beautiful Samothraki island in the northern Aegean Sea by the family-run Samothraki Microbrewery. Fonias in Greek (Φονιάς) means “killer” but it’s also the name of the island’s famous waterfall with its clean and high-quality waters that are famous all over Greece. The flagship beer of the microbrewery is Fonias Pale Ale, an unpasteurized beer with peachy aromas and a full body.

The barley comes from the surrounding northern Greek valley of Komotini and the waterfall’s waters. History books say that the first beer production in ancient Greece was on the island of Samothraki, so there is some historical connection here.

You can usually find this beer in northern Greece and Athens. It is also the first Greek beer with its name engraved in the Braille system on the back of its bottle!

15. Ikariotissa Beer (Ikaria island)

Ikariotissa is produced on Ikaria, one of the less touristic Greek islands (but still lovely). The beer itself has been awarded the Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute of Brussels in 2020, and it is a Greek ale. The microbrewery also produces an ale, a red ale, an alcohol-free beer, and an unfiltered ale.

Ikaria is considered the island of “long life,” where the widely cited Blue Zones research reports residents living some seven to ten years longer than the European and American average, though the underlying age data has been questioned. The microbrewery is named after the island’s matriarchal tradition, and four young local people founded it with an extreme love for their island and its traditions.

16. Nissos Beer (Tinos island)

Nissos beer is produced on the island of Tinos by an independent and family-run microbrewery run by the couple of Alexandros and Maya back in 2012 in the middle of the Greek financial crisis. Nissos means “island” in Greek, and the beer is inspired by the fruits of the earth, the Cycladic light, the white-washed houses, and the blue waves of the Aegean sea.

This artisanal microbrewery in the heart of Tinos town produces organic beers that are the only ones certified with the prestigious FSSC 22000 Certification. Its beers are the first ones in the world to obtain the European AFQ certification for the very high bioactivity of their composition, benefiting human health and well-being.

All beers are organic, with rich taste, aromas, and natural carbonation. The brewery produces a Pilsener, a Lager, a Keller, a Baltic Porter, and a Monastic Double Ale. The great thing about this microbrewery is that it also keeps some beers in a cellar in the basement of the St. Francis Monastery on the island of Tinos, which allows them to age under ideal conditions.

17. Zeos Beer (Argos)

Zeos beer comes from the historic town of Argos in the Peloponnese peninsula (mainland Greece). The brewery was founded in 1988 by Canadian brewmaster David Wood and is located in a beautiful area surrounded by olive trees and orange groves.

The beer is brewed with the highest quality materials and has a cult following. The brewery produces three beers mainly: Zeos Gold Pilsner, Zeos Black Weiss, and Zeos Blue Lager.

18. Volkan Beer (Santorini)

Volkan is the second beer produced on the island of Santorini by a unique and artisanal microbrewery using only Greek materials. This beer is completely different from others on this list and one of the most unique Greek beer brands since it has a different brewing method that includes grape local honey added at the end of the brewing process, citron leaves that the beer goes through, and nothing more than mineral brew water filtered through Santorini volcanic lava!

How cool is that? Volkan is probably one of the most unique specialty beers in Europe at the moment, with many awards and a large variety of beers such as Volkan Blonde (pilsner), Volkan Black (Dunkel), Volkan Grey (wheat exotic), and Volkan White (lager).

19. Lafkas Beer (Crete)

Lafkas Beer is the child of a Greek boy and a Belgian girl (Michalis and Aurelie, who now have even more “real children” and live in Crete) who run this microbrewery in Chania, Crete. This beer combines Belgian knowledge and culture with the amazing Greek produce and climate. The first beer was produced in 2017, and it was the “White Mountains—Triple Hop Ale” with citrus aromas and a honey aftertaste.

The brewery also produces “Chaniotissa” (orange wit) and Orpheus (breakfast stout). If you are in Chania, you can even contact the owners to visit the microbrewery and have a beer-tasting session at their beautiful patio overlooking the famous White Mountains, along with handmade pizzas.

20. Kirki beer (Piraeus)

Kirki is an artisanal beer produced by the Kirki microbrewery in Piraeus (port of Athens). Kirki has operated since 2015, and its beers are now in some of Athens’ most sophisticated restaurants and bars.

Kirki produces “Kirki Pale Ale”, “Pikri IPA”, “Niki Amber Lager”, and “Pikri Forbidden” (unfiltered IPA). All the beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized with lots of aroma and flavours. Nowadays, you can even find Kirki beers in some of the largest grocery stores and supermarkets in Athens, Greece.

21. Samos Beer (Samos island)

Samos Beer is a microbrewery located on the island of Samos. It currently produces only one beer, Valsamo Ale, which is made with quality malt, noble hops, coriander seeds, and the great local Samos honey.

The result of these ingredients is a very refreshing beer with a rich taste. This is a very small brewery, a scarce beer that is worth a try when you find it (mainly on the island of Samos).

22. SEPTEM Beer (Evia island)

Septem is a microbrewery located on the largest Greek island, Evia. It was founded in 2009 by the chemist and oenologist Sophocles Panagiotou and has since produced a wide variety of artisanal beers distributed all over Greece and abroad. The microbrewery has received numerous awards in the last few years, and you can even buy its large selection from its online webshop.

23. NOCTUA Beer (Athens)

Noctua Beer is the only real Athens beer based in the centre of Athens in an impressive microbrewery that used to be a car garage. It is the child of pure passion of a team of young people from Athens. Noctua has the Athens owl as its symbol, and it’s the first real craft beer from Athens.

Noctua has an innovative approach and philosophy, putting pure pleasure at the epicentre of its production with continuous experimentation on new beer flavours and types. They also have a unique distribution method; you can order directly from their website. The microbrewery currently produces an IPA, a Pale Ale, a Black Pale Ale, and a New England Pale Ale, but they regularly release limited-series beers and awesome merchandise.

24. NOTOS Beer (Crete)

Notos Beer is a microbrewery and a taproom based in Heraklion, Crete, founded in 2016. It produces unfiltered and naturally carbonated beers like Lager, Weiss, Pilsner, Dry Stout, and a Blonde Ale.

The microbrewery is in the centre of Heraklion. It is the first independent microbrewery in the city. You can visit the microbrewery and taste the beers in its lovely taproom.

25. Zythos VAP (Rhodes island)

Zythos VAP Beer is the only beer on this list from the lovely island of Rhodes. The microbrewery itself was founded in 2006 by P. Kougios, and it has entered the local market dynamically while being the first Greek beer produced in the Dodecanese islands.

The main beer that the microbrewery produces is Zythos VAP Lager, which has a lovely golden colour and rich aromas with a dry finish. You will mainly find this Greek beer brand on the island of Rhodes, but you can also find it in Crete or even Santorini.

Which Greek beer should you actually order?

Having a Greek beer in the middle of the hot summer on a Greek island is an experience not to be missed. Many microbreweries in Greece and many Greek beer brands produce excellent beers with unique aromas and flavors. There is no shortage of variety, so there will be a beer for you.

Combining these unique beers with an epic Greek meal will give you an excellent gastronomical level of pleasure and Greek-ness. Ya Mas! (Cheers! in Greek)

Last updated August 2026: added the brewery-ownership breakdown for the four big brands, an at-a-glance table of all 25 beers, current bar and supermarket prices, and the Greek vocabulary for ordering. Corrected Mythos to 5% ABV, Alfa’s launch and relaunch dates, the location of Athenian Brewery’s breweries, and Delphi Beer’s brewery (Elixi, near Chalkida on Evia, part of Septem since 2023). Replaced three dead or redirected brewery links.

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