Top 10 Distilleries in Greece
Greece has one of Europe's oldest continuous distillation traditions, rooted in the production of tsipouro — a pomace-based spirit produced from grape skins after winemaking — and ouzo, the anise-flavoured spirit that has become synonymous with Greek café culture. Both spirits predate the formalisation of European spirits law and are deeply embedded in Greek food and social ritual. Tsipouro is produced throughout northern Greece, particularly in Macedonia and Thessaly, and has PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status in its most celebrated regional form, Tsipouro of Macedonia. Ouzo, similarly protected, is produced primarily on the island of Lesvos and in Macedonia.
The Greek distillery landscape extends beyond these traditional categories. Mastiha — the resinous sap of the Pistacia lentiscus tree grown exclusively on the island of Chios — is used to produce Chios Mastiha liqueur and spirit, a uniquely Greek product. And a newer generation of craft distillers is producing gin, whisky, and experimental spirits using native Greek botanicals from the Mediterranean maquis, mountain herbfields, and island flora. Find Greek distilleries on the map to plan a spirits-focused journey through one of Europe's most geographically dramatic countries.
1. Barbayianni Distillery, Plomari, Lesvos
Barbayianni is one of Greece's most celebrated ouzo producers, established in 1860 in the village of Plomari on the island of Lesvos. Lesvos accounts for the largest share of quality ouzo production in Greece, and Plomari in particular has a concentration of producers that gives the town a strong claim to being the ouzo capital of the world. Barbayianni's ouzo is produced from rectified alcohol with a selection of botanicals — predominantly aniseed and star anise — distilled together in copper pot stills. The traditional method, in which botanicals are distilled with the base spirit rather than simply added as essential oil, gives Barbayianni ouzo a roundness and integration that mass-produced equivalent cannot replicate.
2. Ouzo Mytilene (Varvayiannis Family), Lesvos
The Varvayiannis family (also rendered as Barbayianni in different transliterations) operates one of the larger Lesvos ouzo facilities, and their Ouzo Mytilene brand — named for the island's capital — is among the most commercially successful Greek ouzos in the export market. The production uses traditional alembic distillation with green aniseed and fennel as the primary botanicals, and the spirit is not sweetened or diluted beyond bottling strength. Mytilene's export program has brought Lesvos ouzo to North America, Western Europe, and Australia, and it is frequently the first Greek ouzo encountered by international consumers in specialist spirit shops.
3. Katsaros Distillery, Tyrnavos, Thessaly
Katsaros is a tsipouro producer based in Tyrnavos in the Thessaly region of central Greece, an area with a strong tradition of pomace spirit production. Tyrnavos tsipouro differs from Macedonian tsipouro in being typically unaged and very pure in expression, with grape pomace character clearly present in the spirit. Katsaros produces both traditional tsipouro (without anise) and an ouzo-style anise-flavoured version, along with aged expressions that develop colour and additional complexity in wood. The distillery is one of the most technically accomplished tsipouro producers in Thessaly and distributes across Greece and into the Greek diaspora markets of Germany and Australia.
4. Drakos Distillery, Macedonia
Drakos is among the quality-focused tsipouro producers of northern Greece, working in the Macedonian style that typically involves some ageing in old oak casks to soften the raw spirit character of the grape pomace. Macedonian tsipouro tends to be stronger and more robust than the lighter styles produced in the islands, reflecting both the grape varieties grown in northern Greece (which tend toward higher tannin and structure) and the production tradition of heavier distillation cuts. Drakos has been recognised in Greek spirits competitions for the quality of its aged tsipouro and has developed a following among gastronomy-focused consumers who pair tsipouro with traditional Macedonian mezze.
5. Metaxa, Kifisia, Attica
Metaxa is Greece's most internationally recognised spirits brand and produces a product that occupies a unique and legally defined category — Greek spirit, a blend of wine distillate, Muscat wine from Samos and Lemnos, and Mediterranean botanicals aged in Limousin oak. While Metaxa is sometimes categorised alongside brandy, it is legally distinct, and the Muscat wine component gives it a sweetness and aromatic richness quite different from cognac or armagnac. Metaxa has been produced since 1888 and is now owned by Rémy Cointreau. The premium expressions (seven-star, twelve-year, and Private Reserve) are considerably more complex than the widely available three-star blend.
6. Chios Mastiha Producers' Association, Chios
The Mastiha Producers' Association of Chios represents the growers of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia — the only trees in the world that produce mastiha resin at commercially useful quantities. Mastiha has been traded as a luxury commodity since antiquity and is now used in a range of food, cosmetic, and beverage products. From a distiller's perspective, mastiha provides a uniquely Greek botanical for liqueurs and spirits: it imparts a fresh, piney, slightly sweet resinous quality unlike any other plant material. The association works with several licensed producers to ensure that mastiha-based spirits bearing the Chios PDO designation meet quality and authenticity standards.
7. Tsililis Distillery, Tyrnavos, Thessaly
Tsililis is another quality tsipouro producer in the Tyrnavos tradition, known for particularly careful selection of the pomace from which the spirit is produced. The distillery works exclusively with pomace from specific grape varieties grown in Thessaly's wine country — primarily Roditis and Muscat — and distils in copper pot stills using a double distillation process that yields a clean, aromatic spirit. Tsililis has won awards at Greek and European spirits competitions and distributes nationally through specialist channels and directly through the distillery, which offers tastings alongside typical Thessalian hospitality.
8. Volkan Santorini Distillery, Santorini
Volkan Gin takes its name from the volcanic geology of Santorini and uses local spring water mineralised by passage through the island's volcanic rock alongside botanicals that include Santorini honey, local thyme, and Mediterranean herbs. The gin has been produced in collaboration between Greek entrepreneurs and international distilling consultants, positioning it at the premium end of the market with strong storytelling around Santorini's extraordinary landscape. Santorini's volcanic soil and unique microclimate are famous from the wine world — Assyrtiko grapes grown in the island's basket-trained vines produce wines of great mineral complexity — and Volkan attempts to convey a parallel terroir story through gin.
9. Athens Distillery, Athens, Attica
Athens Distillery is one of the new generation of urban craft producers operating in the Greek capital, producing gin, tsipouro-inspired spirits, and experimental liqueurs for the Athens cocktail bar market and export. The distillery uses Greek grain spirit as its base and incorporates Attica-region botanicals including pine resin, dried figs, and wild herbs foraged from the slopes of Mount Hymettus (famous for its thyme honey since antiquity) alongside juniper and the classic gin botanical palette. The Athens bar scene has grown substantially in international recognition, and the distillery has benefited from working closely with the city's leading bartenders to develop products designed for cocktail use.
10. Mastic Spa Distillery, Chios
Separate from the main Mastiha Producers' Association framework, Mastic Spa is a Chios producer that has developed a range of mastiha-based spirits and cosmetics positioned at the luxury gifting market. Their distilled mastiha spirit — essentially a mastiha eau de vie — is produced by distilling mastiha resin in grape spirit, yielding a clear, intensely aromatic liquor with the characteristic piney, fresh quality of mastiha at higher concentration than liqueur formats typically achieve. The product is sold through Chios tourism channels and specialist Greek food importers in Western Europe and the United States.