It is often produced at home in villages throughout Crete, thus the alcohol content varies by producer. Typically each Cretan village has one or two residents who are licensed to distill, and tsikoudia is produced continuously for two to three weeks in late October and early November. Thus, after the barrels are placed in the cauldron are layered, the so-called “amphika” is placed over this lid, which they then put dough around to prevent the steam from escaping as they boil, while a tube is placed on top and passes through a tank (cooler) with cold water. This drink is usually made in a briki a small coffee pot like the one used to make Greek coffee. You want to make sure that you do not boil it otherwise there will be loss of the alcohol. Greek coffeeis a strong brew of coffee served with foam on the top (kaimaki) and the grounds at the bottom of the cup. It is a style of coffee prepared using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering. “Ellinikos Kafes” is prepared in a special pot, called briki, which comes in different sizes, to create the right amount of foam. During this resting stage, the grapes are fermented. Fermentation is a process in which sugars are converted into alcohol, and the so-called alcohol fermentation takes place. Once the fermentation has been created and when it has matured and is suitable, the next stage is distillation, which usually takes place in October and November.

Get into the holiday spirit with hot red wine mulled with cinnamon, cloves and honey (krasomelo)! Mulled wine recipe – Variations Mulled wine is a beverage made with red wine along with various of spices, like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorn, star anise or cardamom. Lots of variations include dried fruit such as raisins or lemon or orange rind. But Greeks like to keep it simple with just cinnamon and clove and of course some good quality of Greece’s favorite sweetener, honey. In other countries you have mulled wine or glogg, but in Greece we like our wine plain and cool. However, we do have rakomelo. The word is the combination of raki (Cretan distilled drink also known as tsikoudia-not to be confused with the Turkish raki) Visinada is one of the sweetest not alcoholic drinks in Greece. Visinada is made with the juice of sour cherries and mixed with syrup. Visinada is usually served cold with ice. So refreshing and perfect for summer! The maximum beneficial properties of raki are achieved when the person has already adopted a generally healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced Mediterranean diet, daily exercise, and as much self-restraint from smoking as possible. What Food Is Raki Best Served With?Apart from this, there are also beers from Crete. It’s not as famous as the others, although organic artisanal beers have been gaining increasing interest in recent years. Some of the brands include Cretan Brewery, Solo Beer, Charma Beer and the brand-new Notos Lager by Notos brewery. We met Jorgos at his sister Niki's café, the Mylos Café, in the village of Agouseliana, about a half-hour south of Rethymnon. It was early evening and we were on our way to Agiroupoli, where we were going to spend the night. This being Crete, Jorgos of course poured us some raki to clink glasses, and Isi translated as Jorgos shared his rakomelo secrets. Tsikoudia is a single-distillation drink, unlike Ouzo and Tsipouro. The grapes or tsikoudia, which are then pressed grapes with skins and seeds intended for tsikoudia, are kept for about 40 days after pressing in barrels where they “boil”, and fermentation takes place. The barrels are transported and placed by the distiller in the cauldron, which is placed on a base. When it is time to boil, they are put into the boiler with water. Underneath, they light a wood fire, where the grapes begin to boil. The fire should be neither too strong nor too loose. The intensity of the fire is important so that the grapes do not sizzle or burn, and the tsikoudia smokes and gets a bad smell. The distillation continues before our eyes.

Kitron is a citron liquor produced in Naxos island in Greece. Kitron is made from the leaves and the fruit of the Citron tree. There are a few types of Kitron from sweet taste with less alcohol to strong with more alcohol. 11. Agiorgitiko (Saint George) In Crete, the alcohol content is determined with a Baumé hydrometer, a calibrated glass tube that floats in the liquid. The alcohol content can be determined using a scale. Raki is good at 17 degrees Baumé (40% alc.) Or sometimes at 18 degrees Baumé (43% alc.). What is Rakokazano? Rakomelo is alocal Greek beverage combining raki or tsipouro with honey and several spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and other regional herbs. Greek Cider is the last one in the list of Greek beverages. Cider is made with fermented juice of apples a refreshing drink for anytime during the year from summer to winter. The most popular Greek cider is Milofetis. MORE GREEK DRINKS: NON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN GREECE 13. GREEK COFFEE / ELLINIKOS (GREEK COFFEE) If you are not able to find raki, you can try making this with grappa (although I’m sure a Cretan person would not approve).This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

Find sources: "Tsikoudia"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( October 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Cretan Raki, also known as Tsikoudia, is the pomace brandy. Raki is available in all parts of Crete and is served on every occasion. It is the art of lifestyle and social communication between the Cretans, as there will be no mingling about without this drink in the foray. It lightens the mood and brings out the best in people. Many would think that the purpose of this drink would be to get drunk. However, that is not the case with this one. Raki is brought out while sharing the meal, in traditional cafes, or greeting the guests to break the ice that may have settled over otherwise. It helps in keeping the atmosphere cheerful and in good spirits. Raki is protected by the European Union as it is a registered trademark and is only considered to be original if it is produced in its original location. Nevertheless, it is not the only spirit on the protected list, such as brandy from Jerez, grappa from Barolo, Berliner Kümmel, Genièvre Flandres Artois, Scotch whiskey, Irish whiskey, and cognac. Apart from being served Rakomelo in a cafe, bar, or taverna, you can buy this bottled in shops that sell traditional Greek products, especially Cretan ones. Originally, the name ‘raki’ was Turkish, and raki is produced in Turkey, which is anise-flavoured as compared to the Cretan one. The most famous brand of Turkish raki is “Yeni raki”. The Greek ouzo, which is similar to the Cretan raki, does not contain anise, and in taste, it is comparable to Italian grappa, and just like grappa, it is not diluted with water. Rakomelo is famous for being a Cretan drink, although there are some versions in other Greek islands.While home distillation of alcoholic beverages is not legal, traditional distillation is still done today in “pots stills” only when you have a licence from the state. The custom of Rakokazano was institutionalised by Eleftherios Venizelos, the first Greek Prime Minister, in 1920, when special licences for Rakokazana were given to Cretan farmers. To date, there is at least one resident in every village with a licence to produce Raki. The owner of the licence also owns the place where the cauldron is hosted. Traditionally, licences are passed down from father to son. Of course, if someone wants to, he can “sell” the Rakokazano licence to a villager, just like taxi licences in the cities. Licence owners are allowed to cook raki for their own use for 48 hours, with a legal limit of 400 litres. However, fees must also be paid for this personal use. This regime results in widespread illegal distillery with very severe penalties and the closure and confiscation of the licence. One thing for sure is that nowadays, the issuing of a Kazani licence is limited, so look for a licence from the time of your great-grandfathers.

For the ones that could fine some good quality raki, a general recipe for rakomelo is 1-2 teaspoons of honey for every 4 shots of raki, along with one clove and about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, modified to suit different tastes. This popular winter drink is usually served warm and you will definitely find it in mountainous and ski areas and is also often used as a home remedy that helps fight a common cold. Lemonadeis a refreshing one in the list of non alcoholic drinks in Greece. Lime juice (or squeeze fresh lemon) with soda is so refreshing with sugar added. You will see local people having Lemonade in bars and restaurants. 17. ORANGE JUICE Rakokazano is a social phenomenon and a big festival in Crete. The distillation of tsikoudia is at its peak, and the rakokazano have their honour, being a special meeting point of fun and merriment for everyone. That being said, the one fact that is indisputable is that a warm glass of mulled wine is the perfect companion for a cold winters day! So lets get started preparing your own homemade Greek style mulled wine with this super easy recipe! And while you are at it, might as well start preparing some melomakarona and kourabiedes to accompany!GET HEYMONDO QUOTE HERE plus A SPECIAL DISCOUNT Greek Drinks: Best Greek Beverages And Non Alcoholic Drinks In Greece 1. OUZO Tsikoudia has now been established as a PDO product, representing traditional Crete all over the world. It is of high importance that tsikoudia receives due attention from the initial phase of distillation, bottling, and distribution to the final consumption. Where To Buy Raki In Crete?