Greek Gin & Distilleries in Greece
On This Page: Greek Gin and Distillery directory, reviews and tasting notes, interviews with Greek gin producers, and industry insights with Lila Dimopoulou - Founder of Grace Gin.
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Renowned around the world for its food, sun-soaked islands and historical sites, until recent years Greece's distilling history has been focused on Ouzo (anise-flavoured aperitif) and Tsipouro (made with grape pomace), alongside wine making. There are more than 300 distilleries in Greece and in recent years a small number of these have begun to start producing gin, often with wonderful Mediterranean flavours and utilising native Greek botanicals. Read on to discover Greek gins and to find out more about the producers, how the industry has been growing and what is in store for the future of the Greek gin industry.
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- Top Tip: The highlight of the Greek Gin industry's calendar is the Athens Bar Show, held at Technopolis in Athens each November and typically hosting up to 10,000 bartenders and industry professionals.
Greek Gin Reviews - A to Z
Grace Gin
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Grace Gin was launched in 2017 by LKC Drinks and is the creation of three Greek friends, Lila, Hara and Katerina. The gin is distilled at Avantes Distillery on the island of Evia and combines traditional botanicals orange blossom, pink pepper, rock samphire, and myrtle leaves.
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KB-42 Gin
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KB-42 Organic Greek Dry Gin was launched in 2022 by a group of Swiss friends and is distilled at Callicounis Distillery in Kalamata, Greece's oldest family-owned distillery. The brand, Kilada Blue, is named after the Peloponnese village of Kilada near to where many of the gin's 100% organic botanicals are sourced, and which boasts views of the blue Aegean Sea.
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Mataroa Gin
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Mataroa Gin was launched in 2019 and features 12 botanicals from the Mediterranean, including chamomile from Cyprus, Italian orris root, Turkish liquorice, and Spanish orange peel. The gin is distilled at Melissandi Distillery in Greece, established in 1924 and one of the oldest distilleries in the country, and their second gin, Mataroa Pink Gin, was launched in 2020.
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For more Greek gins, try:
- Big Sir Gin, Bluebay Gin, Chariskos Dry River Gin, Epos Gin, Juniper Dry Gin, Lemington Gin, Mastiq Gin, Old Sport Gin, Philosophy Gin, Stray Dog Gin, Votanikon Gin.
Distilleries & Tours in Greece
While there are current not any gin distilleries in Greece that are open to visitors for tours and tastings, it is very worthwhile and enjoyable to visit one of the small number of distilleries that produce traditional Greek spirits and liqueurs such as Ouzo and Tsipouro:
- Canava Santorini - Santorini - Find out more
- Dorodouli Distillery - Thessaloniki - Find out more
- Karonis Ioannis Distillery - Nafplion - Find out more
- Tsililis Distillery - Trikala - Find out more
Meet the Makers
Get to know some of Greece's finest gin creators and distillers in our 'Meet the Maker' interviews. Find out what inspired them and how they created and launched their gin, how it's made, what botanicals are used, how best to serve their gins and what they have planned for the future:
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The Inside Scoop
We caught up with Lila Dimopoulou, Founder of Grace Gin, to find out what makes Greek Gin special and how the industry has grown in recent years:
What is Greece's history with spirits and distilling?
Lila: "Greece is a country well-known for its excellent Mediterranean cuisine. Its drinks are less well known, with production generally dominated by ouzo and tsipouro, together with a tradition in wine making. Whisky has long been a favourite in the market, whilst gin has had a more modest following. There are more than 300 distilleries in Greece, however very few have branched out to other spirits such as gin. There are to our knowledge currently c. 6 Greek gins, with Grace gin being by far the most premium, and well known."
How has the Greek Gin industry developed in recent years?
Lila: "I think it is fair to say, talking of a Greek gin industry is premature. The impact of the global gin boom has been less prevalent than elsewhere. Certainly, there has been an increase in consumption and more premium gins have been growing in the market, with Hendrick's Gin being the most popular during the early years of the premium gin renaissance. Pre-pandemic, there were definitely the signs of a renaissance and innovation in the Greek bar and drinks market, including the popular Athens Bar Show, two Athens bars in world's Top 50 Bars, and Greek drinks brands generally getting wider distribution and exposure. So, there was a buzz in the industry. We have seen one or two new entrants in the pandemic year, and it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years, but we look forward to the positive Greek vibe continuing.”
What is Greece's history with spirits and distilling?
Lila: "Greece is a country well-known for its excellent Mediterranean cuisine. Its drinks are less well known, with production generally dominated by ouzo and tsipouro, together with a tradition in wine making. Whisky has long been a favourite in the market, whilst gin has had a more modest following. There are more than 300 distilleries in Greece, however very few have branched out to other spirits such as gin. There are to our knowledge currently c. 6 Greek gins, with Grace gin being by far the most premium, and well known."
How has the Greek Gin industry developed in recent years?
Lila: "I think it is fair to say, talking of a Greek gin industry is premature. The impact of the global gin boom has been less prevalent than elsewhere. Certainly, there has been an increase in consumption and more premium gins have been growing in the market, with Hendrick's Gin being the most popular during the early years of the premium gin renaissance. Pre-pandemic, there were definitely the signs of a renaissance and innovation in the Greek bar and drinks market, including the popular Athens Bar Show, two Athens bars in world's Top 50 Bars, and Greek drinks brands generally getting wider distribution and exposure. So, there was a buzz in the industry. We have seen one or two new entrants in the pandemic year, and it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years, but we look forward to the positive Greek vibe continuing.”
What makes Greek Gin different / special?
Lila: "There are too few Greek gins at the moment to discern any trend or style, except to say the better ones will focus on the nature of Greece using local botanicals and ingredients. After all Greek nature is the best laboratory for exploring and developing flavours"
What's next for the gin industry in Greece?
Lila: "That is the big question. We hope that it will evolve with people producing high quality gins using the finest ingredients and techniques. This would help to build the impression of premium quality in Greek drinks to add to the high quality perception of Greek food and cuisine. It will take time and experimentation if it is to happen. There is also a growing feeling that Greece and its economy are about to develop very positively in the coming years. In the meantime, taste the delights of those premium gins on the market."
Lila: "There are too few Greek gins at the moment to discern any trend or style, except to say the better ones will focus on the nature of Greece using local botanicals and ingredients. After all Greek nature is the best laboratory for exploring and developing flavours"
What's next for the gin industry in Greece?
Lila: "That is the big question. We hope that it will evolve with people producing high quality gins using the finest ingredients and techniques. This would help to build the impression of premium quality in Greek drinks to add to the high quality perception of Greek food and cuisine. It will take time and experimentation if it is to happen. There is also a growing feeling that Greece and its economy are about to develop very positively in the coming years. In the meantime, taste the delights of those premium gins on the market."
