Great Greek beer found in Crete shock

Hello,

     well, here I am back in Blighty after a quick sojourn through the jumble of frustration and disorganisation that is the island of Crete, still only supporting two breweries 30 years after the microbrewery, and a good 10 years after the swanky brewpub/eatery boom, started in the rest of Europe. I updated the blog on the state of beer in Crete from Sougia, on the South coast last week, but quite a bit has happened in that regard since, which I will try and summarise below.

Firstly - chuff me! Chania and Heraklion, with Rethymnon the two last places visited on the trip, certainly came up trumps and provided a whole slew of new Greek beers. Before that, I established after a meal at the matchless Polyfimos restaurant at Sougia that there was indeed no Craft Brewery beer to be had. Thus proving that one of the older established, erm, craft breweries *coughs* has gone to the wall. Admittedly I already read about this on Ratebeer, but I didn't want to believe it since Craft was a welcome oasis in a desert of drab drivel from the Heineken Amstel and Mythos (now Carlsberg) triumvirate of tedium. Sougia proved that there was a need for microbrewery output by overnight becoming less of a beer drinkers paradise as a direct result of Craft's demise - in the end I settled for endless bottles of Erdinger....

Chania changed all that. Back in 2010 I updated the blog about a bar near where Rudi's Beerhouse used to be which sold a decent range of beers including Fischer Pils from Strasbourg on draught, as well as some stronger Belgian offerings. With Wee Keefy in tow I headed back again, if nothing else to establish it's name (it's recognisable by a weird pink and yellow coloured plastic emu type thing with a pink boa - difficult to miss, but equally so to write out.....)

The bar is called Plaka according to the sign, which is potentially also a word which means fun - strange since by the bar's own admission plaka is a paving stone. I have no idea how both meanings could come from the same word! It was obvious early on that finding out the name was going to provide little more clarity than not, however at least I do have an address for it now - its on Sifaka, up from the main square adjoining the harbour off Tsambeliou. So no excuses for not finding it.

The beer menu now has a weighty list of Greek brewers products, although, we had come on the day when the deliveries had not arrived so the range was slightly reduced. Despite this, and at a classy 10.45am, I had a bottle of the excellent Septem Sunday honey ale, which, to my significant delight, although unsurprisingly sweet due to the addition of honey, was packed with hops including Tettnanger, giving it a very rounded but unmistakably hoppy flavour. It was 6.5% and €4.50 for a 330ml bottle. Given Chania's reputation for taking the piss price wise, that's not ridiculous, considering the import taxes imposed on the island.

Next up was a Volkan Black from Santorini for Wee Keefy and a BIOS 5 pils from Piraeus for me. The pils was a little light but very refreshing, whilst the Volkan was a fantastic tasting dark beer, also brewed using honey. We finished on a Volkan Blonde, which perhaps wasn't as accomplished as its darker sibling but still a good characterful beer. We didn't get to try the Mondays Ale and Fridays Pale from Septem alas, but I was already impressed with their work. The menu also has Krusovice imperial, which at €4.00 a bottle is probably a stronger version of the dark Czech beer. Good stuff all round.

We also found time to visit seminal Chania favourite Bororo just off the harbour near the sadly closed Cafe Krita. The beer range hasn't really changed in the last 8 years so the excellence of Plaka  makes it look a little poor now - and it didn't have the Schlenkerla Rauchbeer Marzen I was after either, the second time a Schlenkerla had eluded me in Crete. Still, I tried the Brinks Rethymnian Dark for old times sake instead -  but it was woeful. Burnt dry and bitter with no balance whatsoever. WK was quick to point the finger of blame at it being bottle conditioned, which it isn't, sort of, but whatever the reason this was a terrible drink. Bororo is still worth a visit though.

Saturday was our final day and we happened across not 1 but 2 specialist beer bars in Heraklion by mistake - plus a couple of duds. Draft on 25 August martyrs street was once a travel guide nod for its range of beer but it has dwindled to having Sol as its most unusual feature and is pricey so we didn't bother. Up the road in Lions Square is a swanky looking bar proclaiming the word Brauerie. There was a sign of fonts and I immediately imagined a swish mainland Greek influenced brew pub. Alas, despite the rather admirable intentions of its lengthy beer menu (a whole paragraph about the taste of Carlsberg? Come on!) and it selling excellent Fix Dark at a sensible price, it is not a brewery or a brew pub - a fact made more obvious by the words which seem to suggest its a vineyard as well. Basically it serves beers and wines. Humph.

A long wander round the port and bus station brought us to St Georges Gate and Eleftheria square from where we found the Beer House at Zografou 16, off Averof ( no website but its on foursquare ). A large imposing building with sleek decor inside and 5 draught fonts including Maisels Wiess. Here we once again came across a distinct lack of advertised product but the lady serving us explained with some remorse that they had been cleared out by a party the night before and the beer order would not arrive until at least 7PM. This meant once again the Schlenkerla would elude me, and when we got to her having to list the beers they had instead of us choosing it seemed all hope was lost. Wee Keefy opted for a Kozel Dark and I reluctantly went for the Mary Rose, which she described as being fruity but not too sweet.

No brewery was listed in the menu so I bought it with trepidation, and only then on the basis of the claim it was brewed in Greece. I needn't have worried - its brewed for OK Drinks in Santorini under license by Septem - and tastes strongly of rather fabulous hops. I did politely advise that describing it as sweet may disappoint or put off punters but was also quick to point out that it was excellent - alas it was the last bottle they had, so I had half a Krusovice (the only draught left!) before we moved on. A fully stocked bar should make this a must visit destination for beer lovers in Heraklion.

The other beer bar was another accidental find, off Milatou in an area near Lions Square filled with Tavernas. The Beer Academy sells a very impressive range of draught keg beers including Schlosser Alt, and an even more impressive range of Greek beers. Add to this the good value food and you have a great combination. Searching on the web and perusing their menu which I borrowed shows the academy to be a franchise but I'm not complaining - because the Greek beer selection was the best we came across all holiday.

Once again the unreliability of such products stood out, since there was no Chios organic, Knights of Rhodes and none of the 4 Septem advertised. There was however a Volkan Blonde from Santorini, and to my surprise the prized offering of a bottle of Nissos Pils from the Cycladean Brewing Company on Tinos. A limited batch beer this was fantastically refreshing to taste but also had bags of flavour to balance it out - no sappy watery lager by numbers, this was a quality pils in its own right. I also had a Volkan as above and Wee Keefy a Bios 5 which wasn't on the menu.

You can't escape the prices in Heraklion (both the Bio at 5% and the Nissos at 4.8 in 330ml bottles were €5.80 a bottle and a 330ml Schlenkerla was an absurd €7.50!) but if Crete is to provide the beer mad visitor any kind of respite from the Heinstelos dominance this is the sort of place that has to work. The food was very nice like I said and I got the feeling that all the draught beer was on, and as with Beer House a full quota of advertised stock would make it a great place to wile away an albeit expensive afternoon.

So, a fine end to our holiday, and one which overall showed much improvement in the availability of Greek beers in Crete even at the same time as we lost Craft brewery from Athens.

For more info on Greek breweries here is a link to the Ratebeer Greece breweries list . It seems Greece is finally, if painfully slowly, starting to catch up with the interest in microbrewery beer in Europe.

Yamas to that!

Wee Beefy

Finding good beer in Crete?

Yasas!

   am in the Crete, Sougia to be precise, supping a cold Erdinger in a bar overlooking the beach. It's rather ace - but what about the beer?

We haven't got to Chania yet so news on Charma Dark and Lager will have to follow. Here in Sougia the excellent Polyfimos still advertises Craft from Athens in bottles but it's not been available anywhere so far and this suggests the info on Ratebeer about the brewery closing is true.

In Rethymno the local beer was fairly easy to find, and two new beery venues have emerged. The Pottery Cafe has changed its name to the Garden of Ali Vafis Cultural venue - and they have added guest draught (keg) beers, advertised on a chalk board. On two visits there was Fix Lager and Dark, plus Berliner lager and Augustijn Dubbel. OK, so no-one seems to know who brews the Berliner but it and the dark are excellent. In Crete you have to lower your beer expectations accordingly...

Which brings me to Beeraria - which Ratebeer made a mess on its self over. This is a decent idea poorly delivered - a good beer menu lists Euro faves but none of the local draught or bottled exotica listed by reviewers on Ratebeer, ahem.. however when one comes to order, the beer is unavailable - after four no shows (response "it is hard to get") we gave up, having had a poor Franziskaner and Mythos draught, and no complimentary nibbles for about 9euro. Pooer!

Finally, Paleochora, and Portofino still does draught Pilsner Urqell, but the real star is Aghios cafe bar, offering Fix dark in bottles along with Chimay, and the full range at that.

I must leave you now before I put my fist through this infuriating laptop! More news to follow back in Blighty.

Cheers

Wee Beefy

Review - On The Rocks Bar, Plakias, Rethymno, Crete.

Good afternoon,

      feeling better after my first nights sleep in the UK (and a beer or two in Sheffield, details of that to follow tomorrow), I though it would be a good time to review my "local" whilst staying on Crete's central South coast in Plakias, the On The Rocks bar. Here are a few words about the place that Wee Keefy and myself spent a good two hours or more in every night we were there.

On The Rocks is owned by Nikos, and has been open since 2006, which is when I first visited. There is accommodation upstairs, and inside there are two rooms, the front being a terrace overlooking the Plakias bay and the headland, rising between the old harbour and Souda, and behind is the all important bar, the music system, some more seating, and the facilities.

There are quite a few Tavernas and bars along the Souda road and all command spectacular views at sunset, back into Plakias itself and over the headland as described before, but OTR gains marks for being that little bit further away from the centre whilst not being too far to walk (for folks who, say, had 3 blisters, or something). The view past the many cacti with the billowing Greek flag being buffeted by the notorious Plakias winds in the foreground, with the orange red glow of the set sun fading behind, is fantastic.

It is, of course, very much about the beer. I know very well that they do cocktails and juices, spirits and snacks, for those who wish to "eat", but the real draw here is the beer. Craft brewery Pilsner (5.0%) brewed at the excellent Craft Brewery in Athens, is on draught, served in sleek, tall, branded glassware. A large glass will set you back €4.00. Craft Pilsner is a perfectly balanced, if perhaps not rigidly representative example of the style, and the perfect antidote to the hot days and raw winds.

Also available on draught is the rather less inspiring Fix Hellas Pils, a rather sweeter more widely available lager by numbers which I suppose at least isn't the ubiquitous Heineken or Amstel.

Better still, on sale at €3.00 are the full range of Craft brewery bottles, one of which I have studiously taken home to share with Davefromtshop. No bottled Pilsner, alas, but Athens lager, Weiss, Black lager, Red Ale and Smoked lager are available. The Weiss is a faithful example, there is quality red malt (but crying out for some U.S hops!) in the Red Ale, and the Smoked lager is softer but just as good as the average rauchbier.

Craft was started in Athens in 1997, (there is a link to their website here if you would like more info), and I first discovered it in 2006, in OTR in Plakias as it happens. Then, two weeks into my holiday, having drunk Mythos, Alfa, and worse still, Amstel everyday, the excellent crisp refreshing malt and yes, what I really believe is hop bitterness, was a wonder. I recommended it to a couple who started running (in reality ruined a perfectly good) taverna/bar in Elounda that same holiday, but they claimed it wouldn't sell as there is no "C" in the Greek alphabet so none of the locals would know what it was. They were closed by the next year. Seems the problem may not have been limited to the locals alphabetical radicalism....

Back to On The Rocks, the other draw, apart from the beer, views and Nikos' hospitality, is the eclectic mix of music. Varied enough to be interesting, but without being pretentious, chilled enough to be relaxing, without becoming boring - one afternoon session might reveal dub, breakbeat, a couple of hours of well constructed electro, Cretan rembitiko like Nikos Xylouris or even some ska. Its not loud enough to be obtrusive but still detectable enough to set the mood, as you relax with your delicious Craft Pilsner, watching the sunset.

Finally, there is a rather basic website for OTR Here which concentrates almost entirely on their rooms, and without mention of the jewel in South central Crete's bars which is their single Craft Pilsner tap - I say this because despairingly, I have found it ever more difficult to find Craft on sale anywhere. Fellow Blogger Student drinker claims here to have spotted it whilst on holiday in the Blackpool of the Cretan sea which is Malia, but visit Malia for a beer? That's far too high a price to pay!

Happy holidays if you're off, if not then best wishes anyway,  and perhaps I'll see you around in a public house or inn, soon.

Wee Beefy.

Cretan bulletin

       Hello (yassas)

   just a quick message from Crete. There is relatively little to report in terms of Cretan breweries, imagined or otherwise and unfortunately I haven't made it to Chania this time so no opportunity has been had to check if the Charma brand is still produced.

Brinks Rethimnian organic is available in restaurants in Rethymnon, but few bars stock it, except those charging a premium. I am staying in Plakias on the South coast and one of the contributory factors in choosing this destination was the availability of Craft beer from Athens. Mercifully, I have been able to find it. I'm not saying it would make the holiday experience much less enjoyable if it had not been on sale, but lets just say its a damned relief that it is available.

On the rocks bar in Plakias is still the place to go for Craft - they have the pilsner on draught (Euro 4.00) as well as their full bottled range for about 3 Euro, but otherwise its Draught Alfa or Mythos, between 3 and 4 Euro, and rebadge contract brewed German copies like Kaiser.

The only other notable news is the emergence of a schooner measure - the 500ml large measure is ambiguous enough but a Schooner at 400ml is a bit mean when its still 4 Euro a pop.

So that's all I have, can't wait to have a lovely pint of real ale in my hand - in the rain, soon

Wee Beefy

More from crete

Hello,

      we are nearing the end of the holiday, sat in unhelpful near dark in an internet cafe in Agios. On the last day in Chania I found a Craft outlet and had good beer at a bar that has an Asterix theme on the menu but no name (distinguishable by its odd multi-coloured model of an ostrich type bird on the right hand side of the entrance - I kid you not)! We had 4 fantastic days in Paleochora, Portofino still sells Pilsner Urquell and now also Craft bottles at a decent price, otherwise the beer ranges have been poor (but beaches fantastic and sea clear and warm..)

We are staying in Kritsa, and have been drinkiing what turns out to be a Greek beer, Magnus Magister pils, in Castello, as we always do.  We are off to Elounda today to see Dimitri and then Maria in Kato Elounda, and hopefully we'll get some Brinks Rethymnian in Rethymno tomorrow.

Cheers

Wee Beefy.