Beers, wines, and spirits are all produced on Crete and are widely available alongside other Greek drinks and some well recognised global brands. If you want to know what to look out for look no further
Beer
Cretan Brewery near Chania which produces local beer, and is also open to the public for visits. Other Greek beers include the ubiquitous Mythos but since it became more global I don’t think it is as good as it used to be and would now recommend alternatives e.g. Alfa or Fix. Sadly all of these are produced by breweries that are now owned by multinationals (Heineken and Carlsberg). If you can find it Vergina is a Greek beer that isn’t owned by a multinational. The most common global brands of beer you’ll find are Heineken and Amstel. A few places do have draught beer (ask for varelísia) and when available I always recommend this regardless of the label. Wikipedia has a fairly up-to-date list of the microbreweries in Greece, altho you are only likely to find beers from these local to where they are. In all cases the beers are better than the typical lagers available in most UK pubs so whatever you choose you wont be disappointed.
Wine
Wine is widely available and often locally made, which isn’t surprising given the prevalence of grape vines in Crete. Greece is also famed for Retsina which is a a ‘resinated wine’, i.e. wine with added tree resin, which has been produced since the time of the ancient Greeks. Retsina is an acquired taste, so whilst I recommend trying it, be prepared for it not being to your taste. Greece as a whole has a reputation for producing wine in quantity rather than quality, but this is rather out-dated as the 21st century has seen a big increase in the availability of great Greek (and Cretan) wines. The wine served in most restaurants is very pleasant, and local wines can be found easily in the supermarkets, but locally produced ones and more formal branded wines from around Greece. The website CretanWines.gr has lots of information about the many wineries that cab be found on Crete.
Spirits
By far the most popular local spirit is known to locals as raki, although it is more properly known as tsikoudia. Don’t be confused with other drinks called Raki found elsewhere which often have an anise flavour — Cretan raki is not anise flavoured. It is a clean white spirit in a similar style to vodka although due to being made with leftover grape mash it has a very different flavour to vodka. It is most similar to Italian grapa, but is still distinct. Many locals produce their own so in some mountain villages and cafes Raki can be very cheap compared with imported beers. I recommend ordering a karafaki which is a 100–150ml open glass ‘flask’, alongside a litre of water. You will get a shot-size glass for the raki and a typical small glass for the water. I drink the 2 unmixed, but to stay healthy finish the water before ordering more raki! Raki is also often brought out at the end of a meal alongside fruit in some tavernas. You can also find ouzo (which is anise flavoured) in Crete although it is more popular on the mainland. Last but certainly not least you will find the sweet Greek brandy Metaxa which comes in a range of qualities. The 3* is a very reasonable brandy but I prefer the 5* myself. The 7* is different to the 5* but not necessarily better. However, if you are going to drink Brandy, I recommend getting some of the 12* and drinking it with a little ice but no mixer. The 12* can be harder to find and is often more expensive in Crete than it is in the UK. It is typically available for only £25-£30 on amazon in the UK. I did one find some special 12* called grand olympian reserve which was even better than the normal 12* and very reasonably priced, but sadly I haven’t been able to find this for quite a number of years now. If you find some for under €50 I can recommend it.
Cocktails
Cocktails in Crete are generally quite expensive as they are only served in bars and restaurants targetting affluent young people and tourists — they are no something you see older locals drinking. However, if you do want to make cocktails it is quite cheap to do so if you make you own, thanks to the wide range and low price of spirits and mixers. Imported things like branded ‘Red Bull’ or Scotch whisky are expensive, but many fruit juices, schnapps, vodka, etc are cheap and widely available.
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