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Santorini is best known amongst drinkers for its excellent wineries featuring Assyrtiko & other indigenous grapes. Secondarily, it also has some excellent cocktail bars. As with most of Greece outside of Athens, craft beer is lower on the list of priorities. However, there are two breweries in Santorini, making it the beer capital of the Cyclades. Here are the best places for craft beer in Santorini, including those two breweries, as well as a couple of restaurants that also offer craft beer.
The Best Breweries in Santorini
Santorini Brewing Company
Santorini Brewing Company is the oldest craft brewery in Santorini. Since 2011, it has been the ubiquitous beer of the Greek island.
The brewery’s donkey-themed beers are inspired by Santorini’s donkeys, which are used to ferry people & goods up the island’s steep cliffs from the water. Emphasis on used – their presence is quite controversial, as many of the animals don’t seem to be in the best of health. It’s much better to stick with the beer instead!
Santorini Brewing Company’s beers can be found all over Santorini, with their distinctive Yellow Donkey & Red Donkey signs seen at many bars and restaurants. Yellow Donkey is a golden pale ale, while Red Donkey is a red ale.
They make other styles as well, including Crazy Donkey (IPA), White Donkey (hefeweizen), Slow Donkey (barleywine), and Lazy Ass (lager). All Santorini beers are unfiltered & fresh. For the most part, they have chosen to focus on basic styles.
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In addition to their distribution, you can also visit the brewery, which is located in central Santorini, right along the wine road.
The taproom (technically a bottle room, since Santorini’s beers are not currently available on draft), is located on the 2nd floor, above the brewing space. There is a video playing in the corner that focuses more on the brewery & the brewing process.
My visit began with a quick introduction to the brewery & its beers. It’s not possible to grow the necessary brewing ingredients on Santorini. Therefore, the brewery imports all its ingredients, including malts from Germany & Austria, hops from New Zealand, Oregon, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, and yeast from Belgium & the USA. Due to the island’s limited water resources, Santorini Brewing also purchases desalinated water, which is then filtered again through reverse osmosis.
As I learned about Santorini Brewing, I sampled a selection of 3 different beers (Yellow Donkey, Lazy Ass, and Crazy Donkey). The samples were free, but you can then of course purchase beers, both for onsite consumption as well as to-go. The brewery also offers plenty of merchandise, making for nice Santorini souvenirs.
I then bought a bottle of my favorite beer I tried (Lazy Ass), which I took out to the front patio. The patio has a few small tables, along with views of the nearby wineries & vineyards. The area may be dominated by grapes, but there’s still something nice for beer drinkers as well.
Address: Episkopi Gonias 847 00, Greece (map)
Ftelos Brewery Santorini
Ftelos Brewery is the newest Santorini craft brewery, having opened in 2021. The facility is gorgeous. It’s clear that a lot of investment has been made into the place. It includes not only the brewery, but also a large restaurant called Malt, a full bar, and a taproom.
Outside, there are two lovely patios with plenty of space, fresh air, plus fun Latin & other international music on the stereo. The brewery also hosts concerts. One patio looks out toward the east, with blue Mediterranean waters & the tallest mountain in Santorini in the distance. The other is located on the rooftop of the brewery, providing 360-degree views.
Upon my arrival at Ftelos Brewery, my friendly server first gave me a quick tour of the premises, including a peek into the brewing space along with the gift shop. The gift shop included swag, as well as a bottle shop.
One intriguing selection was the brewery’s special creation Cyrene, a wine beer with grapes from the owner’s vineyard right across the road. Brewers Theodoros Bizios and Vassilis Ziovas aim to brew special beers such as this one in addition to their flagship offerings.
After my tour, I ordered a flight, which came with 6 beers of my own choosing. I also had a generous Greek cheese and meat platter.
The core line at Ftelos Brewery is called Blue Monkey & includes a lager, a pale ale, and a Vienna lager. The Blue Monkey name comes from the beautiful frescoes that were found at Akrotiri. The art can now be seen at the local Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira.
Their specialty beers are where Ftelos Brewery really stands out. The beers of their Malt ‘N Marvel line are more inventive, going beyond the basic styles of their core Blue Monkey selection.
I had their Rosemary Gose, Hibiscus Saison, Double IPA, and Salty Rock Stout. Overall, the Ftelos beers were some of the best craft beers I had during my time in Greece. While the core lines of both Santorini Brewing & Ftelos Brewing are popular with tourists, it’s these experimental Ftelos brews that will put Santorini on the Greek beer map.
Ftelos Brewery offers full tours complete with tastings & food pairings, plus cooking classes, and even homebrewing classes.
As I mentioned above, the brewery also has a full bar. They have cocktails that incorporate their beers. Not one to pass up a chance for a unique drink, I closed my visit with the Salty Rock: a concoction of spiced rum, salty coffee caramel, chocolate bitters, and their Malt & Marvel Salty Rock Stout. It was a lovely closing drink.
Or so I thought, as it wasn’t actually my closing drink. Not only does Ftelos Brewery have excellent craft beer, cocktails, and food, but the service is also impeccable. My meal had started off with a welcome gazpacho. Then as I was paying, I was given a Hibiscus Saison Camperi aperitivo. This too was a lovely closing drink.
It’s clear that a lot of love has gone into Ftelos, so I hope that they are around for a long time to come. The brewery was fairly quiet when I visited on a Sunday afternoon. It’s just a bit outside of Fira (though not an unwalkable distance at all, and it’s a nice coastal path). It’s an absolute must-visit for any craft beer fan or anyone looking for a break from drinking wine in Santorini.
Address: Karterádos 847 00, Greece (map)
The Best Restaurants with Craft Beer in Santorini
Pelican Kipos
Pelican Kipos is a centrally-located restaurant in Fira with a spacious partially covered patio & garden.
While best known for their wine, as they have a 400-year-old wine cave with hundreds of wines, there is also a robust craft beer selection.
The restaurant, which is open all day serving brunches, lunches, and dinners, has nearly 50 beers available. Their beer list includes selections from both local Santorini breweries, as well as a few other Greek craft brewers, along with German & Belgian beers.
Address: Thera 847 00, Greece (map)
Volkan On The Rocks
Visitors to Santorini will spot another local beer. Named Volkan, the beer boasts of Santorini & Naxos ingredients. It can be found at a few Santorini bars & restaurants, including Volkan On The Rocks.
However, as far as I can tell, Volkan is not made in Santorini. The labels only say “Product of Greece”, while also listing Zeos Brewery as the producer. Their beer line includes Santorini Blonde, Black, White, & Grey.
Address: Firostefani, Thira 847 00, Greece (map)
Here are some great Santorini tours & activities & other things to see & do in Santorini.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Santorini, check out these hotels. For more restaurant recommendations, go here.
