Fonias Pale Ale, the beer of Samothraki

Samothrace has had its own beer since 2016. It is produced in a small brewery near Kamariotissa. One of the most important ingredients in beer is water and Samothrace has plenty of it - pure, quality water, renowned in all of Greece.

The beer is called Fonias Pale Ale, taking its name from Fonias, the most important river of the island. It flows in the north, forming impressive waterfalls. The embosed image of one of these waterfalls is depicted on the front label of the beer, while on the other side the name and the type are written in Braille characters.

Fonias is also an acronym for:

Fire / Oasis / Nature / Idea / Adventure / Samothrace

About the beer

Fonias Pale Ale is a fresh beer, unfiltered and unpasteurized, of the pale ale variety, with a 6.2 alcohol content. To fully enjoy it you shouldn't drink it ice cold, but rather at a temperature of 6-7 degrees Celsius (43-45 degrees Fahrenheit).

The bottles should be kept upright, to let the sediments sink to the bottom.

Where to find Fonias Pale Ale beer

The company that makes it is called Samothraki Microbrewery and is on the way out of Kamariotissa to the east, before the crossroad to Chora and Lakkoma. The owner of the brewery, Thanassis Apostolakos, of Athenian origin, is a Samothrace lover and has been visiting the island regularly for more than 30 years. From 2020 on he decided to stay here permanently, together with his wife and son: "Winters are hard, with cold and snow, but it doesn't matter, I love the island".

The Samothraki Microbrewery is open all year long, between 10.30 and 13.30.

Phone: (+30) 697 930 1248

How much does it cost?

A 330 ml bottle of beer costs 2.2 Euro and for the price of 10 Euro you can get a 4 bottle giftbox.

You can also order Fonias Pale Ale in the bars and tavernas on the island at prices ranging between 3.5 and 5 Euros per bottle.

In the Salvanos supermarket in Kamariotissa, Fonias Pale Ale costs 2.25 Euro, and in the one opposite to the port in Alexandroupoli the price is 3.1 Euro.

Tip

Pair the beer with graviera from the small cheese factory Papanikolau in Makrilies!

Drink like a local! When you clink the beer glasses say Yia mas!, that is "cheers!" or "to us!".

The new Fonias Golden Ale beer

The summer of 2020 brought a new beer to the lineup: Fonias Golden Ale, produced in limited edition, with 4 kinds of hops and an alcohol volume of 5.5%. The price of a 330 ml bottle is 2.1 Euro.