Tsikoudia

Tsikoudia is a distillate. The crushed remains of the grape (officially called “stemfyla”, but in Crete called “tsikouda”) are allowed to undergo alcoholic fermentation and then distilled in pot stills, along with water.

While they are made in exactly the same way, there are a few differences between these two spirits. One of them is simply institutional. According to the law, the grape distillate of Crete is called tsikoudia, while the grape distillate of the rest of Greece is called tsipouro. It is worth noting that the corresponding drink in Turkey is called raki. The other difference is taste, due to the different grape varieties used in Crete. Kotsifali, Mandilaria, Vilana, Liatiko, Moschato Spinas, Plyto and Dafni are found almost exclusively on this particular island, so they are responsible for the unique character of tsikoudia. At the same time, Cretan distillers rarely use aromatic herbs.

Only Crete produces tsikoudia! From the prefecture of Chania to the prefecture of Lasithi.

The 35N tsikoudia is definitely the most popular.

Many people enjoy tsikoudia at room temperature. On the contrary, many store it in the freezer, before enjoying it. The middle way, where ice is simply added to the spirit, is not rare. It is, therefore, purely a matter of taste and time of year.

The side dishes of tsikoudia are practically the same as those of tsipouro. Seafood, fruit salads, nuts, cheese, dakos and salted or grilled meat are the best company for the Cretan spirit.

The secret is simple: “resting” in oak barrels for a period of time, from a few months to a few years. In this way, tsikoudia acquires flavors of coffee, vanilla, nuts, dried fruits and, of course, wood.

The way of enjoying tsikoudia also determines the way of storage. Always in an upright glass bottle, tsikoudia is stored outside the refrigerator, inside the refrigerator or inside the freezer.

A monovarietal tsikoudia is the most suitable gift solution. For white wine lovers, prefer white variety spirit and for red wine lovers, prefer red variety spirit.

Every monovarietal tsikoudia that highlights the variety from which it comes from is considered a premium case. The same applies to any tsikoudia that has been barrel-aged for at least half a year.