The soft drinks we prefer are made by small, family businesses, and have particular characteristics depending on where they come from in Greece. Without exception, water from local springs, fresh fruits, natural carbonates and sugar are used in their production, without the addition of artificial colorings or preservatives.

Greek soft drinks offer a large variety of choices for those in search of a refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage. Whether you prefer classic lemonade, a mandarinade made from mandarins from the island of Chios, or a sour cherry soda, you’ll definitely find the perfect soft drink to suit your taste.

Cheimarios Ginger Beer – Corfu 

Cheimarios Ginger Beer is the made-in-Corfu version of the much-loved ginger ale. This carbonated soft drink is infused with real ginger root, has a light yellow color and a sweet, slightly spicy taste. It has been produced in Corfu by the Cheimarios family since 1975, and is available throughout the country.

It is made by mixing water, sugar and ginger root, and while there is no added carbonate, the drink is naturally bubbly. This occurs because it is fermented in the bottle, where the soft drink acquires its final flavor. (It’s also why you should be careful when opening the bottle, because it can spill over).

Enjoy your ginger beer chilled or mix with other drinks to make your cocktail of choice. It goes well with the popular Moscow Mule.

Chion Mandarinade – Chios 

This carbonated soft drink made with mandarins from Chios is deliciously refreshing. It has a vivid orange color that is achieved without the use of artificial colorings, and contains no preservatives. It has a sweet, slightly sour flavor with a hint of spice.

Enjoy on its own, or mix into your cocktail or “mocktail” of choice. An invigorating and very tasty option, this mandarinade is considerably innovative given that the most popular citrus fruits used in soft drinks are either oranges or lemons.

Krinos Orangeade – Aigio 

A favorite soft drink for both young and old is undoubtedly orangeade (carbonated orange juice). Krinos orangeade is refreshing, has a fruity flavor, and an intense aroma. It is rather sweet, with a hint of bitterness as an aftertaste. The strong orange color makes it ideal for mixing with other drinks in cocktails and mocktails.

Lemonade I ♥ Ikaria – Ikaria

Three generations are behind I ♥ Ikaria soft drinks, a family business started in 1945 by Ilias Kefalos, a local entrepreneur who also owned an ice making factory and a pastry shop on the island. He originally made liqueurs, compotes, candy, desserts and soft drinks, which he sold at the shop, and wholesale at various locations across the island.

His lemonade is exceptional, with a balanced flavor and ideal sweet/sour ratio. It has a lovely yellow color and a discreet lemon aroma.

Temenia Gazoza – Crete 

Temenia soft drinks are made with water from the thermal springs at Temenia, in Hania, which gives them their special flavor.

Gazoza is a carbonated soft drink with hints of lemon, similar to the well-known commercial brand Sprite. It is the ideal choice for people who prefer drinks with a mild sweetness and less intense flavors. It is particularly beloved in Crete.

Sour cherry soda I ♥ Ikaria – Ikaria

A soft drink with a sweet and refreshing flavor that reminds those of us who grew up in Greece of our childhood years. It is made from fresh sour cherry juice according to the authentic and traditional recipe of Ilias Kefalos, founder of this business in Ikaria. Its deep cherry color and intensely fruity flavor, combined with the carbonate, makes it truly unique.

Biral Temenia – Crete

One way to describe the flavor of biral is to describe something between coca-cola and non-alcoholic beer. The truth is that biral has its own unique flavor, which is somewhat sweet, and has a lovely dark hue. Cretans began producing it back in the 1920s. There is not a single place in Crete that does not sell biral, while some restaurants on the island stock it instead of coca-cola.

Krinos Strawberry Soft Drink – Aigio 

This strawberry soft drink, made by the Krinos family in Rododaphne near Aigio, in the northern Peloponnese, has an exceptionally fine, well-balanced flavor. What’s more, the real strawberry juice adds a lovely dark pink color to the drink. There is a perfect combination of sweet and sour notes, and the strawberry aromas are intoxicating. The bottle features a beautiful pink label depicting a strawberry, adding an additional sense of playfulness.

Enjoy chilled from the fridge or with ice for an amazingly refreshing drink.

Mastiqua – Chios

A refreshing carbonated drink made with mastic from Chios, infusing it with a distinctive aroma. It does not contain sugar, therefore has minimal calories.

Mastic is also good for digestion, which is why mastiqua is the ideal drink after a large meal. 

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.

The shops mentioned above are just indicative. Market reports and products suggested by Gastronomos are chosen by the writers and have no commercial nor advertorial purpose.