THE CRAFT BEER GUIDE OF CRETE: Chania and Rethymno
- Bonnie and Clyde Urban Tours
- Jun 30
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 5
Here is the official
Craft Beer Guide of Crete:
Chania AND Rethymno.
Looking for Heraklio and Agios Nikolaos? Head over to The Craft Beer Guide of Crete: Heraklio and Agios Nikolaos,
At Bonnie and Clyde Urban Tours, we’re big fans of great beer & travel.
Being pioneers in craft beer tours in Greece, we've done the leg work to show travellers the talented and passionate local breweries of Crete and Greece.
In this blogpost, we've compiled the Craft Brewers of Western Crete.
CRAFT BEER GUIDE OF CRETE (part#2): Chania and Rethymno.
This is an excellent time to fall in love with Greek beer! The Beer Scene in Greece is growing and counts over 120 independent breweries of all sizes; with almost 20 of them are located on the beautiful island of Crete.
CRAFT BEER TOUR PIONEERS IN GREECE
Let’s get you beer lovers excited to discover Cretan Breweries, with some basics about why we care about the local craft beer scene in Crete and Greece.
April 2021 was a pivotal point for Greek craft beer:
Proudly created by two beer & travel aficionados who joined forces to present the Greek Craft Beer scene to the world travellers.
A joyful French-Canadian Montreal gal sharing her joie de vivre and her love for great beer joined forced with a cosmopolitan Cretan-Athenian man with a sharp sense of how travelling can evolve for the better.
These two beer aficionados co-founded the award-winning travel agency Bonnie and Clyde Urban Tours.
Based in Chania, Crete, Greece, we set out to create a positive impact in the modern Travel World of Greece. Specialized in Non-Touristy Tours, on a human and Earth-friendly scale, showcasing Crete's authentic character through Craft Beer, Cretan Food and Local Culture.
CRAFT BEER on CRETE island, GREECE
As far as Crete Island is concerned, the largest of all Greek islands, the low-down is that until 2017, there were only few breweries (4-5), in only three years that number jumped to 12 & today in 2025, we count 15 independent breweries on Crete.
In the Western regions of Crete, Chania and Rethymno, there are nine craft breweries with a range of styles, influences and sizes. Homebrewing has also boomed in the past years to encourage the local craft beer movement and appreciation for fresh beer.
From one-man show operations to larger teams, the passion and quality of brewing continues to soar as locals and travellers seek out great beer. The shift away from multi-national commercial lagers toward fresh, locally owned breweries with amazing flavours has begun.
On each one of our beer tours, we select carefully tasty beers from all over Greece, curating the beer menu to present an impressive variety of styles and talent from the passionate brewers in our booming community.
Until you can taste these craft brews yourselves with us in Crete, look no further for the official:
THE CRAFT BEER GUIDE OF CRETE:
CHANIA AND RETHYMNO
CHANIA BREWERIES
LAFKAS BREWERY
Belgian-Greek Fusion. Family. Beer-patio.
Visiting the Lafkas Brewery on the outskirts of Chania town is a casual beer hangout with a playful twist. Picture a bright space with shiny fermenters, picnic tables, a state-of-the-art arcade tower, surfboards & beer patio, with a view of the White mountains.
Since 2017, Michalis & Aurélie brew their go-to Triple Hop Pale Ale which has become a standard craft brew in the region and across Crete. Through the years they have built a stellar core lineup with a refreshing Witbier (Chaniotissa ), an alcohol free beer & a fresh lager.
With the aim to bring locals to enjoy craft beer, Lafkas continues to broaden beer appreciation with accessible styles and a friendly brand. Their work and beers continue to pave the way for great Chania brewing.
XAOS BREWS
Hop aficionados. Crew. Beer collabs.
This beer-loving squad has been turning heads since 2016, when they introduced their first full-scale brew, an IPA, in a local collaboration. A couple of years later, they opened their own microbrewery and continue to make waves in Chania and across the country. Meeting the fellows behind Xaos (pronounced “Ha-os”, meaning "chaos" in Greek) is always a refreshingly down-to-earth rendez-vous with a passionate beer chats.
Their Pale Ale '' Locki'' has become a game-changer in the local beer scene and an absolute must-try beer on Crete. They also brew seasonal fruited sours, IPA's, etc.
Embrace the chaos and enjoy their brews.
CRETAN BREWERY (Charma)
Fresh. Draught. Vision.
The Cretan Brewery, a.k.a. Charma (pronounced “Harma”), is one of the first pioneers of Cretan brewing. It began in 2007 with a vision of providing a high-quality, flavourful local option for Cretan beer drinkers. In 2024, they took a smart turn and began bottling their Lager and Porter in 750ml, which can be found in stores of all kinds across the island. Accessible, fresh beer which locals and visitors can enjoy.
Charma has successfully implemented their Fresh Lager as the staple draught beer in a majority of restaurants and local bars in Chania and many places across Crete (kissing goodbye internationally-owned macro-beers). A fantastic accomplishment and a big win for local beer! If you are lucky, you can find their Dunkel and Pale Ale in few spots as well.
LYRA HANDCRAFTED BEER
Tradition. Local. Dedication.
Located in Kissamos, in the Western part of Chania region, Lyra has been a synonym of with Chania local beer. The word Lyra, referred to a four-string instrument from the traditional Cretan music; its sound evokes memories of gathering & celebration for locals.
Their hand-crafted production is focused on their signature beer: the Lyra Golden Ale.
A nice 5,8% ABV with a dry finish and a satisfying hop but also malt character.
Since 2015, this ale has established itself on the island for locals and visitors as an alternative to the mass-produced beers. It is a beer that pairs wonderfully with Greek and Cretan Food as well.
Lyra is a gateway into the world of great beer; freshly brewed and independently owned.
AZATIS BREWING LAB
Beer lab. Brew-geek. One man show.
"Freedom is a state of mind" defines Azatis' brewing. In 2020, it was the newcomer to the craft beer scene of Chania. This one-man show is the fruit of a handy engineer with a passion for nothing less than beer. His small brewing space is impeccable, clever, creative & a true beer-lab.
As an engineer, the brewer has devised his own unique systems which play into the fine balance between science and art. The beers have a classic refreshing German-style approach with local ingredients and a modern branding which makes them accessible to a new generation of beer drinkers. Enjoy their refreshing Falconi and Agrimi honey wheat brews.
APOKORONAS BREWERY
Sea. Dreams. Soul.
Welcoming the Apokoronas Brewery, the first brewery of the Apokoronas region, to the Cretan Beer Scene!
Lauching just in time to ring in New Years 2025, with their first beer Karga inspired by the local area. They best put it themselves: "We didn't just brew a beer, we put our soul into creating a beer full of flavor, character and authenticity."
Their brewery based in the village of Plaka and has taken a very local approach to introduce their beer to the local people & visitors of Apokoronas by partnering with a selection of small scale businesses.
RETHYMNO BREWERIES
BRINK’S (RETHYMNIAN BREWERY)
Organic. Pioneers. Holy water
Located in the outskirts of Rethymno, Brink’s is the new name of Rethymniaki Beer, which was updated due to the law that does not allow names given by geographic areas. They are the longest-standing brewery in Crete! Brewing fresh beer since 2001 according to the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), Brink's were the first to produce Greek Biological Beer!
With a German influence on their styles, their flavours are accessible & well appreciated by most palettes. As a nice beer-loving touch, their Blonde and Dark are enjoyed with the classic flip-top or swing-top bottles.
RETIMI MICROBREWERY
Independent. Teamwork. Fun.
In 2024, we welcomed Retimi into the Cretan brewing scene. The name stands for REThymnian Independent MIcrobrewery.
A team of beer lovers behind this passionate microbrewery brings quality beers & forward-thinking to the Cretan beer stage. They prefer to make small & solid steps in order to have a sustainable development.
After years of improving their recipes in home brewing and constant pleas from the community to open a brewery, they finally became an official brewery around March 2024. Their Red Ale might be the best one Greek craft beer in its style.
The reviews from our guests during our Rethymno Craft Beer Tour are just amazing. Try it !!
CRETAN KINGS
Mountain beer. Light. Modern profile.
This Pale Lager beer became known in Crete & Greece through its sponsorship of the local Rethymno basketball team, under the name Rethymno Cretan Kings.
Cretan Kings is a must try when visiting Rethymno and can be found easily in corner stores, markets, etc.
The clearness of the water that they are using, might be their trademark.
Their beer is light, with refreshing body & excellent drinkability. Just what you need during a hot day in Crete!
We hope this will make your travels in Crete highly enjoyable. Support the local breweries and drink true Greek Beer!
For an evening of great craft beers, tasty local food pairings & fun, join our walking
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Love & beer !
- Bonnie and Clyde Urban Tours
Greek beer is awesome!!