Many Hellenophiles (people who love Greece) are not aware that Lesvos is the spiritual home (sorry about the pun) of Greece’s favourite tipple. For those of us who love ouzo then a visit to the Barbayannis museum to learn about the 150-year tradition of the family in the production of ouzo is about as good as it gets. The Barbayannis family has been passionately pursuing perfection in the taste of ouzo and preserving the traditional distillation techniques for five generations. As a result, the Barbayannis name is identified throughout the world for its prime ouzo, the finest Greek liquor beverage. Today, in the picturesque settlement of Plomari, Lesvos, technology harmoniously co-exists with history and tradition. The Museum was founded to express the love and passion the Barbayannis family has for the production of ouzo.

The Museum is located next to the modern, privately-owned distilleries of the Barbayannis ouzo production facilities.

In the museum visitors can see the original equipment used to bottle and label the famous Ouzo Barbayanni Blue, as well as the first alembic, constructed in 1858 in Constantinople, used for testing century-old secrets and techniques, and to compose the recipes of the Barbayannis family. The Museum respectfully embraces tradition and is the home of the secret of the quality and taste found in Ouzo Barbayanni.

There are many distilleries on Lesvos and I am pleased to say that Lesvos truly is the home of the worlds finest Ouzo.

For more information, you can visit their website.