The history of the drink "Tsipouro" and the "Kafeneio"

The history of Tsipouro

The history of Tsipouro is lost in the “depths” of time, although legend has it that its production began in the 14th century in Mount Athos and from there spread through the monks to other parts of Greece, mainly in Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia and Crete.This is a distillate from the marcs, the remnants of grapes that remain after their pressing for the production of wine, since the last century nothing is lost in the agricultural production units. And till the end of the 20th century the production of Tsipouro was done exclusively at home and much later its mass industrial production began… Basically, Tsipouro is served in small glasses, like shots ones, usually accompanied by appetizers what we call “mezze”, water or ice can be added to make it lighter. The whole ritual begins with simple dishes such as cheese and olives, which gradually become more and more complex, in order to prolong the enjoyment of the taste. Restaurant’s aim is that friends stay around the table as much as possible, in order to delight not only the senses of taste and smell, but also to warm the mind and heart.

The history of the Kafeneio

The history of our Kafeneio travels far back in time, to distant Mecca, where a dervish for the first time boils these strange aromatic beans and served them to passers-by. Thus was born his coffee ritual, which over time spread to Arabia, Syria, and Egypt. In the Ottoman Empire, the first café or Kafeneio was opened in Constantinople in 1551 by two Syrians and its success was so majestic that the cafes began to multiply and the inhabitants neglected their religious duties to enjoy their coffee, what made muftis ask for their ban. But people’s love for coffee was great, not only they didn’t close the Kafeneio but they operated in other parts of the territory. In Europe, the first Kafeneio operated in 1652, in London a Greek from Minor Asia, with the name "Greek Cafe" but it didn’t succeed immediately… And in France, too, cafes played an important role in spreading the ideas of the French Revolution, as they were frequented by the intellectuals of the time, exchanging ideas between each other and with clients. In Greece, the first cafe, "Oraia Hellas" which means beautiful Greece, was located at the heart of Athens, Ermou street corner with Aiolou Street, around 1839, and immediately became the meeting point of the fiery youth of the time… From then until now, the cafe is a gathering place of the popular order throughout the Greek territory. Especially between the 1930s and 1960s, the cafe was the meeting point, where people took part in social and political debates, while at the same time it functions as a place of entertainment, post office, grocery store, telephone, etc. The only employee of the cafe is the owner, the so-called coffee maker.