The Art of Raki: A Visit to the Local Distillery
The Kazani Season
In Crete, October and November don't just mark the olive harvest. They mark raki season — the annual ritual that turns grape pomace into the island's unofficial national drink.
Every village in Apokoronas has its own kazani (copper still), and the distillation is not a private affair. It's a community event. Neighbors gather, someone brings cheese pies, someone else brings sausages, and the raki flows before it's even finished being made.
An Invitation You Don't Refuse
Our neighbor Giorgos invited us to his family's distillation in Vamos. The setup is deceptively simple: a wood-fired copper pot, a coiled condensation tube, and decades of inherited knowledge about when the spirit is "ready."
The first distillate — called protoraki — is strong enough to strip paint. Giorgos laughed when I coughed. "The second pass," he said, "that's the one you drink." He wasn't wrong. The finished raki was smooth, slightly sweet, with a warmth that started in the chest and radiated outward.
The Rules of Raki
There is an unwritten code to raki drinking in Crete:
- Never drink alone. Raki is social. It arrives at tavernas uninvited, a gift from the owner after your meal.
- Always with food. Cretan mezedes — small dishes of cheese, olives, snails, rusks with tomato — are the essential accompaniment.
- Sip, don't shoot. This isn't tequila. The Cretan way is slow, conversational, civilized.
- Never refuse the first glass. It's a gesture of hospitality. The second glass is optional. The third is inevitable.
What This Means for Visitors
If you stay at Villa Alexandrou in autumn, you will encounter raki season. It's unavoidable and wonderful. The distilleries operate in the open — follow the smoke and the scent of wood fire, and you'll find one.
For digital nomads, this is the kind of cultural immersion that no coworking space in a capital city can offer. Your afternoon break might involve watching a 70-year-old craftsman operate equipment his grandfather built, while his wife hands you a plate of fresh graviera cheese with thyme honey.
Where to Find the Best Raki
- Sterna of Bloumosifis in Vamos — they serve their own house raki with every meal
- Any village taverna in Apokoronas after 9 PM — it will appear, unbidden
- The weekly market in Vamos (Saturday mornings) — local producers sell bottles alongside olive oil and honey
The villa is a 5-minute drive from Vamos, where the best tavernas and producers are concentrated. We're happy to make introductions — in Crete, knowing the right person is everything.