11th of August 2021
Dear reader,
We have previously touched on how the Island of Cyprus is not just for the beach, sun and nightlife lovers (1) when we dived deeper into the history of Salamis Ruins and its significance as the first province of Rome to be ruled by a Christian Governor. If you have missed this blog article, you can read it on (2) below. We have also covered the luxury Golf resort in East Kyrenia in the blog post (3).
I was very tempted to actually bring the Kyrenia Old Town with its 16th Century Castle, Amphitheater and famous harbour to your attention today. Safe to say the 10,000 years old history of the island has left many historic gems that I want to talk about which we will touch upon later. Because, for the ones that are not a big fan of history, architecture, or golf; I will cover a topic more suited for the spirit of summer this time.
After the long legal battle for trademarking halloumi, the Cypriot traditional cheese also known as hellim, most people learned the origins of their favourite grilled cheese is the Island of Cyprus. With this battle, the halloumi gained international recognition and fame and I am here to talk about other delicacies of this Island that I think deserves the same level of recognition. The locally produced and originated drinks of Cyprus. I will also be sure to drop some delicious recipes for our famous ice-cold local cocktails down below.
The cities of Cyprus are home to breweries and wineries all around the Island. We have previously presented properties on an award-winning Vineyard located in the Mountains of West Kyrenia which you can access from the blog post (4) linked down below. The Mediterranean climate of the island is perfect for growing unique types of grapes for local wine production. My intent is not to talk in-depth about different brands of beverages but more about the types of alcohol unique in origin to Cyprus.
Some local brands to taste test on your next trip to Cyprus:
Etel wines (produced in Kyrenia), Gold Fassl Beer (produced in Famagusta), Humor Beer (produced in Nicosia), Militsa Cider (produced in Village in outskirts of Nicosia).
Commandaria: Sweet Dessert Wine
Commandaria is the World’s oldest wine in production holding a special place in Church as it’s the historic wine used for the Holy Communion. Dating back to 800BC, the crusades in the 12th Century called this delicacy the “Cypriot Nama” believing that the wine had therapeutic qualities. Commandaria geographically originates from 14 villages to the South of Troodos Mountains, home to the highest peak Mount Olympus. It is made from two unique types of grapes the blue grape mavro blue and the white xynisteri., both are indigenous to Cyprus. The grapes are picked and dried to enrich their sugar content and dried grapes are then pressed. Grapes are fermented in huge jars afterward.
Commandaria was declared “the wine of kings and the king of wines” by Richard the Lionheart when he celebrated his marriage to Berengaria and his overtaking of the Island of Cyprus. Ever since Europe praised this sweet-tasting wine. In the 13th Century “Battle of the Wines” was held by the French King Philip Augustus and Commandaria won the first prize.
The customs of production of this ancient wine have been preserved over the centuries by the villagers. The heritage of Commandaria is guarded by the 14 villagers on the Mountains of Troodos.
Amber-colored Commandaria is best served chilled at around 6-9 ºC and can be consumed with some mature cheese and nuts.
Few of the Commandaria brands: KEO’s St. John Commandaria, ETKO, and St. Nicholas.
Zivania: The “Firewater” Brandy
Personally can never even take a sip out of this one. It is not nicknamed the “firewater” for no reason. It has an alcohol content of 45% and you can feel it going down your gut once you make the commitment to drink it.
Zivania dates back to the Venetian ruling era in Cyprus in the 14th Century. Methods of production of Zivania is also passed down through generations and are preserved as in ancient times, respectful of the local heritage and customs.
Zivania recycles the grape remains like the peel and seeds, mixed with high-quality local dry wines made from indigenous grapes. Cauldron (Kazan in Greek and Kazan in Turkish) is where distillation takes place. Later, distilled and mellowed for up to 10 plus years producing the clear-colored Zivania. It contains no sugar or has no acidity. It is best served very cold straight from the freezer in a shot glass.
For special occasions, an aromatic variety of Zivannia can be kept for many years often flavored by honey, cinnamon, cloves, raisins, or citrus fruits local to the Island. Cypriots also used this strong drink to relieve the pain of their wounds, numb toothaches, warm up on cold winter nights near the Troodos Mountains, the coldest region in Cyprus.
Other Cypriot Brandy’s include the Ouzo which is not as strong as Zivania, Anglias Brandy, and Cyprus 31 Brandy named after its alcohol content. Zivania is usually consumed with some meze (selection of local side-dishes) or cured meat. Renga is a salty cured fish that is often consumed alongside Zivania.
Few of the Zivania brands: LOEL, KEO, and Tsiakkas.
Brandy Sour: Alcoholic Cocktail in disguise of lemonade
Brandy Sour is the national cocktail of Cyprus, a mixture of Cypriot Brandy, Cypriot lemon juice (best ones are from Morphou), and soda. Served on the rocks in a long glass and with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
Brandy Sour is famously invented in the 1930s at the Forest Park Hotel in Troodos Mountains made for the King Farouk of Egypt as a cocktail in disguise of lemonade. King Farouk wanted his alcoholic drink to resemble a glass of lemonade so he can enjoy his cocktail in public being a Muslim King. Being a Muslim, he did not want to be seen drinking alcohol so the bartender came up with the cocktail to please his frequent visitor. The cocktail spread across the island and is well known for its interesting story.
Ingredients:
5 cl (2 parts) Cypriot brandy (typically KEO VSOP or Haggipavlu Anglias brands)
2.5 cl (1 part) Cypriot lemon squash
2–4 drops of bitters (Angostura or Cypriot Cock Drops brands)
Top up with soda water (some use lemonade instead to make it sweeter)
Ice
Brandy Sour Recipe:
Fill up a tall glass with ice
Add Angostura bitters to the ice
Add 5 cl (2 parts) Cypriot brandy
Add 2.5 cl (1 part) Cypriot lemon squash
Stir well and then top it up with soda water or lemonade
Ouzini Cocktail
Ouzini is a cocktail that was created to serve the strong local Brandy Ouzo in a lighter form to engage tourists in local products and flavors. Ouzini is combined in a shaker. The mixture is combined with ouzo brandy, fresh orange juice, and bitters. Very similar combination to the Brandy Sour. The mixture is shaken vigorously and served on the rocks in a highball glass. It can be topped with a dash of bitters and served with a slice of orange.
Property blogs mentioned above:
(1) Beach Properties
https://mediterraneancondos.wordpress.com/2021/08/10/thalassa-beach-properties/
(2) Properties around historical landmarks
https://mediterraneancondos.wordpress.com/2021/04/26/how-cyprus-became-the-first-province-of-rome-to-be-ruled-by-a-christian-governor/ 
(3) Golf Properties
https://mediterraneancondos.wordpress.com/2021/08/09/east-valley-golf-properties/
(4) Vineyard Properties
https://mediterraneancondos.wordpress.com/2021/08/09/grape-park-vineyard-properties/
Sincerely,
Local Real Estate Expert
Email: 📧 cyprus@mediterranean.condos
Phone: ☎️ +90 533 864 1652
- Head of International Sales and Realtor @ Avertiss
- Live and Invest Overseas Exclusive North Cyprus Partners- Head of Partnership
- Forbes Global Properties Member Luxury Agent
- Founder @ Mediterranean Condos Newsletter
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