Greek wine is the liquid of the gods. But Homer and Hesiod never wrote of Greek gin... Which makes sense, seeing as how it wasn’t invented just yet, but it’s worthy of the most lyrical of praise. And there’s no better gin than the one produced in Kalamata, at the oldest distillery of Greece. It is to this very day owned by the Callicounis family, who founded the distillery back in 1840 and who have been bottling distinguished spirits for four generations ever since. This includes the triple-distilled Old Sport Gin. Besides juniper – the most-important ingredient of any gin –, this spirit gets its flavour from orange peel, coriander seeds, and the resin of mastic pistachio trees, the latter also known as the “Tears of Chios".

Petimezi is a traditional superfood made of organic grapes. This viscous syrup is made of must – often out of grape varieties exclusive to Kalamata. Already in ancient times, petimezi served as a popular sweetener alongside honey. Today, the syrup is not only used to give the finishing touch to desserts, pastries, and pies, but it also rounds off the flavour of dressings and marinades. Furthermore, petimezi is rich in vitamins, iron, and calcium. Some locals prefer to take their shot of petimezi in the morning. And it doesn’t seem to be doing them any harm – cheers!

Lalagia – fried donuts – are yet another typical delicacy from Kalamata. You can find fresh ones made of flour, olive oil, water, and yeast in all the bakeries and even on the beaches. Enjoy them without any additions at any time of day – or night. Those with a sweet tooth will love lalagia with powdered sugar, cinnamon, or also honey. The fried pastry is equally popular as an in-between snack, together with some olives and feta cheese. The Greek usually munch on their first lalagia at breakfast, dunking the spheres into a cup of strong coffee.