The distillery

Makryonitis Syros Distillery is a microdistillery established in 2017. It is located on Syros Island- in the Cycladic complex, in the Aegean Sea. Its main activity is the distillation of grape pomace from the Cycladic islands.

The varieties that we use are Assyrtiko, Serfitiko and Monemvasia, all collected from the sunny and windswept islands of Syros, Santorini, Tinos, Serifos and Paros. In 2020 we were the first in Greece to produce a pioneer distillate made from fresh figs all collected from Syros Island. In addition, an important activity for the distillery is the maturation of tsipouro in oak barrels and the production of ouzo and mastiha. Using updated technology and scientific knowledge we perform slow distillation to produce high quality alcoholic drinks that represent their Cycladic origin. Desalinated seawater is used throughout the production process.

The logo

The logo of the distillery refers to a goat and the god Pan, who has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat. During the Hellenistic period, he was considered the protector⁽¹⁾ of Syros Island. This is proved with the fact that on ancient (300-200 b.C) coins of the island there is a goat with a wheat stalk on one side and god Pan⁽²⁾ on the other. The emblematic nature of the goat derives from its significance for the survival of the people on the dry and windswept Aegean Islands, from ancient years until now.

(1) […] The most ancient coins provide testimony that the island’s patron god in antiquity was Pan, and the symbols for the island were the ibex and the ear of corn, as evidenced by these coins […]

(2) […] the bearded head with horns… these symbolised mainly agricultural life; the horned head is undoubtedly Pan’s […]

Sources:

TIMOLEON AMBELAS, History of the Island of Syros, published in Ermoupoli, Syros, 1874, Coins of the Syrians, pp. 172–176.
ANDREAS K. FRANGKIDIS, History of the Island of Syros, published in Syros, 1895, reprinted in 1975, Coins of Syros, pp. 278–286.
www.wildwinds.com
www.numisbids.com
KATERINI LIAMPI, The Coinage of the Cyclades and Their Circulation, in Cyclades: Landscape History and Local Histories, Center for Greek and Roman Antiquity – National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens 1998, pp. 208–293. (Head of Pan r. / Goat, N.S Alpha, Credit Bank of Greece).