karonis distillery museum

Once you arrive in Nafplio, there really isn't that much to do besides the Palimidi Castle/Fortress, beaches and some shopping. On a hote day, I decided to try going to this distillery and kill some time. I dragged my party of ten (6 adults/4 kids) to this. It was a bit hard to find, which gave even more pause, but it turned out to be an amazing find off the beaten path. Both the wife and Yannis Karonis were there. Yannis speaks perfect English, and is the fifth generation Ouzo maker of the Karonis family. Wife is super bubbly and speaks English well. The "museum" is small, basically the room you walk into with some pictures, books, and an antique safe. Took about 10-15 minutes for him to show us, and the children thought the safe was cool. Then, he took us into the distillery itself, a large warehouse room, and explained the equipment, another 10-15 minutes, since we all had questions.Finally, came the tasting--ouzo, extra dry ouzo, grappa (or the greek name for it), sour cherry brandy, and some sweet liquor that one could use instead of grand marnier in drinks (not orange flavored). That drink comes from a tree that people used to chew the bark like chewing gum. He did very generous pours (full shots almost), even when we asked him for 1/10 of it, and even allowed us to request second tastings (we were trying to figure out what to buy). Small indv'l bottles less about 2 euros and full size bottles were 11-15 euros. Very affordable. Children were a bit bored during this phase.This is a young couple really trying to carry on the family legacy. Their passion and commitment are obvious, and they couldn't have been more hospitable. Having been to many of these events in the States, this was really a unique experience because they were so personal in their approach. They seemed honored that we took the time to come visit.According to their website, they are only open on weekends and by appt other times. The reason is that they a real distillery making ouzo and other liquors weekly. During the tour, he said sometimes children can't be in the vicinity because of the air (alcohol in air?). Lots of parking (just a gravel lot, and we parked in front of the door), bathrooms, and very accessible since one level.

This was the highlight of our visit. A terrific collection of historical records, photos and equipment. Out guide was the wife of one of the owners. She spoke English well and tells us she is attempting German and Spanish. The family has lengthy history in the area and a passion for the products. We are not typical visitors as my husband is blind - and yet she dove in a let him touch all the equipment including an amazing safe. And the tasting at the end was delicious.

The Karonis family has produced ouzo for generations. Now it has branched out and is part of a resurgence of wine and liquor making. Be sure to go to the retail store in town too!

The tasting was at 7pm for 1 hour with an extremely knowledgeable sommelier with excellent English. We tasted 4 wines (2 white, 2 red), ouzo, and tsipouro with some deli meat, cheese, olives, and bread to snack on. The cost was 6 euros and well worth it. I'm extremely glad I did it. There is very little in terms of a museum (basically nothing), but the tasting is a must during your stay in Nafplion.

In het kleine familie bedrijf van Karonis worden meer producten gemaakt, maar het gaat mn. Om de Ouzo.Door eigenaar op afspraak (kan er gewoon ff langsrijden) een rondleiding van ongeveer 1,5 uur door distilleerderij en uitleg over productieproces en 5 generaties Karonis die dit bedrijf runnen.Ook nu bestaat al het personeel uit familie. 'S ochtends productie en in de middag tijd voor rondleidingen. Aan einde proeverij met uitleg hoe je Puzo drinkt en wat de smaak bepaalt.Allemaal erg interessant en in een zeer relaxte sfeer. Kortom top om te ondernemen als je in Nafplio bent!

Όμορφη ιδέα το μουσείο, ακόμη καλύτερα τα ποτά: αξεπέραστο το special ούζο, τέλειο το βύσσινο της Μαριγώς και μαστίχα όλα τα λεφτά.