Varvayanni Ouzo Distillery

Efstathios J. Barbayannis arrived in Plomari, Lesvos, in 1860, bringing with him knowledge and experience of the distillation processes from the Russian city of Odessa. At that time in Plomari, industrial production was on the increase and international trade was blooming. The great mentor of the Greek Nation, Benjamin of Lesvos, along with the other members of the Filiki Eteria, had begun to lay the foundations of Modern Greece in the Aegean Islands. The port of Lesvos was always busy and many products were being shipped from the island to all corners of the world. Lesvos Island has always been a fertile island, with an excellent climate, providing a superior variety of anise, the seed that is the basic flavoring ingredient of ouzo. Tens of other kinds of sweet-smelling herbs also grow on this land, contributing to the particular scent of ouzo, a fragrance that is characteristic of Greece. It is on Lesvos that Efstathios Barbayannis first distilled and produced his excellent-quality ouzo liquor, which is known as Ouzo Barbayanni Blue. Since then, five generations of the Barbayannis family have followed in the footsteps of Efstathios Barbayannis. They are faithful keepers of the traditional method of manufacturing their unique greek ouzo liquor, carefully selecting all- natural ingredients and giving special care to the old ouzo distillation procedure.