Greek Vodka Made from Olives
Travel Distilled reviews Kastra Elion Vodka, an unusual Greek vodka made from olives and grain and sold in one of the best vodka bottles you’ll find.
I’m not just a fan of spirits here at Travel Distilled, I’ve also been a life-long visitor to Greece. I publish a travel website about Greece, Greece Travel Secrets, and have written lots of guidebooks to Greece, including the National Geographic Traveler Guide.
Greek Vodka Made from Olives
Some of the most popular pages on my website are about Greek food and drink, especially Greek spirits. I have a YouTube channel for Greece Travel Secrets, and the two most watched videos by far are on What is Ouzo? and What is Metaxa?
I was therefore both delighted and amazed when I heard there was going to be a Greek vodka launched in the USA, Kastra Elion Vodka. Greek vodka? I’d never come across a Greek vodka before. I’ve reviewed several Greek spirits on Travel Distilled, including gin, mastiha, ouzo, tsipouro, and Metaxa. But Greek vodka was a first. I had to try it.
Where is this Greek Vodka Made?
One of the most magical places in Greece is the site of the Oracle at Delphi. As you gaze down from the sight, high in the mountains, you look over miles and miles of olive groves. It’s truly breathtaking. The olive groves fall away down to the Gulf of Corinth, on which stands a town called Nafpaktos, about 100 kms (62 miles) from Delphi. It’s in this magical area that provides the olives for Kastra Elion.
Who Makes Kastra Elion?
The idea for making a vodka from olives came from three friends: Mike Camello, Brandon Cohen, and Frank Mihalopoulos. As you can tell from his name, the Greek connection belongs to Frank Mihalopoulos, whose family came from Nafpaktos. The team did try making vodka from California olives and Spanish olives first, till they tried using olives from Nafpaktos and those gave them the flavor they wanted.
How is Greek Vodka Made?
The olives are handpicked and then blended with grain before being distilled and then combined with natural spring water to produce a vodka that is 40% ABV (80 proof). If you’ve ever sipped water from a spring in Greece while walking on a hot day you’ll know just how pure (and refreshing) it is.
This particular spring is on Mount Taygetus, which is in the Peloponnese, the part of Greece that is on the far side of the Gulf of Corinth from Nafpaktos. Standing 2,405 m (7,890 ft) high, it’s the highest mountain in southern Greece.
What Does Kastra Elion Mean?
Strictly speaking, it doesn’t mean anything, though it sort-of means Castles of the Olive Groves. Kastra is the plural of kastro, a castle, and the word for olive is elia. Elion is also a Greek surname derived from the word helios, the ancient Greek word for the sun. So Kastra Elion is the kind of name which implies several things, but was initially inspired by the Venetian castle in Nafpaktos.
Kastra Elion Vodka Bottle
The same castle also appears on the bottle, which is a work of art. In fact it’s not a bottle but a ceramic container, which will definitely not be thrown out when it’s empty but used for something artistic or practical, like a flower vase or a water jug for the dining room table.
Tasting Vodka Made from Greek Olives
It would of course be very disappointing if, after all this build-up with the ingredients and the bottle, the vodka wasn’t great too. Thankfully it is. On the nose there’s a hint of both saltiness and a fruity/vanilla sweetness, and it’s undeniably clean and pure. Tasting it, this is one of the most interesting vodkas I’ve tried in a while, and I’m not saying that just because I love Greece and its food and drink. It is velvety smooth, wonderfully so, and with that mix of vanilla-sweet and saltiness, a bit of nutty almonds… but no, it doesn’t taste of olives apart from that slightly salty note. I’m tempted to rush in and make a martini with it, but something tells me I’ll be sipping this neat till it’s gone, and sharing it with friends who appreciate good spirits.
Buying Greek Vodka
You can learn more from the Kastra Elion website, including where in the USA and Greece you can buy the vodka. If there’s nowhere near you then you can also order it from the website, with free shipping for your first order if you sign up for their mailing list. At around $55 a bottle it’s far from cheap, but it’s certainly one classy vodka.
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