In Ierissos at Halkidiki, the boilers are brimming over with beer, the boiling process is almost done.
The smell of beer fermentation fills the space at Demetris Stathoris' brewery in Halkidiki. All is ready for bottling. Just one kilometer away, some other cauldrons are in full fire, milk is boiled, feta cheese is only a few steps away, this is his father’s dairy farm.
The twenty-five-year-old man, grew up in the dairy farm, learned the abc of cheese production first- hand and eventually switched from cheese production to crafting beer. Right now he runs his own business producing and bottling beer.
A local beer from Halkidiki
He had enrolled at the Dairy School of Ioannina, having in mind to keep up and move on with the family business, when he realised that brewing was his calling.
Eventually he started making beer at home in buckets and pots, in small production runs, a small supply only for friends and neighbours. Off he flew to England to get a degree from a professional brewing school, where his talent was soon recognised as he won first place in two of the school's competitions, best beer production and best business plan awards, leaving behind even his German classmates, famous for their expertise in beer. Right upon his return to Halkidiki, he got to work on making his dream come to life.
Two peas in a pod
Although he turned his back to the dairy farm, Dimitris Stathoris doesn’t feel like he walked miles away from the paternal business scheme, as he takes cheese and beer to be sharing a great lot of similarities. "Cheese and beer are alike,” he said, “they both have to be fermented, boiled, pasteurised and measured. They have a lot in common, they even share the same ingredients: yeast and rennet. Both are fresh products that heavily depend upon microorganisms, plus they share the very same maturation procedure, that is controlling the fermentation high temperature with a heat- exchanger,” he explained.
“Even more, as far as post production is concerned, dairy and beer are only different stops of the same post production procedure” the young businessman said. “By products, such as malted barley residue are destined to be used as feed of the highest nutritional value for local farmers who will give their milk to my father, so this is a very naturally shaped circle, is it not?”, he reported enthusiastically.
The family business has been operating on a double front for the last six years. The father, along his two other children, keep on with the dairy farm, while Demetris has been building on the brewery. They swap secrets, tips and help each other out. It is only natural that he is so keen on it as he grew up helping his father out in the dairy farm.
“Our brewery is a well established unit, the first in Halkidiki that produces, packages and bottles in in situ.The Seven Seals of the Apocalypse of John was the inspiration for the label_actually it is a brew for every one of the seven seals. Being situated in Halkidiki, right here, next to Athos, the Holy Mountain, it is only natural that we were inspired by a biblical image”.
“We are working now on the second batch," Stathoris said, eagerly awaiting for the release of three more of his brews, with their respective seals, in the coming weeks.