Vergina Lager

Vergina Lager is a premium lager beer produced by Macedonian Thrace Brewery, an independent Greek brewery founded in 1996 and based in Komotini, in the region of Thrace. The beer was first brewed in 1998 and is marketed as the first 100% authentic Greek beer, made from Greek malting barley and carrying a Greek label. It is the flagship product of the Macedonian Thrace Brewery portfolio, which also includes Vergina Red, Vergina Weiss, Vergina Porfyra, Vergina Black, Vergina Alcohol Free, Vergina Honey & Spice and Vergina Radler. The lager is brewed according to the strict specifications of the German Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law) and is described by the producer as having a light, smooth and refreshing flavor. Its recipe combines Thracian malt from two-row barley varieties with Tettnang and Hallertau malts, and it is hopped with H. Magnum, T. Tettnanger and H. Gold. It has an alcohol content of 5% Vol and an energy value of 40 kcal/100ml. The beer is packaged in bottles (0.33l and 0.5l), cans (0.33l and 0.5l) and kegs (20l, 30l and 50l), with shelf lives of 12 months in cans, 9 months in bottles and 4 months in kegs. It has received international recognition, including a Gold Medal at the Concours International de Lyon in 2023 and a Silver Medal at the same competition in 2022. The brand is positioned as a premium Greek lager that pairs well with a wide range of dishes, including grilled meat, barbecue, pizza, cheeses, deli meats and traditional Greek recipes. The brewery's location in Komotini was chosen for the high quality water from the Rhodope mountain range and the region's strategic proximity to European and Asian markets. Vergina Lager is part of a broader Greek craft beer movement that Macedonian Thrace Brewery helped pioneer.

Macedonian Thrace Brewery was established in 1996 by Demetri Politopoulos, an Athens-born entrepreneur with a degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, USA. He later obtained a Brewing Technology Diploma from the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. Politopoulos decided to invest in his home country with the goal of creating a Greek brewery that would produce, bottle and market top quality beer from Greek malting barley with a Greek label. He chose the area of Komotini due to the high quality water from the Rhodope mountain range and the region's strategic position close to the markets of Europe and Asia. In 1998, Vergina Premium Lager was brewed, marking the beginning of what the company describes as the first 100% authentic Greek beer. The brand helped pioneer Greece's independent craft brewery movement. Over the years, the brewery expanded its portfolio to include other Vergina variants such as Red, Weiss, Porfyra, Black, Alcohol Free, Honey & Spice and Radler. Vergina Lager has received international awards, including a Silver Medal at the Concours International de Lyon in 2022 and a Gold Medal at the same competition in 2023.

• 2023

  Vergina Lager awarded Gold Medal at Concours International de Lyon.

• 2022

  Vergina Lager awarded Silver Medal at Concours International de Lyon.

• 1998

  Vergina Premium Lager first brewed.

• 1996

  Macedonian Thrace Brewery established by Demetri Politopoulos.

Premium Greek lager made with 100% Greek barley malt, brewed to Reinheitsgebot standards.

• Vergina Lager

  Premium lager, 5% Vol, 40 kcal/100ml.

• Vergina Red

• Vergina Weiss

• Vergina Porfyra

• Vergina Black

• Vergina Alcohol Free

• Vergina Honey & Spice

• Vergina Radler

1. 1VERGINA Lager - Vergina Beerverginabeer.com
2. 2History - Vergina Beerverginabeer.com
3. 3Vergina Lager - Wikidatawikidata.org