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What should you drink in Cyprus? Start with a brandy sour, the national cocktail, then learn to order coffee by sweetness and accept the zivania when it arrives.
Cyprus has a national cocktail with a disputed royal origin, a wine older than most European countries, a spirit strong enough to have once been used as a disinfectant, and a coffee culture where getting the order wrong is a genuine risk. Here is what Cypriots actually drink.
Want to taste it yourself? Book a Cyprus food and wine tour on Viator or GetYourGuide.
What Is the Brandy Sour and Where Did It Start?
The brandy sour is the national cocktail, and the drink most worth knowing about before you arrive. It came out of the Forest Park Hotel in Platres, high in the Troodos, in the years after the war when the village was a genuine resort attracting European and Middle Eastern aristocracy escaping the coastal heat. The story attached to it is that a barman created it for the young King Farouk of Egypt, designing a drink that looked like iced tea so a Muslim monarch could be seen drinking it without comment.
It is a very good story and historians have reasonable doubts about it, not least that Farouk does not appear to have drunk alcohol. The drink is real regardless and Platres is where it started.
What makes the Cypriot version distinct is the brandy. Cypriot brandy is milder than cognac or armagnac with a caramel edge, and the island’s lemons are the bitter yellow green variety Lawrence Durrell borrowed for the title of Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. The mix is two parts brandy, one part lemon and a few drops of bitters, topped with soda or lemonade. Ask for the local bitters if you want the full experience. They are sold here as Cock Drops, which has caused a certain amount of amusement at bars for decades.
What Is Zivania?
Zivania is the traditional Cypriot spirit, distilled from grape pomace left after winemaking, and typically 45 percent or higher. It has been made here since the fifteenth century.
You will not order it. It will arrive, unasked, at the end of a tavern meal, at a village celebration, or in somebody’s home when refusing would be awkward. Treat it with more respect than the small glass suggests. It was historically used to treat wounds and to warm people in the mountains in winter, which tells you most of what you need to know about its strength.
Is Commandaria Worth Trying?
Commandaria is frequently described as the oldest named wine still in production, and it is made in a defined group of villages in the Troodos foothills from sun dried Xynisteri and Mavro grapes. It is sweet, dark and genuinely ancient.
It divides people sharply, and it is worth trying once for the history even if you decide it is not for you. Our guide to Cyprus wine covers the indigenous grapes, which are the more interesting story. The villages that make it are a short drive from Limassol, and wine tours that include them are listed on Klook or try Viator.
How Do You Order Cypriot Coffee?
Cypriot coffee is not a drink so much as the structure of the day. It is brewed slowly in a small pot, served in a small cup with the grounds settled at the bottom, and drunk over two hours rather than ten minutes. You order by sweetness rather than size:
- Sketos: no sugar
- Metrios: a little sugar
- Glykos: sweet
There is no correcting it afterwards. Do not stir it and do not drink the last centimetre. The grounds are meant to stay where they are, and traditionally somebody will read them once you have finished. In summer the whole island switches to frappe, and Limassol and Nicosia now have a serious speciality coffee scene alongside the traditional version.
What Is Soumada?
Soumada is the one visitors never find and the one worth asking for. It is a cordial made from almonds, served diluted and cold, and traditionally offered at weddings and celebrations. It is becoming harder to find as commercial soft drinks take over, which is a good reason to order it when you see it.
What About Village Wine?
Village wine is separate from the commercial industry entirely. Many taverns serve their own wine or a neighbour’s, by the carafe, unlabelled and unrefined. Quality swings wildly and the good ones are very good indeed. It is also part of why a Cypriot meal takes three hours.
Our guides to the Troodos mountain taverns and the best restaurants in Cyprus cover where to drink it. Village wine and driving do not mix, so either book a tour or choose a designated driver.
What Else Will You Be Offered?
Mountain herbal teas, particularly sage and chamomile gathered locally, are common in the Troodos villages and usually free at the end of a meal. Ayran, the salted yoghurt drink, turns up on tavern menus and handles the heat better than anything sweet. Fresh citrus juice in winter is exceptional, because the oranges are local and picked recently.
What If You Are Not Drinking Alcohol?
It is straightforward here, and nobody will comment. The coffee culture means there is always somewhere to sit with something that is not alcohol, and soumada, fresh juice, mountain tea and ayran are all traditional rather than substitutes.
One practical note is that Cypriot summers are hot and dry, which makes alcohol in the middle of the day a poor idea. Locals drink coffee and water through the afternoon and save the wine for the evening.
How Do You Get to the Wine Villages?
The wine villages sit in the Troodos foothills, roughly 1.5 hours from Limassol or Paphos, and the Commandaria villages are closer to Limassol. Larnaca Airport is 45 to 60 minutes from Limassol, so Limassol is the most practical base. The official taxi tariff from Larnaca Airport to central Limassol is €54.52 by day and €63.86 by night, and to Germasogeia it is €48.17 by day and €56.47 by night. A pre-booked transfer fixes the price in advance, and means nobody needs to drive after a tasting.
Where Should You Stay for a Wine Trip?
Limassol has the widest choice and the shortest drive to the Commandaria villages. Our Limassol guide covers the city, and where to stay in Cyprus covers the rest. For dinner afterwards, see Meze Taverna in Limassol or the Troodos villages.
Hotels across Cyprus
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the National Drink of Cyprus?
The brandy sour, made with Cypriot brandy, lemon, bitters and soda. It originated at the Forest Park Hotel in Platres.
What Is Zivania?
It is a traditional grape spirit, usually 45 percent or higher, made here since the fifteenth century. It is served at the end of meals.
How Do You Order Cypriot Coffee?
By sweetness: sketos for none, metrios for a little and glykos for sweet. Do not stir it and leave the grounds.
Is Commandaria Worth Trying?
Once, for the history. It is sweet and polarising, and the indigenous dry wines are the more interesting discovery.
Is Tap Water Safe in Cyprus?
Yes, across the island. Many people still prefer bottled for taste.
Can I Join a Wine Tasting Tour in Cyprus?
Yes. Wine tours and tastings run from Limassol and Paphos into the Troodos foothills. If you would rather drive yourself, choose a designated driver.
How Do I Get to the Wine Villages Without Driving?
Book a guided tour or a private transfer in advance. Buses rarely reach the villages.
How Much Is a Taxi From Larnaca Airport to Limassol?
The official tariff to central Limassol is €54.52 by day and €63.86 by night.
Where Should I Stay for a Wine Trip to Cyprus?
Limassol is the most practical base, being closest to the Commandaria villages.
Final Thoughts
The drinking culture here is built around sitting down for a long time rather than drinking a great deal, which is why the coffee tradition matters as much as the wine. Order a brandy sour somewhere with a view, learn the difference between sketos and glykos, and accept the zivania when it arrives.