Cretan Brewery ( Charma)

This brewery from Chania, owned by I. Lionakis & Co. and bearing the brand name Critiki
Zythopioia, was set up in 2007. Its seat is located in Zounaki Kydonias in Chania. Built under
strict safety and health standards, its facilities stretch over a surface of 1000 m 2. The production equipment was built and installed by a German company with long experience in brewing, whereas the know-how was passed on by a renowned German brewer, who still helps and supports our production. The raw materials for the production of high-quality malt, hops,
yeast, are imported from Germany. Then the crystal, delicious water from the foot of the Lefka Ori is added to these ingredients. The production follows the stipulations of the 1516 German Law on the “purity of the beer”, that clearly specifies the brewing procedure and the raw materials authorized, while it is officially certified to the ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 22000:20005 standards for food safety. The beers produced, lager or stout, are sold fresh, not filtered and not pasteurized, without any thermal or chemical treatment, without any additives, preservatives or stabilizers. They are entirely pure and natural, with high nutritional value, so they are short-lived since they are consumable within two months. This can only be achieved through the thorough cleanliness of the space, equipment and procedures, as well as during the distribution and storage of the refrigerated products. The beers are sold in 20-litre barrels to the retailers of Chania, to which we provide the necessary distribution equipment. Much attention is paid to the maintenance and cleanliness of the equipment. A weekly cleaning and sterilizing programme for the distribution coolers of our products is thus applied. The facilities were completed in the summer of 2007, and the first productions started at the end of the same year. The distribution of the 1st beer from Chania took place at the beginning of 2008. Today, we have reached an important number of consumers from Chania, who now widely consume our beer. We are now in a position to plan an increase in our production so as to be able to meet our customers’ demands.