1860
Today

History

SINCE 1860

164 years have gone by since 1860, when the fifty-five-year-old Efstathios Varvayiannis, born in 1805 in Cyclades, decided to abandon Odessa where he had emigrated and settle permanently in Plomari, Lesvos, establishing the Varvayanni Distilleries. Along him came his wife and his thirty-year-old son, Ioannis.

For 127 years and four consequent generations Varvayanni Distilleries was managed only by one person at a time

E.V

Efstathios Varvayannis brought along with him the art of distillation as well as the first still, bought from Istanbul, to become the cornerstone of his new enterprise. The distillery started operating and the family’s ouzo started gaining its first fans. However, only thirteen years later, the founder dies and the small company is now led by his son, Ioannis Varvayannis, 46 years old at the time. He had five children: Adamantia, Soultana, Efstathios, Aikaterini and Nikolaos.

I.V

Ioannis Varvayannis helped the company grow in a period rather favorable for the economy of Plomari. He took advantage of the vibrant commercial activity of the village’s port and managed to market the ouzo not only in Plomari and all around the island but even beyond the island of Lesvos for the first time. He expanded the first distillery and he installed an extra copper still, which is still kept. He died in 1906, at the age of 79, leaving behind an important legacy.

HISTORY
His three daughters had been given dowry, according to the customs of that time, while the younger son, Nikolaos, had emigrated to the USA. Therefore, his first son, Efstathios Varvayannis, 27 years old, took over the business.
OUZO VARVAYANNI BLUE LABEL
It was that person, the strict, serious but also visionary Efstathios Varvayannis, who managed for the first time to export -in barrels back then- ouzo to Beirut and Alexandria, while for the first time the classic now, Ouzo Varvayanni Blue Label was bottled and its recipe and blue label have been the same ever since.
DISTILLERY
Efstathios Varvayannis led the distillery to the new era and remained active till the age of 67, even if at the end of his life and career had to face war and the relevant challenges. During that time the distillery did not operate fully.
EVZON + APHRODITE
After the liberation, in 1946, Efstathios’ only son, Ioannis Varvayannis, took over and revived the business. Production-wise, he installed new mechanical equipment, a semi-automated bottling system and produced two new spirits, the “Evzon Label” and the “Aphrodite Label”.

EXPORTS

He also had a lot of success business-wise, relaunching the exports of the products to countries such as the USA, Australia, South Africa and later Europe, too. Ioannis Varvayannis remained at the wheel of the company for a whole of 41 years, till his death in 1987. For 127 years and four consequent generations Varvayanni Distilleries was managed only by one person at a time. From the founder Efstathios Varvayannis in 1860, to his son Ioannis Varvayannis and later on to his grandson Efstathios Varvayannis and to his great-grandson, the leader has always been one.

The sixth generation has now come into the company, taking up various roles and leading the Distillery to the new era

OUZO VARVAYANNI GREEN LABEL

In 1987, and for the first time in its history, Varvayanni Distilleries became co-owned by three people, Ioannis’ three children: Stathis, Manolis and Vayia. The three of them achieved a lot of. They increased the production capacity, produced for the first time “Ouzo Barbayanni Green Label”, established the first Ouzo Museum and managed to penetrate new markets to export their products. However, their most important achievement was the development of a co-existence and synthesis culture that makes the most out of the talents and the creativity of all family members. The sixth generation has now come into the company, taking up various roles and leading the Distillery to the new era.

NEW GENERATION

Giannis, Antreas, Foteini, Maria, Giannis, Eirini and Giannis hold a valuable family treasure, other than just the recipes and the stills. It is mainly the silent obligation that they have willingly undertaken themselves; their generation should safeguard the family tradition, the values and the vision of the old distillery, conversing at the same time with each generation, each era in their language.