How Tsililis married tradition with technology and elevated the spirit that until a few years ago was considered purely “homemade”
In Meteora, where the rocks of the monasteries rise to the sky, with host Kostas Tsililis, a few days ago, we followed the steps required to create tsipouro, from the vine to the bottle.
The idea was born in the late 80s and matured as good things mature: with patience, perseverance and respect. In 1989, the Tsilili distillery was founded and a year later the first bottled Tsipouro of Thessaly was released, which coincided with a change in the bottling law and the recognition of the Geographical Indication Tsipouro of Tyrnavos at EU level. Until then, tsipouro was synonymous with cauldrons and “bulk”.
The persistence of Kostas Tsililis over the years gave new life to the family business, building a sustainable history that highlights and supports the place in various ways, contributing to the sustainability of the region. This is visible in Damasi, Larissa, where the new state-of-the-art distillation unit was built, a 5,000 sq m. environmentally friendly building.
The choice of location was not accidental. Tyrnavos is a historic tsipouro zone and the “home” of Muscat Hamburg, and the new unit brings production next to the raw material. With a network of contracted producers, a relationship of mutual support that has been built over the years and careful harvesting so that the grapes arrive alive and aromatic, the process works like clockwork: discontinuous distillation, boiler-to-boiler, steam for gentle extraction, small copper-stainless steel stills with a fractional column, a know-how that ensures consistency and also reduces environmental impact.
Having seen the distillation process, we are transported, a few kilometers away, to Raxa where the heart of the brand beats. The first distillery has open doors for visitors, with a tasting room and aging rooms with low light and the smell of wood. Here we see how evolution brought the need for aging. The tsipouro matures in French and American oak barrels – some have hosted red wines or Vinsanto – and acquires depth and complexity.
Dark Cave matures for five years, while last year a 12-year-old batch was tasted for the first time and a rare blend was added to the Tsiliki labels, with an ethereal aftertaste with a robust but silky body and a taste of dried fruits, bergamot, vanilla, spices. “Agioneri”, with less aging, maintains a brighter character and shines amber in the glass. The escalation, from crystal clear without anise to sophisticated aged blends, raised the prestige of the category. Tsipouro has become a premium product that conquers foreign markets and stands fearlessly next to brandy and aged rums.
The story is completed by the Meteora vineyard, which stretches at the base of the rocks, just outside Kalambaka and Kastraki. Here, monks have been cultivating vines since Byzantine times, and this historic vineyard is located below the Great Meteoron Monastery to which it belongs.
Since 2013, Kostas Tsililis has revived his planting, continuing the tradition. Alongside the basic varieties, experimental varieties such as Malagouzia, Roditis, etc. are also cultivated, exploring how the location, altitude and harvest time affect the marc and ultimately the distillation. The microclimate with the large temperature differences between day and night in the area “locks” pure aromas and lively acidity, and thus the vineyard becomes a “library” of aromas that pass into the tsipouro.
Experiential tourism
The Tsililis distillery offers guided tours and tasting experiences: from the distillation technique to the aging rooms and the “basement” with stone and barrels, where you can taste classic tsipouro and aged labels. It is a cycle that starts in the vineyard and ends in the glass, and in between tells the story of the place.
An ideal stop on a road trip, where the visitor can see how tradition and technology coexist, taste “versions” of tsipouro and take home a piece of Thessalian land in a bottle. At the same time, the local economy, with hotels, restaurants and activities in Kalambaka–Meteora–Trikala, benefits from this flow of visitors.
The journey of Tsiliki is a case study of how a Greek spirit gained recognition without losing its locality, and how tsipouro can be both a traditional product and a modern premium spirit. And all this in the heart of Thessaly, under rocks that make the sky seem a little closer.
