Vergina (ΒΕΡΓΙΝΑ)
Brewed by Macedonian Thrace Brewery
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Komotini, Greece
Vergina, as I am sure all you history buffs have spotted, is the ancient capital of Macedonia, and where Alexander The Great was proclaimed King.
Like Alexander, the beer has had to fight and battle its way to the top. Unbelievably by the mid 1990’s a nation as old and great as Greece didn’t even have one 100% authentically Greek owned beer that was produced in the country!!
Step forward a Mr. Politopoulos who had a dream and ambition to rectify this, quite frankly embarrassing situation and, with the help of his brother and father, a brewery was set up. The very first bottles of “Vergina” went on sale in 1998, to a market that was 90% dominated by Heineken conglomerates crowding out the competition, sometimes illegally. A tough battle for the new brewery in a country with notorious corruption and anti competitive practices.
But, like Alex the great, the brewery have battled hard, and inroads they have made, as they now have roughly a 6% of the Greek market, behind only Heineken and Carlsberg, and are expanding all the time. They now also produce a host of other beers, from a “Vergina Red”, to their own version of a Weiss, to a host of seasonal and specialty beers, while all the time expanding to newer markets such as to New York and Australia.
Review: 500ml can of Beptina Lager Beer: 5% vol.
On pour we get a light yellow coloured beer with a small white head.
Head maintains a little, and there is some lacing present.
Overall its an ok looking beer, not bad.
Aroma is one of light malts, some barley, not strong on the nose.
First impression on the taste is positive. Lovely crisp initial mouthfeel and taste. Nice and cool straight from the fridge, very crisp, nice light lager tastes, very smooth and with mild bitterness.
Very malty for sure. Also getting the fresh grains and some fruit.
Ok, overall it is a bit of a light beer to chug with not much depth to it. No need to think too deeply about this beer.
Goes down easy, with a light finish. Taste is pure grounded malt, Not bad, refreshing with a very lagery taste, does the business as I watch the sun go down on a lovely Corfu beach side setting. Keeping it simple sometimes works.
Athenian Brewery SA was founded in the 1960’s by a group of Greek entrepreneurs and is a member of the Heineken Group. One of the oldest brands of beer in Greece, since 1961, and plays on its heritage with its authentic Greek name and origin proudly on display. 
On pour I get a golden coloured beer with a desperately disappointing head. No head really to speak about. Some carbonation going on, but not enough to give the beer a decent head.
One of these immigrants was a Johann Ludwig Fuchs, a miner. He was the one who had started the Fuchs (Fix) activity of brewing beer in Greece. As he was from Bavaria he had the deep knowledge of what constituted good beer. Unfortunately on the way to pick up his son, who was arriving from Germany, he was robbed and killed, so that it was to be that the young Karl Johann Fuchs was in a foreign country and suddenly in charge of his fathers fledgling business at just 20 years of age! 
But the good luck eventually ran out as in 1983 the company fell into bankruptcy, and the family owned business was closed down thus ending the legacy of the Fuchs family, in brewing at least. 
On pour I get a very nice and very frothy white headed beer, with a golden colour.
Valaisanne, a small Swiss brewery, that produce exciting craft beers. They produce a range of beers, a Zwickelbier, a Pale Ale, and a Weizen. 
Comes in a very decent looking bottle that has a well designed label and logo with pretty lettering, stands out. Bought in Coop, local supermarket. 
Aroma of fruits and straw, all light though. Getting a red berry note. 
The Mahr brewery, with a history dating way back to the 17th century, is situated in Upper Franconia, in the city of Bamberg, northern Bavaria, Germany. The name of the brewery comes from a Karl Mahr who purchased the brewery in 1840. The early brewery changed hands a few times but since 1895 it is owned by the Michel family, now into its 4th generation of ownership under the stewardship of Stephan Michel.
Love the bottle and the logo, a striking light blue winged man, bit strange but stands out.
A full bodied beer on the taste, nice and crisp is the initial reaction, all smooth and easy to drink, good first impression. Sweet malts and grains to the fore.