This Greek museum network has its own beer

Created in collaboration with Marmita Microbrewery of Kavala, the new Pale Ale clocks in at 4.5% ABV and comes in four monochrome labels—red, yellow, green and purple. Brewed with Azacca, Citra and Mosaic hops, it combines tropical fruit and citrus aromas with a gentle bitterness, resulting in a light, refreshing and highly drinkable beer. The beer will officially debut on 12 June at MOMus cafés and museum shops.

But why would a museum organization launch its own beer? “Over the past four years, we’ve been exploring new ways to expand our reach and diversify our revenue streams,” explains Epameinondas Christofilopoulos, President of MOMus. “ At the same time, we wanted to express an identity rooted in innovation. The collaboration with Marmita felt like a natural fit, and the proceeds from sales will support our museums, educational programs and exhibitions.”

Collaboration at the core

The beer’s labels, featuring MOMus’ distinctive black “M”, were designed by the organization’s in-house graphic team. Plans are already underway for wider distribution through wine shops and selected retail outlets beyond the museum network. For Marmita, the project was an easy yes. Founded in Kavala in 2017, the microbrewery has built its reputation on creativity and experimentation, values that aligned naturally with those of MOMus. “The creation of Marmita and our involvement in the hospitality sector have given us the opportunity to meet many fascinating people, to exchange ideas and experiences with them, and to draw inspiration for the evolution of our work,” says Vangelis Fakas, co-founder of Marmita.

“Craft beer has a strong creative dimension. Our collaboration with MOMus was based on our respect for the organization and its work and the challenge of creating a new beer that reflects something from both worlds.” The partnership also has unexpectedly personal roots. Long before Marmita existed, the group of friends who would go on to found the brewery were brought together by a shared passion for photography. “Our love of photography was what connected us. We later met the President of MOMus at the opening of a project by our friend Zafeiria Ypsilanti. That’s where the idea for this collaboration was born, and we’re delighted that we managed to bring it to fruition.”

Fakas and his business partner, Thanos Tsoukalas, began brewing during the years of Greece’s economic crisis. Determined to remain in their hometown of Kavala, they started experimenting at home in 2013, learning the craft through trial and error before eventually acquiring the equipment needed to brew professionally. The brewery’s name reflects those beginnings.

“‘Marmites’ are the pots used by home brewers,” Fakas explains. “They are where creativity meets expertise, experimentation meets engineering, and biology meets imagination. When we started brewing professionally, we wanted our customers to be aware of the connection to those first experiments and the journey that brought us here, so we chose the name as a reminder of our beginnings.” Now, that journey has led to an unusual collaboration between a museum organization and a craft brewery – one best celebrated with a cold glass in hand.

This story first appeared in Greece Is .