The canonical version and where to order it.
Clear spirit distilled from grape pomace left after the wine press, usually around forty percent, drunk cold and neat. In Crete it arrives free at the end of a meal, with a plate of fruit or a spoon sweet.
Tsikoudia is what Cretans call the pomace spirit the rest of Greece knows as tsipouro. It is distilled in autumn, when the rakokazana, the village stills, fire up between October and December and turn the pressed grape skins into spirit. The distilling becomes a party in its own right, with roast meat, chestnuts and lyra music around the copper still. Unlike ouzo it takes no anise, which is why it tastes of grape rather than liquorice. Refusing the free glass at the end of a Heraklion meal is possible but nobody will understand why you are doing it.
1 editor pick for Tsikoudia (raki) in Heraklion, ranked by editorial score. All Heraklion signature dishes · Tsikoudia (raki) across every city.
Peskesi cooks Cretan recipes from its own farm at Haraso inside a restored stone mansion in central Heraklion. Book ahead, the room fills nightly.
OrderSfakiano lamb, then the carob mousse to finish
TipAsk for the olive oil tasting. The kitchen is supplied by its own farm at Haraso, and the oils are poured alongside rusk.
Tsikoudia (raki) makes more sense with someone from Heraklion explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Day trip · 6 hours
Discover the art of tsikoudia-making on a half-day tour from Heraklion. Visit a distillery, meet the distiller, and enjoy tastings of different tsikoudia styles and Cr...
Day trip · 5h 30m
Discover authentic Crete through a traditional soap workshop, olive mill tour, wine tasting, and raki distillery visit in the beautiful Peza Valley. Small groups and l...
Guided tour · 4.5 - 6.5 hours
Discover Crete through its scents and flavors, handmade soaps, fresh olive oil, and local wine & raki tastings. A light, authentic morning with hands-on visits and war...
