When the Drachma Was Still King

When the Drachma Was Still King

Before the euro landed in our wallets in 2002, the drachma jingled across Greece for centuries. The name itself dates back to antiquity — even in ancient Greece it referred to a handful of silver coins, held in a fist ("drassesthai" = to grasp). From the city-states of antiquity to the modern republic, the drachma wrote almost three millennia of monetary history — hardly any other currency in the world can claim that.

In the 1960s, the era we bring back to life at our festival, the drachma was a stable, proud currency. People paid for their coffee at the kafenio with a few lepta, did their weekly shopping with colorful notes depicting ancient gods and philosophers. It was a time of new beginnings, of sirtaki, of the first jukeboxes, and of warm summer evenings by the sea.

It's exactly that atmosphere we want to bring back to life on Tuesday, September 29, starting at 5 p.m., in our taverna: at the DRACHMEN FEST, you'll pay us in drachmas at original 1960s prices, with live music and Greek mezedes served just as they would have been down at the harbor back then.

Whether you still have old drachma notes tucked away in a drawer at home, or simply feel like a memorable evening full of history, music, and good food: we can't wait to see you!

Mastiha Mezedopolio – Taverna Restaurant, Arndtstr. 12, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg