Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026

Line

Athens

The Greek titan of fermentation

Line was created in February 2022 by the Greek cocktail heavyweights behind The Clumsies as a temple to all things fermentation. Inside, the bartending trio converted the former art gallery in a quiet residential neighbourhood of Athens into an all-day cafe, cocktail bar and dining space, alongside one of the world's most progressive research labs and fermentation programmes.

The heart of Line's pioneering achievements are its 'Why-ins' – house-made grape-less wines created on-site from seasonal Greek fruits, botanicals and honey in collaboration with local winemakers. After purchasing fruit harvests in bulk directly from small producers across Greece, the Line team ensures that no element of each fruit goes to waste.

Byproducts from the Why-in distillation are given second life as vinegars, cordials and reductions for its 14-strong cocktail list, 10 of which contain at least one leftover ingredient component. Spent grains and yeast used to create Line's beer are redeployed into its unmissable bread offering or returned to local farmers as livestock feed. Leftover ice at the end of each service makes its way into the bar's plant pots.

Human sustainability is an equally strong pillar of the bar's philosophy. Line prioritises staff wellbeing with salaries that are above living wage, enforced breaks with meals provided and access to mental health support at all times. This extends to ensuring the economic wellbeing of its supplying farms. Where the traditional winemaking process revolves around highly seasonal work and income, Line's Why-in creation process uses different fruit throughout the year, providing stable sources of income for each producer. The Line team also regularly hosts educational workshops inside its purpose-built lab and fermentation areas to share its knowhow with the Athenian bar community and wider international scene.

As a blueprint for pioneering circular production and people-first hospitality, Line is named winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026 as part of The 50 Best Bars 2026.

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