Professional obligations led to me spending a few days in Larnaca, Cyprus some weeks ago. A bit of online research had shown me that there is a brewpub in Cyprus, in the seaside city of Limassol. As I had half a day with no plans, I decided to take an excursion to check this out.Public transportation is not up to much on the island, but they have a system of service taxis, which are minibuses picking you up where you want them to and then driving you to the next town. I asked the reception to order one for me, but I was informed that there would be an extra charge for the pick up, as the hotel was located too far from the centre.
Never mind. I was picked up at the hotel about 10 in the morning, we drove on to downtown Larnaca where some more passengers and parcels were added. Most of the passengers were locals, I suppose there are more tourists in high season. After zigzagging through the outskirts of the town, we picked up an old man outside his house and we were on our way. The motorway goes partly inland and partly along the coast, and it was a pleasant way to see a bit of the country, with the spring greenery not yet having turned brown by the summer sun.
Arriving in Limassol I booked a return trip two hours later and set out to find the brew pub. The map I found on the web was not the most accurate, but after circling around the area for a bit I found it. The place has a splenid setting, on a quiet side street with a fine view of an old castle. At noon it was totally deserted, but the place is probably crowded in the evenings. 
The interior is like brewpubs tend to be, with a row of gleaming copper kettles and the usual trimmings of reproductions of beer and whiskey commercial of bygone days.
The interior is like brewpubs tend to be, with a row of gleaming copper kettles and the usual trimmings of reproductions of beer and whiskey commercial of bygone days.There were several beer taps, including both domestic macros and imported beers as well as their own beers.
I picked up a menu, found a sidewalk table in the sun and ordered a salad with grilled vegetables and feta cheese. The menu mentioned lager, pilsener, wheat beer and ale. I asked the waiter to bring me a half pint of all their own beers. He seemed a bit bewildered, but soon arrived with a mountain of a salad – and a glass of pale lager.
The salad was great – they seem to share the kitchen with several other establishments in the same building complex. The beer was just as pale lagers are everywhere, if I had been served the same beer elsewhere being told it was a Carlsberg, I would not have objected.
I finished my beer, and motioned the waiter to come over. - I would like to try the other beers you brew here, pleas. May I have a glass of each?
- I am sorry. The lager is the only beer we have on. We only brew one beer at a time. You can have a draught Leffe. Or Guinness.
- So you don’t have the ale? Ot the wheat beer?
- No. When this is finished, we will have another beer for sale.
Being a polite guest in a foreign country, I bit my tongue, before ordering another half pint of the lager. I asked for the bill and walked back to the minibus.
I have to admit the return was a bit gloomy. £ 20 in taxi fare. Three hours of driving which I could have spent by the pool. All this for a pint of pale lager.
Next time I’ll probably call the pub before setting out on such an expedition.
But, since you ask, the salad was great.