Can you read and translate the Greek (?) text on these caps?

August 30, 2013 1:05 PM

What does the text say on these pink bottle caps (image 1, image 2)? As I'm told, these were sold as inexpensive caps at a brew-your-own beer supply store in Texas. I'm guessing the text is Greek, but I'm just guessing. Thanks!
posted by filthy light thief to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

Best answer: Based off google translate, the text around the side looks like an ingredient list. ςυςτατικα translates to "component in" followed by what look like ingredients.
posted by DynamiteToast at 1:11 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: Ivi is a soda and water brand sold in Greece ("Ivi" is my transliteration of the script on the top of the cap). Anyway, it's a bottling company, my Greek is only good enough to transliterate the letters around the side ("something something water something") but I have drunk a lot of Ivi water.
posted by annathea at 1:16 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: The text around the side is indeed an ingredient list in Greek, and the word on top is Ήβη "Ivi", which means "youth".
posted by zeri at 1:17 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: ΝΕΡΟ is Water?

ΧΥΜΟΣ is Juice?

Etc.
posted by DynamiteToast at 1:17 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: Ηβη is a Greek soda drink. The ingredient list is what you would expect: Water (Νερό), sour cherry juice (from concentrate), sugar (ΖΑΧΑΡΗ) etc.
posted by deanc at 1:18 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: Yes, it's Greek, from Ivi, one of the larger soft drink makers. From the list of ingredients along the rim it looks like sour cherry soda: I'm reading water, sour cherry juice, carbon dioxide, citric acid and ascorbic acid (I think). It's pretty good actually.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:19 PM on August 30, 2013

Response by poster: Keen, thanks everyone!

A follow-up question for anyone who might read down this far: how did Greek soda lids make their way to a Texan shop for DIY beer (and possibly soda) bottlers? It seems akin to finding unused Dad's Root Beer caps for sale in Greece.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:34 PM on August 30, 2013

Best answer: Is the homebrew shop buying surplus bottle caps from the manufacturer? It looks like one can do that directly from companies like Crown, here's their current inventory.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:11 PM on August 30, 2013

Response by poster: They could be from ΗΒΗ Κλασσική (IVI Classic) bottles, which include a sour cherry flavor. Thanks everyone, for solving this mystery!
posted by filthy light thief at 5:43 PM on September 1, 2013