One of the ports on our sailing tour of the Greek Islands was the mountainous island of Folegandros, with its lacy fringe of beaches and medieval whitewashed town on a ledge 650 feet above the water. Though it is one of the most picturesque towns in the islands, it doesn’t attract hordes of tourists because of limited ferry service.

Strolling along the cobblestoned paths, we approached a tree-shaded taverna where the owner beckoned us to empty chairs on the patio. We accepted and soon were sipping icy mugs of Greek beer, nibbling on heavenly olives and cheese, and conversing with several villagers using a mix of Greek and English and lots of spirited gestures. The owner reappeared with a laden tray and insisted we join the locals in a popular island drink called rakomelo. Into glasses of raki (a potent distillate of grapes or figs and anise seed) he spooned cinnamon and other spices along with thyme honey. Then he set the liquid ablaze. As directed, we blew out the flames and downed the strong liquid, earning cries of “Yasou!” (“Your health!”) all around. It was one of those chance interludes that makes travel special.