We have already given you a great insight into the Croatian wine scene, which is pretty rich, offering a large variety of tasty quality wines. And this is no wonder, taking into consideration that wine production in Croatia has a considerably long tradition.
But, not all of us are the wine type of person. Some of us like bubbles. Beer bubbles. And our eyes start to glow as we see a dewy glass of beer that literally calls you to enjoy the hoppy aroma.
Luckily, all of you who know what I am talking about won’t fall short of their joy when in Croatia.
As I mentioned, the wine history in Croatia is very long, whereas beer has not a long history in Croatia. The best known Croatian beers, Karlovacko pivo and Ozujsko pivo, are about 150 years old. And up until 10 years ago, the commercial lager family of beer has been the only that you could taste in our country. But then, some serious changes happened-
the craft beer revolution. In some other countries, the beer revolution started decades ago, but in Croatia it happened about ten years ago and in the meantime, some great beers have appeared on the Croatian beer market.Nowadays, you can find excellent American pale ales, Indian pale ales, porters, stouts, lagers etc. in most of Croatian bars and in some supermarkets.
Most of the microbreweries are located in Zagreb, the capital.
But, there are breweries in all parts of Croatia. From the town of Daruvar in eastern Croatia, which has been long known for its brewery, to Vis on the south and Porec on the west.
Here are some of the most famous breweries in Croatia:
Nova Runda is one of the breweries from Zagreb and they were one of the first microbreweries in Croatia. Their APA and Brown Ale have already become famous among Croatian beer lovers, as well as their Indian Pale Ale C4, which has been rated as one of the best Croatian beers.
Zmajska pivovara is another brewery from Zagreb and definitely one of the market leaders. You will find their beers in 0.33 bottles with a dragon on the label- easily recognizable and just delicious. They are famous for their ales, as well as for their stouts that have been awarded for their quality.
San Servolo, which is located just outside of the town of Buje in Istria, was the first Istrian craft brewery. Their beer range offers lagers, APAs, IPAs and much more. Their beer with truffles is definitely something to try when in Istria.
Bura brew is a microbrewery in Porec. It carries the name of the famous strong wind bura that blows all along the Croatian coast. In their offer they have everything from golden ale, Belgian style triples to the Istrian ale. So much to taste…
LAB Split Craft Brewery is the first brewery from Split, Dalmatia. This part of Croatia is known for its long hot summers and therefore their beers, the Barba pale ales and IPAs are refreshing and light, very drinkable.
If you are staying in one of our
villas near Porec,
Umag or in
Dalmatia, make sure to visit our excellent craft beer breweries. We hope that one of these beers will make your trip to Croatia unforgettable.
Or, even if it makes you forget- it is your holidays :)
Sanda Kesedzic
19.11.2018
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
