10 Most Interesting Breweries in Poland

Poland has not been an obvious choice among tourists. The country is a destination that is less often on people’s travel list as many are unaware of what the state has to offer. Do you know that Poland has a beer culture? As a result, there are decent breweries that offer high-quality beers. Modern-day Poland excels in craft beer bars and microbreweries. Around 70 breweries are currently operating in the country. Though the practice of beer brewing dates back to the Middle Ages, it was just during the 19th century the start of large-scale industrial brewing began. Polish beer has a unique flavor and aroma that increases your desire to have more, and if you are a beer lover, here is some good news – there are multiple brands around here that are worth a sip! In the entire Europe, Poland is the third-largest beer producer. The best Polish beer brands are popular due to the safe ingredients they are made from. Some of the beers have a natural honey sweetening to make them taste more pleasant. If you happen to visit a brewery and get the chance to see how beer is made, seize the opportunity. You can witness the entire beer-making process or even sip one directly from the source if you get lucky! If beer is all that interests you, opt for a Poland beer tasting tour along with Poland city tour when you plan a visit to the country. 

You can always admire the city’s famous attractions, once you’ve had your fill of local beer! 

To book any kind of city tour or Europe walking tours, you can get in touch with us.

  

Polish Beer Styles

The first thing you must know while speaking of beer is that it is called “piwo” (pronounced as pee-vo) in Poland. You can easily find more than half a dozen products in different strengths – 10.5 – 14% balling or 4 – 6% alcohol. Most of the pale lagers are fully attenuated by keeping the value-conscious consumers in mind.

Provided the high degree of attenuation, most of the ‘full’ pale lagers are light in the body, hoppy and dry. The better ones are bitter and stand well when compared to other beers of similar strength. Many breweries offer multiple brands with the same strength and density. Most of these are likely to be labelled beers. 

  

History of Polish Beer

 The most passionate beer lovers used to experiment with home brewing and this kick-started the excellent micro and mini craft breweries in the country. Poland started off borrowing various ideas, equipment, and techniques from industrial breweries. The first modern beer style to gain popularity was Porter, exported from Britain. It became the first style of beer produced in new Polish breweries. The Polish brewers also started using the top-fermenting process (not bottom-fermenting) to craft beer. Porters and wheat beers are the most common types of top-fermented beers.

The bottom-fermenting techniques were developed across Europe after many decades. Following this, the Pale Lager styles were embraced in Poland. It also became one of the dominant styles in Poland. Porter was popular too and exists to this day. Most polish beer styles combine the elements of German, Czech, and British influence. Poland also has its own unique ‘Grodziskie’ beer style. The production levels gradually and steadily grew until the outbreak of World War I. The economic crisis slowed down production growth. The number of breweries started to decline during the years of German occupation. 

But following World War II, most breweries were nationalized under the Soviet regime. Subsequently, beer production increased again. Also, once communism collapsed, the free-market economy evolved, and several international companies started moving into Poland. Some of the larger Polish breweries were brought under the control of international beer companies. Most of the smaller breweries have closed down either due to financial issues in the free market or due to the production being moved elsewhere after large companies buy them. However, some of the breweries still stand amid the tough competition they face. Since around 2011, increasingly important and visible are small producers. 

A total of 47 new microbreweries had opened by 2019 and for all of the breweries; passion is the key and secret of success. 

Here’s a list of some of the most interesting breweries in Poland where you could go on a tour and try out the locally produced beers. 

  

Browar Kociewski, Starogard Gdański:

Browar Kociewski is located at the charming Kociewie capital of Starogard Gdański. This place is a real treat for anyone who enjoys good local craft beer and Polish cuisine in a modern and relaxed setting. The brewery Browar Kociewski is inside Hotel Ren that has a huge restaurant to boot. You can sip your beer next to the actual beer that is brewed and also sample four locally made beers directly from the source! Once a year, this place also hosts a popular beer festival, and beers on tap take four options such as Pils, Lager, Bok and Pseniczne. When it comes to food, it is recommended to try Zupa Piwna or beer soup and Tartar which is raw steak with vegetables and egg.

 

Browar Stu Mostów, Wrocław:

Wroclaw was known as Little Bavaria in earlier centuries, as the tradition of brewing beer in the city dates back to the 9th century. On the ground floor of the industrial building on Dlugosza Street, you would be able to see the production part from the restaurant and a pub with 10 taps located on the first floor. Sip on a glass of beer and enjoy witnessing the brewing process. The old-style beer know-how is used to create mainly top-fermented beers that are divided up into a few brands like classic (WRCLW Hefeweizen, WRCLW (WRCLW Pils, and WRCLW Roggenbier).

 

 

 Browar Księży Młyn, Łódź:

This is a huge brewery that is located on the site of an old mill in the charming city of Lodz. Besides taking a tour of the brewery, you can also check out the restaurant that is located on-site which serves tasty bar food like burgers and pizzas. However, the highlight here is washing your entire food down with the finest beer in all of Lodz! The brewery began in 1875and offers you a choice of four draught beers that are brewed next door and a larger range of self-produced bottled beer.

 

 

 Browar Pinta from Wieprz:                    

Browar Pinta is one of the most recognized microbreweries in Poland, and has been awarded the Best Brewery in Poland in the year 2019. This place is included in the list of the 50 best breweries in the world according to the beer portal, ratebeer.com. Their ‘Pale Lager ‘K’ is made in cooperation with Łańcut Brewery, classic Polish grodziskie beer “Viva Śliwa” made with the Nepomucen Brewery and “Oh, Honey …!” are known to be among the foremost beers in the world. They have their own pub in Krakow on Floriańska 13 Street known as Viva la Pinta.

 

 

 Browarmia Królewska, Warsaw:

 The restaurant and bar are second to none and serve up delightful beers with top-notch food to accompany your drink. The coolest thing here is that Browarmia has the biggest section of home-brewed beers for any bar in the city with around 10 choices that are consistently on the beer menu. Once a year, Oktoberfest is held and this would be the best time to arrange and learn about the beer-making process by organizing a demonstration through their website.

 

 

Browar Nepomucen, Szkaradowo:

Szkaradowo is located in the valley of the beautiful Barycz River. In a small 100 years old bakery here, Piotr and Mariusz Musialak make one of the best Polish beers. They focus mainly on diversity and produce both classic and modern styles so that everyone can find their taste. Beers like Labirytm, Jose, or Charlotte are the best sellers in the market. However, their top beers are those with needles and spruce/pine shoots – Dark Forest (Imperial Forest Baltic Porter, made with Browar Widawa), Forest (Forest IPA), Lovelas (Triple Forest IPA), and ‘Don’t sleep in the forest’. The light Hazy Pale Ale Pijże has also won the Kraft of the Year 2019 competition.

 

 

 Żywiec Brewery, Żywiec:

Founded in 1856, this brewery is one of the famous breweries in Poland. You will find a museum on the site now and if you arrange a tour, you can sample the freshest pint of Żywiec right here in the bar. For 35 złotych, you can take a joint museum and brewery tour. Among the full range of Żywiec beers, the traditional Żywiec lager is the most common product you will see here. If you take a tour of the Żywiec brewery, you can explore one of Poland’s less touristic towns when you are there.

 

 

Browar Warmia, Olsztyn:

This might come across as a surprise to the list as Olsztyn is not one of the popular cities in Poland. However, once you are inside this brewery, you would be able to discover why this place is on the list. Before you get to Browar Warmia, you will be charmed by Olsztyn’s Old Town. Inside the huge brewery, you can find a bar and a restaurant that serves the special local beer to perfection. You can try out the sample option that would contain six beers ranging from lager to an IPA to a stout. The shop also sells all the Warmia beers in bottles so that you can easily take them home with you after the tour.

 

 

 Funky Fluid from Warsaw:

This is a promising brewery as it was the third-best new brewery in the world for the year 2020. This place begun in September 2018 as an enterprise by Warsaw’s Michal Lanier and Karol Mizielski who had decided to create uncompromising beers. They have no savings on raw materials or no shortcuts. They focus on making the best quality hops and additives and have their own rules they follow in daily work. They continuously keep working and may come up with a surprise for the next season.

 

 

 

 Brovarnia Gdańsk from Gdańsk:

This place is located in the old granary on the banks of the Motlawa River. This is one of the oldest and the most beautiful Gdańsk restaurant breweries. This brick building that is massive hosts a microbrewery, hotel, and restaurant. You can try out three types of delicious Gdańsk beers – Starogdańskie (dark), Złoto Brovarni (light), and Pszeniczne (wheat) that are still made using the oldest Bavarian legal norm known as ‘Bayerisches Reinheitsgebot’. When the process is underway, they make use of water, high-quality malt from barley and wheat, hops, and yeast.

 

Take your pick of beer from the list above or go on a food tour in Krakow to enjoy these aromatic and pleasant beers. Happy Drinking!