Exploring Russia’s Craft Beer Scene
Russia – the land of vodka, right? On first glance, the Smirnoff-swilling motherland might seem an unlikely beer destination. However, Russia has been brewing for centuries, and its beer, particularly its stouts and porters, have become beloved staples in the international beer world.
Brewers across Russia are creating some of the most exciting – and sultry – beers on the planet. Combined with the country’s frosty climes and hearty food, it’s tough to go wrong. Here’s our guide to sampling Russia’s surprising craft beer scene in its two main cities: Moscow and St Petersburg.
Beer for the Tsars
In January 1698, Russia’s most outward-looking tsar, Peter the Great, set foot in Britain on a year-long European tour, learning the art of shipbuilding along the River Thames and frequenting the taverns of south London. It was during this time that Peter fell in love with the porters and stouts commonly drunk by British dockworkers. Peter took the style back to Russia with him, decreeing that ale should be made available for his navy and hospitals. Later, under tsarina Catherine the Great, beers from British brewery Burton became a popular import, while Russian brewers emulated British-style dark beers, brewing them at higher temperatures and strengths, giving rise to the ‘Russian imperial stout’ – a style beloved by Catherine herself.
Though dark beer was largely lost during Soviet times (when vodka and lager were easier to produce with limited ingredients), the craft beer revolution reached Russia in the early 2000s, signaling a revival of those old dark beers. Consequently, the craft beer scene has grown rapidly since then.
In 2013, Moscow beer shop and early adopter GlavPivMag ordered its first-ever pair of kegs of St Petersburg-based AF Brew’s pale ale, prompting queues for beer that the shop’s owner reckoned the city hadn’t seen since the Soviet era. Today, dozens of bars and shops have opened across Russia, making it easy to sample the country’s unique brews. Consequently, Russia is now a destination known for great beer, especially strong porters and stouts, with home-grown artisan beers that rival any in the world.
Malty in Moscow
Russia’s sprawling capital is also its trendy heart: Moscow feels alive with energy and activity. All those 12 million Muscovites you see shuffling to and from work on the architecturally stunning metro have to drink somewhere, after all.
A good place to start is Rule Taproom: a punkish bar nestled down a side street that is aptly difficult to spot. While American craft beer posters greet you inside, the 25-strong tap list is primarily focused on Russian brews, with the occasional import. It gets busy, even on snowy December nights.
Jawsspot is the taproom of Jaws Brewery, one of Russia’s longest-running craft breweries. The bar is located on the top floor of a rather average mall but offers nice views and a consistent flow of their core beers and specials. Their easy-drinking pale ale is widely available across the country, and the sessionable oatmeal stout is particularly popular among dark-beer drinkers.
Craft RePUBlic is a basement bar for true beer lovers, offering 25 taps – the sort of place where you can turn up a few days before Christmas, dance around to festive tunes, and be served a wildcard beer from their taps (or a giant sharing bottle) whose name you might never find out. Even on more subdued occasions, this venue remains one of Moscow’s top-notch beer spots.
Eric the Red offers an extensive menu of international and Russian beers, conveniently located right along tourist-friendly Arbat street. The offerings upstairs differ somewhat from the ground-floor bar, but the selection is immense and showcases plenty of Russian-grown brews.
Near the Tretyakovskaya commercial district, you can pop into earthy Underdog for a pint at the wooden bar just off the main shopping street. Trendy Parka, styled like a traditional banya (bathhouse), has a solid selection of Russian beers, although service can be hit-or-miss. Further out, Varka pub near Taganskaya metro station is known for attracting locals enjoying brews to a metal soundtrack.
Farsh has locations throughout Moscow where you can grab order-at-the-counter burgers, accompanied by a fridge full of craft beers, making it an easy meal choice. Alternatively, for something more local, visit Lepim i Varim for fantastic (but affordable) Russian pelmeni (dumplings) that pair well with a few beers.
Sudsy St Petersburg
Moscow may be Russia’s cosmopolitan capital, but St Petersburg has always been its historical beer base. The country’s first two breweries – Stepan Razin and Vena – were founded here, and for its boutique size, St Petersburg boasts a refreshing number of modern microbreweries, cool taprooms, and bars.
Your first and possibly only stop should be Redrum. As the taproom for local star brewery AF Brew, it features a minimalist design and rotates its selection of AF’s beers on tap, along with many impressive international options. The venue is uniquely adorned with creepy paintings from The Shining, adding to the ambience.
You’re likely to find Bakunin Brewery’s beers all over Russia, but why not enjoy them at the source? Rockets & Bishops is Bakunin’s minimalist, Scandi-style taproom which promotes conversation with its no–wifi policy; they also serve up burgers. Just up Gorokhovaya, Craft Brew Cafe offers American-style beer dining with numerous Russian craft options and a large pub menu.
The similarly named but unrelated Craft Pub features a lengthy menu in a sport-meets-Irish-pub atmosphere. The beer selection is solid, and there’s ample seating and stomach-filling food.
Top Hops ticks numerous boxes with its charming riverside location, offering 20 taps and Tex-Mex snacks. If you fancy taking some beer home, both Beergeek and Beer Boutique 1516 are technically beer shops but also permit on-site consumption.
Russian Breweries and Beers
Though around 10% of Russia’s beer market consists of dark beers, options abound to cater to every palate. From sours to hopped-up IPAs and traditional lagers, there’s something for everyone.
It seems that Russia hasn’t fully embraced the brewery taproom concept just yet, so in most bars, it’s essential to know which beers to look out for. Many of the staff in the places mentioned above are friendly, speak English, and are happy to recommend local brews. Here are a few Russian breweries worth seeking out during your beer explorations:
Moscow-based breweries: Zagovor Brewery, One Ton, Selfmade, ID Brewery, New Riga’s, Red Button, XP Brew, Velka Morava, and Moscow Brewing Co.
St Petersburg-based breweries: AF Brew, Bakunin, and Vasileostrovskaya Brewery. Baltika – Russia’s second-largest brewery, now owned by Carlsberg – is also based here.
Further afield: You’ll find breweries like Jaws Brewery, Plan B Yaroslavl, Salden’s Brewery Tula, Brewlok Voronezh, and Petr Petrovich in bars throughout Russia.
