Beer has long been a powerhouse industry in Poland, which consistently ranks among the top three producers in Europe alongside its western neighbor, Germany. While the region is deeply rooted in traditional lagers, crisp pilsners, and robust Baltic porters, a massive craft beer boom has been taking over since the 2010s. Spend any time here and you’ll quickly become familiar with macro-giants like Żywiec and Tyskie, but the local independent scene is where things get really exciting. I recently spent a week and a half exploring Gdańsk, Warsaw, and Kraków – with plenty of sips along the way – to experience both sides of Poland’s beer culture, uncovering some incredible local craft bars hidden throughout my journey.
Tyskie Browary Książęce
As mentioned, Tyskie is one of the more common beers that you’ll see throughout your Poland travels. In fact, it claims to be the best-selling Polish beer worldwide. The brewery is located in the town of Tychy in the Silesia region of southern Poland, where its brewing tradition spans 400 years, and is currently under the portfolio of larger brewing group Kompania Piwowarska. Tyskie produces a collection of specialty beers known as Książęce that draw on current brewing trends. I ordered the Książęce Cherry Ale with a delicious dinner of oven-baked pierogi at Pierogarnia Stary Młyn in Gdańsk. This light 4.1% fruited ale is both sweet and malty with plenty of cherry flavor – the perfect pairing to savory pierogi!
Uwaga Piwo
Not only did I chuckle at the irony of realizing that the street I was staying on (ulica Piwna) in Gdańsk literally translates to “Beer Street,” but I was even more thrilled to find a craft beer bar located on said Beer Street right next to my hotel. I swear none of that came up in my research when booking my hotel! I stopped into Uwaga Piwo for a nightcap one night on my way back to the hotel. They feature a large selection of local craft beers as well as a few of their own brews, which I opted for, trying the Uwaga IPA, a bitter and hoppy 6.2% IPA. The bar also had great vibes – a trendy little hangout with games and plenty of TVs for sports-viewing. The brewery itself is located in Warsaw, where they operate a few other taproom locations.
Piwnica Rajców
I was truly blessed location-wise in Gdańsk as far as proximity to good beer – another block over from my hotel on the Długi Targ, located in the basement level of the historic Artus Court building, was another fabulous brewery experience. This brewery and restaurant has a swanky vibe and I almost felt a little underdressed in a sweater and jeans. They typically have six beers on tap at a time, and I was able to try all six of that night’s offerings in a flight:
- Baltic Porter – 7.5% “black gold,” a full-bodied and rich porter with notes of plum
- West Coast IPA – a dry and citrusy 6.5% IPA with grapefruit, orange, and lemon notes
- Festbier – a 5.5% take on the traditional Oktoberfest style with a biscuity maltiness
- Session Hazy IPA – a 5.5% citrusy and grapefruity New England style hazy
- Czeski Leżak – a 4% herbal and clean Czech pilsner
- Wheat – a classic 5% wheat beer with banana and clove flavors
I didn’t eat a full meal there as I was still full from a big lunch, but did have some duck pierogi to snack on and they were exquisite!
Nowy Browar Gdański
Nowy Browar Gdański is located in the Wrzeszcz area of Gdańsk in a building that once housed the Danziger Aktien-Bierbrauerei brewery, founded in 1873. I didn’t get a chance to visit the actual brewery, but they had a booth at the Gdańsk Christmas market, so I was able to enjoy some of their brews while I wandered the Christmas festivities. I tried both their crisp and floral 4.5% Artus Pils and 7% juicy and hoppy Hazy IPA Gdańska.
Browar Gościszewo
Browar Gościszewo is a small family-owned brewery located in the town of Gościszewo a little outside of Malbork, the site of the largest castle in the world by land mass. I took a day trip from Gdańsk to visit Malbork Castle, and with lunch at the castle’s restaurant was able to try Browar Gościszewo’s Komtur, a 6.5% Schwarzbier with rich and roasty coffee notes. Honestly this may have been my favorite beer of the entire trip. Wow, was it good. The bottle is pretty cool, too! Definitely went with the medieval castle atmosphere.
Żywiec
Żywiec Brewery dates back to 1856 when it was founded by Archduke Friedrich Habsburg in the town of Żywiec in what was once Austrian Poland. The brewery remained in the Habsburg imperial family and survived World War II. Following the war, the Communist government took over the Habsburg estate, including the brewery. It was acquired by Heineken in the 1990s and modernized to become one of Poland’s largest beer producers. The flagship 5.5% Żywiec Lager is one of the most common beers of this style throughout Poland and brewed according to the original 1856 recipe. I also gave the Żywiec Białe a try – a crisp 4.9% wheat beer with notes of coriander. You simply can’t go to Poland and not drink a Żywiec at some point!
Beer and Bones
Leading up to my trip, my friends heard me talk about how excited I was to visit this craft beer bar in Warsaw called Beer and Bones – I had found it in my research online and it sounded right up my alley: a bar with an extensive craft beer menu paired with metal music. I visited one night in Warsaw and it was everything I wanted it to be, sipping on some great brews while watching video of an Electric Callboy festival performance. The place was busy too! If you are planning to go with a group, be sure to make a reservation, but for solos like me I was able to snag a stool up near the bar. Here are the brews I tried:
- Magic Road Brewery – based in Warsaw, I tried their 6% Opus Magnum West Coast IPA brewed with Trident, Wakatu, Pacific Jade, and Dr. Rudi hops
- Nepo Brewing – a brewery started by two brothers in Szkaradów. Their Merry! 5% Christmas stout was a unique one to try, brewed with orange, maple syrup, and almond. So interesting for a stout!
- Jan Olbracht Browar Rzemieślniczy – a brewery founded in Toruń in 2012, I tried their Śmietanka Toruńska, a 5% top-fermented wheat beer with notes of banana and clove
Craftownia
The revitalized neighborhood of Kazimierz, the historic Jewish Quarter of Kraków, is a great spot for nightlife and beer, and I found a great craft beer bar called Craftownia that I stopped into for some pre-dinner brews. This was a total “stumble-upon” find – I had already saved some bars I planned on trying, but passed this one in my sightseeing during the day and decided to double back. Here are the two beers I had there:
- Browar Stu Mostów – established in Wrocław, this brewery has some beers with creative combinations of flavors. I tried their 5.5% Orange Espresso Sour – this was another “Wow” beer. My notes on the Untappd app that I wrote in the moment: “So good. Like drinking your morning coffee and orange juice in one glass. Orangey with a hint and aroma of coffee.”
- Browar Nieczajna – based in Nieczajna in western Poland near Poznań, I tried their Piwo w Stylu Grodziskim, brewed collaboratively with Browar Szałpiw, the Warsaw multitap Same Krafty, and Smaki Piwa. Grodziskie is a traditional Polish style of beer dating back to 1301, brewed with oak-smoked wheat malt that gives it a strong smoke flavor and aroma. Highly carbonated, the style has been nicknamed “Polish champagne.” This version that I tried at Craftownia was super smokey and carbonated and topped with a creamy foam, coming in at a light 3.3%. I’m a sucker for a smokey beer, and loved this one!
Pub Pod Ziemią
I lucked out in Kazimierz and found another great rock/metal pub with a nice craft beer selection, located in a spooky basement of an old building. It being a random weekday and early evening when I visited, I was the only one in there for a while and sat at the bar vibing to some great music and sipping on some good brews:
- Funky Fluid – an innovative brewery based in Warsaw, I tried their Classy, a 6.1% West Coast IPA that was bitter with citrus and resin hop flavors
- Browar Lubrow – a family-owned brewery located in Borcz not far from Gdańsk, I tried their Jingle Bock, 6.5% bock infused with coffee and cinnamon
Browar Okocim
On my last night in Poland, I tried another of “the big ones” – Browar Okocim. Established in 1845 in the town of Brzesko to the east of Kraków, this brewery was at one point one of the largest in Poland and has since come under the portfolio of Carlsberg Group. With a lovely dinner at Restauracja U Babci Maliny in Kraków, I enjoyed their smooth and refreshing O.K. Beer, their iconic 5.6% lager.
If you’re planning your own trip to Poland, my biggest piece of advice is to embrace both sides of its beer culture. Don’t skip the historic macro brews that locals have loved for generations, but definitely leave plenty of room on your itinerary (and Untappd app!) to duck into the local multitaps and basement rock pubs. You never know when a total “stumble-upon” find might end up serving the best beer of your entire trip. No matter what you’re drinking, just remember to cheers like the locals do: Na zdrowie!
Check out the rest of my travels through Poland:
- Exploring 3 Must-Visit Polish Christmas Markets
- Exploring Gdańsk: Top Attractions and Local Cuisine
- 3 Days in Warsaw: Uncovering Poland’s Resilient Capital
- Top Things to Do in Kraków: A Complete Travel Guide
- Visiting Malbork Castle: A Day Trip from Gdańsk
- Visiting Auschwitz on a Day Trip from Kraków
C to Shining C 
Leave a comment