As the craft beer revolution continues to spread like wildfire, a healthy amount of microbreweries have set up shop throughout Latvia. And since it’s quite a small country, one might expect to find most of those operations concentrated in the capital. Alas, where craft-brewing activity is concerned, Riga remains untouched, save by a select few. That’s not to say there isn’t a slew of spots to enjoy a double IPA or Imperial Stout in Riga, just less than you might be used to if you came in from Helsinki or Tallinn.
Not to compare Riga with its beer-crazed neighbors, because that’s not the goal at all. Riga’s assortment of microbrewed offerings is something uniquely Latvian, and the three breweries, two bottle shops and handful of standout bars make it the perfect place to sample some of Latvia’s finest beers.
Breweries
Labietis
Leading the charge of Riga’s craft brewing scene is Labietis, a microbrewery set on busting the doors way off of beer-brewing conventions. Their twelve rotating taps feature over twenty-six different styles of beer, from styles as classic as IPA to long-lost Latvian recipes featuring obscure herbs and local, wild berries. The bar staff are incredibly friendly and helpful in finding you a brew that you’ll enjoy. They let us sample pretty much everything they had.
Brewery + Taproom
Aristida Briāna iela 9A2, Rīga
Monday
4p – 10p
Tuesday
3p – 11p
Wednesday
3p – 3a
Thursday
3p – 1a
Friday
3p – 3a
Saturday
1p – 3a
Sunday
1p – 12a
Location at Riga Central Market
Nēģu iela 7, Rīga
Sunday – Saturday
10a – 6p
Bierhaus
Bierhaus is a brewery and restaurant concept heavily influenced by German tradition – the brewmaster is an American expat who studied in Germany. The brewery is responsible for eight classic styles (all delicious) and a few additional experimental brews offered under the name Alkimikis. Their focus is shifting toward the Alkimikis brand, which is offered on draft and in bottles at a few other locations in Riga – several making an appearance in this very list.
Lāčplēša iela 12, Rīga
Sunday – Thursday
12p – 11p
Friday & Saturday
12p – 12a
Valmiermuižas Alus
If Labietis is the fringe wildcard of unpredictable ingredients and flavor profiles, Valmiermuižas Alus is the even-keeled older brother sticking closely to the conventions of brewing tradition. Lagers light and dark are their specialty, but they’ve recently expanded into uncharted waters with the acquisition of a legendary and historic Latvian brewery, Kokmuiža – founded in the sixteen hundreds but long since out of use. The renewed Kokmuiža activity has produced only two beers to date, but those two alone are reason enough to stop by.
Aristida Briāna iela 9, Rīga
Tuesday – Saturday
10a – 10p
Sunday & Monday
12p – 9p
Bottle Shops
Beerfox / Callous Alus
Beerfox is a little shop of wonders and any beer lover’s dream come true. Stocking craft brews from locations far and wide be it Latvia, Estonia, Japan, or the US, the only common denominator is that each beer was hand selected by Mike, the Nebraskan expat owner who’s created a true beer sanctuary in the heart of Riga. Let him or one of his fellow beer enthusiasts help you find something great to take away or enjoy in the shop.
Stabu iela 59, Rīga
Monday – Thursday
12p – 9p
Friday & Saturday
12p – 10p
Sunday
closed
Alus Celle
Another great bottle shop in Riga, Allus Celle offers some two hundred different bottles. And if that weren’t enough, they also keep a steady rotation of eight different craft beers on tap, which can be enjoyed in their bar. Boasting a huge Belgian section, choice selects from Danish Mikkeller and Estonian neighbors Tanker and Põhjala, Allus Celle is a must-visit for craft beer in Riga.
Baznīcas iela 35, Rīga, LV-1010
Monday – Saturday
12p – 10a
Sunday
12p – 8p
Bars
Walters & Grapa
Started by four friends about a year ago, Walters & Grapa is a vibey little spot in the trendy Miera iela. Reasons to go: eight taps and a badass bottle selection of fifty plus sorts from the Baltics, Germany and everywhere else. Their draft selection included great local Latvian stuff as well as delicious choices from a Lithuanian brewery called Dundulis – our first and only encounter with them.
Miera iela 19, Rīga
Sunday & Monday
closed
Tuesday – Thursday
7p – 12a
Friday & Saturday
7p – 3a
Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs
It may be in the heart of Riga’s touristy Old Town, but with some twenty-six different drafts, a hefty selection of bottles and nice, traditional Latvian food to go with, Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs should not be missed. Found deep underground through tight staircases and narrow hallways, the bar gave us our first run-in with Malduguns, a microbrewery in the Latvian countryside whose IPA is just glorious.
Peldu iela 19, Rīga
Monday & Tuesday
12p – 1a
Wednesday
12p – 3a
Thursday & Friday
12p – 4a
Saturday
2p – 4a
Sunday
12p – 12a
Chomsky
Twenty-six different taps and loads of tourists aren’t your thing? That’s cool. See you at Chomsky. A stacked list of myriad craft beers on draft they have not, but what they do have is at least a few different taps and an unbeatably grungy, local-hangout-kind-of-vibe. Malduguns was pouring at the time we stopped in and that was more than enough reason to stay for a few rounds.
Lāčplēša iela 68, Rīga
Saturday – Thursday
4p – 12a
Friday & Saturday
4p – 3a
Vest
The draft choices here are a bit of a bore, so don’t waste your time. Some excellent craft bottles, however (twenty five to be exact), are well within reach. The satisfying list offered options from Scottish craft beer kings, BrewDog as well as plenty of other delicious selections from Latvia, Estonia and elsewhere on the continent.
Stabu iela 1, Rīga
Sunday – Thursday
11a – 11p
Friday & Saturday
11a – 1a
Rocketbean Roastery
While known primarily as one of the two places in Riga where the words filter coffee bear any significance, Riga’s one proper coffee roastery also provides an excellent opportunity to sample craft beers from a variety of local sources. You’ll find options of Belgian and U.S. origins, but their selected offerings tend to lean Latvian with Alkimikis and Malduguns leading the list – no complaints here.
Miera iela 29, Rīga
Monday
8a – 6p
Tuesday – Thursday
8a – 11p
Friday & Saturday
9a – 11p
Sunday
9a – 6p
Residency 