The Latvian capital Riga has been somewhere on my wishlist for a couple of years. I was enamored with the images of its beautiful Old Town online and really wanted to see it for myself. Finally, we managed to get a chance to book a short trip there and it was one of those rare occasions where beer wasn’t a deciding factor in our visit.
However, Riga surprised me. The beer was, on the whole, fantastic and so full of the country’s heritage that I feel it’s a place that needs to be more on the beer lovers’ radar (unlike neighbours Lithuania and Estonia, the country doesn’t have its own Untappd badge, for example). In a short space of time, I tried multiple beers that were like nothing I’d ever tasted and featuring unique and distinctly Latvian ingredients.
Here’s a look at some of the places we visited, and I hope that, as beer has become so much more global, that more people will get the chance to try Latvian beer – especially from the fantastic Labietis brewery – in the future.
Labietis
Brewery Labietis were one of my highlights of Riga, thanks to their innovative beers paying homage to the country’s heritage. We were told by a lady who worked at Miezis un kompanija (more on them later) that many of the beers had been inspired by historic recipes or beers mentioned in Latvian folk songs, and that some of the brews included local, foraged ingredients. Some of the more unique options included a pale ale featuring catnip (Rasele), juniper berries (Mezs) and caraway (Radzins).
They have two sites in the city.
Labietis Brewpub
Labietis’ main spot is their brewpub, located a little walk out of the city centre but definitely worth the journey.
It’s set within the grounds of a former mansion now used as an event space (according to Wiki, it was built for a brewery owner) alongside another bar, a nightclub and some food stalls. The brewpub has seating inside and out, and there’s 12 taps available. A beer list is provided on a board outside, otherwise you may have to ask what’s what as the colour-coded beer branding is mainly categorised by price and doesn’t list its style.
During our time in Latvia, we visited a few times because it’s got a lively atmosphere, plenty of places to sit and good beer. If you find yourself in Riga and can only visit one place, this should be it.
Astrīda briāna iela 9a-2 – www.labietis.lv/en
Labietis atzars Centraltirgu
A smaller Labietis outpost is their site within Riga’s iconic Central Market. The market building itself is formed of four Zeppelin hangers and features produce stalls alongside street food and a few bars. Set away from the main hustle and bustle of the market, it’s a relaxing spot and features a number of beers on draught and some bottles and merch too. The look is alright, the usual craft beer industrial vibe, but it works with the building. A great spot for a beer after a stroll around the market.
Centrāltirgus iela 3-k3
Miezis un kompanija
One of the city’s newer bars, Miezis un kompanija is a modern bar with 20 taps, showcasing mostly Latvian breweries, with 10 options from Labietis during our visit.
The bar is very modern – it’s set in a shiny new hotel building and features the classic industrial with hints of wood look you find in so many beer bars these days. Geometric triangular stools and light fittings did give it an edge over some of the other bars.
But here, it’s all about the beer. A great range of styles were showcased on draught – everything from a 2.7% mead to an 11% Burton ale from Russia, and there was also an extensive bottle list, mostly offering beers from across mainland Europe alongside a few American options. I doubt you could get bored of the selection!
One thing to note: it could be very easy to walk past as, apart from a chalkboard they’d placed on the steps and some kegs used as outdoor seats, you might not immediately notice it.
13. Janvāra iela, 21 – facebook.com/miezisvecriga/
Alkimikis
Alkimikis is another brewpub set within Riga’s Beer District and is an absolutely stunning venue. Located within a beautiful old wooden gem which immediately looks appealing, and inside the decor features some gorgeous ornate blue and black tiling throughout which I just adored.
The brewery equipment can be found just around the corner from the main bar.
In total, 14 beers are available on draught, the majority of them coming from Alkimikis and showcasing styles such as your traditional pilsners and IPAs to saisons and stouts featuring some more innovative ingredients. A water dispenser is also located next to the bar, making it easy to stay hydrated (much appreciated as we visited during a heatwave). It’s also got an excellent food menu, which means it can fill up quite quickly at lunch time with local workers nipping in.
One final thing I enjoyed about was that we made three visits and each time Mr Bean was playing on a loop on a TV in the back. Classic.
Lāčplēša 12 – facebook.com/AlkimikisAlus/
Alus Celle
Tucked away in a basement on a residential street, it would be easy to miss Alus Celle – but it’s worth hunting out. A comfortable venue that’s mostly a bottle shop, it also features five draught options as well as having a fridge full of beers to drink in.
The beer range was mostly from Belgium, Scandinavia and the USA, although there were also a couple of Latvian options available. The shelves are full of interesting options, with some of the US beers in particular being ones I’d not seen for sale before, and plenty to keep beer geeks happy.
The venue itself had a chilled out atmosphere, especially thanks to the ceiling fans which were much appreciated during the heatwave, and it’s the sort of place I’d be pleased to have as my local bottle shop. As it is more of a bottle shop than a bar, it doesn’t stay open that late of an evening, so bear that in mind if you’re wandering over.
Baznīcas iela 35 – facebook.com/aluscelle/
Taka
Taka felt very much like a cool neighbourhood bar, one of those venues where you’d like to live near to pop in for a brew or a beer and chat to the regulars throughout the day. Unlike many of city’s other craft beer bars which have more polished looks, Taka feels homely thanks to its mix of furniture and the vibrant murals covering the walls.
An extensive beer list was on offer, with a good range of Latvian beers both on draught and in bottle including Arpus, Malduguns, Hopalaa and Indie Janis (one highlight for me was a wheat beer from Indie Janis which was sensational).
A great place to chill out for a few hours.
Miera iela 10 – facebook.com/takabars/
Beerfox
Beerfox have two venues next to each other, a bottle shop and a bar, but we didn’t get the chance to visit the shop. It’s owned by an American chap and focuses on imported beers rather than options from Latvia, with options from Scandinavia, Japan and the USA showcased on the ten taps.
It’s set within one large room with varied seating including a sofa, some window stools and low tables using crates as stools. Savoury bar snacks such as pretzels and crisps were available. The beer menu is obviously carefully curated with a variety of diverse styles on offer.
Stabu iela 61 – facebook.com/BeerfoxCallous-Alus-1511145882490268/
Alus Bruzis Ziemelu Enkurs (Northern Anchor)
Set on an industrial complex in a large building shared with a bike shop, Ziemelu Enkurs was in a space which did remind me of Track’s brew tap here in Manchester.
The outside space was fantastic – it had a large covered wooden terrace which is where absolutely everybody was sat. Being up high, it picked up a breeze (much appreciated during the heat) and had some interesting buildings within view, including some which appeared to be unoccupied.
To be honest, I don’t remember too much about the beer, I think we picked a wheat beer and a pale ale and even looking on Untappd isn’t jogging my memory too much of what they tasted like.
Matīsa iela 8 – https://www.ziemeluenkurs.lv/eng
Alus Muiza
Alus Muiza is a popular beer bar which stocks a good range of Latvian beer from the likes of Malduguns and Indie Janis.
I didn’t get to explore too much of this place as it was so busy and two seats in the window were free so we grabbed them. It seemed to be quite small, with part of the building dominated by a large communal table and on the street, there was a decent amount of seating which was all full up on our visit, despite some ominous looking rain clouds above.
Alus Muiza also offers takeaway for their draught selection and we saw a couple of people merrily wandering off with plastic bottles filled with their choice of beer.
It also had the benefit of being across the road from a pizza place (which we unfortunately didn’t visit as we’d already eaten) and we spotted someone bringing one into the bar to share with his pals.
Ģertrūdes iela 45 – alusmuiza.business.site/
Autentika
Our final port of call was this spot on our way back into the city centre after one last trip to Labietis.
A huge wrapround beer garden with mismatched furniture including couches if you want to relax or large tables if you want to dine.
Beer-wise it didn’t have as much to offer as some of the bars, but the atmosphere was good and we very much enjoyed sitting on a comfy sofa watching the world go back on a warm sunny afternoon. Bliss.
Bruņinieku iela 2 – facebook.com/autentika.b2/
The Ale in Kaleigh 