Croatian Crafts: Must-try Beers For Your Next Getaway

As a holiday destination, Croatia certainly has plenty of things going for it. There’s the wonderful weather, the fascinating history and culture, the stunning landscapes and, of course, the delicious local cuisine. But there’s also something else quite delicious that’s never in short supply: beer.

Over the past few decades there’s been a move from the traditional mass-produced lagers to a growing number of boutique, smaller batch craft beers. The burgeoning industry has caught the attention of the European critics, and their response has been extremely favourable. You know what they say about ‘when in Rome’, well the same applies here – if you’re planning a Croatia city break you really should make sure you don’t miss out on the very best.

Don’t Miss These on Your Croatia City Break

This is just a small selection of some of the country’s most acclaimed small batch brews.

Vunetovo: If you like your beer on the darker side, the Hvar-based Vunetovo has evolved from a humble home brew into a range of stouts and darks that are sold all over the island. If you need another reason to visit this idyllic island, you’ve just found it.  

LAB Split: While the city is far better known for its excellent wines, that’s slowly changing with the advent of its first independent brewer. The signature brew is their crisp, refreshing Barba Pale Ale, which, if you base your Croatia city break around Split, you’ll be able to find in many of the local pubs.

Nova Runda: Who could resist a crowd-funded success story like Nova Runda’s – especially when the product is so good? The owners started the business as a tiny home-brew project and today its range of pale ales are garnering a reputation for excellence.

Zmajska Pivovara: Hard to say but very easy to drink! This is actually the very first of the new breed of independent brewers in the country. Based out of Zagreb, Zmajska Pivovara has been leading from the front, receiving a number of awards since the release of their first batch in 2014. The diverse range includes stouts, bitters, pale ales and wheat beer.

Varionica: Quality over quantity is the ethos of this very small operation that produces some wonderful experimental stouts and traditional pale ales. If you want to try something a little different, give one of their range a try and support this passionate boutique producer.

Medvedgrad: Based in Zagreb but taking its name from a tiny village in the Medvednica Mountains, Medvedgrad has been brewed onsite in a restaurant since its inception in 1994. They’re famous for producing the country’s first IPA and it’s certainly a tipple worth tasting.

The Garden: Another Zagreb operation, The Garden Brewery delivers a large and very slick range of beers. This is a wonderful place to come to get the full ‘experience’ and a great way to spend a leisurely afternoon on your Croatia city break. You can tour the brewery and enjoy tastings of the diverse flavours in the tap room – the citrus IPA comes highly recommended.

If you really want to immerse yourself in genuine Croatian culture and lifestyle on your Croatia city break, sampling the country’s new breed of craft beers should be at the top of your itinerary.

Author Plate

John Dixon is the Managing Director of Prestige Holidays, and has been working alongside his advisors for 30 years to craft luxury Croatia city break itineraries, Grecian getaways and culture-fuelled adventures to many other destinations across the globe. His love for the finer things in life is evident in his work, as he strives to provide his clients with only the best luxury accommodation options.