In recent years, craft beer in Croatia has exploded in popularity, giving rise to several ubiquitous brands found in bars and on shelves across the country. Here's our top seven...
The Garden Brewery
The first craft brewery in Croatia to produce beer in cans, they're also the one on this list you're most likely to find on foreign shelves, their global profile raised by the venue and festivals of the same name in Zadar. Using all-natural ingredients including fresh hops from America, Japan, Germany and Slovenia, their pale ales and pilsners are of particular note. The tap room at Slavonska avenija 26/1 is open from 10am till late daily. More details.
Križevačko
Almost every craft-beer producer in Croatia brews pale ales but Križevačko is one of the few to make APAs. They don't bottle or can their beer, these can be found in draught form only. Established in 2013, the brewery has a line of unfiltered wheat beers, pale lagers and hoppy beers, most over 6-7%. More details.
Medvedgrad
One of the first independent craft breweries in the country, and an early adopter of additive-free processes, Medvedgrad has been brewing for over 20 years. Producing a variety of bitter lagers, IPA's, small batch seasonal beers, they are one of the biggest names in the business. Check out their brewery bar and restaurant with a leafy outdoor terrace on Ilica 49 in Zagreb. More details.
PriMarius
One of the youngest and smallest breweries, this one-man-operation tucked away in a courtyard in central Zagreb has made big waves among Croatian beer fans. Raising their profile by sponsoring a PriMarius night at top indie club Močvara, this brewery offers a wide range of unique flavours from orange peel, coriander and chamomile Belgian wheat beer to English porters and more. More details.
San Servolo
If you find yourself in Istria, don't miss the distinctive San Servolo label seen in bars and restaurants across the region. One of the most unique regional Croatian beers, San Servolo is known for their bitter red and dark lagers. The brewery also runs a four-star boutique hotel and spa where you can soak in a bath of the stuff. More details.
Varionica
Starting off as a two-man home brewery, Varionica is one of the industry's underdogs, entering the market with high-quality beer and word-of-mouth buzz. Current varieties include a light IPA, a chocolate and oat-y stout, but their mainstay pale ale is their most easily acquired and arguably their best. More details.
Zmajsko
One of the first on the Croatian craft-beer scene, Zmajsko produced more fruity flavoured varieties with the recognisable orange label which broke barriers in a market previously dominated by traditional lagers. Their distinctive dragon logo on the small 33ml bottles can be hard to find outside Zagreb, but are certainly worth seeking out. You'll find the tap room in the far west of Zagreb, in the communal district of Gajnice. More details.