Beer Me: Our Favorite International Beers Around the World
Come for the Guinness, stay for the U Fleku Dark Lager.
I’ve probably tried over 300 beers across many different countries. I’ve found that whether it’s in a can or on draft, ice cold or room temperature, battering fish or braising pork, at a bar or a high-end restaurant, there’s absolutely a beer for everyone. Beer has been documented as far back as 4000 BCE—and 6,000 years later, we continue to brew it, drink it, and cheers with it. In all those years of beer drinking, some countries have simply found a way to do it the best. Most of these are on the top 10 lists of best countries for beer, while some of them we felt weren't getting their fair due. Check out the best beers around the world with this brief guide to your hoppy days of travel.
Australia
Most popular: Victoria Bitter
Our favorite: Little Creatures Pale Ale
Cheers: “Cheers!” (with Australian accent)
Fun fact: In the 1800s, drunkenness was such a serious problem in Australia that beer was encouraged as a safer and healthier alternative to hard liquor.
Austria
Most popular: Stiegl
Our favorite: Loncium India Pale Ale
Cheers: “Prost!”
Fun facts:
- Stiegl was founded in 1492. So. Old.
- 1 of 10 authentic abbey breweries in the world, Schlägel Abbey, is the country’s oldest brewery.
Czech Republic
Most popular: Pilsner Urquell
Our favorite: 13° U Fleků Dark Lager
Cheers: “Na zdravi!” (Naz-drah-vi)
Fun facts:
- The Czech Republic is the #1 beer-drinking country in the world, out-drinking their competitors by over 40 liters per capita (the difference usually is only 1-3 liters between countries).
- The first pilsner in the world was born here, named after its hometown in Plzeň.
England
Most popular: Carling
Our favorite: Late Knights Worm Catcher
Cheers: “Cheers!” (with a British accent)
Fun facts:
- Brewing in Britain began when the Romans arrived in 54 BC.
- England is known for its top fermented cask beer (also called real ale) which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery, and is served with only natural carbonation.
- The UK now boasts the highest number of breweries in the world per capita.
Germany
Most popular: Oettinger
Our favorite: Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier
Cheers: “Prost!”
Fun facts:
- 500 year-old “Purity Law” (Reinheitsgrebot) dictates brews may only contain water, hops, malt & alter yeast. The law was lifted only 3 decades ago.
- Oktoberfest actually starts at the end of September. It started in 1810, with Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Say that 10 times fast.
Italy
Most popular: Peroni
Our favorite: Birra Moretti (also very popular)
Cheers: “Salute!”
Fun facts:
- Beer became popular in Italy as an ideal accompaniment to pizza (duh).
- In the 7th century BC, Sicilians and Phoenicians traded and consumed beer.
Japan
Most popular: Asahi Super Dry
Our favorite: Hitachino White Ale
Cheers: “Kanpai! (乾杯!)”
Fun facts:
- Before drinking, it is always customary to give a toast.
- It’s rude to pour your own drink in Japan. Let your friend pour yours, then return the favor.
Ireland
Most popular: Guinness
Our favorite: Guinness (no question here)
Cheers: “Sláinte!” (slawn-cha)
Fun facts:
- Beer in Ireland can be traced back 5,000 years.
- Legend has it that St. Patrick had his own brewer, a priest named Mescan.
- Irish monasteries dominated the manufacture and supply of ale for centuries, which is why there is the ruin of an abbey within the grounds of the Smithwick’s brewery in Kilkenny city.
- Rather delightfully, the monks would drink their beer during Lenten fasting, and gave it the name “liquid bread.”
The Netherlands
Most popular: Pale lagers like Heineken, Amstel, and Grolsch
Our favorite: IJwit Brouwerij 't IJ Wheat Beer
Cheers: “Proost!” (Prohst)
Fun fact:
- 2 of 11 of the world’s Trappist (Roman Catholic monastery) breweries are here. So if you feel like your lagers lack a little monk, this is your place.
Peru
Most popular: Pilsen Callao
Our favorite: Cusqueña (also very popular)
Cheers: “¡Salud!”
Fun fact:
- “Spit beer” was a form of Peruvian brew that involved activating corn’s fermentation by chewing it up and spitting it back into the mix.
Thailand
Most popular: Singha
Our favorite: Full Moon Chalawan Pale Ale
Cheers: Chon (ชน)
Fun fact:
- A popular way to consume beer in Thailand is on the rocks, often with a straw.
These past 6,000 years just wouldn’t be the same without it. So, what are you waiting for? A world of beer is out there for the drinking. Enjoy responsibly.
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