Polish beer
Polish beer is more than lager: since the early 2010s, Poland has grown a craft scene that experiments eagerly with IPAs, sour beers and stouts. Here you'll find beers from Funky Fluid, PINTA Barrel Brewing, Ziemia Obiecana and Maryensztadt, among others, from hoppy to sour and dark.
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- Breweries4
Breweries from Poland 4
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From lager to craft revolution
Poland lies next to Germany and the Czech Republic, and as there, lager became the norm. In the second half of the twentieth century, beer production became highly concentrated and the number of breweries dropped sharply. Under communism, brewers were not allowed to sell their beer outside their own region, with Żywiec and Okocim as exceptions. Around the turn of the century, many large breweries came under foreign ownership.
The turnaround began in 2011. PINTA, which grew from homebrewing into a nomadic brewery and has had its own brewery in Wieprz since 2019, brewed the first Polish American IPA that year with Atak Chmielu. Artezan was the first to build its own brewery, in 2012. The number of breweries rose from around 70 in 2010 to about 420 in 2019, and many of them are small or nomadic brewers.
What Poland is known for
The hoppy American IPA defined the first years of the revolution. Today, hazy IPAs and sour beers are very popular. Many brewers invested in barrel ageing and mixed fermentation, and the clear, bitter West Coast IPA is making a comeback.
Polish brewers also look to their own history. Baltic Porter is strong, dark and full-bodied, with 7.5 to 9 percent alcohol, and is fermented with lager yeast. Grodziskie is a light, smoky wheat beer that has been brewed in the west of Poland for centuries and is back. Polish hops get attention too: according to one of the sources, Poland is the sixth-largest hop producer in the world. PINTA brewed the stout Lublin To Dublin with Polish hops, together with Ireland's Carlow Brewing.
Polish beer at Hoptimaal
With us you'll find Polish beer from Funky Fluid, PINTA Barrel Brewing, Ziemia Obiecana and Maryensztadt. Funky Fluid is the best represented in our range, a name that is also known outside Poland. The styles you'll find are sour beer, IPA and stout.
Many beers are barrel-aged or extremely loaded with flavour. On Untappd, Funky Fluid Barrel Aged Twin Chicks, Funky Fluid Gelato XTREME: Baltic Pancake and PINTA Barrel Fumes, among others, score high. Every brewery has its own page with us, with all the beers we supply from it.
Frequently asked questions
What is typical Polish beer?
Traditionally, that means Baltic Porter, a strong dark beer with 7.5 to 9 percent alcohol, and Grodziskie, a light smoky wheat beer. Modern Polish craft beer is mostly about IPAs and sour beers.
Which Polish breweries are well known?
Well-known names from the craft scene are PINTA, Artezan, AleBrowar, Stu Mostów, Trzech Kumpli and Funky Fluid. At Hoptimaal you'll find Funky Fluid, PINTA Barrel Brewing, Ziemia Obiecana and Maryensztadt.
What is Grodziskie?
Grodziskie is a historic Polish beer style: a very light beer made from oak-smoked wheat malt, with a smoky aroma and flavour and a low alcohol percentage. It is also called the Polish champagne and has been revived by several breweries in recent years.
Beer from other countries
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