Location: Riga, Latvia | Date of visit: December 2023
We love to squeeze in a weekend city break during December – ideally somewhere with an old town, snow, and Christmas markets. In 2023, we headed over to Riga in Latvia and we weren’t disappointed. In between taking photos of the snowy buildings and warming up with mulled wine, we checked out a few craft beer bars and found some lovely local brews.
Two More Beers
Over 100 beers on offer, including their own draft beer
Right by our hotel we found a bar called Two More Beers. As well as having their own specially brewed craft ale on draft, they also stock over 100 beers from around the world. We weren’t in Riga long enough to try them all, so we stuck to Latvian brews.
What we drank:
We could hardly visit this venue without sampling their house craft ale – Two More Beers Craft – which was a pleasant IPA.
We also tried two beers from Labietis – a contemporary Latvian brewery. The first was Ferdinands – a strong lager matured on chestnut chips. The second was Ērkšķogu Mežonis 2020 (translating to English as Gooseberry Savage). This wild ale was a great find – it actually gained our beer of the month award for December 23.
Venue website: 2mb – twomorebeers.lv
The Stage (by Two More Beers)
Outdoor terrace with live music events – open air in summer and covered in winter
Two More Beers was a great bar so we decided to give its sister bar – The Stage – a go.
This bar and restaurant is not in a building. Instead, it’s a big outdoor terrace that transforms depending on the season. In summer, it’s open air, but in winter (when we were there) it has walls and a roof, keeping it nice and cosy.
The Stage offers food, all the most popular beers from Two More Beers, and live music events. We had the half-metre homemade sausage and a couple of beers.
What we drank:
We started with the Madonas Alus Nefiltrēts – an unfiltered Vienna lager. It didn’t taste quite right – maybe something was wrong with the line or that particular keg. It tasted like it should have been a good beer, but there was just something not quite right.
We also had the Pilota Nakts – a lovely 7% porter from Malduguns (a Latvian microbrewery).
Venue website: stage – twomorebeers.lv
Labietis at Riga Central Market
Fill up on tasty snacks while enjoying some delicious beers
After trying a delicious Labietis beer at Two More Beers, we decided to go in search of more. We found out they had a bar in the Central Market, which was already on our list of places to visit.
Riga market is worth a visit even if you don’t like beer. It’s got a whole food hall serving up tasty Latvian dishes. And it’s in the food hall where you’ll find the Labietis bar.
We had a couple of beers at the bar, but we also treated ourselves to a bottle of wild ale to take home with us. We’d have absolutely bought more than one bottle, but we had a strict luggage allowance so unfortunately, we couldn’t.
What we drank:
We tried the Gaismas Ragana (Witch Of Light) – an 8% mead. And Aroniju Ragana (Aronia Witch) – a 5.1% modern berry ale. We’d have happily stayed and tried more beers, but we had more bars and beers to check out.
Venue website: LABIETIS. Pagan Brews Brewery
Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs
Traditional Latvian pub in the heart of Riga
We liked Folkklubs so much we ate our evening meals there twice (and we were only in Lativa for three nights).
The bar and restaurant is all located in old wine cellars, making it really cosy in the winter. The food is absolutely fantastic, and they have 30 varieties of Latvian beer on offer.
As well as great food, great beer, and a great atmosphere, Folkklubs also hosts live musicians, so you can have a really enjoyable evening there.
What we drank:
On our first visit, we tried the Speciālais Gaišais – a local lager. On our second visit, we opted for the Valmiermuiža Tumšais Alus (Dark Lager) – we’d already tried the Valmiermuiža Amber lager and wanted to compare.
Venue website: FOLK CLUB ALA – Home (folkklubs.lv)
Ms & Mr Beer
Quirky craft beer bar offering flights of local beer and beers from around the world
Ms & Mr Beer is another great bar located in Riga old town. The interior is super quirky, with shelves filled with beer bottles, a motorcycle hanging from the wall, and a table made out of an old car. The music is rock (but not so loud so can’t have a conversation) and the atmosphere is great.
Plus, they have a huge range of bottled and canned beers along with six draft lines. And, if you can’t decide where to start, you can buy a flight of beer allowing you to try a few.
What we drank:
We started with a flight of three Leilvārdes’ beers each – the wheat (5.3%), the cherry beer (5%) and the dark lager (5%). Then we moved on to a lovely imperial Honeybery sour (8%).
Venue website: No website available
Look out for beers from Ilgezeem Brewery
Ilgezeem is a Latvian brewery with a 150-year history. As well as producing a wide range of beers and ciders, they also produce an impressive range of honey beers (aka meads). We were lucky enough to try two of their meads during our visit – the cranberry-apple (5%), and the blackcurrant (5.5%).
We found these beers at Beer House No 1. Unfortunately, it looks as though this venue has closed or changed names (or changed names and closed).
But Ilgezeen produces quality mead, so if you do spot any of their meads or beers on tap, I recommend trying them.
Brewer’s website: About Us – ILGEZEEM
And if Beer House No 1 (aka Alus Krogs) is still open, pop in for a drink.
Don’t forget to try the Balsalm
Ok – not a beer, but worth a mention anyway. Riga Black Balsam often considered to be the national drink of Latvia
It’s a herbal liqueur made of common roots and herbs (such as Valerian, Wormwood, Black Pepper, and Ginger), as well as rare ingredients.
The original is 45% abv, so it’s a sipper not a downer. You can also get lower alcohol versions in various flavours, including blackcurrant or cherry, which are a little easier to drink if you’re not used to it.
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