The breweries in Romania have spread across the country in the recent years. We know and we love our iconic Timisoreana, Ciucas and Ursus. In fact, they can be your inner Balkan ego. But to create more of a personal relationship with the country your beer comes from, you must dig deeper to find more personalised styles and ultimately, the one that suits you best.
Let us introduce you some Romanian craft beers that will leave you with the most pleasant impression. Perhaps pleasant enough to stock up on them or return to Romania as soon as possible for them. As this Eastern European country maintains its position as a multicultural space where diversity in traditions is embraced, the regions of Romania each have something special to bring to the table. We invite you take a seat at our table and pick your favourite.
Bucovina
The Kimpolung Brewery in the North-East of Romania maintains traditional flavours with the usage of innovative brewing equipment. They use quality ingredients that give a rich aroma to their original Kimpolung beer. Kimpolung is a lager beer although the brewery makes alternatives like pale lagers, dark beers and special edition ones. It is blonde, slightly floral with a light crisp. Refreshing on a spring day. The alcohol percentage is 4.5%-5.0% which makes it suitable for regular gatherings.
The caramelly dark Kimpolung is rich and has a hint of bitter coffee. It has a creamy feel and a balanced flavour, the reasted malt and caramel being the only leading tastes.
Transylvania
The Transylvania beer perfectly encapsulates the regions` cultural heritage. From the picturesque sceneries, castles, medieval history, Transylvania beer is a product that awakens the memory of this region`s majesty and draws pride to the locals. Effervescent, but not too much, with an enjoyable hop bitterness, Transylvania Premium Lager is perfect for quenching your thirst on a sunny day. The dark version is inviting for its chocolatey scent that usually dominates in the field of dark beers. It is satisfyingly smooth, and it has a distinctive toffee flavour.
Transylvania is regarded as a very good introduction into the beer culture in Romania and it is distributed in some international markets as well.
Oltenia
Curentu`was created by Elasym Craft Brewery in honour of Oltenia`s people humour. It is unique, because of the three months natural fermentation process and it has no preservatives. Water, malt, yeast and hops; it does not get more authentic than that. This is the recipe of a quality craft beer. One of their mottos is that there is a bit of energy in every drop. There are 4 humorous kinds: Întrerupător de muncă (Work Circuit Breaker), Adaptor de situație (Situation Adaptor), USB Amper Ale. WCB is refreshing and it has a playful red-blonde colour. Do not let yourself be fooled by the innocent looks of it as it has an alcohol percentage of 8. It is dry with a sweet aftertaste given by the high alcohol content. SA is a versatile beer, Belgian style with floral and fruity flavour. USB has lots of personality. It is remarked by how intensely bitter and `grapefruit` citrusy it is.
Banat
Sara beer is brewed like most lagers and pilsners are. It gets its name from the name of the region, and it has spread successfully especially in the western part of Romania and in Serbia. We can agree over its considerable crisp which makes it so appealing next to a copious meal. This beer became an incorporated part of the Banat culture, and it is highly appreciated by the locals and thirsty visitors.
Muntenia
Zăganu is a brewery in the South of Romania that produces the beer with the same name. Some of the kinds of Zăganu are blonde, dark and IPA. These are available almost everywhere in the country and make a great candidate for the most popular craft beer in Romania. The IPA is remarkable through the specific pine and tropical fruit aromas. The bitterness of Zaganu assortments is controlled by the fermentation period which can last a few weeks or months. For Zăganu ales, fermentation happens at temperatures around 18-22 degree Celsius. Zăganu Craft Beer Bar is a bar in Bucharest, Calea Victoriei and it promotes the production of other kinds of craft beers as well as the flourishing of brewery industry in Romania.
Dobrogea
Hercinia Brewery is possibly the only producer of craft beer of the region. It is located in Caras Severin, and it dedicates their resources to create high quality craft beer. The thought behind the brewery spark from a part of the Carpathian Mountains, namely, the Hercynian Forest. Being closely tied to nature, Hercinia encourages eco friendly means of realizing their products and emphasizes deep appreciation and support towards the agriculture of the area. Keep your eyes on it, as the brewery is highly active and organizes tastings and tours for those who are genuinely committed to finding their beer pair.
Moldova
Nemțeana is another craft beer brand popular in Romania for its distinctive crisp and taste quality. It has been around for many years now, but it does not seem to have lost ground in front of the new opponent brands. The story is simple: it is produced in Neamț, which is where it gets its name from, and it meets all requirements for being a fair lager beer. Easy to drink, light, no wonder it is one of the most common choices in a local bar. Herbal notes and delicate bitterness create the taste that justify its memorable character. The price is accessible, and it is usually sold in bottles.
One thing that we dislike is a stubborn foam. Nemteana`s froth dissipates in no time, and it makes the drinking experience an easy one.
Crișana
Zimand is a beer created in Zimandu Nou (near Arad) and it is prepared with malt imported from Belgium. Take it as if Belgium and Romania had beer baby. Zimand comes in many types. Here are our 3 hand-picked (mouth-picked?) kinds for you. Marzen Oktoberfest is a lager with a Viennese style hop bitterness. It has a biscuit flavour, and the tradition says that it was brewed in March (Marzen in german) and ready to drink during the summer. Oatmeal Stout with an almost black appearance, has a roasted barley aroma and silky texture. The hop makes you think of earth and flowers and the roasted malt gives off chocolate and caramel. The IPA has a recognizable concentration of hops which makes a complex bitterness in an ale. It is very aromatic due to being made from 4 types of hops. A lovely ale with a twist.
Maramures
We know that the northern region of Romania keeps tradition frozen in modern times. A glimpse of it is reflected in the way the people speak, dress, act, eat or drink. The Dura Brewery is located close to Baia Mare, and the Dura beer is our recommendation for you if you ever find yourself thirsty in that area.
It is made from two types of barley malt, crystal hops, saaz and it is fermented for 28 days. As the brewery serves both food and drinks, they are appreciated for using local ingredients. This aspect boosts the authenticity in their flavours and helps build distinction between beers in Maramures and the beers from across the country.
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