Hops & Barley

While the German beer scene can often be surprisingly monotonous, consisting of endless brands of pils and the occasional weißbier, the craft brew scene in Berlin is certainly booming. It is a pleasingly international scene where the city’s hippest bars and breweries offer imported varieties from around the world. Not to mention, there are several special brews made right here at home, which are exclusively to be had in Berlin. Here are the 10 best spots to enjoy them.
One country that has a pretty solid beer game but doesn’t tend to have as much notoriety in this regard compared to its other European counterparts is Italy. Lucky for us, Birra in Prenzlauer Berg offers people the chance to explore this sub-genre of craft beers for themselves. Open only since Spring 2016, Birra is certainly making waves. It has a hospitable atmosphere without any of the pretense that tends to come along with hip beer culture. From the moment you walk in, it’ll become apparent that this place is concerned, first and foremost, with the beers. A set of gleaming copper taps, each distinguished by labels of some of Italy’s finest craft brews is enough to make any beer lover’s heart (and palette) happy.
Prenzlauer Allee 198, 10405 Berlin, 030 55243713
Situated at the busy Rosa-Luxemburg Platz in Mitte, Kaschk is the resident hip joint for a cold one, which is saying a lot considering all the wonderful places that also exist in the area. Kashk has a carefully curated array of international beers. Here, you will find a list of options, with particular emphasis on Scandinavian and Northern European varieties including brews like Copenhagen’s Mikkeller and Britain’s Bewdog. During the day Kaschk also functions as a café, making it the ideal spot to transition a buzzing workday into a more mellow evening.
Linienstraße 40, 10178 Berlin, 01578 1979970
Hopfenreich in Kreuzberg’s hip Wrangelkiez is a chill hangout with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Host to plenty of regulars, this place has specialty selections from all over the world, including a solid representation of beers from across the pond. They have things both by the bottle and on tap. Speaking of the latter, Hopfenreich also hosts tap takeovers with an equally international crowd of breweries. This place fills up during peak hours, but it makes an excellent spot for an after work beer before heading to the nearby Markthalle Neun on Street Food Thursdays.
Sorauer Str. 31, 10997 Berlin, 030 88061080
Vagabund Brauerei in Wedding is worth the trek to the city’s northwestern-most district. Three home brewers from the States started this gem back in 2013, and it has since become quite renowned for its homemade Vagabund brews and other craft selections. Their menu has six core varieties, which are crafted to true perfection, along with a couple of more experimental and adventurous options. With its rustic interior décor and dim lighting, this place feels like the living room of a friend… who just happens to devote his livelihood to perfecting brews to share with you.
Antwerpener Str. 3, 13353 Berlin, 030 52667668
Piquing the interests even of members of Berlin’s own French community, FRENC Heartcrafted Goods near the bustling Simon-Dach Strasse in Friedrichshain promises a lovely mix of French treats — like sweet and savory crepes as well as galettes and excellent craft beers. While it might seem that FRENC is simply ‘FRENCH’ with the ‘H’ omitted, the name is actually meant to stand for ‘Finest Craft Beers and Crepes’, and we concur. Beers are typically on the darker side with specialties like pale ales and stouts. This is the perfect place to get a little slice of French culture and cuisine amidst a rather gastronomically unremarkable conglomerate of eateries in this part of Friedrichshain.
Niederbarnimstraße 16, 10247 Berlin, 030 23916709
Heide Peter, the founder of the brewery, was an artist before moving into the craft beer sector; but his training is evident in his techniques and the quality beverages his brewery produce. Yet, Peter’s beginnings as a brewer were humble. He started out making the beers in a basement and in the operation’s early days, it failed at gaining ground as a commodity sold in various venues around the city. Yet all of this changed when they set up shop vending at Markthalle 9’s Street Food Thursdays. There is no denying Heidenpeters’ popularity there, based on the large crowds that congregate at the stand. Now, Heidenpeters supplies many establishments in Berlin with its creations, including Hopfenreich and Kaschk. They have even expanded operation throughout Germany in cities like Hamburg and Leipzig.
Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstraße 42-43, 10997 Berlin, 0176 22291688