Where to drink Portuguese craft beer in Lisbon
The concept of craft beer took a little longer to spread around Lisbon than in some parts of the world. But once the trend caught on, what happened is akin to what happens when you start drinking… you tend to keep going.
Portuguese artisanal brews started becoming common less than a decade ago. Until then, the national beer panorama was dominated by the big brands Sagres and Super Bock. Even though you can find these two beer giants all over the Portuguese map, our country tends to be a little geographically divided, with Super Bock reigning up north and Sagres dominating the southern territory.
If you are into beer, thankfully, there are now more brands that offer a much wider range of beer profiles. Today we focus on artisanal beer that you can drink in Lisbon, and that is actually produced in Lisbon itself!
Best craft breweries in Lisbon
LX Brewery
It was as recent as 2014 when Gonçalo Sant’Ana created Lisbon’s first craft beer. LX Brewery advertises their style as “innovative and experimental”, not only because it’s their mission to introduce new beer styles never seen before in Portugal, but also because they like to play around with local and seasonal ingredients, in unlikely combinations. As if their catalog of rye IPAs and experimental editions wasn’t enough, LX Brewery invites craft beer aficionados to brew their own beer at their Brew Lab. Considering that this craft brewery also shares its space with the shop Oficina da Cerveja, you can tell that this is a place for very dedicated craft beer lovers!
📍Rua do Funchal n5, 1000-162 Lisbon
Dois Corvos
If LX Beer was Lisbon’s first craft beer, Dois Corvos was the first craft brewery with its own tap room. Going strong since 2015, Dois Corvos is not only considered a pioneer, it’s often appointed as one of the very best craft beers in Lisbon. Along with Musa and Lince which established themselves afterwards, Dois Corvos is responsible for the neighborhood of Marvila becoming known as “Lisbon’s Beer District”. Even though the list of awards and accolades that have made Dois Corvos popular in Portugal and abroad is long and keeps on growing, this experimental brewer owned microbrewery stays unpretentious and, staying true to its character, experimental. You can see it from the first row during one of the brewery tours they run! Dois Corvos have developed brews such as Casamentos & Baptizados, an imperial stout with pastel de nata, or Havana Cabana, a tropical Piña Colada Sour. Their regulars include the well established imperial porter Finisterra and blonde ale Avenida, after one of Lisbon’s main arteries, Avenida da Liberdade.
📍Rua Cap. Leitão 94, 1950-052 Lisbon
Cerveja Musa
Musa’s craft beers are a good introduction to craft beers for those who have spent most of their life drinking Super Bock or Sagres. Not as inventive as other breweries in town, they stay close to their style, while still offering a wide range of experiences to the palate. One thing is for sure: no other Lisbon brewery is as rock’n’roll as Musa! Their beers are inspired by music and artists, resulting in names such as Red Zeppelin (red session IPA), Twist & Stout (oat stout), Born in the IPA (Indian pale ale), amongst others. Apart from their original Musa factory which is open in Marvila and regularly hosts a wide range of events, you can also visit Musa’s taproom in Bica, for beers, music and trendy bites.
📍Musa da Bica: Calçada Salvador Correia de Sá 2A, 1200-399 Lisbon
Cerveja Lince
Marvila’s craft beer scene is no stranger to folks who decided to quit their careers to start brewing beer. That’s exactly what happened with António Carriço and Pedro Vieira when they abandoned their careers in tech to start Lince. Named after the endangered species Iberian lynx, the beer’s name is not just an homage to this animal, as a portion of the company’s profits are actually dedicated to protect the brewery’s namesake. So if you needed a good excuse for another round, this may just be it! This will represent a good opportunity to try Lince’s four beers: a Belgian Pale Ale, an American IPA, a Blonde Ale and a Stout. The brewery is only open on weekdays until 6PM, but you can find Cerveja Lince in Lisbon’s best beer bars – see below.
📍Rua Cap. Leitão 1b, 1950-049 Lisbon
Oitava Colina
Oitava Colina is the mother of Urraca Vendaval, often considered the best craft IPA in Portugal. Oitava Colina, which translates as 8th hill, is a reference to the neighborhood where the brewery is established, Graça. Their usual and one-off beers are usually named after places and people in Lisbon, with labels that seal the deal to make Oitava Colina’s beers a great souvenir or gift to take back home from Lisbon. At the original Oitava Colina taproom in Graça, you can find ten beers on tap as well as some simple things to eat, but in the past couple of years, you can also enjoy Oitava Colina’s brews more at large at Oitava Marquês. Here, not only is the list of beers on tap more extensive, they also serve petiscos, pizzas, and often do pop-ups with visiting chefs.
📍Oitava Colina (factory): Av. Infante D. Henrique, 334, Arm. 3, 1800-224 Lisbon
📍Oitava Colina Graça (taproom): Rua Damasceno Monteiro, nº 8A, Lisbon
📍Oitava Marquês (restaurant): Av. Duque de Loulé, nº 85, Lisbon
Cerveja Bolina / Bo Brewpub
Bolina joined the Marvila crew in 2020, but had already been brewing in nearby Azambuja for a while. In Portuguese, “bolina” refers to the nautical technique that has you zig zagging against the wind, thus allowing you to sail in areas where the conditions aren’t favorable. This is the spirit that Bolina’s team has brought into Lisbon’s craft brewing scene: they want to go against what’s already been established, strengthen classic styles but, above all, focused on innovation via experiential brews. This attitude explains beers such as Rebel Rebel, one of their signature drinks, which consists of a red ale with the addition of Rooibos tea. As the Bolina team states “We could have made a traditional Red Ale but us rebels are exactly like that… rebels!” Head to Bo Brewpub by Cerveja Bolina for beer, great burgers and a beer garden that is particularly pleasant during the warmer months.
📍Rua Vale Formoso 9, 1950-277 Lisbon
DeBru
DeBru brings a community mindset to Lisbon’s craft beer scene. Apart from being a craft beer company, DeBru’s space also includes a coworking space because, in DeBru team’s own words “beer improves creativity so why not a cowork inside a beer business”. Some may question this approach to digital productivity but, one thing’s for sure, we can get behind DeBru’s quality and sustainable approach that focuses on home recipes delivered with positive impact and 100% returnable bottles. DeBru’s beers include Social Kölsch, a light but complex blonde beer, and Plan B, a juicy IPA with hints of citrus and tropical fruit aromas.
📍Rua Luciano Cordeiro 2C, 1150-313 Lisbon
A.M.O. Brewery
This nano-brewery in Arroios was founded by Margaret Orlowski, from Canada. Margaret started brewing at home as a hobby and decided to start sharing her brews commercially via A.M.O. Brewery in 2016. Today, A.M.O. is known as the place to go to for beer and pretzels. The space is rather tiny, offering seven beers on tap, which keep rotating weekly to be able to showcase A.M.O. ‘s catalog which does go beyond these many varieties. Some of AMO’s most popular beers include Javali Porter, a dark brown robust porter with dark chocolate flavors, and Andorinha, a light and easy-drinking European Pale Ale. If you want to be like Margaret Orlowski when you grow up, be happy to know she often hosts beer-making workshops at A.M.O. Brewery.
📍Rua Bernardim Ribeiro 53, 1150-069 Lisbon
Quimera Brewpub
Beer tastes can’t be argued, but what we can state without the shadow of a doubt is that Quimera Brewpub has the most impressive location of all breweries and taprooms in Lisbon! American chef Adam Heller opened Quimera back in 2016, inside an 18th-century tunnel which used to be a place for the cavalry, connected with the Palácio das Necessidades palace above the hill. Quimera is all about good local beers, New York–style deli sandwiches using Gleba bread, and live music. This is the kind of place where you get together with friends and sort of forget what’s happening on the outside world, while sipping Quimera’s own brews, as well as a good selection of Portuguese craft beers on tap or by the bottle. Theirs sours stands out, particularly the Bloody Mary sour with a perfect balance of acidity and saltiness, as well as their NAFIPA, which stands for “Not Another Fucking IPA”!
📍Rua Prior do Crato 6, 1350-261 Lisbon
Cerveja Canil
Canil has two beer bars in Lisbon, and while it does have a wide range of Portuguese and international beers on tap and over a hundred labels by the bottle, it also includes six of their own Canil brews on tap. Cerveja Canil was started in Brazil by Leandro Claro and his wife Ariane Monteiro, who later moved to Portugal and with them brought their craft beer ambitions. Now-a-days, Canil’s range of beers includes a Weiss, an IPA, a Belgian Blonde Ale, a Red Ale, a New England IPA and a Russian Imperial Stout. At Canil’s brewpubs in Baixa or Marquês de Pombal, you can taste these and other beers, as well as indulge on their signature bites, which include reinterpretations of Portuguese cuisine that translate in servings of savory pastel de nata with codfish, and more!
📍Canil Baixa: Rua dos Douradores 133, 1100-213 Lisbon
📍Canil Marquês: Rua de Santa Marta 35, Lisbon
Gallas Cerveja
Made in Lisbon IPAs with a Brazilian twist, this is what Gallas Cerveja is all about! Owner Gustavo Gallas entered Lisbon’s artisanal beer scene, not to do what’s already being done, but to add his very own touch, which is clearly inspired by his home country of Brazil. When it comes to brewing beer, this translates into tropical and spicy flavors. Try Extremadura if you can handle a beer with habanero chili peppers, or Boris if a Russian Imperial Stout with cocoa and coconut is more your jam. Gallas brewpub has fifteen beers on tap, with thirteen of their own brews and two guest companies that keep changing. Besides beers on tap, they have more than two hundred international brands by the bottle, they serve great artisanal burgers and other petiscos, and they even offer guided tours to their brewing facilities!
📍Rua Angelina Vidal 53A, 1170-122 Lisbon
Best craft beer bars in Lisbon
Besides local breweries, Lisbon is home to several beer focused bars that deserve your visit if you’re into exploring not only Lisbon’s artisanal beers, but also getting acquainted with the world of Portuguese craft beers as a whole. After all, there are great artisanal beers being brewed a little all over the country, and these are some of the best places in Lisbon to try them.
Cerveteca
Cerveteca is Lisbon’s very first craft beer bar, opened since 2014 by the quaint square of Praça das Flores. Besides a very wide range of beers by the bottle, Cerveteca has fourteen beers on tap, including small international brews and Portugal’s most well-known brands. Owners Rui Matias and Carolina Cardoso have brought together a team of diehard craft beer lovers, which creates the right mood for what’s still, after all these years, Lisbon’s best place to drink craft beer, no matter what your particular taste may be like.
📍Praça das Flores 63, 1200-192 Lisbon
Duque BrewPub
While it advertises itself as a brewpub and this is indeed Duque’s main thing, Duque’s twelve beers on tap also include a couple of homebrews, such as a White Stout and a hoppy Pale Ale. They only serve 100% Portuguese craft beer, with over sixty references by the bottle. If Cerveteca mentioned above is a great place for all around craft beers, Duque BrewPub surely stands out as the pub to go to focus only on the national production! Here you’ll find all the popular Lisbon based brands we’ve been talking about, as well as lesser known options from artisanal breweries from all over Portugal.
📍Calçada do Duque 51, 1200-156 Lisbon
O Outro Lado
Started by Egyptian-Polish couple Asia and Abdo, O Outro Lado is the spot for hard-to-find brews from all over the world. Their collection of international names will make beer connoisseurs thirsty, but let’s not forget about the Portuguese craft beers which can also be sampled here. Lisbon favorites such as Oitava Colina or Dois Corvos can be drank here, but O Outro Lado is also a great place to explore craft beer brands from all over Portugal, such as Ophiussa from Setúbal, Lupum from Avintes, or RIMA from Santarém, just to name a few.
📍Beco do Arco Escuro 1, 1100-585 Lisbon
The Beer Station
Find Portuguese artisanal beer, drafts and bottles at this beer dedicated bar by Rossio’s train station in Lisbon. Because of its location, this is a great little place to quench your thirst as you explore the wonders of Lisbon’s historical center. Even though the crowd you’ll find hanging at The Beer Station is mostly tourists, this is still a good place to try Portuguese craft beer. While in the past The Beer Station sold local and international brands, right now, they focus entirely on Portuguese craft brews, with twelve choices on tap and over fifty beers by the bottle.
📍Largo duque de Cadaval 17 Quiosque D, 1200-160 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/the.beer.station
Are you an artisanal beer lover? We’d love to know if you’ve had the chance to try Portuguese craft beer! Tell us all about what you’ve sipped via Instagram or Facebook. Please let us know, by tagging us @tasteoflisboa #tasteoflisboa
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