The Republic of Georgia is known for being the oldest wine growing region in the world. And they do make good wine! Trust us, we drank enough of it to verify. Sometimes, however, there’s nothing like a good craft beer at the local breweries. What I discovered shortly after arriving to Tbilisi, is that Georgia has just recently hit their craft beer revolution.
A quick Google search led me to believe that there are plenty of options for grabbing a pint straight from the source in Tbilisi. I ambitiously planned to visit each and every one of the breweries. However, once we arrived and I started to dive a little deeper into the beer scene, my options seemed much more limited.
A few places I originally found online are actually owned by large macro companies. Not exactly the local breweries I had in mind. Others are not yet open for operation or don’t have a tap room where visitors are welcome. This left me with only a hand full of options. I did my best to visit each one of them and have as many of their beers as possible.
Breweries that we visited in Tbilisi
NaturAle
Our introduction to the Tbilisi beer scene and it didn’t disappoint. The space itself isn’t anything special; It’s just a small bar with a few stools but the beer more than makes up for the lack of atmosphere. For under $2 you’ll have a full pour of almost any beer on tap. New and experimental beers are made regularly and shifted into the rotation. While the beer is not produced on site, it is brewed in small batches just outside of the city in a neighboring village. Our personal favorites were their stout and mango IPA. The bartender speaks perfect English and has knowledge of anything Georgian you might be interested to know. Pull up a stool, order an IPA, and ask away!
As for food, there’s not much. The owner did just start offering cheese toasties though if you’re feeling peckish. If you need something a bit more substantial, just up the hill on the same side of the street is a new eatery selling hot dogs which have quickly become a neighborhood hit.
30 Lado Asatiani St, Tbilisi, Georgia
9MTA
This modern looking building is a restaurant offering up a large craft beer draft list. They have a few of their own brews but the bulk of their tap list is from Denmark and Norway. If you fancy more 9MTA originals, there is a bottle shop onsite housing a few more choices. The prices at this location are slightly higher than the other places on this list but you would be hard pressed to find these beers elsewhere in the city.
10, Galaktion Tabidze St, Tbilisi, Georgia
SMA
Not actually a brewery, but with all craft brews, including a few local Georgian breweries on the outskirts of Tbilisi on tap, this craft bar was a must visit. We came here on a mission. It was International Stout Day and SMA’s tap list didn’t disappoint. We tried all three stouts on offer, including the high-octane Imperial Serial Killer (16% ABV) by Megobrebi Brewery. If you’re not in the mood for stout, all of the other usual suspects are also on tap.
As we sat there sipping on our stouts, we regretted eating dinner before arriving. The mouthwatering burgers that were coming out of their kitchen had us believing these might be some of the best in town. We still need to return with empty bellies to prove this theory.
48 Lado Asatiani St, Tbilisi, Georgia
Kazbegi Beer
Yes, this place is a macro producer, but you will not find cheaper beer anywhere else in the city – or world? When visiting, there are two choices on where to purchase/drink your beer. Head up the stairs to the restaurant if you’re hungry or looking for a place to sit. Otherwise, walk-up windows are opened up closer to the river to grab a quick pint.
The restaurant resembles a German beer hall and is a great place for a large group to gather. Order a few pints from your server, or grab a liter from the window downstairs if you’re sharing with a few friends. If you opt to hang out by the downstairs window to have a drink, you’ll likely be in the good company of a few local men. The beer is crisp and cold – perfect for a hot day along the river.
68a Dimitri Uznadze St, Tbilisi 0112, Georgia
2 Tons
We were slightly disappointed when we arrived here. It is further outside of the city than the other breweries. It took us a metro ride and a long walk to get there, but we were really looking forward to sampling their 12 beers on tap. Unfortunately, on the day of our visit they were having some technical issues that we were unaware of before we arrived. Our excitement faded as we placed our first order and the server let us know that only 4 of the 12 beers were available.
2 Tons becomes crowded very quickly. If you want to be sure to get a table I suggest coming early. We stayed for dinner and tested each of the few beers on offer. The food was superb, especially their chicken wings. While we were disappointed we couldn’t try their sour or porter, we did really enjoy the IPA. This is a good place for large groups.
Viktor Kupradze St, Tbilisi, Georgia
Number 8 Craft Beer Club
Probably the most popular of the craft beers with several locations around the city. This place is good for both dining and carryout beers. Definitely show up hungry here. The burgers are messy, but worth it. We were tipped off by a local to order the cheese sticks and we agree – you should too. The beer – the reason for coming – is equally satisfying.
Craft #8 offers a 20% discount on your bill if you dine before 5pm and 50% off all carry-out draft beers. It was getting cold while we were in town so we turned their apple cider into a special treat for ourselves. We would get a liter of the cider to go then warm it up at home with some brandy, honey and lemon. It made for the perfect nightcap.
22 Irakli Abashidze Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
Other Tbilisi breweries worth mentioning
Underground Brewery
I tried to contact this brewery to see if it was possible to visit but was unsuccessful. They do, however, distribute to craft beer bars around the city. One popular place to find their beers is at SMA. Underground has a small production of high quality brews.
bld. 42, korp, Tbilisi, Georgia
Dai Kide
This place is unfortunately not yet open for sales to the public. But I have to give special thanks to the owner as he lead me in the direction of a few other spots in the city with great product. Keep your eyes out for them as the brewery should be opening soon.
Megobrebi Brewery
We sampled their brews at several different bars in the city. Our only regret is that we never made it to the brewery itself. Megobrebi is producing a wide variety of labels, including an array of stouts. Each one was a winner in our books.
42 Gardabani Hwy, Tbilisi 0168, Georgia
If there are any new breweries (or any I simply missed) that pop up in Tbilisi, please leave their names in the comments. I would love to try them the next time my wife and I are in town.
Wishing you a great brew day!
Cheers friends,
Matt & Megan
Comments
In the past, I have remarked on the presence of English in nearly all of the signs which appear in your photos. This seems to be a break with that observation. Any idea as to what the sign in this photo says.
Author
I am not sure what it says. Must be something about beer.
We had trouble with the Georgian alphabet!