Where To Find the Best Craft Beer In Berlin

For those of you who’ve been following us for a while, you know we love craft beers and take it as a challenge to track down the best local craft beer establishments wherever we are at the time. In the summer of 2022, we spent six weeks enjoying (amongst other things) as much craft beer in Berlin as possible.

Better late than never, here are our favorite craft beer bars in Berlin.

But first a few facts…

History of Craft Beer in Berlin

Germany has a stringent, long-standing beer purity law. The ‘Reinheitsgebot’ is a regulation limiting beer to four essential ingredients: water, barley, hops, and yeast. It was created in 1516 and enforced throughout Germany and the states of the former Holy Roman Empire, becoming the world’s oldest regulation related to food and drink.

Germans are very serious about this law. One guy we met in a Peine bar in Lower Saxony told us, ‘ If the Reinheitsgebot is broken, the friendship is broken!’ Eeek!!!

We quickly steered the subject away from beer! There was even a movement to have it UNESCO World Heritage-listed, like the Argentinian Tango and French Gastronomy.

So

• • No fruit.
  • No wheat.
  • No rye.
  • No herbs and spices
  • No fun!

Not surprisingly, these limitations prevented modern brewers from joining the burgeoning worldwide craft beer movement. Thankfully, the regulations have slowly loosened up, and by the time we visited in 2022, there was a thriving craft beer scene in Berlin.

We’ve divided the bars/outlets into districts so you can sample a few in one outing.

Favorite Craft Beer Bars in Neukölln

We got to visit quite a few of the craft beer bars in ‘alternative’ Neukölln during a 3-week stay. Neukölln is southeast of the city and butts up to Kreuzberg. It is known for its international feel and is home to many hip bars and cafes.

Lager-Lager

This popular bolt-hole outlet became our ‘local’ as it was a 5-minute walk from our apartment. They had a great selection of craft beers from several Berlin microbreweries on tap and a more extensive bottled selection in the fridge.

Excellent service, reasonably priced, and a tasty bar food menu to go with your craft beer if you need it. The regulars are a very international crowd, and you’re more likely to find yourself talking to an Aussie or Kiwi than a German.

Situated on a leafy, cobbled street, there are a few outside tables on the footpath for people-watching, a real treat in Neukölln.

Address: Pflügerstraße 68, 12047 Berlin, Germany

Location:  https://goo.gl/maps/E26FDqpAT1w4wZJa7

Kauz & Kiebitz

We stumbled upon this cute little place one day when Lager Lager was closed. It has a nice seating area out the front, good service, and some excellent craft brews.

Not only is this a good place to find decent craft beer in Neukölln, but the adjoining premises (through a secret door) is one of the remaining speakeasies in Berlin. Just follow the pig trotters on the floor.

Address: Reuterstraße 47, 12047 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/bZsnCLKPwqv4mYNz6

Muted Horn

Unfortunately, we didn’t get here as it was on the other side of Neukolln to where we stayed. But it looks pretty cool. If you visit, let us know your thoughts in the comments so we can update this listing.

Address: Flughafenstraße 49, 12053 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/LW8ArqbWDEiuyPsX9

Favorite Craft Beer Bars in Kreuzberg

During our stay, we had plenty of time to explore some of the craft beer bars in Kreuzberg, the next district over from Neukölln. Once the poorest area in West Berlin, it’s now quite gentrified and a hub for the art scene. There are dozens (and dozens) of excellent cafes, restaurants, and bars, including some of the coolest craft beer bars in Berlin.

Heidenpeters

Tucked up in the back corner of Markthalle Neun, this small, dimly-lit outlet is a great place to sit and enjoy food from one of the many other market stalls. Or pick up your beer and take it to your chosen dining area.

With the smell of dozens of different food stalls cooking and the festive atmosphere, it’s easy to get stuck in there for a while.

There’s a small surcharge for your glass, which you get back when you return it.

Address: Markethalle Neun. Eisenbahnstraße 42/43, 10997 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/EyS1yGi73p78Xrrr6

Hopfenreich

Bedecked in graffiti and hundreds of random stickers and located on a lively corner just down from Markthalle Neun, this popular little corner bar in Kreuzberg has 22 craft beers on tap and more in bottles. The name translates to ‘Hoppy’ in English, and I’m betting that’s the name of the hedgehog that sits on the cash register.

The small intersection is a great place to sit and watch the world go by with a delicious Berlin craft beer.

Address: Sorauer Str. 31, 10997 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/NFYaFqPsdNEBdvvSA

Biererei Bar & Vintage Cellar

One of the more upmarket craft beer bars in Kreuzberg, this modern bar is right in the middle of one of its liveliest streets. Don’t worry if your friends don’t like craft beer (God forbid!!) as this place has a good selection of wines along with great brews. You can also buy an extensive range of bottled and canned craft beer to take away.

Address: Oranienstraße 185, 10999 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/YAbNmra62Z3mibfv9

Favorite Craft Beer Bars in Friedrichshain

Another short hop from both Neukölln and Kreuzberg, this district is filled with trendy cafes, restaurants, and, yes, you guessed it … craft beer bars!

Handy tip: Visit the lively fleamarket at Raw Gelande on Saturday, then wander over for a beer at one or more of these excellent craft beer bars in Friedrichshain.

Hops and Barley

Loaded with character and located in an old butcher shop complete with the original tilework, this small, centrally-located craft beer bar in Friedrichshain serves up some pretty tasty ales at reasonable prices.

There’s a great vibe about the place as you sit and soak up the local atmosphere. Don’t forget to try their in-house IPA!

Get there fast if you want to sit outside on the street, as seating is limited on the narrow footpath.

Address: Wühlischstraße 22/23, 10245 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/fpsQYVcUtpXNkrip9

Protokoll

Mmmmmm. Located a few blocks from Hops and Barley, we returned a few times. My (Shazz) favorite craft beer in Berlin was their Simcoe IPA.

With 24 taps from local and international microbreweries to choose from and pub grub available, this trendy street-side establishment is in a great area surrounded by plenty of restaurants and takeaways.

Address: Boxhagener Str. 110, 10245 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/UyxUxDd8bAUFgD1K9

Favorite Craft Beer Bars in Prenzlauer Berg

We spent three weeks in Prenzlauer Berg after our stint in Neukölln. Compared with the ‘earthy’ southern district, the breweries and bars serving craft beer in Prenzlauer Berg were a bit more upmarket. But they still had plenty of character and good-quality, reasonably-priced craft beers.

Birra – Italian Craft Beer

We were unaware the Italians made a decent craft beer. But we were soon enlightened after a visit to this informal craft beer bar in Prenzlauer Berg. Sit outside on the terrace, or grab a seat near the window ( if it’s cool,) and watch the world go by.

Note: It doesn’t open until six most evenings. So, we managed to walk straight past it several times, looking for 5 o’clock beers as it wasn’t that easy to see when closed.

Address: Prenzlauer Allee 198, 10405 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/RdmSoWVnkXY1wgGZ8

Bräugier BrewPub

This craft brewpub in Prenslauer Berg is a little off the main street but worth seeking out for its excellent range of beers brewed by the owner.

Address: Stubbenkammerstraße 6, 10437 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/Cy1N66jM46CV2aRd8

Manifest Taproom

Just down from Maur Park on the western edge of Prenzlauer Berg, amongst dozens of lively cafes and restaurants, you’ll find one of the comfiest bars for craft beer in Berlin.

They have several areas with different seating styles for various group sizes. We chose the comfortable couches with a great view of the street.

With a fine stable of beers to choose from (which are christened with a number rather than a name), they also serve up a decent bar menu featuring huge, US-style deli sandwiches to accompany the range of their mouth-watering Berlin craft beers. (This is where I first tasted the Protokoll Simcoe IPA.)

Address: Oderberger Str. 15, 10435 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/iB4XPnP3YhM6DAfq5

The Monterey Bar

A fellow Aussie owned this very cool bar. Its retro, purple interior and excellent music selection made this a great place for a tasty craft beer in Prenzlauer Berg. Unfortunately, it closed in May of this year. Check their Facebook page to see if they managed to open again in another location.

Facebook: Monterey Bar https://www.facebook.com/Montereybar/

Favorite Craft Beer Bars in Mitte (Central Berlin)

Huge, busy Mitte is Berlin’s central borough, and home to many of its popular tourist attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island and Hackescher Markt area.

The majority of tourist spend much of their time here. Many never leave its perimeter.

Kaschk

An outlet for the BRLO craft beers, this trendy craft beer bar in Mitte is a great stop after a hard day ‘touristing’ in central Berlin—a decent range of beers on tap to wash down the tapas menu.

Address: Linienstraße 40, 10119 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/jtoToEnPFCbj47tF7

Brewdog

A slick, modern, worldwide brewing phenomenon, you can now find Brewdog (from Scotland) in many European cities, including two outlets in Berlin. In our opinion, the Elvis Juice is the best in their range. They have a good food menu, too. We had too many other choices for craft beer in Berlin to bother visiting. Having sampled them in several cities, their products are consistent in all locations.

Address: Ackerstraße 29, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/34jmTaTokj5iHbN79

So there you go—plenty of choice for partaking in excellent craft beer in Berlin. Having witnessed the popularity of this new beer scene,  we’re sure that the numbers will expand to meet the ever increasing demand.

So please tell us if we’ve missed one of your favorites in the comments, and we’ll make sure we get around to visit next time we’re in Berlin.

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