9 Destinations Around The World With Surprisingly Good Beer Scenes

Beer and traveling have gone hand in hand for as long as anyone can remember. In fact, it's been consumed in one form or another for 13,000 years, so you could argue it goes hand-in-hand with everything. But in a travel sense, there's something exciting about cracking open a bottle of a newly visited country's flagship brew, whether it's an Indonesian Bintang, a Krombacher in Germany, or maybe a more obscure one, like Birra Korça in Albania.

But the one thing most of these have in common is that they're all very similar. Lagers and pilsners dominate the beer industry, and while there may be differences between each, the craft beer aficionados amongst you might be left craving something a little more complex on your travels.

Thankfully, the craft beer revolution wasn't limited to the United States. It remains the epicenter, but the scene has expanded into unexpected countries and cities, from hidden bars in the streets of Hanoi to tradition-breaking beer halls in Munich. But each of the cities or regions featured in this list boasts an underrated or relatively undiscovered craft beer scene, where you're just as likely to find an Imperial Stout as you are a Heineken. Cheers!

Placing Prague on a list of surprising beer destinations seems a little odd. The country is renowned for its world-class beer and has had, arguably, more influence on beer than almost anywhere else. It's the home of the pilsner — the style that spawned modern lagers and accounts for about 90% of all beer consumed globally — and has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.

But it's that pilsner-saturated culture that spawned the craft beer explosion in the nation's capital, Prague. Young beer enthusiasts, craving something different, have opened multiple microbreweries and some excellent craft beer bars, allowing beer fans to flit between some of the greatest traditional beer experiences on the planet and more modern adventures. U Kunstatu is one of the best bars on offer, boasting an incredibly picturesque courtyard garden in the heart of the Old Town to drink in, over 100 Czech craft beers, and guided tastings — not to mention the 12th-century cellar under the bar. Further out, you'll find the grungy basement brewpub, BeerGeek. They brew their own stuff under the name Sibeeria, but the taproom will have an international selection of 32 drafts on tap at any time.

Other brilliant spots include Dva Kohouti brewery, a modern affair with a huge outdoor drinking space, and Ossegg Praha, a cozier option closer to the city. The local beer geeks are passionate about showing visitors there's more to the Czech Republic than pilsner, and spending an evening with Prague Craft Beer Tours is the best way to do that. You'll find some brilliant bars and get some insight into the area's legendary traditional beer and the modern beer experience.

Despite being one of the most affordable destinations in Japan, Sapporo, the capital city of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, might be known more for its beer. In a similar (albeit more narrow) way to Prague, it's a single world-renowned brew that dominates the public perception. The lager, Sapporo, is consumed around the world, and any visit to the city should involve at least a quick visit to the historic brewery — but those with a nose for hoppier brews will find the rest of the city even more exciting.

With multiple craft breweries and even more excellent taprooms hidden amongst this underrated city, you could base an entire weekend trip around beer — each stop punctuated by a ramen break, naturally. Moon Sun Brewing is one of the top options, fusing a delightfully cozy and minimalist Japanese aesthetic with brilliant beers and unique bar snacks. Housemade dumplings for pairing with a pilsner, anyone? It's the perfect place to experience Japan's venture into the craft beer world. Another excellent option is Beer Bar North Island, a bar offering tremendous views of the Sapporo skyline. They keep things simple, with five or six home brews plus a guest tap to pair with some excellent food. Just be wary of the all-you-can-drink offers — for about $23 USD, you can drink as much beer as you want for 60 minutes.

With a doubt, the most iconic spot is Beer Inn Mugishutei. Opened by American expatriate Phred Kaufman (known as Beer Santa by the locals) back in 1980, it's now something of a legendary beer pilgrimage for Japanese beer fans. Phred is widely regarded as one of the first people to bring craft beer to Japan. He's still there, working away, and always happy to talk beer with customers.

Any U.S. destination feels a little odd on this list, considering the country as a whole is the spiritual home of craft beer. But it's worth highlighting a city that's often overlooked for its brewing prowess, as it lives in the shadow of other heavyweights. North Carolinians are familiar with Asheville's beer reputation, and with Charlotte now giving the city a run for its money, the western end of the state gets all the attention on any beer-centric trip in North Carolina. But Wilmington, very much a traditional beach destination, is punching well above its weight,

It has something to scratch almost every kind of beer itch. Established in 1995, Front Street Brewery is a well-respected taproom set in a historic building in downtown. Almost in complete contrast, just two minutes down the road, you'll also find Cape Fear Wine and Beer, a dark and grungy little dive bar with tons of epic beers on tap and dozens more in the fridge — just bring your ear plugs if you're not much of a metal head. Elsewhere, there are some excellent spots that lean into its beachside location. Wilmington Brewing Company's laid-back warehouse spot is the perfect place to spend the summer nights, and its Tropical Lightning IPA is served at many other bars in town.

For a different vibe in another corner of the city, Satellite Bar's rustic interior, excellent local music, and rotating range of craft beers is a brilliant evening hangout. If you time your visit well, typically late-October, you can even check out the city's huge beer and wine festival.

Craft beer lovers may not be too surprised to find Wellington on the list. Its beers have become a mainstay in international bars all around the world in recent years, but outside of that circle, many newcomers to the city are surprised to find such a major hub. With over 20 breweries and several more bars plugging creative beers across what's a comparatively compact city, it's got all the makings of a boozy weekend. Just make sure to stop at some of the outstanding coffee shops on the way so you're still upright at the end of the day.

Garage Project is the undisputed heavyweight of the local scene. Formerly a tiny petrol station, it has become one of the most respected breweries in the Southern Hemisphere — producing everything from world-class hazy IPAs to experimental brews involving locally sourced ingredients. You'll find it all over the world these days, but stopping to try the stuff fresh from one of its five locations (all with their own vibe) is a different experience. Mean Doses is another strong option, with its taproom offering an eclectic range of beers, including an Iced Tea Lager and another made with jasmine rice. Its food options are also epic, with pizza and bar snacks made on-site and a Vietnamese-French restaurant next door that will deliver to your table.

The joy of Wellington's beer scene is that it's now embedded in the culture. Breweries in Wellington match well with the amazing coffee scene, bookshops, and little music venues that all scream independent. Add some of Wellington's brews to your list on your next journey to the bottom of the world.

Estonia is still well off the radars of most travelers, especially those from the U.S., but those who visit generally leave infatuated. The UNESCO-listed Medieval Old Town is about as close to a fairy tale as you can get, but for those with a hankering for hops, its beer scene might just top it. The city's beer space is epic, with disused Soviet naval yards and grain factories gifted a new lease on life as breweries. It's a stunning blend of old and new. It'll be just one facet of the countless surprises you'll find when you explore this underrated capital city.

Põhjala is the crown jewel of Tallinn's craft beer movement. It has become internationally renowned for its rich stouts, porters, and experimental beers, plus its enormous modern taproom in the old port district is one of the coolest drinking spaces anywhere in Northern Europe. Food shifts between locations, with the main tap room offering Texas-style barbecue and the small bar serving snacks. Elsewhere, Humalakoda and Koht both provide a more intimate experience, with cozy interiors and rotating tap lists filled with Estonian brews and imports. Koht, in particular, has an amazing reputation in the city despite its tiny size.

The city's compact layout gives your beer hunting a bit of a unique slant. You can spend the afternoon wandering through centuries-old alleyways before stumbling into a sleek modern brewery hidden behind old Soviet brickwork. This is an old city that's looking forward in a big way, and its craft beer scene is more than emblematic of that. You might have just found your new favorite European city.

Germany is another country that's renowned for its beer. It's the home of Oktoberfest, of course, and the legendary Bavarian Beer Purity laws that set brewing standards for the world for centuries. It sounds even stranger to include anywhere in Germany on this list when you consider that its list of beer styles sounds like a craft beer menu — from simple bottom-fermented pilsners through Hefeweizens, Altbiers, and Doppelbocks.

But that's what makes the region of Franconia so interesting. With the highest concentration of breweries per capita in the world, it's like an unofficial ground zero for craft brewing. Most of the brewing here isn't found in massive bierhalls like in Munich, but in smaller, independently-owned outfits — some centuries old. One of the most interesting is Brauerei Heckel, in the town of Waischenfeld. Inaccessible by public transport, many visitors opt to hike there from the nearest town to grab a "Heckel Vollbier," which is brewed in a traditional way and only once a month. Bridging the gap between old and new is Goller Brewery, a 500-year-old operation that's been in the current family's hands since the early 20th century. The three brothers currently running the show have modernized the facility, upping production, and branching out into modern craft styles beyond the traditional Helles lager they were known for with their "beer calendar" concept.

In terms of true craft beer, look no further than Braumanufaktur Hertl. The smallest brewery in the region, it opened in 2012 and has a menu drastically different from its traditional competitors. Sour ales, IPAs, and non-alcoholic wheat beers are the norm here. It's a novel place to dive into the modern craft beer world, surrounded by the richest beer history on the planet.

Belgrade's nightlife is already legendary. However, its craft beer scene, like most countries in Europe's most underrated corner of the Balkans, has taken a while to get rolling. Today, the city is now an excellent hub for unique brews. With tons of bars opening up to showcase the region's creativity, combined with the local drinking culture, there's a bright future for the scene in Belgrade.

Belgrade's craft beer scene isn't built like Franconia's, with hundreds of breweries offering their wares. It's an ever-growing hive of bars, led by passionate beer lovers who have travelled the world and fallen in love with the industry, hoping to bring a slice home with them. Docker Brewery, located in Belgrade's port area has an immense beer garden. Sounds like the perfect place to soak up the sun and try some of their 19 tap beers, ranging from approachable lagers to aggressive Triple IPAs. A long-time staple is The Black Turtle, which operates a brewery and two pubs in the city. The Kosančićev Venac location is the pick of the two, with its cozy underground setup and outside seating overlooking the Sava River. Dogma Brewery is the other big name in the region, operating a modern bar in the city center.

For sheer variety, hitting one of the town's many craft beer pubs is the best play. Gunners Pub is one of the best, featuring a solid rotating lineup of 16 local and international drafts plus more than 80 bottles to choose from, while Samo Pivo is a brilliantly atmospheric option. It's been opening locals up to craft beer since 2013, and recently moved into a beautiful new spot with an excellent beer garden built for enjoying its extensive tap list.

In fairness, Cape Town was always going to get the craft beer bug. The city's creative spirit is evident everywhere, it's already one of the world's most underrated wine regions, and there are few places in the world better built for a post-hike or surf session beer. The city now has multiple breweries plugging their goods, gifting its local drinkers an excellent craft beer scene.

Devil's Peak Brewing Company is arguably the best known of the bunch. Its flagship beers, First Light Golden Ale and The King's Blockhouse IPA, are brilliant, with the former being designed as a gateway beer for those new to craft beer. You'll find the beers everywhere, but you can sample them at the source at their Salt River Taproom. Woodstock and Banana Jam are smaller operations, but no less brilliant, with the first offering a modern industrial taproom and the second a tropical beer garden built for spending warm afternoons, pint in hand.

But really, with all the breweries and bars available in Cape Town, it's the city itself that steals the show. Sitting with a freshly-poured IPA with the backdrop of Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, or the epic stormy seas of the Atlantic Ocean is priceless.

Craft beer is immediately at a disadvantage in Malaysia. Alcohol is taxed heavily, and brewing licenses are incredibly hard to come by. But that hasn't stopped a dedicated craft beer community from building a range of excellent bars and taprooms around the city, and even the country's first true craft brewery.

Taps Beer Bar, in the city center, is usually credited with bringing craft beer to the country. Its excellent blend of Malaysian and Western bar food is brilliant, too. Beyond Taps, you'll find WellCraft, an excellent pub in the Sri Hartamas neighborhood with one of the best stocked fridges you'll ever see; Kura's Krafts, a quaint spot with a solid seasonal lineup and outstanding hotdogs; and Beer Bank, an almost impossible to find, speak-easy type craft beer spot hidden at the back of a grocery store.

It's Paperkite Brewing, though, that's become the beating heart of craft beer in Malaysia. As the first true craft brewery operating in the country, it's beaten remarkable odds to stay in business, and is now going from strength to strength. Its small lineup of beers is solid, particularly its hopped lager, and it's popping up all over the city these days. Make sure to support the brewery if you find yourself in the Malaysian capital.