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Finland has a strong beer scene, which isn’t surprising since it’s a good place to stay inside & drink for much of the year. Helsinki is filled with fantastic craft beer bars featuring local Finnish beers, as well as breweries from all over the world. While it’s not a huge city, it has a disproportionately high number of excellent bars to drink beer in. All of the places I visited were within walking distance of each other in the city center. Here is my guide to the best craft beer in Helsinki.
Bruuveri
My first stop in Helsinki was Bruuveri, which is located in the maze of Kamppi train station/shopping center, which reminded me of Japan. From the outside, it looked just like any other store. Inside, it was a huge space with a large bar and plenty of seating (plus a smoking area, for those who are so inclined). People line up for beer, which is so much better than crowding a bar. I wish more places would do this.
Bruuveri makes their own beer in addition to their selection of craft beer from Finland, but unfortunately they did not have one of them on when I was there. They had decent bar snacks as well.
Bryggeri
My second stop was Bryggeri, a brewery/restaurant in central Helsinki. There was a small bar upstairs, plus a larger restaurant downstairs. I expected a bit bigger of a beer selection, but I enjoyed sampling their beers. The place understandably smells of a brewery, which is a smell I love. It made me nostalgic for the couple of times I’ve lived near breweries.
Bryggeri also sells sahti, a traditional Finnish beer made with juniper. It was… interesting. I can’t say I’d have it again, but I was glad to have tried it.
Oluthuone Kaisla
Oluthuone Kaisla is a massive craft beer bar located right next to the University of Helsinki. As such, it draws a large crowd of students. It’s a massive dark space that keeps going back, winding its way around a corner. Good luck meeting up with someone once inside.
They have a massive selection of taps and bottles from around the world. One thing to note is that drinking craft beer in Helsinki is expensive. Drinks were around 7.50 euros for a pint.
Still, with a huge selection, lots of seating, and board games available, Oluthuone Kaisla is a great place to spend a night.
Teerenpeli Kamppi
Teerenpeli is a one of Finland’s oldest craft breweries, with a few bars located throughout the country. They offer a full range of all different styles of beer, plus cider (10 taps of their own beer, plus 3 ciders). Additionally, they have a few guest taps on offer, plus bottles. It’s another nice big space, like a modern living room or restaurant.
The bar offers a sampler flight of 4 0.25 litre beers, which is perfect. Though at almost 17 euros, you’ll quickly remember that drinking is expensive in Finland. I had the flight, then a couple of other guest beers. I had plenty of time here, as I had managed to arrive just before a huge rainstorm and had no interest venturing back out.
Suomenlinna Brewery
While it’s a small operation with only a few beers available, Suomenlinna Brewery is one of the more interesting breweries in Helsinki. The beer itself may not be anything special, but the brewery’s location on the island of Suomenlinna makes it a cool place to visit. It’s right near the ferry terminal, making it the perfect place to relax after you’ve spent a day exploring the island. Read all about my visit to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.
Brewdog Helsinki
Brewdog is one of my favorite breweries, so I had to visit their Helsinki location. That said, I did so with trepidation, as the only Brewdog I had visited outside of the United Kingdom, Brewdog Roppongi in Tokyo, had been a huge disappointment.
Any reluctance quickly went out the window when I saw what beers Brewdog Helsinki had on offer that day. There were 12 taps from Brewdog, plus 12 more guest taps, including several from Finland. This is exactly what I would have expected from a Brewdog bar.
Friendly, knowledgeable staff, plus nice locals, as well as a good food selection (I recommend the meat and cheese platter) make Brewdog Helsinki one of the best craft beer bars in the city.
Tommyknocker
Tommyknocker is an American brewery from Idaho Springs, Colorado. They were actually the first American craft brewing company to open a branded bar in Europe. Having never heard of them before, I didn’t realize this until I had ordered a flight. I normally try to drink local beers whenever I travel, but this was an unwitting exception. The beer was pretty good though, and they also have a great bottle selection. If you’re looking for American craft beer in Helsinki, this is the spot.
One Pint Pub
One Pint Pub is located just west of central Helsinki along the coast. It’s a crowded neighborhood sort of place with a great vibe. They have a nice selection of 12 taps and plenty more bottles covering both domestic and international offerings, making them the best beer option in this part of the city. They also have live music.
Interested in seeing more of Helsinki? Check out these tours:
These are just some of the great craft beer bars in Helsinki, one of the best beer cities in Europe. What are your favorites?
Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!
Read more posts from my trip to Northern Europe:
A trip through Northern Europe & the Baltics – Introduction
American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco SFO review
American Airlines First Class Airbus A321T San Francisco SFO to New York JFK review
A quick layover in New York City from JFK airport
American Airlines Flagship Lounge New York JFK review
American Airlines Business Class Boeing 767-300 New York JFK to Manchester MAN review
Holiday Inn Express Glasgow City Centre Riverside review
Upperdeck Airport Lounge Glasgow GLA review
Aspire Lounge London Heathrow LHR Terminal 5 review
Hotel Skt. Petri Copenhagen, Denmark review
Copenhagen, Denmark – Museums on a rainy day
Copenhagen, Denmark – Nyhavn, Christiania & more
Craft beer in Copenhagen, Denmark – The Mikkeller bars
Aviator Airport Lounge – Copenhagen CPH review
Norwegian Air Economy Class Boeing 737-800 Copenhagen CPH to Riga RIX review
Radi Un Draugi Hotel Riga, Latvia review
Riga, Latvia – Exploring the Old Town
Riga, Latvia – Museums & a tough 20th century
Riga, Latvia – Street markets & food
Craft beer in Riga, Latvia
Lux Express Riga, Latvia to Tallinn, Estonia review
Hotel Bern Tallinn, Estonia review
Tallinn, Estonia – Exploring the views of the Old Town
Tallinn, Estonia – Exploring Patarei Prison
Craft beer in Tallinn, Estonia
Eckero Finlandia ferry Tallinn, Estonia to Helsinki, Finland review
Holiday Inn Helsinki – West Ruoholahti review
Helsinki, Finland – Exploring the food markets & city centre
Helsinki, Finland – Exploring the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
Craft beer in Helsinki, Finland
Finnair Lounge Helsinki HEL non-Schengen review
Finnair Business Class Airbus A321 Helsinki HEL to London Heathrow LHR review
American Airlines Flagship Lounge London Heathrow LHR review
American Airlines First Class Boeing 777-200 London Heathrow LHR to Dallas-Fort Worth DFW review
American Express Centurion Lounge Dallas-Fort Worth DFW review
American Airlines First Class Boeing A321S Dallas-Fort Worth DFW to San Francisco SFO review
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I’m amazed that you went through that much sahti. I asked for just a taster and that was enough! I like trying lots of different beers so the ability to order small quantities suits me fine.
I’m usually the same way, but in this case I figured I’d give it a go. I like trying special local varieties like sahti, and it’s certainly unique.