I make many jokes that Poland is famous for vodka, sausages and being Europe's punching bag but there is one thing I won’t joke about. Polish microbreweries. This amazing trend is picking up steam in Poland and I couldn’t be happier. I guess its the inevitable route for the fifth largest hops producer in the world.

Technically, microbreweries have been around for centuries. But we're talking about the modern microbreweries. A concept started by the British and truly championed by Americans. We took the concept of small, quality breweries and did the American thing, we industrialized the shit out of it. Microbreweries have been springing up all over our nation these last 15 years and now it seems the Poles have followed suit.

With that being said, it's still an emerging scene in Poland. A scene that I hope continues to mature and ferment so I may stumble my way through the country in good taste and spirits. The relative youth of Polish microbreweries means that many of these breweries are still extremely small and are going through a learning process. For example, brewery tours are rarely offered and may only consist of one room.

The types of beer are more traditional and very few breweries offer exotic brewing combinations (I'm looking at you Smokey Bacon Ale from Odin Brewing). Many of their beers cater to the Polish taste of lagerish beers but take many influences from their western and central European neighbors. The minuscule size of most Polish breweries means only they distribute beer to their restaurant or in the same town.

So if you want to try Polish craft beer, you have to go to Poland! Think of how cool you'll be when you tell your friends you had craft beer in Poland before globalization made it easy.

Let’s go through some breweries that have good beer and are fun to visit. Once again, I won't be doing an in-depth review of the beers since that can be left to beer forums but you can be assured that the beers at these locations are respectable.

Lech

Poznan, Greater Poland

Well it’s not a microbrew by any means, but we need to establish a baseline and see how the Poles decide to challenge Budweiser and Coors in mass manufacturing. Lech’s production plant is comparable in size to their counterparts, and their beers certainly compete. I guess it’s not hard to compete with Coors’ or Bud’s main line. The parent company Piwowarska owns Lech, Zubr and Tyskie, three very large brands in Poland.

Both Tyskie and Lech are generic lagers, but it’s the Zubr that really shines. For a cheap mass produced beer, this one certainly stands out. Unfortunately, the Lech brewery in Poznan only produces, well Lech. And that’s the only beer on tap at the brewery.

Their beer tour costs 20 zl or $5.38 per person and comes with a free beer at the end of the tour. Tours here cover an in-depth look at the production line and the guide is fairly friendly and speaks English. Its highly recommended to call ahead and reserve a spot.

The tours fun and all but there’s one big point I have to mention, you can not drink before the tour. You can’t even grab a drink at a separate bar on your own so I assume it must be for the liability reasons. I thought the U.S. had a lot of frivolous lawsuits.

Both Tyskie and Lech are generic lagers, but it’s the Zubr that really shines. For a cheap mass produced beer, this one certainly stands out. Unfortunately, the Lech brewery in Poznan only produces, well Lech. And that’s the only beer on tap at the brewery.

Their beer tour costs 20 zl or $5.38 per person and comes with a free beer at the end of the tour. Tours here cover an in-depth look at the production line and the guide is fairly friendly and speaks English. Its highly recommended to call ahead and reserve a spot.

The tours fun and all but there’s one big point I have to mention, you may not drink before the tour. You can’t even grab a drink at a separate bar on your own so it must be for the liability. And I thought the U.S. had a lot of frivolous lawsuits.

Browar Stu Mostow

Wroclaw, Silesia

When I stepped into this brewery, I thought I was back home in Seattle. Their main brewery house is on the bottom and up on the loft, is the modern and hip restaurant. Its instrumental rock plays from the speakers, the modern and spacious area gives off that relaxed, hip vibe of the Northwest or Colorado. They really nailed the northwest vibe when I spotted an employee with a bushy beard and flannel.

The best part about Stu Mostow is they have the most unique variety of beer. Most Polish microbreweries still closely adhere to the Belgium or Czech way of brewing so this was a great change. I particularly recommend trying the Salamander AIPA, a wonder take on American IPAs.

And if they couldn’t make the brewery hip enough, this brewery is more in line of a gastropub. An amazing selection of food designed to be paired with particular beers fill the menu. They’re an expensive eat as far as Poland goes with dishes ranging from 30-45 zl or $8-12, which is a steal for food of this calibre.

There is a brewery tour available every Tuesday and Sunday and tickets need to be advanced purchased on their website, which is all in Polish. So that’s rather difficult. It might not be worth aligning your visit with the tour as the tour only walks through the lower section of the house since the brewery is so small. Its more worth it to just eat all their scrumptious food and drink all the beer.

Browar Lubiscz

Krakow, Lesser Poland

If Browar Stu Mostow was trying to imitate America, Browar Lubiscz decided to follow their German and Czech counterparts. Located very centrally in Krakow, Lubiscz makes some great Hefes and Pilsners and even has a whole line of seasonal beers. Most of their beers are their rendition of traditional European beers which are good, but there’s nothing too out of the ordinary.

The brewery is located in an old building with arched ceilings and walls that give the place a cozy feeling. One of the nice parts of the brewery is their amazing food deals. For 24 zl or $6, you can get an all you can eat buffet over lunch. Their other foods run less than 30 zl or $8.07. They even have American style ribs if you need some home comfort food.

Stara Zajezdnia

Krakow, Lesser Poland

Come for the history, beer and outdoor seating. Tolerate the food. Stara Zajezdnia is located right in the Jewish quarter in Krakow and right in the middle of an old train depot built in 1913 at that. They renovated the building in 2012 and the building is now considered a monument by UNESCO. The main train depot was closed during my time there so I unfortunately was not able to see the brewhouse.

This large size gives them great outdoor seating in this cute area so you can enjoy your beers with a view. Their beers may be pretty tasty but their food is at best middling bar food. Offer your patronage for their beers and afterwards, you can mosey right down the street to Poland’s growing food truck scene.

Browar Watra

Zakopane, Lesser Poland

If you decided to go to the Tatras Mountains and enjoy some nice hikes, what’s a better way to put the calories back on than drinking some local brews with some local, mountain cuisine? Answer: more beer and more food.

Their beers are actually standard at best, but it’s worth coming here for all the grilled meats with their fantastic grill setup.

Just ridiculous

And the best part, is that these meats are all cooked with a beer in mind. They’re saltier than normal and pair wonderfully with their beer. So if you’re with your significant other and eat here, you have all the excuses you need to drink. This is a higher end bar so be ready to pay around 40 zl or $10.75 per meal since some items are al la carte.

Honorable Mention - House of Beer

Krakow, Lesser Poland

Don’t have the time to bounce around the half of Poland? No problem, there’s a great little bar (not brewery) located right in the middle of Old Town in Krakow. Sure it’s a touristy place, but the bar is comfortable with a nice relaxing vibe.

Most importantly, The bar is loaded with dozens of bottled beer and nearly a dozen local beers, most of which are from Polish microbreweries. With this great selection, it’s surprising that they don’t offer tasting flights. But that’s fine. The best way to try all their beers is to drink each one by the pint.

There are other craft beer bars that cater to tourists in the area, but I found House of Beer to have some of the better pricing and atmosphere.

Drink responsibly.

Unrelated Stray Observations

• Their toilets are abnormally small for a country with Slavic men eating hearty meals of sausages and potatoes.
• You know you're in eastern Europe when a restaurant owner literally kicks a beggar out of his restaurant in a 'THIS IS SPARTA' style.
• A Kazakhstani, American, Irish, German and Canadian walk into a bar.
  The Irish guy is the loudest.
• "We have Brits, Irish and Belgian here tonight. Its going to be crazy." - Hostel receptionist on a Friday night.
• Every nationality knows Jenga.
• A driver almost ran me over and put his finger and his thumb in the shape of an L on his forehead. I'm more upset he thinks that it's 1990.
• KFC does not have hot sauce and yet they're bigger than McDonald's here.
• Fanny packs are a thing
• Polish people really like ice cream. Even if its only 60 degrees and pouring rain.

Proof