Europe is where most modern beer styles were invented, and the range from one country to the next is enormous, a crisp Bavarian lager, a strong Belgian Trappist ale, a Czech-style Spanish pilsner and a dry Italian export lager barely resemble each other despite all being called beer. This is our tour through the continent’s best beers by country, with links to full reviews and where to buy each one.
Germany
German beer culture runs on purity-law lagers and wheat beers. Bavaria alone produces some of the most recognizable styles in the world, from a classic hefeweizen to a dark dunkel and the crisp helles lager served by the liter at Oktoberfest.
Augustiner-Brau, Munich’s oldest brewery (founded 1328), makes one of the most sought-after Helles lagers in the world, though it exports far less than the bigger Bavarian names, so it can be harder to find outside Germany and specialty importers.
For the full ranking of German styles beyond wheat beer, see our Best German Beers guide, which covers everything from Kolsch to Doppelbock.
Belgium
Belgium’s beer tradition centers on strong ales, sour lambics, and Trappist beers brewed by monks. A handful of monasteries, including Westmalle, Chimay, Rochefort and Orval, are certified to brew Authentic Trappist Product beers, some of the most respected strong ales in the world.
For the full lineup, see our Best Belgian Beers guide, covering Trappist strongs through to sours.
Spain
Spanish beer leans toward light, food-friendly lagers built for a hot climate, though regional brands like Alhambra and genuinely inventive beers like Estrella Damm Inedit show there is more going on than the big export names suggest.
Full Spanish GuideBest Spanish BeersAlhambra Especial, Estrella Damm Inedit and San Miguel Lager, ranked.Italy
Italian beer is built to sit next to food: crisp, dry, and rarely bitter. Birra Moretti and Peroni are the two names everyone knows, but Menabrea, brewed at Italy’s oldest active brewery, is worth seeking out too.
Full Italian GuideBest Italian BeersBirra Moretti, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Menabrea Ambrata, ranked.Czech Republic
The Czech Republic invented the pale lager style that most of the world’s beer is still based on, and Prague’s newer microbreweries, like Vinohradsky Pivovar in the Vinohrady district, are keeping that tradition going alongside the country’s famous large export brands. For where to actually drink it, our guide to Prague’s best beers, pubs and breweries covers the traditional hospoda pub culture and which breweries are worth visiting.
Full ReviewGambrinus Original 10The Czech Republic’s biggest-selling domestic beer, a clean pale lager at 4.3% ABV.Austria
Austrian beer culture sits close to Bavaria’s, built around clean, malt-forward lagers served in big steins at the country’s beer gardens.
Full ReviewGosser PremiumAustria’s leading domestic lager, brewed in Leoben since 1860, 5.2% ABV.Portugal
Portuguese lager is built for a hot coastline, light, carbonated and served ice cold at every cafe terrace from Lisbon to the Algarve.
Full ReviewSuper BockPortugal’s best-selling beer since the 1970s, a crisp pale lager at 5.2% ABV.Netherlands
Dutch brewing is best known abroad for Heineken and Grolsch, but Hertog Jan is the everyday pilsner most Dutch drinkers actually reach for at home.
Full ReviewHertog Jan PilsenerOne of the Netherlands’ top-selling pilsners, 5.0% ABV.FAQs
What is the difference between German and Belgian beer?
German beer is governed by the centuries-old Reinheitsgebot purity law and leans on clean lagers and wheat beers. Belgian beer allows spices, wild yeast and sugar, producing stronger, more varied ales, sours and Trappist beers.
What is a Trappist beer?
A beer brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, under monk supervision, with profits supporting the monastery and charity. Westmalle, Chimay, Rochefort and Orval are among the certified Trappist breweries.
Is Peroni or Birra Moretti more popular?
Both are hugely popular; Peroni has a stronger international export presence under the Nastro Azzurro name, while Birra Moretti remains a dominant everyday lager in Italy itself.
What is the best Spanish beer to try first?
Alhambra Especial is the most representative pick, a Czech-style pale lager that is the everyday beer of Granada and eastern Andalucia.
