Guide to Albanian Beer

I love Albania and I love beer. This is my small guide to Albanian beer for those of you who are either traveling beer enthusiasts or just want to quench your thirst in the Albanian heat.

Albania may not have the largest selection of beers, but it boasts several large and small breweries that produce fresh and delightful beer. The availability of beer in bars, restaurants, and stores may vary depending on your location in the country. Prices also vary, and as usual, they tend to be a bit higher in places frequented by tourists. At popular beach bars, the cost may be double compared to a small local tavern in a hidden alley in Tirana.

Birra Korça

Albania’s modern beer history began almost 100 years ago when the Italian investor Umberto Umberti, with permission from King Zog I, initiated the construction of what would become the country’s first commercial brewery in the small town of Korçë. With the assistance of German engineer Hebard Geraldine, the Korça brewery started beer production in 1928. They have retained the brewing method they used back then, and now you can find their beer all over Albania.

Korça Tradicionale Bjonde (4,1%)

Korça’s bestseller is a light and fresh pilsner with a pleasant aroma and a lot of flavor. It works perfectly as a thirst quencher in the heat or paired with grilled meat. You can find this beer in almost every store and bar/restaurant in Albania. Korca beer is definetely a winner when it comes to light, but tasty beers in Albania!

Korça Tradicionale e Zezë (4,5%)

Korça e Zezë is pretty much the opposite of Korça Bjonde. It is a dark lager with a crisp and light feel. As a fan of dark beers, I really enjoyed this one. It’s not as readily available as Korça’s light pilsner, but I found it in several stores in Tirana.

If you’re wondering what to eat in Albania, let us guide you through the delicious Albanian local cuisine.

Birra Tirana

Birra Tirana is said to be the best-selling beer in Albania and has been in production since 1960. Originally named Birra Malto, it changed its name in 2006. They use water transported through special pipes from the Salita source high up in a nearby mountainous area for production.

Birra Tirana Premium Pilsner (4%)

As the name suggests, this is a light pilsner. It has an okay taste, but personally, I prefer Korça’s pilsner.

Tirana Kuqalashe (4,1%)

The word “kuqalashe” means reddish, which is a great description of the beer’s color. Tirana Kuqalashe has a creamy caramel character and was truly enjoyable.

Going to Tirana? Check out our guide!

Birra Elbar

Elbar is one of the newest additions to the market in Albania. The first units reached the shelves in 2015. The brand has achieved rapid success, likely due in part to having Heineken as one of its owners. The large Albanian company Agna Group handles the production. They invest heavily in marketing and sponsor everything from concerts to sports events.

Birra Elbar

A decent pale lager that works well as a thirst quencher.

Elbar Weiss

Albanian and German apparently go well together—Elbar Weiss is a wheat beer of the hefeweizen type with a delightful complex taste. Clearly one of my Albanian favorites.

Birra Stela

Birra Stela is the second-largest brewery in Albania, located in the capital, Tirana. It started in the mid-90s, a time when Albania was going through an uncertain period transitioning from communist rule to democracy. This brewery actually produces an alcohol-free version of Birra Stela that is halal. A significant portion of Albania’s population practices Islam, and Birra Stela 0.0% Alc is made by Muslims who recite a prayer during production.

Birra Stela Lager

A light lager that resembles Birra Elbar, with a slight hint of corn. This is the brewery’s best-seller by far.

Cek Pilsener

This one was harder to find; I searched in many stores before finding it in a small supermarket in Tirana. As the name suggests, it’s a pilsner inspired by the Czech Republic. Good balance between sweetness and bitterness, suitable for warm weather.

Birra Kaon

Birra Kaon started as a microbrewery in 1995 but has since grown substantially. The name is derived from antiquity when the Illyrian tribe Kaonians ruled what is now the southern part of Albania. The Kaonians were known for their beer production through the fermentation of barley and honey. The brewery is inspired by ancient craft methods and now produces several different beer varieties.

Kaon Lager Beer

This was the only beer from Birra Kaon that I found in Tirana (in 2023). The beer has a nice golden color and a fresh taste.

Kaon Golden Pils | Birra Gjirokastra (4,4%)

Bought this one in a small local grocery store in Saranda 2025. Decent tasting pilsner, cool bottle design.

Birra Peja

Technically, Birra Peja is not Albanian; it is brewed in neighboring Kosovo. However, I feel it’s worth mentioning here. Firstly, Albania and Kosovo share ethnicity and history, and secondly, Peja beer is very popular in both countries.

Peja Pilsner (4,2%)

Peja’s pilsner is quite decent, with a slightly sweet and fruity taste with just the right amount of bitterness.

Peja Crudo (5,5%)

Peja Crudo stands out with its unique bottle design, inspired by the growing trend of craft breweries and creative bottle design. Crudo is an unfiltered kellerbier, and has a considerably more complex taste than the pilsner. I liked this one a lot!

Birra Puka

The small town of Pukë in the northern mountainous regions of Albania is known for its excellent skiing opportunities in winter, but it also houses a small craft brewery called Birra Puka. The brewery belongs to the Turizem Puke hotel and produces only a small amount of beer each year.

Puka Beer (5%)

I was lucky to find a small gastropub in Tirana that had Puka Beer on the menu. Lovely red-colored unfiltered lager beer with a sweet caramel taste. This one is worth seeking out.

Birraria e Gjyshit

The newest beer on the market started as a hobby project in 2019 at the grandfather’s house of one of the guys who now runs the brewery. “Birraria e Gjyshit” simply means “grandfather’s brewery.” Only natural ingredients are used, and everything is done by hand at this microbrewery.

Birraria e Gjyshit IPA (5,5%)

This IPA has a nice light orange color and a pleasant tropical taste with a distinct hint of citrus fruit.

Birraria e Gjyshit – BBA (Belgian Blonde Ale) (4,44%)

Unfiltered Belgian blond with delicious taste and silky smooth foam.

Skopsko (Скопско)

Skopsko is also not an Albanian beer but is produced in the neighboring country of North Macedonia. I included it here because the beer is popular in Albania, and besides, a large number of Albanians live in North Macedonia.

Skopsko (4,9%)

The original Skopsko is a light lager. A bit boring perhaps, but it does the job in the heat.

Skopsko Smooth (4,5%)

They have used cold filtration here, which gives an extra clean and fresh taste. I liked this one much better than the original.

Skopsko IPL (4,9%)

IPL is short for India Pale Lager, and it’s similar to an IPA but brewed with lager yeast and a more moderate amount of hops. Skopsko IPL is less bitter than a typical IPA. Worth trying if you come across it.

Dyst Brews

I haven’t been able to find much information about Dyst Brews, except that it appears they started up in 2021. According to Untappd, they currently have five beers in their assortment. Here are the two I’ve found so far:

Dyst IPA (6.5%)

Creamy and nicely balanced, leaning slightly toward the sweet side. A lightly perfumed aroma. A really delicious IPA.

Dyst Porter (5.5%)

I almost thought I was drinking Guinness! A fresh and easy-drinking porter. If you like dark beers, this one is right up your alley.

Birra IKON

Birra IKON is one of the newest microbreweries in the country and is based in the capital, Tirana. Their goal is to create the best beer in the Balkans. I haven’t been able to find much more information about the brewery, other than that they currently have three beers on the market. I’ve tried two of them:

IKON Blue Eye Albanian Pale Ale (5.4%)

A very fruity and tasty pale ale. This one gets a perfect 10/10 from me—truly great craftsmanship!

IKON Bionde Adriatiku (4.9%)

A blonde ale with a light sweetness. Perfect to enjoy under the sun in Tirana.

Pan’s Microbrewery

This brewery started production in 2021 and has since grown into one of Albania’s largest craft breweries. Since launching, they’ve managed to develop an impressive 26 (!) different varieties. Unfortunately, I’ve only had the chance to try one so far, but hopefully I’ll get to taste more later this year.

Pan’s Vagabond IPA (5.5%)

A clear golden-brown IPA with a fresh and balanced flavor. Not bad at all—I’m definitely looking forward to trying more beers from Pan’s Microbrewery.

Other Beer Brands in Albania

Of course, you can find several international beers in Albania, but they are often a bit more expensive than the Albanian ones. We saw a lot of Amstel, Bavaria, Tuborg, Stella Artois, Budweiser Budvar, and Birra Moretti, for example.

How Much Does a Beer Cost in Albania?

In 2025, a half-liter of beer typically costs between 2-5 euro at a pub/restaurant or 1-2 euro at the grocery store/supermarket. Where you are matters a lot – the more tourists in an area, the higher the price you can expect to pay.

Recommended Bar in Tirana

If you want to try a variety of Albanian beers, you should definitely stop by Hops Bar in Tirana. Their beer list includes almost everything available when it comes to Albanian beers and craft brews, but also international options ranging from Corona to Belgian Trappist beers. Hops Bar is located just a few steps from Tirana Castle, and in addition to beer they serve tasty bar food such as fried chicken wings and burgers. Highly recommended!

The Future of Beer in Albania

At the moment, the beer selection in Albania might still be a bit limited, but luckily I discover new beers every single year (yes, we’ve returned every year since 2022!). It has become cheaper and easier to start small-scale brewing, so I’m looking forward to trying many more exciting Albanian beers in the future.

Gëzuar! 😀

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Interested in both beer and travel? Here’s more:

• Slovenia for Beer Lovers – A Guide to Slovenian Beer
• The Complete Guide to Irish Beer
• The Ultimate Guide to Filipino Beer
• What You Need to Know About Belgian Beer

Want to know more about Albania? Here you can read all our articles.

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