Tikro alaus barai / Fine beer pub guide

Tai “muziejinis” archyvas, neatnaujinamas nuo 2014-ųjų, informacija pasenusi ir nebeaktuali. / This is a snapshot of a subset of craft beer pubs of Lithuania in 2014. The list is not maintained since and doesn’t reflect the current craft beer scene of Lithuania. Equally outdated map can be found at Fine Beer Map Lithuania.

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Šiame puslapyje – mūsų patikrintos ir rekomenduojamos vietos Lietuvoje, kuriose galima rasti tikro alaus. Vien alaus nepakanka – aplinka, požiūris ir pastovi kokybė taip pat būtini.

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Our recommended picks in Lithuania (in alphabetic order) serving fine beer.

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Vilnius

• Alaus namai, Goštauto 8, Vilnius A pub specialising in Lithuanian farmhouse beers/ales – normally about 12 taps from small North Lithuanian breweries, as well as nearly 100 labels of both local and foreign bottled beers. Prices lower than average, traditional fare is nothing to be excited about, live music on weekends. The ambience has downgraded lately, expect loud crappy music and drunk students. We also became off-put by militaristic designs on the walls which are border-lining on nationalistic sentiment and something even more obscure. Our report on the opening.
• Alaus studija, Žukausko g. 20, Vilnius An interesting mix of locals congregate in this big pub which servers exclusively imported beers. If it’s imported draught, it should be stocked here – and they know how to serve it. Atmosphere is very good, we hear mixed reports on service and food, but a stream of feedback proves – it’s a popular local place – and it deserves to be such. Our report (Lithuanian only).
• Prie katedros, Gedimino pr.5, Vilnius Formerly known as Avilys, the beer brewery-restaurant now has new owners but they don’t put much effort in variety or service. Prices high, quality passable, offer scarce: only pale (4.5%), sometimes honey (4.7%) and dark (4.9%) beers. Update as of 2014: a new collaboration with local homebrewers resulted in a new addition of IPA style.
• Bambalynė, Stiklių g. 7, Vilnius A fantastic beer-shop-come-degustation-place, sells over 70 sorts of Lithuanian farmhouse beers (an array of typical toasty-malty Lithuanian lagers too) in bottles, plus great snacks and seats in the cellar. If it’s made in Lithuania and bottled, it should be here. Be sure to ask for seasonal news – they usually are the first to stock them – and the first to sell out. Highly recommended. Our report.
• Blusynė Lounge, Savičiaus 5 Nice & cosy bar in the heart of old town. Czech and German beers on tap. Has a tiny beergarden.
• Belgai, Rūdninkų g. 15/Pylimo g. 46. Leffe Blonde, Leffe Bruin, Blanche de Bruxelles and Wittekerke Rose on tap, 15 more sorts bottled in fridge. Expensive.
• Belmontas, Belmonto g.17 Slightly off-center (take a taxi), but in a nice setting, this former-mill-house-come-restaurant used to be well worth visiting. An in-house brewery produces what used to be the best local beer around Vilnius. It has two (pale and amber-brown), Vienna-style, malty, well crafted lagers. Some seatings outside, large selection of traditional food. 2014 update:  unfortunately the original brewers left since 2009 and so did the craft level, but beer is still drinkable.
• Bravarija brewpub, shopping mall “Akropolis”, Ozo g. 25 Brews and serves 3 beers – pale, wheat and dark (“Ajero” – despite the name no calamus in it.) Drinkable, but… what’s the point of drinking beer in supermarket?
• Bunte Gans, Aušros vartų g.11 German food restaurant, besides excellent hearty fare serves German selection beer from tap. TikrasAlus review.
• Būsi trečias, Totorių 18 Brewpub serving it’s own affordable, Czech style beers of inconsistent quality (3 sorts, amber, black, and some new one we haven’t tried yet)  and hearty food.
• Dėvėti Vyrai, Sodų g. 3 Latest addition to new breed of Dundulis-serving pubs, this one with thrashy interiors and set in a somewhat dodgy Station district, but don’t let this put you down – it’s safe to visit and you’re in for an adventure.
• Foosin club, Olimpiečių 3 A table football club, not visited yet by us. But they serve three Primator beers on tap, so must be good!
• Grill Inn: prev. Domininkonų karčema, Dominikonų 6 “Beer and wine restaurant”, managed by same owners as “Prie katedros” and serving the three same, own beers from tap. Sometimes one can get a rare to find Kauno alaus “Sostinės” lager from tap, also some darker coloured big sellers.
• Gringo Pub, Vilniaus 31/1 Watering hole on a busy street, busy and noisy until late night. A mix of bigger European labels on tap, but somewhat good mix.
• Leičiai Restaurant, owned by the same owners as the essential Bambalynė, this pub scores upscale, good traditional meals, and a nice selection of Lithuanian craft ales both on tap and on pump, Aukštaitijos bravorų, Dundulio and their own exclusive brews included. It’s often fully packed, so booking advised. A word of advise though: ask for a sampler before ordering a pint of mug of beer, as often the ones on the pump are warm. Recommended (but seriously, fix the beer temps already).
• Marsas, Trakų 15
  
  The main hipster stronghold with dark wallpapers and lively atmosphere. Run by famous local djs Metal on Metal it’s a new trendy hangout for a mix dominated by affluent advertisement yuppies. Beer menu has a couple outstanding options above eurolagers, with an occasional cider and guest craft ale thrown in, the pub food is excellent! Recommended.
• Piano Man, Islandijos 1 Good references, first visit revealed an eclectic mix of identity and crowd, in a good way. Friendly staff dispenses a good mix of bigger and snaller Euro sellers from tap (including Kilkenny&Tucher).
• Šnekutis, three pubs – Šv. Stepono 8 (Old town), Polocko 7 a (Užupis) and new addition since 2014 at Šv. Mikalojaus g. 15. A true legend, excentric from the countryside Valentas in his big moustache – he started the revival of farmhouse beers in Lithuanian cities – with his three Šnekutis bars. This is drinking farmhouse beers Lithuanian country way. The best selection of farmhouse (“kaimiškas”) beers from tap and bottled. Lowest prices in town. The Polocko one has a beergarden. TikrasAlus reviews and highly recommends. Update as of 2014: the iconic pub at Užupis is about to close due to local developments, so hurry to visit before it’s too late. A new pub is opened at Sv. Mikalojaus street in the meantime.
• Špunka Pub, Užupio 9. Without  a doubt, the most active and hip new addition to Vilnius pub scene, this pocket-size boozer is often crammed with a mix of locals, bohos, beer geeks and hipsters. Owned by Dundulis concern, they are serving 8 tabs of their own brewn beers at prime freshness and their cellaring practices are the best in the city. They also provide several dozens of bottled beers, including take-away at shop prices. Highly recommended (bias disclaimer: Tikras Alus are the official “Godfathers” of this pub).
• Renė, Antokolskio g. 13 Stylish bar-restaurant serving only three belgian beers in bottles (Kwak, Karmeliet, Deus) and tasty continental food. Has seatings outside. Recommended.
• Savas Kampas, Vokiečių 4 Purchased by the owners by retail outlets Vynoteka, they often have exclusive brands of German / Czech beer on tap for incredibly low prices. However, do not expect a long list of British beers as promised in menu – you will be told that it is “just one bottle left”. Affordable food, too.
• Šuo baras, Gedimino pr. 39/ Ankštoji g. 1 Another new and very welcome addition to the pub-deprived Central district. Pocket size and in many ways similar to Špunka, both in range (serves Dundulis ales&lagers plus small mix of bottled beers) and style, yet it has its own character – and their co-owner dog is lovely too. Recommended.
• Vilniaus alaus baras, Pilies 6, Vilnius Old town spot owned by Vilniaus alus brewery, serving the variety of their brews from tap as well as beer to take-away. It’s somewhat Czech-style, cosy pub. Decent fireplace warming on winter days, and some small space upstairs in the attic. But what the hell with that devil-hitler figurine on the bar?

Kaunas

• 11 savanorių, Savanorių 11 This old timer is a local pub for local workers and jobless, as well as semi-official outlet of an excellent Kaunas Alus brewery. The interior and service below simple, and the crowd can be indifferent to rawdy, so this one is not for the faint hearted. We like it though. Upstairs you can find a “time machine” – a cafe-restaurant  exactly like in the 90’s, serving beer on tap for less than 1 eur. Also Kaunas Alus retail.
• Alaus sapnas, Gedimino 30 . This pub is newly opened by some serious local breweriana collectors, therefore it’s interior sports a huge amount of everything beer related from neon signs through immense quantites of beer glasses to brewery souvenir lighters and toy cars.  Various sorts of Aukštaitijos Bravorai, Vasaknu, Udrienės, Piniavos and Kauno alus on tap. Lots of classical belly filling food. Also, a good place to watch Žalgiris games.
• Avilys, Vilniaus g. 34 Brewpub-restaurant. Produces and sells tasty, consistent quality Vienna-style lagers (pale and “dark/honey”). Excellent if pricey food. Has seatings outside. Recommended.
• B.O. bar, Muitinės g. 9-1 One of the oldest pubs in Kaunas. The sweet days of glory are past, but it’s still an average pub with good selection of beers served to a student crowd from tap: several Czech lagers (Krušovice, Samson, Zatec), Tucher, and some Lithuanian farmhouse beers (notably A. Ūdrienės, as well as Širvėnos/Dundulio, Vilniaus alaus).
• Bravarija brewpub, shopping mall “Akropolis”, Karaliaus Mindaugo g. 47 Brews and serves 3 different beers – pale, dark (“Ajero” – despite the name it doesn’t contains calamus) and wheat which resembling American Wheat. Still… drinking beer in a supermarket sounds too perverse for us.
• Skliautai, Rotušės a. 26 An old bohemian caffe-bar serving Guinness and Grimbergen. Has a cosy beergarden.
• Džem Pub, Laisvės al. 59
• Another student bar / rock venue, situated on the 5th floor of main pedestrian street Laisvės. The terrace gives good views while bar pours Aukštaitijos Bravorai Kanapinis, Krušovice, Budwar, occasionally Bernard and other beers from tap.
• Gyvas Pub’as – krautuvėlė, Muitinės g. 1/ Rotušės 6a A pub and take-away, this is belongs to the same group of breweries/shops (Gyvas alus/Aukštaitijos bravorai) that is brewing and selling strictly “live” (unpasteurised) farmhouse beers in Vilnius, Trakai, Kaunas, Panevėžys and Šiauliai. A nice place just off Rotušės aikštė (Rathaus square), friendly people, and claiming 44 sorts of beers! Homebrewers and chess players also like this place. Recommended.
• Kultūra, Donelaičio 16 Located at Fine Arts Gallery this great cafe-bar has kept the cool interiors and sophisticated ambience of former gallery bar. It also serves some amazing home fare prepared by one of the owners, and several good beers on tap – including Kauno alus, Franciskaner etc. Great outside seatings too, cinema screenings,  discussions and other quality culture happenings. Highly recommended.
• W 1640, Kurpių 29 This one is actually a whisky bar and the best one in Lithuania at that (some rarest whiskies sold only here), but it also sports two taps and several bottles of British ales – and some really good snacks, too. Try their salmon marinated in smoky whisky. Run by a famous local musical duo. Highly recommended.

Other places worth mentioning: Sadutė (Rotušės a. x Muitinės str.) – serves some ciders that are not cloyingly sweet, “Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier ” and ‘live’ beer from “Vilkmergės”; Punto Pica (Kęstučio 6) – live music and Bernard dark beer; Baras 91 (Islandijos pl.  91) – a proper pub with no bullshit attitude, and Guinness on tap.

Klaipėda

• Fat Cat (Storas Katinas) Hemingway’s Pub, Žvejų g. 21/Teatro a. 1, Klaipėda What was a long time favourite in Klaipėda (formerly known as Juodo Katino 2, Hemingway’s Pub) it is no more, under new management and after smashing the long bar and interiors. The new shiny-glitzy-mirror-walled is just pathetic. Serves local euro-lager brand, as well as Guinness and Grimbergen.
• Leika, Tomo g. 7
• A small, fun, artists-run boozer on the ground level of a photo gallery is a new kid in town and has already became the most popular place for local bohemia, artists and students alike.  It has also left everyone behind with its beer on offer – 35 sorts of beers, from british ales to Czech beers and Lithuanian craft beers both on tap and in bottles. Recommended.
• Mėmelis, Žvejų g. 4 Brewpub-restaurant, serving 4 own-brewed beers – light, black. caramel lagers and wheat. An example of how a good idea and excellent location can become a failure by providing disappointing beers and bad atmosphere (well as of 2010 the brewing has improved and dark beer was very drinkable – but pale lager was still very dissappointing). Has seatings outside.
• Herkus Kantas, Kepėjų g. 17 / Kurpių g. 6 This small place in the former salt cellar near the river, sporting a great river-facing terrace, has really reborn after it was taken by new ownership (bias disclaimer: it’s co-owned by Tikras Alus members) and now is the top boozer in the city. It serves excellent fusion food, which can be complimented with several dozens of beers, a handful rotating on tap (including Bernard, Dundulio, Primator and a rotating guest beer) and the rest in bottles (good selection of Belgian, British, Latvian and German beers.) Highly recommended.
• Stora antis, Tiltų 6 A slavic-food restaurant (name translates as “Fat Duck”) not only serves some of the best food in the city (we think it’s Straganina raw fish starter is simply unparalelled) and ice-cold vodka, but also has Maredsous and Duvel in bottles.
• Žvejų baras, Kurpių 8 This new bar sports biggest selection of Lithuanian beers (over 15 names, including some good farmhouse ales) on tap in Klaipėda – and some international ones. Lithuanian food.

Places we’d like to mention only because they serve something different: Livonia (Naujojo sodo g. 1) – brewpub serving good quality Butautų Dark and Pale (disguised as Livonijos’ own beers).

Palanga

• Alynas, Basanavičiaus str. A popular combination of take-away and pub, this one is located on the terrible pedestrian highway. Open only during season, staff is ignorant, but still this is the only place to look for Lithuanian farmhouse beers.
• Ramybė, Vytauto g. 54 Works year round, mostly famous for it’s tongue-in-cheek barmen, special service, all-night debauchery and excentric bohemian clientele, it also serves Bernard Czerne on tap. It’s also a villa and has concert venue in a separate building, former Soviet cinema. Best kept (not so) secret, recommended. We posted about it.
• HBH Juozo alus, Žibininkai, Kretingos raj. (near Palanga) Huge, crowded entertainment complex. Serves two or three sorts of on-site brewed (HBH licence) beer – dark, light, filtered and unfiltered from tap. A lot of tables/seatings outside.
• 1925 bar (J. Basanavičiaus 4) serves Czech Kozel Grimbergen and local eurolagers from tap, a nice bar in otherwise noisy and terribly europeanized pedestrian street.
• Ramus kaip belgas, S.Daukanto g. 11 A welcome re-opening of Belgian beer and food place, yet the service has a lot to improve. Serves a selection of classic beers (such as Duvel, Maredsous etc.) plus lousy Grimbergen on tap. Bottled beers are often brought warm, so make sure to check before opening.

Places we’d like to mention only because they serve at least one drinkable beer: Pajūrio žibintas (Basanavičiaus st. 36) – has Czech Bernard dark beer in bottles only, Palangos Vėtra (Daukanto g. 35 / S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno g. 17) pours Guinness.

Šiauliai

• Bravarija brewpub, shopping mall “Saulės miestas”, Tilžės g. 109, Karaliaus Mindaugo g. 47 Brews and serves 3 different beers – pale, wheat and dark (“Ajero” – despite the name it doesn’t contains calamus.) Yes brewpub in a shopping mall… a weird idea.
• NEW Deg-alinė, Vytauto g. 76 Our  top pick, this fun and cheerful boozer, full of students and locals in the evenings, sports a good range of Lithuanian craft and farmhouse ales and simple traditional snacks. The owner and staff is friendly and helpful. A pub with an attitude. Highly recommended.
• Gyvo alaus krautuvėlė bar-beer shop, Aušros alėja 41 Draught Kanapinis, Šventinis, Salaus, Varniukų and Jovarų, plus bottled beers from “Aukštaitijos bravorai”.

Places we’d like to mention only because they serve at least one drinkable beer: Kapitonas Morganas (Vilniaus g. 183) serves Guiness from tap (it’s been reported the tap’s closed), bar “Putelė” and bar  “Karčiama” in “Lyros” shopping center’s yard; pool-bar “Slėptuvė” (Varpo 27a) has “Varniukų”;

Panevėžys

• Krantolis, Kranto g. 12, Panevėžys. Bar set in an old, authentic former canned food factory in the heart of Panevėžys is becoming the place of choice for cultural crowd. Serves “Kanapinis” pale ale.
• Berželis, close to Panevėžys-Riga highway. Guest house and bar-cafe next to Levuo river is an oldest bar in the town. “Berželis” serves Būtautų Dvaro and Kupiškio beers from tap and bottled.

Other places

Alytus – bar “3.5” has Vilkmergės; Google map of take-away draught beers: http://www.nulis.lt/pilstomas-alus-1.html