Craft Beer in Costa Rica: Where to Drink the Best Beer at the Source
In a country once completely dominated by the typical industrial players—where beer meant an Imperial or Pilsen—things have changed. For the past few years craft beer has been growing in popularity and it’s not only imports that are popping up at bars around the country.
The Costa Rican craft beer scene has really blossomed, with both locals and expats crafting both traditional and innovative brews that pay homage to the country’s natural wonders by using its crystal-clear waters and local ingredients. It’s an exciting time to be a beer lover, so check out our favorite taprooms and brew pubs to get a true taste Costa Rica.
San Jose
The craft beer mecca of Costa Rica, it’s an essential destination for anyone who wants to explore the scene. San Jose has loads of breweries and brewpubs to choose from, and unlike other parts of the country, many breweries here are run by native Costa Ricans, so it’s the ultimate place to check out the local take on craft beer.
If you’re eager to get drinking straight out of the gate (the airport, that is), your first stop should be nearby Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. Opened in 2010, it’s become one of the most famous craft breweries in the country, and for good reason. They have a solid selection of mainstay beers (our favorite is the spicy and hoppy Segua Red Ale), as well as seasonal brews like a maracuya pale ale or an oatmeal stout. From their taproom, you can even look through the windows into the massive brewery area.
Another must-visit in San Jose is Wilk Craft Beer. This brewpub has a huge number of taps, both of their own brews as well as other local and imported craft beers. Their homebrews are fantastic, though sometimes unavailable because of high demand, and the restaurant’s spacious, homey atmosphere makes it tempting to spend the whole day here going through their entire beer list.
Not too far from Wilk is Stiefel Pub, named after the famous German beer glasses shaped like a boot. Uphold tradition and drink a German-inspired house beer from one, or go for one of their many other draft or bottled craft beers from both Costa Rica and abroad. One thing that sets Stiefel Pub apart is that they serve up local Costa Rican food in addition to normal pub classics, so you can wash down your casado with a black IPA.
Just a mile away from Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. is also Treintaycinco Fábrica de Cervezas S.A. Instead of a stylish tropical terrace, here their spacious taproom is smack in the middle of the brewery, so you can drink surrounded by bags of grain and fermentation tanks. Their beers run the gamut from a crisp Bohemian pilsner to a rich coffee stout, and they also serve many beers from other local craft breweries as well.
Guanacaste
With so many expats setting down roots in Costa Rica with a house or villa on the Nicoya Penninsula, it was only a matter of time before they brought the art of craft brewing here as well. While the breweries here aren’t packed together tightly like in the capital, all are worth the field trip. Here are a few of our favorites:
The first craft brewery in Tamarindo, Volcano Brewing Company was started in 2011 by the guys at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. They have a great open-air taproom on the beach with large windows looking into the brewery, so you can see where the action takes place while taste-testing their three house beers—a citrusy pale ale, warm and malty southern brown ale, and their powerful Volcano IPA. All are worthy thirst-quenchers after an afternoon of sand and salty waves.
Inland in Libera there’s the slickly-designed Numu Brewing Company. They produce three solid mainstay beers—a kölsch, a saison, and an IPA—that all taste as great as they look and are available in cans to take home. Their brewery taproom often showcases experimental and seasonal brews, and if their location right across from the airport doesn’t do it for you, they’ve also opened a beer garden in the center of town at the Liberia Social Club.
Back at the seaside, Cerveceria Independiente is located just a few minutes away from beautiful Playa Potrero. They produce a rotation of seasonal beers along with their easy-drinking wheat, powerful IPA, and even stronger stout. The brewery now has an excellent shady beer garden they share with several pop-up food vendors, and for those who want to take their beer and run, they even offer growler fills to go.
Puntarenas Province
On the southern edge of the Gulf of Nicoya is Puddlefish Brewery, a fun brewpub renowned for their buzzing atmosphere, live music, and of course great craft beer. They create a number of brews that span a variety of styles, from Bikini Bingo Blonde to Lights out Chocolate Coffee Stout, all of which can be imbibed in AC-cooled comfort within view of their towering brewing equipment or out on their streetside terrace.
The title of coolest-looking brewhouse in Costa Rica would probably go to Fuego Brew Co. and their funky multi-level brewpub made of wood and bamboo. They brew a large number of highly-drinkable beers, but our favorite is the fruity and refreshing Guanabana hefeweizen. The brewery is not far from the Nauyaca Waterfalls, making it the perfect place to soak up the atmosphere and recuperate after a day of hiking.
Limón Province
Puerto Viejo’s Bri Bri Springs Brewery is one of the rare Costa Rican breweries on the Caribbean side. Located at Kaya's Place Hotel, their excellent beers are served in the hotel restaurant overlooking the Playa Negra. They use locally-sourced fair trade ingredients to create Caribbean-inspired beers, like a porter with cacao and roasted coconut, and a wheat beer infused with seasonal local fruits. They also endeavor to produce their beer sustainably through methods like feeding spent grain to the animals on their farm, which in turn produce methane to power their beer production. Brewery tours are held at 4:20pm every day!
The Costa Rican craft beer scene has really blossomed, with both locals and expats crafting both traditional and innovative brews that pay homage to the country’s natural wonders by using its crystal-clear waters and local ingredients. It’s an exciting time to be a beer lover, so check out our favorite taprooms and brew pubs to get a true taste Costa Rica.
San Jose
The craft beer mecca of Costa Rica, it’s an essential destination for anyone who wants to explore the scene. San Jose has loads of breweries and brewpubs to choose from, and unlike other parts of the country, many breweries here are run by native Costa Ricans, so it’s the ultimate place to check out the local take on craft beer.
If you’re eager to get drinking straight out of the gate (the airport, that is), your first stop should be nearby Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. Opened in 2010, it’s become one of the most famous craft breweries in the country, and for good reason. They have a solid selection of mainstay beers (our favorite is the spicy and hoppy Segua Red Ale), as well as seasonal brews like a maracuya pale ale or an oatmeal stout. From their taproom, you can even look through the windows into the massive brewery area.
Another must-visit in San Jose is Wilk Craft Beer. This brewpub has a huge number of taps, both of their own brews as well as other local and imported craft beers. Their homebrews are fantastic, though sometimes unavailable because of high demand, and the restaurant’s spacious, homey atmosphere makes it tempting to spend the whole day here going through their entire beer list.
Not too far from Wilk is Stiefel Pub, named after the famous German beer glasses shaped like a boot. Uphold tradition and drink a German-inspired house beer from one, or go for one of their many other draft or bottled craft beers from both Costa Rica and abroad. One thing that sets Stiefel Pub apart is that they serve up local Costa Rican food in addition to normal pub classics, so you can wash down your casado with a black IPA.
Just a mile away from Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. is also Treintaycinco Fábrica de Cervezas S.A. Instead of a stylish tropical terrace, here their spacious taproom is smack in the middle of the brewery, so you can drink surrounded by bags of grain and fermentation tanks. Their beers run the gamut from a crisp Bohemian pilsner to a rich coffee stout, and they also serve many beers from other local craft breweries as well.
Guanacaste
With so many expats setting down roots in Costa Rica with a house or villa on the Nicoya Penninsula, it was only a matter of time before they brought the art of craft brewing here as well. While the breweries here aren’t packed together tightly like in the capital, all are worth the field trip. Here are a few of our favorites:
The first craft brewery in Tamarindo, Volcano Brewing Company was started in 2011 by the guys at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. They have a great open-air taproom on the beach with large windows looking into the brewery, so you can see where the action takes place while taste-testing their three house beers—a citrusy pale ale, warm and malty southern brown ale, and their powerful Volcano IPA. All are worthy thirst-quenchers after an afternoon of sand and salty waves.
Inland in Libera there’s the slickly-designed Numu Brewing Company. They produce three solid mainstay beers—a kölsch, a saison, and an IPA—that all taste as great as they look and are available in cans to take home. Their brewery taproom often showcases experimental and seasonal brews, and if their location right across from the airport doesn’t do it for you, they’ve also opened a beer garden in the center of town at the Liberia Social Club.
Back at the seaside, Cerveceria Independiente is located just a few minutes away from beautiful Playa Potrero. They produce a rotation of seasonal beers along with their easy-drinking wheat, powerful IPA, and even stronger stout. The brewery now has an excellent shady beer garden they share with several pop-up food vendors, and for those who want to take their beer and run, they even offer growler fills to go.
Puntarenas Province
On the southern edge of the Gulf of Nicoya is Puddlefish Brewery, a fun brewpub renowned for their buzzing atmosphere, live music, and of course great craft beer. They create a number of brews that span a variety of styles, from Bikini Bingo Blonde to Lights out Chocolate Coffee Stout, all of which can be imbibed in AC-cooled comfort within view of their towering brewing equipment or out on their streetside terrace.
The title of coolest-looking brewhouse in Costa Rica would probably go to Fuego Brew Co. and their funky multi-level brewpub made of wood and bamboo. They brew a large number of highly-drinkable beers, but our favorite is the fruity and refreshing Guanabana hefeweizen. The brewery is not far from the Nauyaca Waterfalls, making it the perfect place to soak up the atmosphere and recuperate after a day of hiking.
Limón Province
Puerto Viejo’s Bri Bri Springs Brewery is one of the rare Costa Rican breweries on the Caribbean side. Located at Kaya's Place Hotel, their excellent beers are served in the hotel restaurant overlooking the Playa Negra. They use locally-sourced fair trade ingredients to create Caribbean-inspired beers, like a porter with cacao and roasted coconut, and a wheat beer infused with seasonal local fruits. They also endeavor to produce their beer sustainably through methods like feeding spent grain to the animals on their farm, which in turn produce methane to power their beer production. Brewery tours are held at 4:20pm every day!
