Craft Beer in Romania: Breweries, pubs and events in Timișoara

Published: August 30, 2026

When people think of travel in Romania, their minds usually drift to the dramatic peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, sunbathing on the Black Sea coast, exploring the castles and vampire stories of Transylvania, or taking in the massive Communist-era architecture of Bucharest. But what about craft beer in Romania?

While cheap, locally produced lagers dominate most of the country, Romania has a rapidly growing independent brewing scene. Bucharest gets plenty of attention, but head west toward the border and you’ll find Timișoara, Romania’s third-largest city. Timișoara is famous for its elegant Baroque architecture, but also known for its thriving craft beer vulture. In this post we first take a look at the beer history of Romania and Timișoara, and then navigate the beer scene of Timișoara, from the best microbreweries to the greatest taprooms, bars and events.

A brief history of Romanian beer

Long before modern breweries came along, early Dacian inhabitants in the area of the present day Romania brewed fermented grain drinks, that can be considered as predecessors of beer. Vineyards and wine culture eventually took over during Roman rule, but brewing made a major comeback in the 12th century when German-origin settlers moved into Transylvania area, bringing developed brewing techniques with them. In the Middle Age there were several monastery breweries as well as village breweries, but the scale of brewing remained small for centuries.

The country’s first industrial brewery, the still-operating Timișoreana, was founded in the city of Timișoara in 1718. Beer’s popularity grew rapidly in Romania in the late 18th and 19th centuries, when several large scale breweries were founded and a comprehensive network of beer taverns was built. In addition to the commercial breweries, there were a lot of small breweries operating in cities and villages, often attached to pubs, and beer culture flourished.

The turmoil of World War II led to the nationalization of breweries, when the state took over them. Nicolae Ceaușescu sought to replace spirits with beer, and ordered the construction of a state brewery in each county of the country. After the communist era, international beer giants bought the country’s best-known beer brands, and most of the former state-owned breweries were closed.

The boom of craft beer in Romania

The craft beer movement, which spread rapidly in Eastern Europe in the 2010s, also invaded Romania at the beginning of the decade. While in 2010 it still was rather hard to find craft beer in Romania, during the first part of the decade a very vibrant microbrewery culture began to develop in the country. Small-scale home brewing activities and individual experiments quickly grew into a network of beer enthusiasts, and the first microbreweries were founded right at the beginning of the 2010s. Among the pioneers were Clinica de Bere, which opened in Timișoara in 2011, and Zăganu Craft Brewery, which was founded in 2013.

The latter half of the decade was a real golden age for the development of microbrewery culture, and dozens of artisan breweries producing IPAs in different styles, sour beers and dark beers were born. While part of the new breweries focused on domestic market, some also aimed at international sales. Perhaps the most internationally known Romanian microbrewery today is Hop Hooligans from Bucharest, but Timișoara’s Bereta Brewing has also gained widespread popularity across Europe.

Timișoara is western Romania’s capital of hops

Today, Timișoara stands strong as a major brewing hub, driven by two standout local producers.

Bereta Brewing Co. was founded as Romania’s first gypsy brewery in 2016 by home-brewers Adrian Biebel and Silviu Burtăh. Bereta quickly gained fame across Europe for their uncompromised, hop-forward beers. Today, they operate their own modern facility and export heavily across Europe. Read more about Bereta in a separate article: Bereta Brewing from Timișoara, Romania.

The other well known craft beer brand of Timișoara is OneTwo Brews. Starting as a gypsy brewery hosted at Bereta’s production facility in 2019, OneTwo made waves with bold recipes, including a pineapple Gose at a time when sour beers were still virtually unknown in Romania. OneTwo opened their own brewery in 2020. and nowadays operate two taprooms in town.

If you’re planning a hop-infused travel itinerary for Romania, Timișoara offers a great lineup of craft beer spots to explore. An essential stop right in the old town is of course the Bereta Taproom & Bottleshop, where you can sip Bereta classics and their experimental, new brews straight from the tap. Not far away, OneTwo Taprooms operate two locations, one right in the center and another slightly outside, serving up their signature sours and hazy brews.

For bottle hunters, Bibliotheka is situated just a block away from Bereta’s taproom and features an extensive bottle and can list filled with rare regional and imported craft beers. If you prefer a lively, throwback vibe, head south of the center to The 80’s Pub, known for its retro-themed interior and energetic atmosphere.

History buffs shouldn’t miss a visit to the Timișoreana Brewery Restaurant, located directly on the grounds of the historic 1718 brewery. While you won’t find modern craft beer here, it is the place to enjoy traditional Romanian dishes alongside a fresh glass of classic lager. Finally, for a more bohemian experience, check out Scârț Loc Lejer, a quirqy garden bar connected to the unique Museum of Communist Consumer Goods.

The single best time for beer lovers to visit Timișoara is during Unfiltered, an annual autumn craft beer festival hosted by OneTwo Brews. Created to fill the void left by Bucharest festivals after the pandemic, Unfiltered brings together the absolute best microbreweries in Romania alongside a handful of top international guest breweries. Unfiltered has quickly become Romania’s premier craft beer event – read about our visit in October 2025 here.

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Craft Beer Nomads is a blog about artisan beer, microbreweries and craft beer culture in Europe and beyond. The blog is written by FinnsAway, a nomad couple who has been on the road since 2017, and enjoys tasting new craft beers all around the world.

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Craft Beer in Romania: Timișoara is western Romania’s capital of hops

Craft beer in Romania:
Breweries, pubs and events in Timișoara

Craft Beer in Romania: Breweries, pubs and events in Timișoara

A brief history of Romanian beer

The boom of craft beer in Romania