I love some of the beers here. At this moment, I'm at Agenskalna tirgus in Rīga, sampling different Valmiermuiza beers. Baltijas porteris is absolutely delicious.
I have gotten a little familiar with Ārpus, as their beers are in all the finer bottle shops in Budapest. They focus on the crowd-pleasers: fruited kettle sours, hazy IPAs, imperial stouts. Come to think of it, they're like the Great Notion of Europe At Budapest Beer Week in May, they had the longest line at their booth .... like 50 people in line, vs 0-4 people in line at all the others. They're in Riga but it doesn't seem like they have a taproom? Anyway, if you see them in the store, check 'em out!
I'm currently in Granada, Spain and picked up a can of a collaboration stout between Arpus and one of my home state breweries, Commonwealth. Looking forward to trying.
I hope @The_Kriek_Freak does not mind, but this legendary BA went through a most legendary trip through Latvia, and it is quite an eye opener! As a photographer myself, the pictures were just as epic and shared a story filled with memories that will last a lifetime!
Thank you for the shout-out man. Latvia was fantastic both in terms of visiting but also the beer. A hidden gem. Definitely worth a visit for those who can squeeze it in. I tried a ton of local brews but surprisingly I did not touch a single Arpus beer. Hazies and fruited smoothies are not my thing so I stayed clear. I think that the best beers in town are the unfiltered keller/zwickel ones. Go to the central Riga market and try a bunch of them if you can. Also Valmiermuiza and Labietis make some traditional styles really well.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply — that’s exactly the kind of insight that sticks with me. Latvia wasn’t even on my radar before, but between the beer and the experience you described, it’s absolutely earmarked now. Your take on the unfiltered keller/zwickel beers really resonates. While my own preferences tend to lean more hop-forward or malt-driven (DIPA → IPA → Barleywine/RIS at the top), I’ve always had a deep respect for those more traditional, expressive lagers when they’re done right. There’s something honest and grounding about them. Central Riga Market alone sounds like a destination worth planning around. Also appreciate the nod to Valmiermuiža and Labietis — those are now firmly on my “do not miss” list if I ever make it there. Love hearing about beer travel that’s guided by curiosity rather than hype. Really enjoyed reading about your journey. Cheers, and thanks again for sharing it.
I rather like Alus Muiža. Not the biggest selection but about a dozen Latvian beers on tap and fairly priced. I always go there when I’m in Riga.
Actually all of the Baltic states have very good and rather undiscovered beers scenes. Many innovative breweries. All also have their own traditional farmhouse ales, virtually unknown to folks in the U.S. Very much worth exploring. Old world charm, castles, walled medieval cities and not terribly expensive.
