This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
This article was developed within the program Venture an Idea funded by the USAID.
Photo: Draft Bar FB
Rakija may be the national drink of Serbia, but beer is the most reached alcoholic beverage by some margin. It's no contest; tons and tons of this gold liquid get poured down the throats of hearty folk every day of the week.
Most of it is your regular can or glass bottle tipple, but there's a lively scene of local craft beer that's garnered quite a reputation recently.
Serbia and Craft Beer
It's really in the last ten years that the idea of small, craft breweries gained serious traction. Before that, you've had a couple of ubiquitous brands and that was it.
Now there are tens of microbreweries lurking around, putting out all sorts of beer styles from light lagers to dry-hooped IPAs. And given that the scene is relatively young, one can enjoy the sense of vitality and experimentation that goes along with the quality.
Self-Serving Beer Walls
The most scientific way to see what beer suits your taste buds is to try as many as possible. And this is where self-serving beer taps (or walls) are hard to beat.
For the few uninitiated out there, beer walls are, well, walls where you yourself pour your very own, well, beer. The system is quite simple; you get a card, put some money on it, and pour as much or as little brew as you want.
Added benefits are zero waiting time, pleasant chit-chat at the taps, and keeping tabs on how much you drank. In theory, at least.
Where at?
Luckily, Belgrade got on board with self-serving beer walls soon after these became a thing in Europe. There are more than a few places around the town sporting beer walls that pair ample selection with a great atmosphere. Here's two.
Dogma is both a brewery and one such place. Located near Ada Ciganlija, its tap room comes as nigh-200 square meters of industrially-inspired space where you can try around fifteen of Dogma's own brews at any (working) time. The curiosity here is that the production plant is also on-site. It's in operation, too, so you can enjoy your beer while witnessing how it's made.
Draft Bar is another fantastic self-serving option, great for trying craft beers from other microbreweries in the country. Currently, twenty-four beers are pouring from its state-of-the-art touch-screen wall. There's also a healthy selection of wines streaming down the taps, with twelve craft wines on offer at this juncture. It's located at Gastrošor, Belgrade's first-ever gastro park, much closer to the city center.
This article is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this program are the responsibility of Nova Iskra and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.