Food & Beer Culture

In Estonia, house beer belongs with a table that smells of rye. Dark, slightly sour rye bread—leib in Estonian—is the country's staple food. With butter and salt, it pairs well with a mild, sweetish Koduõlu, since the bread's acidity balances the beer's sweetness.

At Christmas, Verivorst comes to the table—Estonian blood sausage made with barley groats. It's served with sauerkraut and lingonberries. A robust dark beer that can stand up to fat and seasoning pairs well here, such as a Baltic Porter.

On Saaremaa, fish from the Baltic Sea and meat from island pastures round things out. Smoked fish and kilu, the small Baltic sprat, are classic simple companions to beer. The salt and smoke suit the sweetness of a house beer better than a hop-bitter pilsner.

Summer is when celebrations peak. At Jaanipäev, St. John's Day at the end of June, bonfires burn across the country, and beer is part of it. In Tallinn, the summer beer festival Õllesummer is a fixture on the calendar. There, breweries large and small pour their beers on a festival ground that otherwise hosts song festivals.

In Tallinn's bars, a scene has grown up around Põhjala and other small breweries in recent years. On Saaremaa, things are quieter. Instead of festival grounds, there are farmhouse parlours and tasting rooms, where Koduõlu is drunk at the table or in the tasting room. The õllekann is the classic vessel—there's no fixed measure for it, the jug simply gets passed around.