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 Põhjala's 50 hl Rolec brewhouse | |
| Industry | Brewing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Tallinn ,Estonia |
Key people | Martin Vahtra (head brewer) |
| Products | Craft beer |
| Website | pohjalabeer |
Põhjala Brewery (Estonian:Põhjala pruulikoda) is acraft brewery inTallinn,Estonia.[1] Its name isEstonian for "northern realm".[2] It is the largest craft brewery in theBaltic states[3] and the only one to have been included in theRatebeer "top 100" list of world breweries.[4] In 2023 the company had a turnover of 4.69 million euros.[5] Põhjala has a particular focus onporters,barrel ageing, and ingredients from the forests of Estonia.[6]
The brewery was founded in 2011 by four Estonian beer enthusiasts, who were soon joined by head brewer Chris Pilkington.[2] The first Põhjala beer,ÖöImperial Baltic Porter, was contract-brewed before the company's original brewery opened in Tallinn'sNõmme district in April 2014.[6]
In 2015 the company opened its first bar "Speakeasy" near Tallinn'smain railway station.[7]
In 2018 nearly 4.9 million euros were invested in moving production to a new brewery in theNoblessner area of Tallinn.[8] The average capacity of the brewery is 1,200 hectolitres per month, and 6,000 bottles an hour can be filled on a newbottling line.[9] The facility also houses a laboratory, shop, sauna and taproom with 24 taps.[6]
In 2019 Põhjala opened apop-up bar in the Chinese capital, Beijing.[10][11]
In 2021 the brewery sponsored the Põhjaladisc golf marathon, with 300 competitors in Jõulumäe, Estonia.[12]
In 2022 Põhjala openedPõhja Konn bar in theTelliskivi area of Tallinn. It serves only Estonian craft beer from Põhjala and other local craft breweries.[13]
On 15 March 2023 Estonian presidentAlar Karis visited Põhjala Brewery together with German presidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier.[14]
In April 2024 Põhjala's former head brewer Chris Pilkington and his wife Kristina opened Tuletorn Brewing, a brewpub in Tallinn'sKopli district.[15]
Põhjala's best-selling beer isVirmalised, anIndia pale ale which accounts for over a quarter of total production.[16] In addition to a core range of beers, the brewery produces numerous specials and has collaborated with craft brewers such asTo Øl,Lervig,De Struise,Jester King andJing-A Brewing Co.[6]
TheCellar Series is a range of dark, barrel-aged beers while theForest Series uses rare botanicals and forest ingredients.[6] Põhjala exported 65 percent of its production in 2021. The main foreign markets were the Netherlands, Finland, France, China, the United Kingdom and the United States.[17]
The brewery has been criticised for producing itsBaltic porters usingtop fermentation, rather than the bottom- orcold fermentation often used for thebeer style.[3] In 2020 Põhjala collaborated with Polish brewers Pinta to produceBaltic Pride. It is an imperial Baltic porter, featuring a blend of fresh bottom-fermented Baltic porter and barrel aged top-fermented Baltic porter.[18]
Tallinn Craft Beer Weekend is an annual craft beer festival organised by Põhjala Brewery, which first took place in 2015. It features over 40 Estonian and international breweries, showcasing over 200 of their beers.[19][20]
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