Craft Beer in Istanbul Turkey?

Last week I was in Istanbul visiting friends. THe food and the company was great and I was treated very well everywhere. I did not have high hopes finding good beer. I had found Taps Istanbul, but unfortunately it had closed a few weeks earlier. This was too bad since it was supposed to be the best brewery in whole Turkey. I hadn’t even bothered mapping out where the other brewery was before I went to Istanbul.

So we went to “the English Pub” on Bagdad street. I asked for Mariachi Black, there was nothing black about his horrible thing they called beer. Since they didn’t have any English beers at all (go figure!) I asked for a black beer, and got Efes Dark. It was way better than the first, and since all others was yellow fizzy beers I stuck to this the whole evening. I remember being here 2-7 years before and it looked different, they also had Guinne55 and Ki11kenny. Maybe new owners? Anyway the name is misleading :-/.

Next day my friends said there was another brewpub within 15 minutes walk on Bagdad street, so we walked there. I recognized the name it was “the other brewery”, Balans Bräu and took this picture. When we entered it was very loud Turkish folk music in disco versions. I have a hearing problem and can not distinguish talk (screaming) from the music is playing, especially the high pitched tones feels just like someone poking my eardrums with a knife. So it was a pain listening to loud blaring music I don’t like and not being able to hear anything anyone says.

They had four taps but only one beer! It was their own Special Pilsener. It had a weird smell and taste, and I hated it from the first sip. I only drank half and then filled the rest in my friends glass when he was not looking. After this “pilsener” I asked for bottled beer and the only thing they had was Tuborg lager that tasted like normal lager, neither good or bad, so I stuck to this the rest of the evening.

I have friends in Istanbul that like craft beer so I guess it is a matter of time until someone start a real brewery and pub with decent tasting beer. Some day in the future, I hope!

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I got these beer with me home…
Efes Xtra
Efes Dark
Efes Pilsen
Efes Dark Brown

About the author

Heiðrún theGoat

Heiðrún, the goat on the hall that stands, eateth off læráth's limbs; the crocks she fills with clearest mead, will that drink not e'er be drained.

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