Who is delivering beer during the pandemic?
Written by Lindsay Martin, edited by Lina Jarad, photos by Anastasiia Dehtiarova.
Standing in the beer aisle at any supermarket, you’ll quickly discover there is one preferred beer style in Bulgaria, the mighty Lager. There are rows and rows of Zagorka and Kamenitza. A few other brands and styles round out the selection, but Lager is king. Luckily, you don’t have to go too far for quality craft beer.
Craft beer made its way to Sofia in 2013 with a company called 359 Brewery. Although 359 Brewery is no longer around, you can still find some of their most popular brews from Divo Pivo.
Sofia has eight different craft breweries around town.
- Blek Pine
- Mad Panda
- White Stork
- Ailyak
- Divo Pivo
- Ah! Brew Works
- Rhombus
- Cohones Brewery
Very few of these breweries have tap rooms, but you can find their brews at various beer bars and bottle shops around town.
Most bars in Sofia are currently closed due to the state of emergency. Below, you’ll find a list of bottle shops and tasting rooms that offer takeaway and delivery. We’ll update this article in the coming months when more breweries and beer bars are open for business. Cheers!
White Stork Republic
Bul N.Y Vaptsarov 6, 1407 g.k. Lozenets (located in Lozenets, near Kosharite Park)
This Taproom, live music venue, and event space is known to have the largest tap wall in Bulgaria. White Stork was awarded the best brewery in Bulgaria in 2016 & 2017, with its Tropikalia voted as a top beer in 2017.
They are currently offering delivery at Pivoteka.
Beer Therapy
“Krakra” 4, 1504 Sofia Center, Sofia (located in Oborshte between Kanaal and Vitamin B)
Small shop with beer on tap and a great selection of Bulgarian beers. They can fill plastic bottles from the tap for you to take away or peruse their selection of great craft beers from all over the world.
Beer Therapy is currently open for takeaway
Nosferatu
Bul. “Patriarh Evtimiy” 28, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia (located near NDK)
Nosferatu u is a bottle shop with a hard rock, beer-bar vibe. They have a few tables, so you can hang out and try the beer before taking it home. The staff is knowledgeable and can help you find something from their large selection.
Nosferatu is currently offering beer delivery. Send a price list inquiry in a private message through their Facebook page. Then return it to the shop filled out, and Nosferatu will prepare and send it by Econt. Delivery is free if you spend a minimum of 80 lv.
100 Beers
Yuri Venelin 1, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia (located near Sofia University)
100 Beers is a smaller shop but still manages to offer 500+ local, European, Canadian, American, and other international beers. The staff is friendly and will help you find something to suit your tastes. They now also deliver chilled draft beer.
100 Beers is open daily for pick up, or they will deliver your order by themselves in Sofia or with Econt for the rest of Bulgaria via www.100beers.bg. They also offer free same-day delivery for orders over 70 BGN through Foodpanda (limited selection).
Crafter
6 Hristo Belchev Str, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia
65 Knyzaz Boris I Str, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia
Crafter has a reputation for having a relaxed atmosphere, pleasant interior, and a great selection of beers from Bulgaria and abroad. They also have a collection of Bulgarian wines with friendly staff.
Crafter offers beer delivery in Sofia by calling 0878 880 890. Delivery is free for orders over 50lv are free and include a free gift.
Kanaal
Bul. “Madrid” 2, 1505 Oborishte (located in Oborishte, near Vitamin B Bar)
One of the first craft beer bars in Sofia. It has a trendy, yet cozy vibe with an outdoor garden area. Weekends often have live music and DJs. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Kanaal is one of my personal favorites.
Kanaal offers take-away or beer delivery in Sofia by calling 088 285 6346.
1001 Beers
Ul. “Professor Fridtjof Nansen” 25-Б, 1142 Sofia (near NDK)
Established in 2013, it is one of the most popular beer shops in Sofia, importing beers from 25 countries, beer mugs, and kits. 1001 beers will deliver their goods in Sofia, with the minimum order price of 50 BGN. You can call them on +359878440659, send orders by email at [email protected] or through their Facebook page.
Open Sofia thanks to Lindsay and Jarod Martin and Alex Martinez De Almeida for a beer-brewing tour to their garage brewery.
