Costa Rica Craft Beer Guide
From bold, hoppy IPAs and rich stouts to crisp lagers, craft beer offers an incredible diversity of flavors and styles for connoisseurs and regular suppers who are increasingly seeking out local and authentic products. In short, craft beers offer a taste of place, with brewers infusing their creations with regionally-sourced ingredients and paying homage to local culinary traditions. The movement has also fostered a strong sense of community, with taprooms and brewpubs becoming vibrant gathering spaces where beer aficionados can sample the latest offerings, engage with brewers, and connect with fellow enthusiasts.
While countries like the United States, Canada, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom continue to lead the craft beer charge, the revolution has been gaining momentum in Costa Rica. It has a thriving craft beer scene with hundreds of breweries putting their own spin on classic beer styles while incorporating local ingredients like tropical fruits, spices, coffee, and chocolate.
In this article, we’ll look at all things craft beer in Costa Rica so visitors to the country can look beyond the usual Imperial and Pilsen brands to something more substantial.
Origins of Craft Beer in Costa Rica
The birth of Costa Rica's craft beer culture can be traced back to the 1990s, when the first pioneering brewpubs and microbreweries began appearing.
One of the true trailblazers was the restaurant K&S in Curridabat (a neighborhood on the east side of San José), which started brewing its own craft beers like "Chivo Blanco" and "K&S Lager" for customers in the late 1990s. While short-lived, K&S helped spark interest in more flavorful, locally-produced beer options. In 1998, the first dedicated craft beer pub called Cabeza Grande opened in San José. Cabeza Grande later relocated to the Arenal area, and evolved into the Lake Arenal Brewery that exists today.
The real catalyst for Costa Rica's craft beer movement arrived in 2010 with the launch of Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. and its inaugural brands "Segua" and "Libertas". This proved inspirational for other upstart breweries to follow suit in the coming years.
Complementing the rise of these production breweries was increasing access to home brewing supplies and education. Companies like TicoBirra and La Bodega de Chema began importing ingredients and equipment around 2012, fueling home brewing as a popular hobby among beer enthusiasts.
This grassroots craft beer movement quickly gained mainstream traction, with the first Craft Beer Festival launching in 2012 to showcase the latest offerings from the country's breweries. What began with just 400 attendees that inaugural year has blossomed into an annual celebration drawing over 3,000 people.
From these humble beginnings, Costa Rica has witnessed an explosion of over 200 craft breweries located all over the country, from the capital city of San José to Guanacaste, Monteverde, the Central Pacific, and elsewhere. What was once a market utterly dominated by Imperial and Pilsen has transformed into a thriving craft beer destination, with passionate brewers paying homage to local culinary traditions and Costa Rican ingredients.
Our Favorite Costa Rica Craft Breweries and Pubs
Costa Rica's craft beer revolution has produced an impressive array of breweries across the country, each putting its own spin on styles and flavors. From trailblazers that sparked the movement to innovative new players, here are some of our favorite craft beer destinations that are must-visits for any beer enthusiast traveling to Costa Rica:
Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co.—Ciudad Colón, San José
Pioneering the craft beer charge, Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company's historic significance cannot be overstated. Established well before the current boom, they were instrumental in pushing boundaries beyond the traditional lagers and inspiring a new generation of brewers with exciting and innovative beers. Their brewpub in Ciudad Colón, to the west of San José, is a must-visit for any enthusiast, famous for flagship brews like the Libertas Tropical Golden Ale, Red Ale Segua, and a rotating selection of seasonal offerings. That said, craft beers from this company are readily available in bars and supermarkets all over the country.
Numu Brewing Company—Liberia, Guanacaste
Deeply inspired by local Guanacaste culture and traditions, the Numu Brewing Company has quickly emerged as one of the region's craft beer heavyweights. Their brewery in Liberia allows them to get creative with ingredients and techniques to produce unique, flavorful beers. Sustainability is also a core focus. In addition to their brewhouse, Numu operates its own taproom and bistro in the beach community of Playas del Coco.
Volcano Brewing Company—Tamarindo, Guanacaste
In the beach and surf community of Tamarindo, the Volcano Brewing Company managed to fill a major void when the guys from Witch's Rock Surf Camp opened it up in 2011, by offering full-bodied, flavorful alternatives to the light lagers that dominated. Brews like the Gato Malo Dark Ale and Witch's Rock IPA have gained a devoted following among locals and visitors alike.
Maderos Brewery—Liberia, Guanacaste
Maderos Brewery is a family-owned outdoor rancho on the outskirts of Liberia. Their rustic beer garden offers a laid-back vibe perfect for sampling their handcrafted beers alongside house specialties like root beer, chiliguaro, carne asada, and chorizo dishes. The hand-carved woodwork adds to Maderos' local charm and welcoming atmosphere.
La Selva Cerveza Artesana—Cabuya, Nicoya Peninsula
Tucked away at the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula, near Montezuma, is a special little brewery. Here, La Selva Cerveza Artesanal is crafting "living ales" with a deep connection to their pristine natural surroundings. Their distinct ales use the area’s pure waters and celebrate an adventurous lifestyle. In addition to brewery tours and a tasting room, they offer a full restaurant experience to pair with their beers.
Whale Tail Brewery—Uvita, Southern Pacific
This microbrewery and gastropub in the beach town of Uvita on the Southern Pacific coast offers a lively craft beer experience. Whale Tail brews European-inspired recipes resulting in unique, flavorful beers. Their beer garden featuring live music and events is the perfect setting to sample their brews accompanied by tapas or meals designed as beer pairings. They also cater to sports fans with daily screenings and host weekly events like pizza and music nights.
Cervezas Artesanales—Belmar, Monteverde
Located at the Hotel Belmar in the cloud forests of Monteverde, the Belmar Craft Brewery produces a range of locally-inspired craft ales. Using fresh ingredients including water from the area's cloud forest springs, they produce a selection of standards alongside a rotating seasonal list highlighted by brews like their Watermelon Ale and Nubosa Tropical Stout. The relaxing beer garden offers a unique craft experience.
Ingredients and Flavor Profiles of Costa Rican Craft Beer
What sets Costa Rica's craft beer apart is the innovative use of local tropical ingredients that imbue the brews with a distinct and vibrant flavor profile.
Tropical fruits are a recurring theme, with flavors like pineapple, mango, passionfruit, and guava making frequent appearances. Breweries like Bri Bri Springs in Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean coast, incorporate these juicy fruits into styles like IPAs, wheat ales, and sours, achieving a perfect balance of bright fruit notes and hop character. The natural sweetness complements the beers beautifully.
Other brewers look to classics like chocolate and coffee, both ingrained in Costa Rican culture, to put their local spin on styles like stouts, porters, and brown ales. Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Co. was an early pioneer with their acclaimed Costa Rican Chocolate Stout, utilizing locally-sourced cacao. Spices and herbs like cilantro, cinnamon, and chili peppers also occasionally make appearances to add layers of complexity to Costa Rican brews.
Even the water used plays a role, with pristine mountain springs and Pacific rainforest water sources providing an ideal mineral foundation. La Selva Cerveza Artesanal uses water from the protected Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve in their "living ales."
From bright, fruity numbers to rich, spiced brews, Costa Rican craft beer offers a kaleidoscope of flavors that capture the essence of the nation's diverse agriculture and heritage.
The Future of Craft Beer in Costa Rica
The craft beer movement in Costa Rica is still relatively young, but its trajectory over the last decade points to a bright future. From just a handful of pioneering breweries in the late 2000s, the nation now has hundreds of active craft operations all over the country.
This rapid expansion shows no signs of slowing. The Costa Rican craft beer market is projected to continue growing, fueled by strong domestic demand and increased tourism. As more locals acquire a taste for the bold, flavorful offerings from their country's craft breweries, the audience continues broadening.
Costa Rica's fertile lands, tropical climate, and incredible biodiversity offer an abundance of fresh produce, herbs, spices, and other flavorful elements for brewers to infuse into their creations. Leveraging these high-quality ingredients allows Costa Rican beer to develop a truly distinct regional identity.
Bottom line is that Costa Rican brewers are demonstrating their creativity. With strong demand, room for expansion, and an abundance of brewing potential, the future of craft beer in Costa Rica has never looked brighter. If you want to see this side of Costa Rica during your trip, let us help! Our expert travel experts are happy to advise you every step of the way.
