Estonia is a small country with a serious drinking culture. Not in the chaotic way — Tallinn is not Prague circa 2003 — but in the sense that Estonians care about what they drink and produce genuinely good things to drink. Here's what to order.

Põhjala: Estonia's Best Craft Brewery

Põhjala (pronounced roughly "Pyuh-ya-la") is Tallinn's premier craft brewery and one of the best in Northern Europe. They were founded in 2011 and have won international awards for their work — particularly strong on Baltic Porters, stouts, and session ales.

Where to drink Põhjala:

• Põhjala Taproom in Telliskivi — the brewery's own bar. Rotating taps, good food pairing, the freshest pints. This is the right place.
• Most quality bars in Tallinn, Kalamaja particularly
• Better bottle shops throughout the city

What to order: The Öö (Night) Baltic Porter is the signature beer — dark, rich, with hints of dark chocolate and coffee, around 10% ABV. Have one; decide if you need two carefully. Their Koit (Dawn) pale ale is the lighter session option.

Price in taproom: Pints from €4–6.

Vana Tallinn: The Famous Liqueur

Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn) is Estonia's most recognisable liqueur — dark, sweet, intensely aromatic, with notes of rum, citrus, and spice. The exact recipe is a trade secret. It was produced in Soviet times and is now a national culinary symbol.

It's sweet and strong (usually 40–45% ABV). Estonians drink it:

• Neat, in small glasses
• Over ice
• Mixed with coffee
• As a cocktail base

You'll find it in every bar, every supermarket, and every duty-free. Buy a small bottle as a souvenir — it's one of the few genuinely Estonian things you can take home.

Avoid: The tourist-sized decorative bottles are overpriced. Buy the standard bottle in a supermarket (around €8–12 for 500ml) if you want to take it home.

Kali: The Bread Drink

Kali (or kvass in Russian) is a traditional fermented drink made from rye bread. It's slightly fizzy, mildly sour, very low in alcohol (usually under 1%), and tastes distinctly of dark bread.

If you've never had it, it's an experience. Not sweet like soft drinks, not alcoholic like beer — it sits in its own category. It's been drunk in the Baltic and Eastern European region for centuries and it's having something of a revival in Tallinn's artisan food scene.

Where to find it: Balti Jaam Market often has kali from local producers. Some restaurants include it on menus as a house-made drink. Look for it in speciality food shops in Kalamaja.

Estonian Wine and Spirits

Estonia doesn't produce wine (wrong climate), but it does produce some interesting spirits:

Gin: Several Estonian distilleries have launched craft gins in the last decade. Look for Gin Mare alternatives at local bars, or ask what's produced domestically.

Liqueurs based on local botanicals: Berry liqueurs (lingonberry, sea buckthorn) appear in some local distilleries. Sea buckthorn in particular is very Estonian — it's used in everything from juice to cosmetics to liqueur.

Bars to Know

Tallinn has two drinking worlds: Old Town bars (touristy, fine, expensive), and Kalamaja/Telliskivi bars (local, cheaper, more interesting).

For Estonian craft beer: Põhjala Taproom (Telliskivi), Speakeasy (craft beer bar near Old Town), or ask locally what's opened recently.

For something classic: Beer houses in Old Town serve standard Estonian lagers (A. Le Coq, Saku) — perfectly decent, reasonable prices if you pick a place away from the Town Hall Square premium zone.

For cocktails: Several bars in and around Old Town do good cocktail work. Frank and DM Baar (Depeche Mode Bar — more on that in the nightlife post) are local institutions.

What Things Cost

For the full guide to Tallinn's bars and nightlife — including which areas suit which moods — the Tallinn Travel Guide has the current recommendations.