Beer! The world’s most widely consumed and oldest alcoholic beverage.
Such is the importance of beer in modern society that beer is the third most popular drink in the world, behind water and tea. As such, beer is produced in many of the world’s countries, with little variation on the ingredients used; water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Despite the simplicity of just four ingredients, there are huge variations in the taste of beer.
Whilst it’s true that many countries produce many beers, it is a rather more difficult challenge to consume a beer from every country that produces the stuff. The beer must be brewed in the country of origin and not brewed under license overseas.
This challenge started on 6th March 2011. Each country has it’s own blog post. You will often see multiple beer entries in each country. This is because either 1) the original beer was so horrible the country deserves a second chance 2) I picked up a very obscure beer and it deserves to be listed 3) I wanted to review a spectrum of beers over the course. If you have access to a beer from a country that I have not been able to drink yet, drop me a line at william@wkadams.com and we’ll sort out a reward in exchange!
Progress
Dependent Countries / Territories are places with their own flag, culture and geographic land, but depend on a sovereign county for international relations; e.g. England (UK), Guadeloupe (FR) or Hong Kong (SAR).
- 120 Sovereign Countries
- 10 Dependent Countries / Territories
Recent Posts
- San Marino
Date Consumed: 2nd April 2025
Beer: Speak Easy
Brewed: Birrificio Abusivo, Domagnano, San Marino
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.7%
Sourced: Suitcase by Jim Cook (thanks Jim!)
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Quite hoppy for an Italian pilsner, otherwise a pretty thin mouthfeel. Not bad, maybe better in a warmer climate.
Speak Easy, San Marino - Jordan
Date Consumed: 4th March 2023
Beer: Dead Sea-rious
Brewed: Carakale, Fuheis, Al Balqa Jordan
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Suitcase by Jim Cook (thanks Jim!)
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: Strong grapefruit flavour coming through; noticeable salt. A well made gose, definitely inspired by US brewed recipes.
Dead Sea-rious, Jordan - Bhutan
Date Consumed: 16th May, 2020
Beer: Druk Traffic Lights
Brewed: Namgay Artisanal Brewery, Paro, Bhutan
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.7%
Sourced: Suitcase by Jim Cook (thanks Jim!)
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: A mini break from the Covid-19 lockdown with a virtual trip to Bhutan! I did not expect to have this country ticked off. Pineapple and salt go surprisingly well together in a sharp but sweet gose.
Druk Traffic Lights, Bhutan - Republic of the Congo
Date Consumed: 5th October 2019
Beer: Ngok
Brewed: Brasserie du Congo, Brazzaville, Congo
Size: 650mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Les Terroirs du Congo, Rue Labat, Paris, France
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Brewed by Heineken Congo and tastes a lot like Heineken. Not great, a bland lager with all the hallmarks of an African beer brewed for a hot market.
Ngok, Republic of the Congo - Botswana
Date Consumed: 28th August 2019
Beer: St Louis Export
Brewed: Kgalagadi Breweries, Gaborone, Botswana
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.7%
Sourced: Suitcase from Botswana. Thanks to Jonathan Rudd!
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: Brewed for the export market. Nice carbonation, refreshing. Not bad at all. Very similar to Carlsberg.
St Louis Lager, Botswana
Date Consumed: 28th August 2019
Beer: St Louis Lager
Brewed: Kgalagadi Breweries, Gaborone, Botswana
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 3.5%
Sourced: Suitcase from Botswana. Thanks to Jonathan Rudd!
World Beer Rating: 3/10
Notes: Not as good as the Export version by a long way. Bland, low carbonation, lacks flavour. Lower alcohol, which may contribute to the poor effort.
St Louis Lager, Botswana - Azerbaijan
Date Consumed: 9th January 2019
Beer: Xirdalan Export
Brewed: Carlsberg Azerbaijan, Xırdalan, Baku, Azerbaijan
Size: 440mL
Alcohol Content: 3.6%
Sourced: Suitcase beer from Baku Azerbaijan (thanks James Cook)
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: It’s brewed by Carlsberg and it tastes of Carlsberg. Surprising hop flavour, more like a Polish lager. A difficult country tick!
Xirdalan Export, Azerbaijan - Faroe Islands (DE)
Date Consumed: 8th January 2019
Beer: Föroya Bjór Classic
Brewed: Föroya Bjór, Klaksvik, Faroe Islands
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.6%
Sourced: Keflavík International Airport, Reykjavík, Iceland
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: A true to style dark lager; slightly sweet, not bad at all. I’d enjoy a couple but its not a style I enjoy.
Föroya Bjór Classic, Iceland - Egypt
Date Consumed: 12th November 2018
Beer: Stella Lager
Brewed: Al Ahram, Giza, Egypt
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Sourced: Bekya Middle Eastern Kitchen, Harold Park, Sydney NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: African lager is African lager. Suprised continued use of the word Stella hasn’t got some Belgian lawyers up in arms. Wasn’t expecting much, did not deliver.
Stella Lager, Egypt
Date Consumed: 12th November 2018
Beer: Meister Max
Brewed: Al Ahram, Giza, Egypt
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 8.0%
Sourced: Bekya Middle Eastern Kitchen, Harold Park, Sydney NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: Wasn’t expecting much as before, but this high alcohol beer wasn’t bad! Oh, its warming up. It’s not as good.
Meister Max, Egypt - Antigua & Barbuda
Date Consumed: 29th October 2018
Beer: Wadadli
Brewed: Antigua Brewery (Royal Unibrew), St. Johns, Antigua & Barbuda
Size: 250mL
Alcohol Content: 4.8%
Sourced: Suitcase beer from a supermarket in Antigua & Barbuda (thanks Jim Marlow!)
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Caribbean lager, served in a smaller 250mL for quick drinking and many of them in the heat! Nothing too exciting but not unpleasant either.
Wadadli, Antigua & Barbuda - Belarus
Date Consumed: 28th March 2018
Beer: Lidskoe Pilsner
Brewed: Lidskoe Pivo, Grodnenskaya Oblast, Lida, Belarus
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.2%
Sourced: A Belarusian Deli on Ulitsa Vosstaniya near Обелиск Городу-Герою Ленинграду
World Beer Rating: 3/10
Notes: Absolutely nothing to report on this one. Pilsner, bland, slight cereal taste, mildly bitter.
Lidskoe Pilsner, Belarus - Georgia
Date Consumed: 26th March 2018
Beer: Kazbegi Tbilisi Beer
Brewed: Kazbegi, Rustavi, Georgia
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.8%
Sourced: Garcon Bistro, Nevsky Avenue, 95, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
World Beer Rating: 4/10.
Notes: It is quite literally identical to every other lager in the former Soviet Union. that is to say, pretty basic.
Kazbegi Tbilisi Beer, Georgia
Date Consumed: 26th March 2018
Beer: Kazbegi Porter
Brewed: Kazbegi, Rustavi, Georgia
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 5.8%
Sourced: Garcon Bistro, Nevsky Avenue, 95, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: A touch watery but has a definite slightly smokey porter taste which I would describe as Soviet… if that’s a fair way of describing it?
Kazbegi Porter, Georgia - Mongolia
Date Consumed: 28th September 2016
Beer: Jalam Khar
Brewed: MCS Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Size: 450mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: A shop in Ulaanbaatar, sold by Ghengis himself? Suitcased to Sydney (thanks to Jim Cook)
World Beer Rating: 3/10.
Notes: Mongolian Heinken is the best at a descriptive flavour; it wouldn’t be out of place on draft with Carling and Carlsberg. I feel the need to lead a new Mongol Empire!
Jalam Khar, Mongolia - Martinique
Date Consumed: 7th August 2015
Beer: Bière Lorraine Blonde
Brewed: Brasserie Lorraine, Le Lamentin, Martinique
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: A shop in Paris, no idea where… (thanks to Jim Cook)
World Beer Rating: 1/10
Notes: This beer is devoid of all flavour save the presence of chemicals. The legend goes ‘it tastes better in the climate of which it’s brewed’. However in this case, there is no climate on Earth excusable for it.
Bière Lorraine Blonde, Martinique - Andorra
Date Consumed: 7th August 2015
Beer: Alpha Sant Cornelli
Brewed: Cerveses Alpha, La Cortinada Ordino, Andorra
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 6.4%
Sourced: A tourist shop in Andorra La Vella (thanks to Jim Cook)
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Very, very carbonated. Some citrus, little light on the hops. The beer label was inkjet printed but this is from the only (micro) brewery in the whole country!
Alpha Sant Cornelli, Andorra - Kingdom of Tonga
Date Consumed: 20th April 2015
Beer: Outrigger Popao Premium Ale
Brewed: Outrigger Brewery, Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu Tonga
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: A bottle shop in Tonga (Thanks to Laura’s friend Gemma for bringing this back with her)
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Malt profile, medium carbonation. Smidgen of hops coming through. For a microbrewery in Tonga this isn’t too bad. Very similar to Heineken.
Outrigger Popao Premium Ale, Tonga - Myanmar (Burma)
Date Consumed: 17th September 2014
Beer: Beer Myanmar
Brewed: Myanmar Brewery and Distillery, Mingaladon Township, Yangon, Myanmar
Size: 640mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Peninsula Plaza, Singapore (Thanks Serdal Dik!)
World Beer Rating: 5/10.
Notes: I chilled this down and drank it from a small glass; it’s very light, very fizzy, slightly chemically but not much else going on.
Beer Myanmar, Myanmar - Vanuatu
Date Consumed: 4th September 2014
Beer: Vanuatu Tusker OP Lager
Brewed: Vanuatu Brewing Limited, Port Vila, Vanuatu
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 7.0%
Sourced: Port Vila, Vanuatu (Thanks to Keith Gilsenan)
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Lets be honest; Vanuatu isn’t a world class destination for beer and it’s my fault the beer had spent a good deal of time waiting for me to pick it up. Despite that the beer itself isn’t too bad; the 7.0% ABV helps mask a slight chemically malty flavour. In humid climates, a fresher version would hit the spot nicely.
Vanuatu Tusker OP Lager, Vanuatu - Hong Kong (SAR)
Date Consumed: 15th August 2014
Beer: Hong Kong Sevens Stout
Brewed: Hong Kong Beer Co., Chai Wan, Hong Kong
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 6.0%
Sourced: Hong Kong (thanks to Jim Cook)
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: 7/10. A good stout, albeit slightly watery. Dark chocolate and coffee flavours, without a doubt a surprise to drink a craft beer from Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Sevens Stout, Hong Kong - Macau (SAR)
Date Consumed: 15th August 2014
Beer: Macau Beer
Brewed: Companhia de Cervejas de Macau, Avenida Venceslau Morais No. 209, Macau
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Macau (thanks to Jim Cook)
World Beer Rating: 4/10.
Notes: Typical macro brewed beer, plenty of malt and hops. Flavour not unlike a Peroni, but with a chemically aftertaste.
Macau Beer, Macau - Cook Islands (NZ)
Date Consumed: 22nd January 2014
Beer: Matutu Mai Lager
Brewed: Titikaveka, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Matutu Brewery, Titikaveka, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: This bottle of beer was fresh filled from the brewery itself, so fresh it wasn’t even capped! A lovely beer from a hot and humid island. Slightly citrus, a tiny bit malty. Very drinkable, I would pick a few bottles of this up if exported to Australia!
Matutu Mai Lager, Cook Islands (NZ)
Date Consumed: 21nd January 2014
Beer: Matutu Kiva Pale Ale
Brewed: Titikaveka, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Sunset Resort, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Not particularly good. Very malty, bready, not really a Pale Ale. Only had one of these, that was enough for me.
Matutu Kiva Pale Ale, Cook Islands (NZ) - Togo
Date Consumed: 27th June 2013
Beer: Flag Spéciale
Brewed: Brasserie BB Lomé, Lomé, Togo
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.2%
Sourced: Saveur Biere (www.saveur-biere.com)
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: Remarkable; African beers are typically weak with no particular flavour. This one is excellent, actually a little sweet and tastes a little of cereal. Good colour and a head that lasts longer than one would expect.
Flag Spéciale, Togo
Date Consumed: 5th October 2019
Beer: Awooyo Spéciale
Brewed: Agoènyivé, Lomé, Togo
Size: 650mL
Alcohol Content: 5.2%
Sourced: Togo Exotique, Rue Dejean, Paris, France
World Beer Rating: 2/10
Notes: It was past its sell by date and is a brown ale from Togo. Vague caramel notes and poor carbonation. Not undrinkable but a long way from being average.
Awooyo Spéciale, Togo - Northern Ireland (UK)
Date Consumed: 28th May 2013
Beer: Whitewater Belfast Lager
Brewed: Whitewater, Saintfield, Northern Ireland
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Sourced: Celtic Whisky Shop
World Beer Rating: 2/10
Notes: This beer is awful. Terrible. Could be due to it being slightly out of date, but there is no head whatsoever. Nice colour, but thats about it.
Whitewater Belfast Lager, Northern Ireland
Date Consumed: 2nd June 2013
Beer: Whitewater Belfast Ale
Brewed: Whitewater, Saintfield, Northern Ireland
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Sourced: Celtic Whisky Shop
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: Lovely ale, caramel and citrusy notes.
Whitewater Belfast Ale, Northern Ireland - Tunisia
Date Consumed: 26th May 2013
Beer: Celtia
Brewed: Société Frigorifique et Brasserie de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: www.alloceltia.com
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: What an unexpected delight, a good quality African beer! Flavours in line with Heineken and Grolsch, easy drinking. Well carbonated but very enjoyable.
Celtia, Tunisia - Madagascar
Date Consumed: 21st May 2013
Beer: Star Three Horses Beer Pilsener
Brewed: Brasseries Star, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Size: 650mL
Alcohol Content: 5.4%
Sourced: Chateau Rouge Market
World Beer Rating: 2/10
Notes: Madagascar, this is not a good beer. This is only just a beer. Tastes of corn and bitterness with an unwelcome metallic aftertaste. Foul.
Star Three Horses Beer Pilsener, Madagascar - Réunion (FR)
Date Consumed: May 2013
Beer: Bourbon Metiss
Brewed: Brasserie de Bourbon, Saint-Denis, Réunion
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 3.5%
Sourced: Chateau Rouge Market
World Beer Rating: 3/10
Notes: This is marketed as a fruity beer, only it has almost no carbonation and tastes like sugary water mixed with tropical fruit squash. Réunion is so small I’m impressed they even have a brewery. Probably one for the ladies on a tropical beach in Réunion…
Bourbon Metiss, Réunion - Guadeloupe (FR)
Date Consumed: 17th May 2013
Beer: Corsaire Biere Caribeenne
Brewed: Brasserie du Corsaire, Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Chateau Rouge Market.
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: Light, well carbonated, quite like a light version of Budweiser Budvar. Slight taste of chemicals; I bet this would go down like a treat in the heat of the Caribbean!
Corsaire Biere Caribeenne, Guadeloupe - Wales (UK)
Date Consumed: 17th May 2013
Beer: Otley O-Garden
Brewed: Otley, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.8%
Sourced: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Slightly floral and tastes a little of grass. Low bitterness, easy to drink. Pretty good.
Otley O-Garden, Wales - Leichtenstein
Date Consumed: 29th April 2013
Beer: Liechtensteiner Brauhaus Hells
Brewed: Liechtensteiner Brauhaus, Schaan, Liechtenstein
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: bierpost.com
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: I expected more since Lichtenstein is sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria with Germany to the north, but this tastes like burnt caramel with a metallic aftertaste. I have a couple more from this brewery, lets hope they get better!
Liechtensteiner Brauhaus Hells, Liechtenstein
Date Consumed: 29th April 2013
Beer: Liechtensteiner Brauhaus Krona
Brewed: Liechtensteiner Brauhaus, Schaan, Liechtenstein
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.8%
Sourced: bierpost.com
World Beer Rating: 4/10
Notes: Nothing special here either except it’s got a strange metallic flavour.
Liechtensteiner Brauhaus Krona, Liechtenstein - Suriname
Date Consumed: 23rd April 2013
Beer: Parbo Bier
Brewed: Surinaamse Bierbrouwerij, Paramaribo, Suriname
Size: 1000mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: ServiceNow colleague in the Netherlands who posted a couple of bottles over from Amsterdam (thanks to Micha Schraven)
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: Definitely suited to a tropical environment as the beer itself has no strong flavour. Bonus points for boldly shunning a 330mL bottle in favour of a gigantic 1000mL bottle, why can’t more beers come in this size?
Parbo Bier, Suriname - Moldova
Date Consumed: 23rd April 2013
Beer: Chisnau Blonda
Brewed: Efes Vitanta Moldova Brewery, Chisinau, Moldova
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Sourced: www.piwazdusza.pl
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Classic Eastern European lager with no particularly good points other than I could happily drink a few on a hot day.
Chisnau Blonda, Moldova
