Beers available in Malta
The list is split into sections - beers brewed on the island ( and beers that were brewed here or may be in the future!), imported beers from Belgium, interesting beers (to me) imported from Independent companies and finally the beers provided by multinationals. It does not claim to be complete - so if you know of others i might want to add let me know - just email me
The comments are based on my personal likes and dislikes as some one who likes traditional english ale,, wheat beers and Belgian ales. I am not a lager person.
key - K=keg, b=bottle, c=can, nk=nitrokeg
Beers brewed in Malta
| Brewer | Beer | format | strength | comments |
| Farsons | Carlsberg | k b c | 4.6 | For me, Farsons best bottled lager. But the keg version is very gassy |
| Farsons | Cisk Export | b c | 5 | Farsons Premium Lager. I find the bottles refreshing on hot days, but it disappoints as an evening drink. |
| Farsons | Cisk Lager | k b c | 4.2 | quite bland for its strengh. But despite my view, 2007 winner in "World Beer" magazines best ordinary lager category |
| Farsons | Cisk XL Lager | b | 4.2 | A low carbohydrate beer,It has much more taste than ordinary bottled Cisk and a similar taste to Export without the strength. A 2007 winner as "World Beer magazine's best low carb lager" category |
| Farsons | Cisk XS Lager | b | 9 | for many years only brewed for the Italian market , now available from "selected" restaurants. a strong sweet tasting lager maybe short of body for its strength and so very easy drinking so beware - it is 9% |
| Farsons | Farsons Blue Label | b c nk | 3.8 | A thin amber ale |
| Farsons | Farson Hop Leaf | b c nk | 3.8 | A pale ale - the ordinary(see below) - which i think in the bottle has more taste than it used to . |
| Farsons | Farson Hop Leaf Extra | c nk | 5 | When launched as "Turning the ordinary into the extra ordinary" it was a welcome introduction the Farsons Range. never widely available in bars or shops and the bottled version was withdrawn and replaced by cans! The keg version and the cans may also now have died |
| Farsons | Farsons Lacto | b | ? | Old fashioned "milk stout" still made to the 1928 recipe, Rarely seen in bars but can be found on supermarket shelves. |
| Farsons | Skol | b c | ? | brewed under license from Carlsberg! Why? |
| Marsavin | 1565 | k b c | 4.2 | Marsovin jointly ran LBM with Lowenbrau but the brewery has closed and the beer is currently brewed for Marsavin, probably at Lowenbrau in Germany |
| Monte Kristo | Ic-Cagnu | b | 4.8 | Monte Kristo Winery is possibly soon to have its own brewery producing ic-Caqnu Premium Lager. The current bottled beer which is quite hard to find is produced in Germany. Seen in one of the Kiosks at Valletta bus station and the Seaview bar near the church in Mellieha |
Imports from Belgium
| Beer | format | strength | comments |
| Augustijn Blond | b | 7 | Van Steenberge's premier beer is brewed under licence from the Augustinian Abbey in Gent. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Bios Kriek | b | 5 | Van Steenberge's cherry beer . For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Cherish Frambozen | b | 5 | Van Steenberge's raspberry flavoured beer, brewed for their USA agent . For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Monks Cafe | b | 5.5 | Van Steenberge's aged flemish sour brown ale, `brewed for their USA agent. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Bornem Dubbel | b | 8 | Van Steenberge's "dubbel" dark ale. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Bruegel | b | 5.2 | Van Steenberge's standard strength amber ale. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Celis White | b | 5 | Van Steenberge's Wheat beer is brewed under licence from the creator of Belgian wheat beer - Peter Celis. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Duvel | b | 8 | Duvel is a world famous beer, brewed in Belgium by one of Belgiums biggest independent brewing companys Its creation heralded a new beer style which is much copied. This strong golden ale is available from www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt. You will also find a list of outlets at Divine Malta |
| Gulden Draak | b | 10.5 | Van Steenberge's rich dark Barley Wine, complete with white bottle. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Hoegaarden | b | 5 | Inbev's white/wheat beer is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| Leffe Blond | b | 6.5 | the classic Blond from Inbev is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| Leffe Brune/ | b | 6.5 | this Belgian "dubbel" from Inbev is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| Leffe Radieuse | b | 9 | This is a strong "red" ale and is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| Maredsous 6 | b | 10 | Duvel Moortgat also produce an excellent range of beers under licence from the Maredsoous Abbey. The 6% Blond ale is available from www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt. |
| Maredsous 8 | b | 8 | The 8% dark ale is available from www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt, |
| Maredsous 10 | b | 10 | The 10% tripel is available from www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Marks and Spencer Belgian Tripel | b | 9 | brewed for M&S by Huyge, famous for the pink elephants on the bottled Delerium Tremens. This strong sweet tasting tripel is available at all the local M&S stores |
| Martens Gold | c | 4.6 | a lager in cans |
| Martens Lager | p | 5 | its in plastic bottles and has more taste than the gold - but is harder to find |
| Piraat | b | 10.5 | Van Steenberge's superb pale Barley Wine. For full details and availability go to www.thebelgianbeershop.com.mt |
| Stella Artois | b, k, c | 5.2 | "The" Belgian Lager, produced by AB Inbev, the worlds largest brewers |
Other Interesting imports Independent Companies
this list is obviously biased towards my tastes. It does not ionclude the wide range of cheap canned lager now available. Much comes from the Netherlands and Bavaria brand is the major player. But you will also find German (eg DAB), Mexican, Polish, and Turkish. And bow there a number of cheap cabbed Dritish bitters appearing too! I have stopped attempting to advise where these products can be purchased as it changes as often as the latest trade offer
| Country | Beer | format | strength | comments |
| Czech Republic | Budwar Budweiser | b | 4.7 | This is the Czech beer not the American one and it is appearing in a few locations |
| Czech Republic | 1795 | b | 4.7 | The beer is from "Budejvicky Mestansky Pivovar". The brewery's web site is http://www.budweiser1795.com/ It is actually the original Samson brewery in the town that probably inspired Mr Busch to name his American drink, Budweiser. It predates its more famous neighbour Budvar-Budweiser by 100 years. |
| China | Tsingtao | b | 5 | China's most famous beer is avaiable at some Chinese Restaurants |
| Germany | Erdinger Hefe | b | 5 | unfiltered, pale wheat beer from Germany's biggest Wieze bier producer. The beer has a secondary fermentation in the bottle and there is a yeast sediment which the brewer recommends you pour into the glass. Superbly refreshing on a warm day. Sold at Scotts and Arcadia Supermarkets. |
| Germany | Erdinger Dunkel | b | 5 | dark wheat beer from Germany's biggest Wieze bier producer. |
| Germany | Warstiener | b | 5 | available at Pavi supermarket |
| Ireland | Marks and Spencers Irish Stout | b | 4.5 | an excellent bottled stout. produced for M&S by the small O'Haras brewery in Carlow. Available from their shops in Valletta, The Strand Sliema and Bay Street St Julians. |
| Italy | Ceres Strong Ale | b | 8 | available at Pavi supermarket |
| UK | Cobra | b | 5 | Indian Restaurants. UK based company that started out without its own breewery but now owns one in India. The beer sold in Malta may be brewed in the UK or Belgium |
| UK | Davenports | b | available from Birra Biss | |
| UK | Marks and Spencers IPA | b | 5.5 | not a bad bottled bitter. brewed for M&S in Burton - so it has to be Marstons or Coors. Available from their shops in Valletta, The Strand Sliema and Bay Street St Julians. |
| UK | Marstons Pedigree | b | 4.4 | available from Birra Biss |
| UK | Marstons Oyster Stout | b | available from Birra Biss | |
| UK | Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger | b | 4.5 | from Scotts Supermarkets |
| UK | Shepherd Neame Spitfire | b | 5.5 | from Scotts Supermarkets |
| UK | Wychwood Hobgoblin | b | available from Birra Biss | |
| UK | Youngs Chocolate Stout | b | from Scotts Supermarkets |
Imports from Mutinationals etc
| Brewing Group | Beer | format | strength | comments |
| AB Inbev | Bass | b | 5.1 | the bottle says it is imported from the Uk, and the second tasting impressed more than the first. May not be available anymore |
| AB Inbev | Becks | b | 5 | imported by Farsons and quite widely available |
| AB InBev | Budweiser | b | - | USAs biggest brewers where bought by Inbev in 2008 so joins the same global business as Stella and Becks. Bud is currently brewed in the uk, and shipped to Malta for bottling by Farsons |
| AB Inbev | Castlemaine XXXX | b | 5 | more famous for its adverts (Austalians wouldn't give a XXXX) than the beer. Brewed in the UK |
| AB Inbev | Franzikaner Hefe | b | 5 | Tasty German unfiltered wheat beer from Spaten, acquired by Inbev in 2003. |
| AB Inbev | Hoegaarden | b | 5 | This famous wheat beer is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| AB Inbev | Kamenitza Dark Beer | b | 5 | Excellent dark beer somewhere between an English mild and a belgian dubbel. The label says "Brewed in Bulgaria under the supervision of Belgian Brewmasters"!! The brewery was established in 1881 . |
| AB Inbev | Kamenitza Pilsner | b | 4.4 | Bilgarian lager |
| AB Inbev | Leffe Blond | b | 6.5 | AB Inbevs flagship Ale is available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| AB Inbev | Leffe Bruin | b | 6.5 | available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| AB Inbev | Leffe Radieuse | b | 8.2 | the stronger Leffe is also available from the George Pub in Qawra |
| AB Inbev | Stella Artois | b k | 5.2 | The Belgian Lager, fairly widely available |
| AB Inbev | Lowenbrau Original | b k | 5 | Used to be brewed in Malta but now its the German original |
| Coors | Caffreys | c | - | Supposedly Irish ale, created in the Basslaboratory at their Burton on Trent brewery and named after an Irish brewery they took over. Now the Bass name is owned by AB inbev whilst the brewery belongs to the American business Coors |
| Diagio | Guinness | b c nk | - | Dublin brewed Guinness is imported by Farsons and is available widely in tourist areas |
| Diagio | Guinness Foreign Extra Stout | b | 7.5 | sometimes available in bars |
| Diagio | Kilkenny | nk | ? | Guinness's Irish Ale |
| Heineken | Heineken | b k | 5 | widely avalable |
| Heineken | Moretti Doppelmalt | b | 7 | Brewed in Idine, Italy. |
| Heineken | Moretti Rossa | b | 7.2 | Pleasant dark ale brewed in Udine, Italy |
| Heineken | Murphys Irish Stout | k | available in a few bars in tourist areas | |
| Heineken | Fosters Lager | c k | ? | available in a few bars in tourist areas |
| Heineken | Newcastle Brown | c | - | no longer brewed in Newcastle |
| Heineken | John Smiths Smooth | c nk | - | Imported by Farsons,the draught is widely available in Sliema |
BEERS IN MALTA |