Top 15 best Portuguese beers

Top 15 best Portuguese beers

* Published by Anna in June 2020 and Updated by Vanessa in 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R in July 2023

In a previous article, I wrote about the top 10 Portuguese dishes you have to try while in Portugal and the best way to enjoy them is to have them alongside a nice cold beer, especially during the summer. So in this article, I will let you know all about the top 10 Portuguese beers you definitely have to try during your trip to Portugal.

Superbock: The most popular one

I have to start this list with one of the first beer companies founded in Portugal and one of the best ones in my opinion, if not the best.

Born in 1927, Super Bock is the most well known beer in Portugal and it has established its top place in the market since 1992, being the number one choice of Portuguese people when it comes to beer selection.

Throughout the years, Superbock has launched several different kinds of beers, such as:
Super Bock Stout – The dark beer version of Super Bock Original
Super Bock Green – The original Super Bock beer but with a taste of lemon and less alcohol.
Super Bock Abadia – The homebrewed flavoured beer with a ruby colour.
Super Bock 1927 Selection – A wide range of artisanal beer selection from 1927
Super Bock with No Alcohol – Same as the Original Super Bock but without alcohol.

This Portuguese beer company has also been one of the main sponsor for several cultural activities in Portugal, such as the Expo’98 and the Cinema Festival of Porto – Fantasporto . Super Bock has also created one of the best music festivals in Portugal, which is the Super Bock Super Rock and has brought many worldwide known bands to its stages over the years since the foundation of the festival in 1995.

Sagres: The most Portuguese beer

Sagres is the second best Portuguese beer you can drink. Some organizations even say that, after 2008, Sagres surpassed Super Bock in leadership when it comes to beer sales, but in my opinion Super Bock still is better.

But don’t get the wrong idea, Sagres is an excellent beer and has established its ground in Portugal since 1940 and being the number one choice for many Portuguese. Sagres has a small but good variety of beers and those that are still available in the market are:
Sagres Radler – a Sagres beer but with taste of lemon and less alcohol.
Sagres Bohemia – Intense fruity beer, ideal to drink with meals with higher alcohol percentage.
Sagres Dark – A darker beer, with an even more intense flavour.

And as almost any beer brand there is always the alcohol free versions, and Sagres has taken a step there and not only produces the normal version but also the darker version, both of them alcohol free.

Cristal: The cheapest one

This amazing brand is the pioneer of beer companies in Portugal, being in production since 1890 and being remembered by those who fought in the World War I and II as one of the best beers available.

Since Super Bock and Sagres obtain almost 90% of the beer market, this brand is almost left aside by customers, being seen as a poor choice of beer, but in fact it is not. It has great taste and the choice of cereals is a bit different from the main two largest companies. It is also a very cheap option in comparison to other beers, and is often a number one choice for many students in Portugal because of its cheap price. Being completely overtaken by Sagres and Super Bock, Cristal still is the third best selling beer for Portuguese people, some prefering this beer over foreign brands like Carlsberg or Heineken.

Vadia: Underestimated homebrewed beer

As for handmade beers or as some might call it homebrewing beers, Vadia is clearly the number one on this list, according to me.

Vadia is a homebrewed beer made in the north of Portugal and was created by three friends who had a passion for homebrewed beers. Nicolas Billard, Nuno Marques and Victor Silva first started the company in a very small place in 2007. Since then, the brand has established its place in the market and is one of the most known homebrewed beers of Portugal.

Since 2015, the company needed a bigger place with more capacity for beer production and an area where these beers could be tasted and so, they created the Vadia BrewPub in Osselas, Oliveira de Azemeis. In this place, you often find various performances along the year, such as live music shows, stand up comedy and much more. They also serve food and, of course, all the famous different kinds of Vadia beers they have available.

Maldita: The best-homebrewed beer

Maldita is one of the newest homebrewed beers in Portugal and has established its foot in the market right away. Since 2012 a father and son, Artur and Gonçalo Faustino, two engineers from Aveiro created the brand and only after two years in the market, the brand received its first award in the World Beer Awards of 2014 with one of their products, the Barleywine, most known in Portuguese as “ruiva” being a red coloured beer with an intense cereal sour flavour.

In 2015, their darker version of Maldita beer, the Robust Porter won the second place in the International Dark Beer Competition on the International Brewing Awards 2015. Since then, this brand has begun to expand their market in the world, being one of the most notorious homebrewed beers in Portugal and Europe.

Their focus is mainly on three products: The English Barleywine – red fruited version, the Robust Porter – the darker sour version, and the Bohemian Pilsener – the blonde and classic version.

Mean Sardine Brewery: Chosen as Portugal’s top brewery

Beer dispenser by Fábio Alves from Unsplash

Another craft beer produced in Portugal contributes to the country’s revival of beer. The tale of the Mean Sardine brewery is the tale of three friends from the coastal town of Ericeira, which is 35 kilometres from Lisbon.

Three childhood friends started brewing well-hopped beers in this especially touristy city in 2013, and they are considerably different from the conventional Portuguese brews. In 2014, Ratebeer named the Mean Sardine brewery as Portugal’s top brewery.

The following brewery beers are recommended for you to try:

Ginja Ninja: A Stout-style beer created in collaboration with the top-notch Dutch brewery De Molen.

La Voragem: An IPA-style black beer with a strong hop flavour and a chocolaty finish.

Portuguese beer La Letra: Brews organic beers

Beer by engin akyurt by engin akyurt from Unsplash

The wonderful brewery with the same name produces Letra, another Portuguese beer! Filipo Macieira and Francisco Pereira, two former chemical engineers, started the Letra brewery.

Filipo, a Portuguese native from Braga, first learned about brewing on an Erasmus exchange in the Czech Republic. The Letra beers are made by Francisco, who has a liking for bitter beer. The brewery has been around since 2013 and produces organic beer. 

The Sovina: Portuguese craft beer

One of the founding members of the Portuguese craft beer movement, and particularly of the beer in Porto, was the brewery Cerveja Sovina.

When Albero Abreu began collaborating with Armenio Martins and Pedro Sousa in 2009, the brewing project got underway. Finally, and to great success, the first Sovina beers will be sold in 2011!

Musa: All about the tropical twist

This small-batch brewery perfectly embodies the playful, irreverent attitude of craft beer with names like Mick Lager and Red Zeppelin Ale.

Born in the IPA, which is heavily influenced by American style and has a subtle tropical touch, is without a doubt the one that sticks out from the rest of the pack. In reality, rather than a pub, you’re more likely to find this beer in one of the numerous specialized craft beer stores in Portugal.

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Dois Corvos: Family-owned brewery 

Beer by Marina Zaharkina from Unsplash

The Dois Corvos brewery in Lisbon is rapidly becoming well-known in Portugal because of its outstanding 64 different beers on tap.

Your best option is to just visit their brewery in Lisbon at Rua Capito Leito, 94 and request to sample some of their products since there are so many options to pick from. Some fortunate clients could even get to sample some of their novels, and experimental drinks before they go on sale.

Dois Corvo’s brewery in Lisbon is swiftly establishing a reputation for itself in Portugal because of its remarkable 64 different beers on tap.  Your best chance is to simply stop by their brewery in Lisbon at Rua Capito Leito, 94 and get a sample as there are so many options to pick from. A few lucky customers could even get to sample some of their newest, experimental drinks before they are on sale.

The beers I’ve just listed in this article are the most popular ones in Portugal but there are many others that deserve to be mentioned such as Tagus, Imperial, Cergal and Cintra. If you want a fun fact about asking for draft beers in Portugal is that if you are visiting northern cities such as Aveiro, Porto or Minho Region the regular way to ask for a draft beer is to call it a “fino“, but if you are in the south of Portugal, Lisbon, Sintra, Setubal or Algarve, people normally ask for an “imperial”. This is due to internal linguistic differences in Portugal, but the beer will always be the same draft beer. I hope you’ve enjoyed the article!

Portuguese Food That Pairs Well With Beer

1. Pastéis de Bacalhau

GostinhoDeBrasil, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These well-liked Portuguese appetisers, which are often referred to as “codfish cakes,” can be found in numerous pubs and eateries all around Portugal. Pastéis de Bacalhau is a dish made with fish and deep-fried potatoes (Bacalhau).

If prepared properly, Pastéis de Bacalhau can have the most scrumptious bite you’ve ever experienced. Pastéis de Bacalhau, which are offered in bite-sized portions, make a delicious snack to enjoy while touring Portugal.

2. Milho Frito

A typical Portuguese side dish is called milho frito. It constantly goes with hearty, hearty main courses. Nonetheless, Milho Frito is also offered as a snack food. Cornmeal is cooked with salt and chicken stock to create milho frito, a fried bread.

The Milho Frito is cooked in the boiling stock and then left to stand for two hours to firm up. It is then deep-fried after being cut into cubes. Herbs and seasonings are included for flavour after cooking. This is the perfect beer food you can have as you have a beer.

3. Francesinha

DgOlsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This sandwich is made with melted cheese, steak, sausage and Portuguese ham (fiambre). It is served on a plate with beer sauce. Inside this already sumptuous sandwich it has french fries which is exactly what you’ll need when you have a beer (or as some would say, it’s the perfect base before drinking booze) 

It was created in Porto, Portugal, and is available in most cafes there. Each chef’s secret sauce, which uses beer and tomatoes as a basis, is what makes the dish different from place to place.

3. Caldo Verde

Portugal’s Caldo Verde is a well-liked soup that is served in several fancy restaurants as well as in most Portuguese families’ homes. It is often prepared using potatoes, collard greens, olive oil, and a little salt. Traditionally, boiled and sliced “chouriço” sausage is eaten with caldo verde.

The soup is a popular dish that is had at weddings and other special occasions and no, you can’t eat this alone but you can have it with Portuguese cornbread known as “broa” which can be a heavy meal that can pair incredibly well with beer.

4. Prego

One of my favourite Portuguese foods is a prego. It’s a type of Portuguese sandwich made with grilled beef that has been marinated in garlic and served on a crusty papo seco, or Portuguese bread roll.

Prego can vary in toppings depending on the restaurant, but the original version cooked with just grilled beef and garlic marinade is the best. It’s very wonderful and, in my opinion, among the best Portuguese meal you can have with a beer.