If you are a beer lover, unfortunately you might find Bulgaria a little bit disappointing, considering here the craft beers different in taste from the common Czech lager count no more than the fingers on your hands. However, recently this niche has been quickly filling up with newer and newer brands emerging on the market, which is only making the summer crowds in the parks happier.

If you are to blend with Sofia’s seasonal obsession of drinking in open air, you will inevitably need to find the right shop, which has the right amount of fridges to always offer cold beverages. Sometimes this might be a tricky business, so I usually find the need to change my preferences from what I want to drink to what is actually cold enough to drink. This changed when I recently found a small oasis, called The Beer Shop.

No one likes warm beer in summer (or ever), so The Beer Shop’s vast choice of tap and bottled chilled brands is bliss in the burning hot nights. Here you can find most of the Bulgarian craft labels, such as Glarus, Ah!, Ailyak, Divo Pivo, Peti Okean, Shipka and more.

The shop is small, but offers a great variety of world beers, beer glasses and accessories. Many of its customers drink the beer on the street in front of the shop while enjoying a sweet chat, so if you want to truly experience Bulgarian beer culture – feel free to join in.