This International Beer Day, celebrated on the first Friday of August, is the perfect excuse to look beyond your local tap and explore the destinations where beer is more than a drink—it’s a way of life. Across the world, breweries are elevating the humble pint into an immersive experience, pairing heritage with innovation and taste with travel. Whether you’re after a historic beer hall in Europe or a sleek microbrewery in Asia, these seven locations promise the kind of beer experience that’s absolutely worth booking a flight for.

Bruges, Belgium: Where old-world charm flows with every pour

Tucked inside the fairytale streets of Bruges lies a beer scene as rich as its mediaeval architecture. The city’s brewing tradition goes back centuries, but what makes it a must-visit today is the way it blends the historic with the innovative. At the heart of it is De Halve Maan Brewery, where a futuristic underground pipeline transports freshly brewed beer beneath the cobbled streets—without disturbing the city’s charm above. The brewery is family-owned and continues to craft its legacy beers with the kind of precision only time can teach.

But Bruges is more than just a brewery tour—it’s an immersive Belgian beer experience. Beer culture here is elevated to art: cafes serve expertly paired cheese platters, bartenders pour with reverence, and even chocolate shops craft pralines filled with local brews. On World Beer Day, the atmosphere is celebratory but never chaotic—perfect for sipping slowly, perhaps along a sun-dappled canal.

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What to drink: Brugse Zot Blond or Straffe Hendrik Tripel

Portland, Oregon, USA – Where craft meets culture in every glass

Often dubbed the craft beer capital of the world, Portland is more than a beer city—it’s a beer lifestyle. With more than 70 breweries operating within the city limits, you’ll find a community that doesn’t just drink beer; it lives and breathes it. Portland’s breweries are pioneers in small-batch experimentation, and the city’s laid-back, eco-conscious vibe filters right into its taprooms, many of which are housed in old warehouses, food cart pods, or even converted fire stations.

What sets Portland apart is its emphasis on creativity and accessibility. It’s the kind of city where one brewery might be ageing saisons in pinot noir barrels, while another is using local hops to craft a hazy IPA with notes of tangerine and cedar. There’s a story behind every label, and most brewers are happy to share it. Visit during World Beer Day, and you’ll catch neighbourhood-wide tap takeovers, bike tours between breweries, and some of the friendliest beer nerds around.

What to drink: Breakside Wanderlust IPA or Cascade Apricot Barrel-Aged Sour

Cape Town, South Africa – Brews with a view from the tip of the continent

Framed by Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town delivers one of the most scenic backdrops for your beer explorations. Its craft brewing scene is vibrant and unpretentious, drawing from South Africa’s diverse culture and bold flavours. Breweries like Devil’s Peak and Jack Black have become destinations in their own right—places where you can sip a crisp pale ale on a terrace overlooking the city, often while a live jazz band sets the mood.

Cape Town’s beer story is one of reinvention. What began as a few small independent operations has blossomed into a tight-knit but dynamic industry. The beers are adventurous yet approachable, often brewed with local botanicals and grains, and designed to be enjoyed slowly, in the sunshine. On World Beer Day, expect everything from beachside beer tastings to mountain-view brewery brunches.

What to drink: King’s Blockhouse IPA or Jack Black’s Butcher Block Pale Ale

Tokyo, Japan – Precision, purity, and playful innovation

Tokyo’s beer culture may be relatively young compared to Europe, but what it lacks in age, it more than makes up for in artistry. In typical Japanese fashion, Tokyo’s brewers pay meticulous attention to detail—crafting balanced, minimalist beers with unexpected ingredients like yuzu, roasted rice, and matcha. The scene here is small but growing, and what makes it exciting is the level of craft that goes into every bottle and every pour.

Visiting breweries in Tokyo feels like stepping into a perfectly designed ritual. Taprooms are sleek, often hidden in alleys or upper floors of discreet buildings, and the food pairings are nothing short of gourmet. On World Beer Day, many microbreweries roll out exclusive seasonal releases—ideal for those who want to taste something truly unique. It’s beer with a story, served with exacting care and calm.

What to drink: Hitachino Nest White Ale or Tokyo Aleworks Yuzu Saison

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Melbourne, Australia – The bold and the barrel-aged

In Melbourne, beer takes cues from art, music, and the city’s ever-eclectic energy. This is a place where beer lists read like cocktail menus, and brewery spaces double as performance venues or art installations. Melbourne’s craft beer community is fiercely creative, and its brewers aren’t afraid to challenge tradition—think tropical sours, lactose stouts, and hop-forward lagers aged in wine barrels.

Melbourne is also home to some of Australia’s most design-forward brewery spaces, particularly in suburbs like Collingwood and Footscray. Here, World Beer Day is often celebrated with taproom parties, limited-edition releases, and pop-up collaborations with local chefs and artists. If you’re looking for beer that’s fearless, expressive, and slightly rebellious, Melbourne should be at the top of your list.

What to drink: Moon Dog’s Splice of Heaven Pine-Lime IPA or Stomping Ground’s Watermelon Smash Gose

Prague, Czech Republic – Lager royalty where beer is tradition

No list of beer destinations would be complete without Prague, the city that perfected—and continues to reinvent—the lager. Czechs drink more beer per capita than anyone else, and it shows in the way they treat their beer: with reverence and remarkable consistency. Visit any local pub and you’ll be served a pint with the perfect foam cap, fresh from the tank, often in under a minute. It’s not flashy—it’s flawless.

Beyond the classics like Pilsner Urquell, Prague has quietly developed a contemporary craft scene. Microbreweries such as Matuška and Vinohradský Pivovar offer IPAs, porters, and sours that compete with the best globally. Whether you’re sipping a tank-fresh pilsner in a Gothic beer hall or trying a New England-style IPA in a hidden brewery cellar, Prague delivers an unforgettable experience—especially on World Beer Day, when breweries often open their tanks for exclusive tastings.

What to drink: Tank-poured Pilsner Urquell or Matuška Raptor IPA

Tallinn, Estonia – Nordic cool and forest-infused brews

A hidden gem in Europe’s beer scene, Tallinn offers something you didn’t know you needed: Nordic-inspired craft beer served in industrial-chic taprooms, often with ingredients foraged from nearby forests. Estonia’s brewers embrace both tradition and creativity, delivering beers that are earthy, aromatic, and surprisingly elegant. Põhjala Brewery, for instance, is known for its bold imperial porters aged in cognac barrels and beers brewed with birch sap or spruce tips.

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Tallinn’s brewery culture is refined yet approachable, often doubling as cultural hubs with in-house saunas, rotating art exhibits, or communal dinners. On World Beer Day, the city’s top breweries host open house events and collaborative brews that attract locals and beer lovers from across the Baltics. If your beer tastes lean toward complex, cool-climate, and a little unexpected, Tallinn is a destination you’ll be talking about long after the last sip.

What to drink: Põhjala Öö Imperial Baltic Porter or Forest Banger IPA

A Toast to the World

International Beer Day isn’t just about trying a new pour—it’s about connecting with cultures, landscapes, and people who share a deep love for what beer represents: community, craftsmanship, and a bit of celebration. Whether you’re booking your next trip to a legendary beer city or just sipping thoughtfully from your local craft taproom, take a moment to toast the world—one brew at a time.