The Estonian wooden beer tankard and the brew inside it
The õllekapp, a wooden beer tankard, is a classic example of Estonian rustic craftsmanship. Estonia also ranks sixth in the world for per-capita beer consumption, and its craft beer scene is growing.
With wood and brewing grain both plentiful in Estonia, the country developed a distinctive drinking vessel known as the õllekapp. It is built from smoothly polished wooden staves joined into a cylinder and secured with wooden hoops.
The tankard is attractive and pleasant to hold when filled with fresh beer and a thick head of foam. It also has less practical sides. It is usually made of juniper, birch or aspen, and the wood can add its own aroma and change the flavour of the beer. Its porous surface may harbour bacteria if it is not cleaned properly. According to legend, the tankard must always be kept full, or it will dry out and crack.
Beyond mass-produced lager
Most of Estonia's mass-produced beers are conventional European lagers, which makes them hard to tell apart. A growing craft beer scene is bringing more variety and flavour. Local breweries are reviving old brewing traditions and using local ingredients.
According to Kirin Holdings' latest Global Beer Consumption Report, Estonia ranked sixth in the world in 2024 for beer consumption per capita, at 93.2 litres per person.
A tradition of about 3,000 years
A. Le Coq's account of the history of beer says archaeological finds show barley cultivation began in what is now Estonia around 1000 BCE. The brewer presents this as evidence of a local brewing tradition reaching back almost 3,000 years.
Beer starts with wort, the sweet liquid produced by steeping malted grain in hot water. It is boiled, usually with hops, although other botanicals were historically used for bitterness. Yeast then completes the process, turning the sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
From wooden tankard to modern tap room
Estonia has many small breweries that offer an alternative to mass-produced beer. Põhjala, for example, specialises in craft beer. Its Tap Room in Tallinn, which pairs the beer with Texas barbecue, joined the main selection of the Michelin Guide Estonia in 2026.
