Nova Runda Craft Brewery in Zagreb, Croatia

We’re going to let you in on a not-so-little secret: We like beer. And, we love craft beer. And for a long time now, Nova Runda craft brew from Zagreb, Croatia has ranked pretty high on our list.

Here is another widely known fact (because we make no attempt to hide it): We love Croatia! Since our first trip to the country in 2011, we have swooned over the shoreline, chattered endlessly about the cuisine and, recently, raved about the craft beer scene!

Discovering Nova Runda Craft Beer

As we travel the globe, we have sought out and sampled a hefty number of craft brews. We’ve been fortunate to stumble onto a couple of cities where the craft beer revolution is in full swing, like in Bariloche (Argentina), Wellington (New Zealand) and Sydney (Australia). In Vietnam, it’s hard to pass up 25 cent “fresh beer” made daily, but craft brewers started making beer in Ho Chi Minh City…and it’s delicious.

It was during our initial Around the World Trip in 2014 (the one that inspired us to become full time travelers) that we visited the city of Zagreb for the first time – and that’s when we got our very first taste of beer from Nova Runda Craft Brewery.

At the time, I had been lugging around a craving for a burger for about month and were ecstatic when we found an American-style diner. I was drooling as I ordered a bacon burger – and I about fell off my stool when I saw they had a local craft beer by Nova Runda.

I would have likely ordered any craft beer at the time, but I was impressed to see that the beer on tap was an American Pale Ale. With a hoppy aroma and smooth finish, my taste buds were re-awakened.

Nova Runda: Our Favorite Craft Beer in Croatia

With a little digging around on the internet, I was brought up to speed on the budding Nova Runda Craft Brewery. Six years in the making, their passion for better beer is evident, as is their intent to start a true craft brew revolution in Croatia.

As I read their story of pursuing their dreams, I couldn’t help but relate. I was intrigued enough to ask for a meet-up with one of the founders, Miro…over a pint of their brew, of course.

The Nova Runda Craft Brew Story

The two friends, Miro and Marko, got into the brewing scene in 2009 after a trip to the Czech Republic where they tried more flavorful and complex beers than typical Croatian brews. When they got back to Croatia, they started home brewing and created tasty beers – including a Peanut Butter Porter that won silver at the International Croatian Home Brewing Competition. Miro explained the intense process of how he extracted oil from peanuts for flavor. No joke, this guy is serious about his beer.

After a long process full of red tape and paperwork, the two started production under Nova Runda Craft Brewery (which translates to Another/New Round) in 2013. They successfully ran a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money and rented space from another brewer. Since then, they started brewing in their own space and now have the capacity to expand, and that they have done!

Marko works as the Brew Master and Miro left his full-time corporate job to run everything else – from accounting to marketing to even delivering the barrels to the pubs. In addition, he makes great effort to educate people about craft brew and even started a weekly Twitter Chat on the subject. His passion and energy were so genuine we could feel it.

They are intent on producing authentic craft beer with quality ingredients and are inspired by American brewers like Sierra Nevada and Stone Brewing. Their curiosity and creativity far surpass conventional Croatian brewing methods and they are keen on bringing new beers to the market. 

As we ordered ‘another round’ we took a look at the other patrons at Legend Rider’s Caffe – one of the several pubs in Zagreb serving Marko & Miro’s APA. We noticed that anyone who wasn’t drinking coffee was drinking Nova Runda and we think it is pretty clear that these guys are on the cusp of something big.

Nova Runda Brewery Update

They were on to something big indeed! The craft beer revolution is in full force in Croatia, with Nova Runda still leading the way.

With an ever expanding line-up of craft beer, including several small-batch offerings and the incredible C4 IPA, Marko and Miro have also enlisted additional staff to keep up with demand. In 2019, they moved into their new brewery in Zabok, just outside Zagreb. Another enhancement brought online in 2019 was canning and labeling machines, improving distribution.

In the wake of Nova Runda, other craft brewers have opened in Croatia. Craft Beer Festivals are now common throughout the country; from Osijek to Dubrovnik.

The best places to find Croatian craft beer are the two biggest cities – Zagreb and Split. That said, almost every town – from Sibenik to Zadar to Hvar – now have bars serving local craft beer on tap and in bottles. Come on and feel the hops, Croatian style. Zivjeli (Cheers)!

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