I recently returned from a four day visit to Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. I was there as one of the keynote speakers at a conference on “The Transformative Economy: Digital Technology, Spatial Disparities and Quality of Life”, The conference was one of a number of events celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Yerevan State University.

For those of you unfamiliar with Armenia, it is a landlocked country, which shares borders with Georgia to the north, Türkiye to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. While it considers itself to be part of Europe, from a geographic perspective an argument can be made that it is part of Western Asia. While Armenia has a long and interesting geopolitical history, most recently it was part of the USSR, from which it gained independence in 1991. It is a relatively small country, with a population of ~3 million, a third of which live in Yerevan.

Armenian beer traces its roots at least as far back as the 4th century BC. It was then that it is mentioned in the travel diary of the ancient Greek mercenary, Xenophon. Traveling through eastern Anatolia, Xenephon makes mention of Armenians enjoying a tasty, but potent, drink he called “barley wine”. As was fairly common during this period, beer was served in a large bowl and consumed communally using straws.

In the late 19th century, when Armenia was part of the Russian Empire, beer was brewed in both Alexandrapol and Yerevan. The former was later renamed Gyumri and today is Armenia’s second largest city. In 1926, by which time, Armenia was part of the USSR, the last Armenian brewery was closed.

Beer production would not return to Armenia until the 1950s. As alcoholism was a significant problem in the USSR, the Russians prohibited the import of foreign beer, most of which was of higher quality than that brewed locally. As a result, according to Karine Vann, writing in The Smithsonian, “a network of subversive beer drinkers emerged, gathering in Soviet Armenia’s watering holes. The good stuff [such as imported Czech Lager] was possible to find – for the right price – if you had the right acquaintances.”

Today, Armenia, like many other countries in the region, has a small, but dynamic craft brewing industry. During my recent visit, I had the opportunity to visit two of the country’s craft breweries.

On a sunny Monday afternoon, I walked the twenty minutes from my hotel, to 379 Torch and Brew Restaurant which is owned and operated by 379 Brewing Company. Opened in 2021, the restaurant is located in the heart of Yerevan. The restaurant has a delightful courtyard where I spent a wonderful couple of hours enjoying some of 379’s beers.

As is common in many European craft breweries 379 had a relatively small number of beers available – an American Wheat Ale, a Weizen, a Pilsner, a Dunkel, and a Barley Wine. I tried three of the five beers on offer – American Wheat Ale, Weizen, and Pilsner. I thoroughly enjoyed them all. If you are ever in Yerevan, 379 Torch and Brew is a delightful place to kick back and relax for a couple of hours

The second craft brewery I had the opportunity to visit while in Yerevan was Dargett Brewery. My visit to Dargett was somewhat more formal than it had been to 379 Torch and Brew. As part of the evening events associated with the conference, I had agreed to make a short presentation on the globalization and fragmentation trends that had been sweeping through and changing the face of the global brewing industry since the mid-1980s. So, I spoke about the consolidation that had been taking place among the global behemoths such as AB InBev and SAB Miller at the same time as the craft beer segment was gaining an increasing share of the beer market in a growing number of countries. After my brief presentation, Inna Khostikyan, Executive Director of Dargett Brewery spoke about Dargett and its emergence as a major player in the Armenian craft beer market.

Established in 2016, Dargett is the first modern-day Armenian craft brewery. Its mission is simple – “to bring unfiltered and unpasteurized beer to the consumer and keep it fresh.” Founded by two brothers, Aren and Hovhannes Durgarian, Dargett is both an innovator and a leader. For example, it was the first Armenian brewery to produce an IPA, the first to make cider (using Armenian apples), and the first to produce a fruit beer.

The fruit beer was an Apricot Ale, made with local apricots. Archaeological evidence suggests that apricots have been grown in Armenia for at least six thousand years. Today, Armenia is one of world’s leading apricot producers, and the fruit is popular among locals and tourists alike. For many, the apricot is a symbol of Armenia. As I was chatting with Inna Khostikyan after my presentation, she asked me if I would like a glass of the brewery’s Apricot Ale. I said yes of course, and have to say it was outstanding.

This was my first visit to Armenia. It was a short, but highly enjoyable, one. Since my first overseas trip (to Malta) when I was sixteen years old, I have always enjoyed international travel. Seeing new places and learning about different cultures have always fascinated me. In recent years, my travel has become, I believe, more enjoyable because of my interest in craft beer. Visiting craft breweries in countries such as Armenia, Italy, Slovakia, and Japan has expanded my appreciation of the industry. I look forward to more international travel in 2025 and the opportunity to visit more breweries.