Top 10 Breweries in Iceland
Iceland is a country of extreme conditions, and they have shaped its brewing scene. The island's volcanic geology provides very soft, naturally filtered groundwater that brewers love to talk about. Its drinking laws were stranger still: Iceland went dry in 1915, brought back wine in the 1920s and spirits in 1935, but kept strong beer banned until 1 March 1989, now celebrated as Beer Day. The craft scene that followed took off in the late 2000s, helped along by the tourism boom, and now produces some of the most interesting beer in the Nordic region.
1. Einstök Brewery, Akureyri
Einstök (Icelandic for "unique") is Iceland's most internationally successful craft beer brand, launched around 2010-11 in Akureyri, the "capital of the north" on the Eyjafjörður fjord. Einstök White Ale (a witbier with orange peel and coriander), Toasted Porter, and Arctic Pale Ale are sold in more than 20 countries, with the United States its biggest export market. The beer is brewed in partnership with the large Akureyri brewery that also makes Viking, using water that runs off Hlíðarfjall mountain through ancient lava fields. Einstök's Arctic branding and that water story have made it effective in international premium markets.
2. Borg Brugghús, Reykjavík
Borg was founded in 2010 as the craft arm of Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson, one of Iceland's two big brewers, so it is not independent, but it quickly established itself as Reykjavík's most ambitious craft producer. Its beers are numbered and given names, and the Garún imperial stout (11.5%) is the most acclaimed. The range is wide, from accessible lagers to high-gravity barrel-aged ales, with consistent technical quality across the spectrum, and Borg has become one of the best-known Icelandic beer names abroad.
3. Malbygg, Reykjavík
Malbygg opened in Reykjavík in 2017-18 and quickly became the local reference for hop-forward beer. Its focus is hoppy beer, backed up by kettle sours, stouts and wild ales, all in distinctive, quirky cans. The taproom pours its own beer alongside well-chosen imports, and its IPAs are among the best you will find in Iceland.
4. Gæðingur Brewing, Skagafjörður
Gæðingur (Icelandic for a fine horse) was founded in 2011 at Útvík in Skagafjörður, a region of northern Iceland known for horse breeding, and was only the fourth microbrewery in the country. It brews in a former cattle barn, and its rural northern character sets it apart from the Reykjavík-centric mainstream of Icelandic craft. The remote location and genuine terroir approach make Gæðingur a destination for dedicated beer travelers visiting the north.
5. Ölvisholt Brugghús, South Iceland
Ölvisholt was founded in 2007 by two neighbouring farmers on a former dairy farm just outside Selfoss in South Iceland. The Skjálfti ("Earthquake") lager and Lava, a smoked imperial stout, are the flagships; both reference Iceland's volcanic geology in name and, in Lava's case, in the smoky, dark roast character that evokes the island's landscape. Ölvisholt is the brewery most self-consciously engaged with the Icelandic environment as a source of both ingredients and inspiration.
6. Reykjavík Brewing Company, Reykjavík
Founded in 2017 by a former New York finance worker, RVK Brewing Co. started in a 40-hectolitre brewery in 2018, opened a 300-hectolitre brewery in 2022, and in 2024 moved its taproom into a former cinema (later a bingo hall) on Skipholt with 22 taps. The range runs from approachable core beers to more adventurous small batches, and the central location makes it an easy stop for visitors.
7. Lady Brewery, Reykjavík
Lady Brewery grew out of a home-brewing project and launched in late 2017 as a female-run "gypsy" brewery, co-founded by Ragnheiður Axel and designer Þórey Björk Halldórsdóttir. Its signature beer is First Lady, an American-style IPA with citrus and floral notes, and it often collaborates with Reykjavík restaurants, wine bars and design festivals. The small-batch, design-led approach contrasts with the more commercial Einstök and Borg. (For more on the women reshaping the industry, see our piece on women and the craft beer movement.)
8. Steðji Brewery, Borgarnes
Steðji, a farm brewery in the Borgarfjörður region north of Reykjavík, drew international attention for its Hvalur beers, made with fin whale products for the Þorri midwinter festival (one version used smoked whale testicles), which provoked plenty of criticism abroad. Beyond the controversy, Steðji produces a range of more conventional craft beers and has built a regional audience in western Iceland.
9. Smiðjan Brugghús, Vík
Smiðjan (The Smithy) is not in Reykjavík at all but in Vík í Mýrdal, the south-coast village that nearly every Ring Road traveller passes through. A group of family and friends opened it in an old warehouse in 2017-18 as a brewpub serving its own beer with burgers and ribs (some cooked in its milk stout), and it runs short brewery tours that must be booked ahead. It is the obvious beer stop on the drive to the glaciers.
10. Segull 67, Siglufjörður
Segull 67 opened in 2015 in Siglufjörður, a remote fjord town in the north that was once Iceland's herring capital and is now a small but growing tourism destination. The family-run brewery occupies a former fish-freezing plant that closed in 1984, and brews a range of ales and seasonal beers. At around 66°N, just short of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the most northerly craft breweries in Europe.
Explore on the map
Iceland's breweries span the island from Reykjavík to Akureyri and beyond. The concentration in the capital contrasts with isolated outposts like Segull 67 in the far north and Smiðjan on the south coast, so a Ring Road trip can take in most of this list. Iceland is not yet plotted on our map; in the meantime, our guides to Norway and Finland cover the rest of the Nordic scene.