Hophead Brewing
Hophead Brewing is a microbrewery from the Cluj-Napoca area in Romania, set up by Dana and Darko. They started with a 50-liter Braumeister and now brew batches of 1,000 liters. You know them from Opium, a West Coast IPA, and from the summer Brize range.
- LocationCluj-Napoca, Județul Cluj
- Founded2013
- TypeMicrobrewery
- Untappd 3.75 · 12k ratings
- At Hoptimaal0 in stock · 2 in total
In stock now 0
Right now we have nothing from Hophead Brewing in stock. Below you can see what we had before; new beers from Hophead Brewing show up here automatically.
Previously at Hoptimaal 2
Sold out. If a new batch is coming, you can ask for a heads-up on the product page.
Sold out
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Dana and Darko start with 50 liters
Dana and Darko met in the United States. They came across craft beer through a friend, and the bartender at a bar they wanted to try let them taste the good stuff. Darko then became interested in how beer is made. His first beer was Dark'Oh, which by their own account they still brew with the same recipe as ten years ago, when he was still making it on the stove.
In 2013 they opened the SRL, and in 2015 they sold their first batch of 50 liters. They call the permits for a microbrewery a mission impossible, because Romania has no legislation that makes things easier for small brewers. They left investors and banks out of it: the savings from their jobs in the US went into the brewery, mostly into the first year's rent. They started with a 50-liter Braumeister in a space of 100 m², and after about a year bought a 200-liter Braumeister with five 300-liter fermenters.
In 2017 they rented extra space, good for 160 m². In four years they grew from 500 to 3,000 liters per month in the same space. When a family came along, they wanted a bigger place and a good friend invested in the company. After a year and a half of renovating and applying for permits, they now have a brewery where they brew batches of 1,000 liters, with room for 20,000 liters per month.
Opium, Immigrant and the summer Brize
They describe their mission matter-of-factly: to make a good beer for themselves and their friends, for people who can't choose, for connoisseurs looking for something new and for loyal drinkers who want nothing else. On their site, Opium, a West Coast American IPA, and Immigrant, an American Pale Ale, are among the brewer's recommendations.
BeerAdvocate also lists hazy IPAs such as Little D and Event Horizon, a dry hopped Bohemian pilsner (Wannabe) and a barrel aged imperial stout, Analog Reserve. In the summer they put the Brize in the spotlight.
Hophead Brewing at Hoptimaal
We previously stocked two Brize beers from Hophead: Hophead Brize Banana & Berries and Hophead Brize Tropical. They are sour beers in 44 cl with an alcohol percentage of around 3%, and they are rated highly on Untappd. What we currently have from Hophead is at the top of this page.
Drink them cool and fresh, so the fruitiness comes through well. With a 3% beer you can happily pour a second glass.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Hophead Brewing come from?
Hophead Brewing comes from Romania, from the Cluj-Napoca area. The brewery belongs to Dana and Darko, who opened their SRL in 2013 and sold their first batch in 2015.
What kind of beer does Hophead Brewing make?
Hophead makes Opium (West Coast American IPA), Immigrant (American Pale Ale) and hazy IPAs, among others. With us you'll find the sour Brize beers.
What's the best way to drink Hophead's Brize?
Drink them cool and fresh. They are sour beers of around 3% in 44 cl, so they're easy to manage if you take your time with them.
