OnTap Magazine

46 | Autumn 2025 | ontapmag.co.za T he Republic of Moldova is a tiny country wedged between two much bigger neighbours, Romania and Ukraine, it was part of the USSR until its dissolution in 1991, and since then has had a troubled journey to independence. A large fragment of the country is not under Moldovan control, instead a Russophilic separatist government oversees the Transnistria region, which is supported by Moscow but is also home to most of the Moldovan manufacturing and energy production. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the country has been the subject of intense scrutiny and sparring, as pro-western president Maia Sandu seeks closer relations with the EU and NATO, whilst Russia is reluctant to give up influence in the region. This turbulence perhaps explains why the country is the least visited in Europe, with only 43,000 tourists making the trip in 2023, those who do come are richly rewarded with fascinating culture, beautiful landscapes, and spectacular food and drink. Moldova typically sees 240 days of sunshine each year, and you can tell by looking around the green market in the capital city, Chișinău. Stalls are filled with produce ranging from grapes and cherries to aubergines and peppers, as well as the local specialty of whole pickled watermelons. It is grapes, however, that are ubiquitous in Moldova, with bunches cascading down from vines growing in every available space, ready to make homemade wine. In this land of wine, you might expect beer to take a back seat, but in Moldova the relatively new craft beer industry is flourishing, with plenty of breweries and bars to visit. The craft beer industry there is only about 11 years old, with the Litra Brewing Company opening the first microbrewery in 2013, but many more have followed. Until craft arrived the market was completely dominated by the Asahi owned Chișinău Blonda brand, a clean and well-made macro lager, which still accounts for about 70% of beer sold in Moldova today. Brewers in Moldova face many challenges, including the importation of malt and hops, an unreliable power supply, and exasperating bureaucratic red-tape, a vestigial relic from the Soviet system of governance. Malt used to come from Ukraine and Russia, but since the invasion the supply has halted, so brewers must now buy from more expensive western maltsters. Considering that Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, and the average beer sells for about $2 a pint, this is a considerable additional expense. Moldova is also almost entirely reliant on imported electricity, mostly from Transnistria, and if Russia decides to reduce the supply of gas to the breakaway region, it is Moldova that goes dark. These issues seem to pale in comparison to the headaches that the Moldovan alcohol regulations seem to induce in brewers. I visited LaBREWtory Brewing Company, a small craft brewery established in 2018 by Bill Mahaffey, a Colorado native, who brought American style brewing to Moldova. Bill was quick to tell me about the issues he has faced, from corrupt police expecting bribes (which he has never paid) to laws governing the size that a brewery must be at least 200m 2 , so at LaBREWtory there is a vast taproom taking up the rest of the unit. Other breweries get around this by operating out of restaurants, or having their production facilities on the outskirts of the city with small taprooms in the centre. The most incomprehensible law, however, is the shelf-life regulations. Canned beers can only have an 8 day best-before on them, and if you want to extend that it will cost roughly $4,000 and take 3 months whilst rigorous testing takes place. Brewers have never been a bunch to take things lying down though, and the Moldovan contingent are working hard to improve the situation. They have formed a business group that has received help from the EU and, with guidance from Romanian brewers, they have set about changing the law, one regulation at a Chișinău Blonda, made by Asahi in Moldova accounts for 70% of beer sales in the country The 20 taps of Moldovan craft beer and Cider at the Litra and Friends Taproom in Chișinău