Writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré
Finally a beer and whisky fair at sea! The first one for me too during a cruise between Stockholm and Helsinki. This during the Tallink Silja Line theme cruise Draft & Craft Cruise.
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On board the Silja Symphony
There are several fairs in Stockholm focusing on craft beer and whisky but all are for landlubbers. The feeling of being able to sit on the upper deck and watch the sunset over the Baltic Sea is amazing.
It feels like you are really on holiday and there are no long lists of things to see or do. There are several restaurants with different themes, a large duty free, the sea and the beer and whisky festival. At least that's what I told myself, maybe as an excuse to focus on the festival.
Of course, there are clothes shops, saunas, baths and entertainment, so you can easily organise a perfect weekend. Start with a buffet breakfast and a bit of shopping, then a hot tub, sauna and rest. A light lunch with a few snails or perhaps a seafood platter to enjoy with Italian wine before taking in all the tastings.
Some tips for Helsinki on a cold day
As I left Stockholm on Thursday, I had half a day in Helsinki but as I was going to a beer tasting earlier, I only had a few hours ashore. In addition, I had misjudged the season and been a little too optimistic so my summer jacket did not succeed in a chilly April with a few plus degrees.
So it was a culinary walk in the Stockmann department store where there is an incredible amount of food to buy over the counter and much more to look at. If you are better equipped, there is of course a lot of things to do in Helsinki.
Draft & Craft cruise 2025
The fair is organised regularly by Tallink Silja Line and this year it was between 11-12 April. On Friday, the boat left Helsinki and the Craft & Cruise fair started. What I was looking forward to was that so much beer from Estonia was on site. There were also several masterclasses, individual tastings with representatives from the beer and whisky industry.
Scotch whisky and lots of Estonian craft beer
There were about 30 breweries represented and 45 whisky distilleries, some breweries had their own table and among them it was mainly Põhjala, Pühaste and Öllenaut from Estonia that stood out with a really good selection of beers and with many different styles on site.
Masterclasses with Pöhjala and Rügen Island Brewery
Estonian brewery Pöhjala is known all over Europe for its well-made and daring beers with a constant focus on finding new combinations and flavours. Their brewery is located in Tallinn and is well worth a visit.
At their masterclass, you got a real surprise with a bunch of cask-aged beers - all over 10 % and really rich. You know those pitch black beers with flavours of chocolate, crackers, toffee, coffee and smokiness but in a very pleasant way. These are the beers that make you want to sit and look out over the sea when the sun is going down.
But also German Rügen Island Brewery brought beers that surprised, their quadriga of 10.5 % with champagne yeast was really good, a beer that is otherwise very difficult to get hold of. There were surprises at all the masterclasses and it is really worthwhile to be able to get stories and the opportunity to ask questions directly to the brewery staff.
Masterclass with Highland Park
It was very educational to be at both the masterclass with both beer and whisky, the tastings are completely different and the focus is much more on geography and details of whisky. It felt a bit cosy and like you suddenly imagined yourself in the Orkney Islands, walking across a moor where the only thing you see is a warm cottage where whisky is drunk in front of the fire.
Special dinner with beer and food combination
The Pöhjala and Puhaste breweries, in collaboration with the kitchen of the Bon Vivant restaurant, had planned a really nice dinner with different beers to accompany balanced dishes with exciting flavours.
Cevice with coriander and lime, beetroot carpaccio, chocolate braised ox cheek and toffee cream with butterscotch were a pure delight to savour. Between each course, the head chef came out and a brewer presented the food.
The dates for next year's Draft & Craft Cruise are not set yet but will probably be around April 2026. What I liked most was the great atmosphere with all the brewers on site and the personal feeling you got throughout the boat trip.
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Jonathan Gharbi De Maré
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