Turkish beer brands are more complicated than a simple list of “local” and “foreign” beers. Turkish producers own some brands, Turkish factories brew some international labels under licence, and local groups import and distribute others. Meanwhile, the craft-beer scene operates on a much smaller and more selective distribution model.
This guide separates those categories so you can see who makes each beer, which companies brew in Turkey, which groups import specific brands, what style and strength each beer has, and how easy it is to find. It is a reference guide rather than a personal drinking diary. For local beer culture, food pairings and my own first-hand observations from Seferihisar, see my separate Beer in Turkey guide.
Last checked: October 2026. Beer portfolios, alcohol percentages and package formats can change. Where the producer publishes a current fact, I prioritize that. Where exact bottle/can size or ABV is only visible in current retail and bar listings, I label it as market-observed rather than an official producer specification.
Turkish Beer Brands at a Glance
| Group | What it does in Turkey | Examples | Distribution picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anadolu Efes | Large Turkish brewer with domestic breweries plus a broad Türkiye portfolio of local and international brands | Efes Pilsen, Efes Malt, Bomonti Filtresiz, Belfast, Bremen; plus Stella Artois, Bud, Miller, Corona, Leffe, Duvel and others in its Türkiye portfolio | Wide national distribution |
| Türk Tuborg | Brews Tuborg, Carlsberg, Frederik, Troy and 1664 Blanc products at its İzmir factory; also imports selected international brands | Tuborg Gold, Carlsberg, Frederik; Guinness, Desperados, Weihenstephan, Kilkenny, Sol, Grimbergen | Produced products are sold across Türkiye through its own sales organization and dealers; exact outlet range varies |
| Independent craft | Small-batch or specialist breweries with narrower distribution | Gara Guzu, 3 Kafadar, Torch Brewery | More selective; specialist bars, taprooms and better-stocked retailers are more important |
How I Classified the Beers in This Guide
The distinction matters because “sold in Turkey” does not automatically mean “made in Turkey.” I use four labels:
- Produced in Turkey: the producer explicitly says it brews the beer at a Turkish facility.
- Türkiye portfolio: the company lists the brand in its Turkish portfolio, but the public source does not establish brewing location product by product.
- Imported: the Turkish company explicitly identifies the beer as an import.
- Craft / selective distribution: independent or small-batch production with availability that depends much more on the outlet than macro beer does.
Therefore, I do not call every Bud, Corona, Carlsberg or Guinness sold here a “Turkish beer.” A better question is whether a Turkish brewery makes it, a Turkish company only carries it in its portfolio, or a distributor imports it.
Anadolu Efes Beer Brands in Turkey
Anadolu Efes is one of Turkey’s dominant beer groups. Its 2025 Integrated Annual Report says the company operates three breweries in Türkiye with 7.1 million hectolitres of annual beer production capacity, together with two malt facilities and one hops-processing plant. The same report groups its current Türkiye beer portfolio into premium, mainstream and economy segments.
Current Anadolu Efes Türkiye Portfolio
| Segment | Brands listed by Anadolu Efes for Türkiye in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Premium | Stella Artois, Bud, Miller, Corona, Amsterdam Navigator, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Erdinger, Duvel, Efes Glutensiz, Efes Haus |
| Mainstream | Belfast, Bomonti Filtresiz, Beck’s, Jupiler, Efes Pilsen, Efes Malt, Efes Pilsen Green, Efes Xtra |
| Economy | Bremen, Bremen Yüksek Alkollü, Marmara 34 |
However, Anadolu Efes’s public 2025 report is a portfolio list, and that creates an important limitation. The report does not state, line by line, whether a Turkish brewery makes every premium international label, a local partner produces it under licence, or the group imports it. I therefore avoid assigning a production origin unless I can verify it separately.
Efes Pilsen
Efes Pilsen is the best-known core brand in the group. Anadolu Efes history records show that Efes Pilsen production began in 1969 at the group’s first breweries in İstanbul and İzmir. Current 2026 market listings show the standard beer at about 5% ABV, with 50 cl cans and bottles widely present; 30 cl and 33 cl formats also appear in current price lists. Style-wise, it sits in the classic pale pilsner/lager space: light grain and malt, moderate bitterness and a clean, familiar lager finish.
Efes Malt
Efes Malt is the malt-forward mainstream alternative. Current venue and market listings consistently show 5% ABV. The most common format is 50 cl, although current wholesale lists also show smaller one-way bottle formats. Compared with standard Efes Pilsen, drinkers generally perceive the profile as rounder and more malt-led.
Efes Pilsen Green
Efes Pilsen Green remains in the 2025 official portfolio. Current 2026 retail data shows 50 cl bottles at approximately 5% ABV. In practice, it serves as an easier-drinking variation within the Efes family rather than a separate craft style.
Efes Xtra and Xtra Shot
Efes Xtra is the stronger member of the current Efes range and appears in the 2025 official portfolio. Current market references commonly show the regular Xtra in a 50 cl can at around 7.5% ABV. Meanwhile, 2026 retail listings still show Xtra Shot in a 23.7 cl can at around 9% ABV, although the 2025 corporate portfolio table does not name Xtra Shot separately. That difference is a useful reminder that corporate portfolio summaries and what remains on retail shelves are not always identical.
Community beer reviews of Efes Xtra often describe a noticeably sweeter, maltier and more alcohol-forward profile than normal pilsner. That is subjective feedback rather than a technical specification, but it is consistent with what you would expect from a stronger pale lager.
Bomonti Filtresiz
Bomonti Filtresiz is one of Anadolu Efes’s current mainstream brands and one of the more distinctive macro beers sold in Turkey. Current menus and retail listings commonly show 50 cl bottles at about 4.8% ABV. As the name says, the beer skips filtration; compared with a standard filtered pale lager, it typically feels softer, cloudier and more yeast/malt expressive.
Belfast
Belfast is also in the 2025 mainstream portfolio. Current 2026 retail listings show 50 cl cans and bottles at about 5% ABV. It competes in the easy-drinking mainstream segment rather than in the specialist craft category.
Bremen and Bremen Yüksek Alkollü
Anadolu Efes lists Bremen in its economy segment together with Bremen Yüksek Alkollü. Current 2026 wholesale and retail lists show both mainly in 50 cl formats. Secondary market references commonly place standard Bremen around 4.5% ABV. However, I could not verify a current official producer ABV for the high-alcohol version, so check the current can for the exact figure.
Efes Glutensiz and Efes Haus
Efes Glutensiz and Efes Haus sit in the official 2025 premium portfolio. Current venue data lists Efes Glutensiz around 4% ABV, usually in 50 cl format. Efes Haus is more style-driven: current retail listings include beers such as NEIPA, Rye IPA and Weizenbock in 33 cl bottles or cans. Because Haus releases can rotate, the label is more reliable than an old web list for exact current ABV.
International Brands in the Anadolu Efes Türkiye Portfolio
Anadolu Efes lists Stella Artois, Bud, Miller, Corona, Amsterdam Navigator, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Erdinger and Duvel in its 2025 Türkiye premium portfolio, while it places Beck’s in mainstream. Therefore, we can say that these brands belong to the group’s Turkish commercial portfolio. The list does not, by itself, prove that a Turkish brewery makes every one of them. For a reference guide, keeping that distinction visible is more accurate than treating all portfolio brands as domestic production.
Türk Tuborg: Beers Produced in İzmir
By contrast, Türk Tuborg provides a much clearer current split between the beers it produces at its İzmir factory and the brands it imports. Its current official portfolio places the following beer families under İzmir production.
| Family | Current products explicitly listed as produced at Türk Tuborg’s İzmir factory |
|---|---|
| Tuborg | Gold, Ice, Smooth, Filtresiz, Special, Shot Special |
| Carlsberg | Carlsberg, Carlsberg Elephant, Carlsberg Luna |
| Frederik | India Pale Ale, Märzen Lager, Brown Ale, Wheat IPA, Yakima IPA, Local, NEIPA, Tropic IPA |
| Other | Troy, 1664 Blanc |
In addition, Türk Tuborg’s 2024 report says its central sales organization and dealer network sell the company’s produced beers throughout Türkiye. That means these are not region-only beers in a formal sense, although individual shops and bars still choose which products to stock.
Tuborg Gold
Tuborg Gold is the standard flagship lager. Current 2026 market data consistently lists it around 5% ABV. 50 cl cans and bottles are the most common, while 33 cl formats also appear in current price lists. Expect a straightforward pale-lager profile: grainy malt, restrained hop bitterness and a crisp finish.
Tuborg Filtresiz
Türk Tuborg currently produces Tuborg Filtresiz in İzmir. Current bar and market listings show 50 cl bottles/cans at around 4.8–4.9% ABV. As a result of the unfiltered format, it generally offers a softer, fuller texture and more yeast/malt character than Tuborg Gold.
Tuborg Special and Shot Special
Tuborg Special is the stronger red-labelled lager. Current market sources commonly list the 50 cl can at approximately 7.5% ABV. Beer-community reviews tend to describe a sweeter grain/malt profile, more body than Tuborg Gold and alcohol becoming more obvious in the finish.
Shot Special is a compact high-alcohol format, and retailers most commonly show it in a 23.7 cl can. Secondary sources disagree on the exact current ABV, with older listings often showing 9% and some newer price pages showing 7.5%. Because of that conflict, I would check the current can rather than publish one number as permanent fact.
Tuborg Ice and Tuborg Smooth
Both are on Türk Tuborg’s current factory-produced list. Current retail and venue data confirms that 50 cl formats are common for Ice, while Smooth also appears in smaller formats at some venues. Public official corporate pages do not currently publish a complete ABV-and-package matrix for these products, so the current label remains the safest specification source.
Carlsberg Beers Produced by Türk Tuborg
Türk Tuborg currently states that its İzmir factory produces Carlsberg, Carlsberg Elephant and Carlsberg Luna. Therefore, this family gives us a useful example of why brand nationality and production location are not the same thing: Carlsberg is Danish in origin, but Türk Tuborg makes these listed versions locally for the Turkish market.
Current listings commonly show standard Carlsberg at 5% ABV in 50 cl cans/bottles, while some outlets also carry smaller sizes. Meanwhile, retailers commonly show Carlsberg Luna in 50 cl format around 5% ABV and describe it as a more aromatic, unfiltered-style option with fruity/floral impressions. Carlsberg Elephant is the stronger member of the range; however, I could not verify its current Turkish-market ABV from Türk Tuborg’s own public page, so I would use the package label for an exact figure.
Frederik: Türk Tuborg’s Premium Style Range
Frederik is where Türk Tuborg moves beyond standard lager into more style-specific beer. The current official factory list includes IPA, Märzen, Brown Ale, Wheat IPA, Yakima IPA, Local, NEIPA and Tropic IPA. For example, current retailers commonly sell the classic core Frederik beers in 35 cl bottles.
| Frederik beer | Style | Commonly observed ABV | Common format | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India Pale Ale | IPA | 5.2% | 35 cl bottle | Caramel-malt base, citrus and a more obvious hop bitterness |
| Märzen Lager | Märzen | 5.7% | 35 cl bottle | Toasty malt, caramel-like sweetness, amber/copper character |
| Brown Ale | Brown Ale | 5.8% | 35 cl bottle | Roasted malt, caramel and darker malt character |
| Wheat IPA | Wheat IPA | 5.4% | 35 cl bottle | Wheat softness with fruit/citrus and hop character |
| Yakima IPA | IPA | 6.5% | 35 cl bottle | Citrus, pine and tropical-fruit impressions; stronger but often described as less bitter than expected |
| Local | Session-style / lower-strength specialty | 3.5% in current venue listings | 35 cl bottle | Lighter-bodied specialist option |
| NEIPA / Tropic IPA | Modern IPA styles | Check current label | Varies | More fruit-forward, aromatic profiles; exact recipes can change |
Community feedback is useful here because Turkish beer enthusiasts discuss Frederik widely. One recurring contrast appears in those reviews: drinkers often describe Yakima IPA as fruitier and less bitter, while they describe the standard IPA as more caramel-led and hop-bitter. Märzen gets repeated comments about malt and caramel character. Wheat IPA is more divisive: some drinkers praise its soft, aromatic profile, while others find it less distinctive than imported wheat or Belgian-style beers. These are taste impressions, not objective quality scores.
1664 Blanc and Troy
Türk Tuborg’s current site also lists 1664 Blanc and Troy among the beers its İzmir factory produces. Current Turkish retail data commonly shows 1664 Blanc around 5% ABV in both 33 cl bottles and 50 cl cans. By comparison, current market listings place Troy in the value-oriented domestic segment. Because Türk Tuborg’s corporate page does not publish a full package-and-ABV matrix for Troy, check the current package for exact specifications.
Beer Brands Imported by Türk Tuborg
Türk Tuborg’s current official site explicitly separates the following beer brands into its imported portfolio:
| Imported brand | Style / products shown in Türkiye | Common current format or ABV seen in market |
|---|---|---|
| Guinness | Irish stout | 44 cl can, about 4.2% ABV in current venue menus |
| Desperados | Flavoured pale lager | 33 cl bottle, commonly around 5.9% ABV |
| Weihenstephan | Hefeweissbier; Vitus | 33 cl formats are common in Turkey; Vitus around 7.7% in current menus |
| Kilkenny | Irish ale | Format varies by outlet |
| Sol | Mexican lager | 33–35 cl bottle, around 4.5% ABV in market listings |
| Grimbergen | Blonde; Double Ambrée | 33 cl bottles; Double Ambrée commonly around 6.5% ABV |
This is the cleanest part of the market to classify because Türk Tuborg itself labels these brands as imported. Therefore, do not describe them as Turkish-produced beers simply because Türk Tuborg distributes them.
Seasonal and Recently Seen Türk Tuborg Products
Portfolios move. Türk Tuborg’s 2023–2024 reporting listed products such as Tuborg Amber, Summer Time, Wave, Winter and the economy brand Venüs. However, the current 2026 corporate page instead lists Gold, Ice, Smooth, Filtresiz, Special and Shot Special as the active Tuborg family. That is why I treat older limited editions as seasonal or recent-history products, not as permanently current beers.
Gara Guzu: Independent Craft Beer from Muğla
Gara Guzu is the strongest independent craft example with a detailed current official product page. The company describes itself as an independent family business based in Menteşe, Muğla. According to its own history, the business dates its establishment to 2011, completed a long licensing process and made its first commercial beers in 2014.
Its official production page publishes unusually useful technical details, including ABV, IBU, malts and hops. The lineup is much broader than a typical supermarket lager range.
| Gara Guzu beer | Style / character | ABV | Useful technical cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Ale | Amber ale | 4% | IBU 30; mixed European/American hops |
| Blonde Ale | Blonde ale | 5% | IBU 24; malt-forward golden ale |
| Summer IPA | Session/light IPA | 4.5% | IBU 36; Citra/Centennial-led citrus profile |
| Mayhoş | Saison / lightly sour | 5.5% | Acidulated malt and saison-like tartness |
| Red Ale | Red ale | 7% | Stronger red-malt profile |
| Weiss Beer | Wheat beer | 4.7% | IBU 18; wheat-malt softness |
| Gara | Porter | 6.4% | IBU 35; roasted barley and dark malts |
| Sarı Memed’in IPA’sı | IPA | 6% | IBU 60; Citra, Mosaic and Magnum |
| Meşeli | Strong dark specialty | 9% | Complex dark-malt bill |
| Karlı Kayın Ormanı | Winter/strong ale character | 6.4% | IBU 40; Chinook and Columbus |
| Ters Köşe | Hop-forward pale specialty | 5% | IBU 35; Vic Secret and Galaxy among hops |
| IPA 4C | IPA | 6% | IBU 60; Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade |
| Uçurtma Pils | Pils / collaboration beer | 4.7% | Collaboration with Keller & Holz Brewery |
| Tango NEPA | New England-style pale ale | 4.7% | Fruit-forward modern ale direction |
| Kuzey Işıkları | Northern IPA | 5.5% | Modern IPA profile |
Current specialist-bar menus commonly show Gara Guzu bottles around 33 cl, but the official brewery page does not publish a universal package-size matrix, so I would not assume every release uses the same format.
Is Gara Guzu Only Sold Around Muğla?
No. Its production base is in Muğla, but current İstanbul menus list beers such as Summer IPA, Blonde Ale, Mayhoş, Red Ale and 4C IPA. That proves the brand travels beyond its home region. However, its availability is still selective rather than universal. You are far more likely to find Gara Guzu at specialist beer bars, craft-focused pubs and better-stocked retailers than at every neighbourhood shop in Turkey.
3 Kafadar: Istanbul Microbrewery
3 Kafadar is an independent microbrewery in İstanbul. Public beer-community data identifies it as an İstanbul producer founded in the second half of the 2010s, while brewery-focused sources describe the move into an İkitelli production facility by 2019. Its current range changes more frequently than the macro breweries, so I treat community databases and specialist menus as secondary evidence rather than permanent official specifications.
| 3 Kafadar example | Style | ABV from current/recent specialist sources | Typical format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic IPA | American IPA | 6% | 33 cl |
| Gece | Irish stout | 5% | 33 cl |
| Okto | Helles/lager | 4.7% | 33 cl |
| Stardust NEIPA | Hazy IPA | 5% | Varies |
| Büyük Beyaz | Wheat beer | About 5–5.5% in specialist menus | 33 cl |
Community ratings are generally strongest for the brewery’s hop-forward and stout styles, but this is a niche audience. Therefore, do not treat those ratings as evidence of national-market popularity. As a result, you will mainly find 3 Kafadar in İstanbul craft bars, taprooms and selected specialist retailers, with occasional presence elsewhere.
Torch Brewery: Rotating Craft Beer in Istanbul and Izmir
Torch Brewery describes itself as a Turkish craft producer working from historic brewery facilities in İstanbul and İzmir. Its stated model is small-batch production with roughly 30 different styles per year. That makes it fundamentally different from Efes or Tuborg: the lineup is intentionally rotating, so a static “complete product list” becomes outdated quickly.
For Torch, the most useful advice is to treat taproom and venue menus as the live source of truth. You will most often find its beers around the brewery’s own hospitality network and specialist craft-beer venues rather than ordinary national retail.
Other Turkish Craft Names You May Encounter
Turkey’s craft scene is wider than the three breweries above, but the data quality is less consistent. Specialist beer venues and community reports also mention producers or labels such as Knidos, SomX, Taps, À Santé, Kubau and BrewArt. Because several of these operate with rotating taps, contract-brewing arrangements or limited local distribution, I would verify the brewery and beer directly before treating an old menu as current.
Are There Region-Specific Efes or Tuborg Beers?
I found no current official evidence that Anadolu Efes or Türk Tuborg restricts a permanent beer to one Turkish region. Türk Tuborg explicitly says its sales organization and dealers sell the beers it produces across Türkiye. In practice, however, availability can still feel regional because tourism demand, distributor choices, venue contracts and craft-beer culture differ sharply between cities.
On the other hand, seasonal or limited beers are a different matter. Türk Tuborg has recently used seasonal names such as Summer Time, Wave and Winter; Anadolu Efes has also launched short-lived or limited variants in previous years. Do not confuse a seasonal release with a geographically exclusive beer.
How Widely Can You Find Craft Beer in Turkey?
The distribution gap between macro and craft beer is one of the most important practical differences in Turkey. Efes and Tuborg-group products are easy to encounter nationally. Craft beer is not.
- Gara Guzu: you can clearly find it beyond Muğla, including İstanbul, although outlet selection still varies.
- 3 Kafadar: İstanbul specialist venues and selected retailers provide its strongest visibility.
- Torch: İstanbul/İzmir hospitality and craft-beer locations provide the clearest access; rotating production makes exact availability dynamic.
- Smaller craft labels: many rely on city-specific taprooms or a handful of specialist retailers.
Beer-community discussions from İstanbul repeatedly point visitors toward specialist venues such as brewery taprooms and craft-focused bars, and toward higher-end supermarket formats rather than ordinary convenience shops. That is a useful practical signal: if you want Turkish craft beer, search by venue, not only by brand.
What Beer-Community Reviews Are Actually Useful?
Forum comments can add flavour to a guide, but they should never replace producer specifications. I use them only to identify recurring sensory impressions:
- Tuborg Special: reviewers often describe it as sweeter, fuller and more alcohol-forward than Gold; some say the alcohol becomes more obvious late in the sip.
- Efes Xtra: community reviews frequently mention sweet malt, grain and noticeable alcohol, with only modest bitterness.
- Frederik Yakima IPA: reviewers repeatedly mention citrus/tropical fruit and lower perceived bitterness than some drinkers expect from an IPA.
- Frederik IPA: comparative enthusiast reviews describe it as more caramel-led and bitter than Yakima.
- Frederik Märzen: reviewers repeatedly mention malt and light caramel.
- Frederik Wheat IPA: opinions are split; some enthusiasts like its wheat softness and aromatics, while others find it less compelling than imported wheat or Belgian-style alternatives.
Those comments are subjective and often come from older reviews. The recipe, packaging or drinker’s expectations may have changed. I therefore treat them as community tasting impressions, not permanent factual claims.
Which Turkish Beer Brand Is the Most Widely Available?
For ordinary national availability, Anadolu Efes and Türk Tuborg dominate. Their mainstream families are the easiest to find in supermarkets, alcohol retailers, restaurants and bars. The exact winner depends on the outlet because commercial supply relationships can make one venue heavily Efes-oriented and another heavily Tuborg-oriented.
Frequently Asked Questions About Turkish Beer Brands
What are the main Turkish beer brands?
Anadolu Efes and Türk Tuborg portfolios lead the mainstream market. Major domestically associated names include Efes Pilsen, Efes Malt, Bomonti Filtresiz, Belfast, Bremen, Tuborg Gold, Tuborg Filtresiz and the locally produced Frederik range. Meanwhile, the craft market includes Gara Guzu, 3 Kafadar and Torch among other smaller producers.
Is Carlsberg made in Turkey?
Yes, Türk Tuborg’s current official site explicitly lists Carlsberg, Carlsberg Elephant and Carlsberg Luna among the brands produced at its İzmir factory.
Is 1664 Blanc made in Turkey?
Türk Tuborg currently lists 1664 Blanc among the brands produced at its İzmir factory.
Is Guinness made in Turkey?
No. Türk Tuborg currently lists Guinness in its imported portfolio.
Is Corona made in Turkey?
Corona appears in Anadolu Efes’s 2025 Türkiye premium portfolio, but the corporate source I used does not establish brewing origin product by product. I would check the specific bottle label rather than assume local production.
Which Turkish craft beer is easiest to find?
Gara Guzu appears to have one of the broader craft footprints: the brewery makes its beer in Muğla, while current İstanbul venue menus also carry it and the company exports internationally. Even so, ordinary outlets do not stock it as universally as Efes or Tuborg. Specialist bars and retailers remain the best places to look.
Why are some ABV or package-size cells missing?
Because accuracy matters more than filling every cell. If the producer does not publish a current specification and current secondary sources conflict, I prefer “check current label” over inventing precision.
Methodology and Sources
I built this guide around a clear source hierarchy. First, I use producer sources: Anadolu Efes’s 2025 Integrated Annual Report and Turkish operations pages, Türk Tuborg’s current corporate portfolio and annual reports, and Gara Guzu and Torch Brewery’s own sites. Next, I use current Turkish retail and bar menus to confirm package sizes and market presence when corporate sites do not publish a complete specification table. Finally, I use BeerAdvocate, Untappd, Ekşi Sözlük, specialist beer blogs and Reddit only for community impressions and availability signals, never as substitutes for official producer facts.
Specifically, I use Anadolu Efes 2025 Integrated Annual Report, Türk Tuborg’s current portfolio, Gara Guzu’s official production page and Torch Brewery’s official site as the main official references.
The goal of this source hierarchy is simple: separate verified production facts from market observations and subjective tasting impressions. If a specification changes, the current producer page or package label should take priority over an older menu, forum post or review.