Top Budapest craft brewers Horizont expand horizons to gain global acclaim

Long at the forefront of Budapest’s craft-beer revolution, Horizont have just become the first Hungarian artisanal brewers to gain awards at the prestigious annual Asia Beer Challenge 2021. Hazy Queen picked up two golds in the New England IPA category, while Gentle Bastard grabbed a gold medal in the American IPA category.

Meanwhile, back in Budapest, Horizont produce around 30 new beers a year, including batches with a higher alcohol content and complex taste, aged in spirit barrels, and limited series with real fruit and adventurous recipe experimentation.

The result is a sophisticated tasting experience that you might not have had with beer before. Morning Joe’s breakfast stout (!), is a creamy, coffee-chocolate flavoured, bitter black beer with a little malt tartness.


The grapefruity-bitter taste of Double Gentle Bastard is helped along by the 8% of alcohol it contains, as this is a fairly normal ratio for a double IPA.

Every month, a team of 15 now creates 40,000 litres unfiltered beers without artificial additives, ready to be sampled in the taproom. There you can also learn about the history of Horizont and their groundbreaking brewing philosophy. You can follow the processes through water purification to brewing and bottling. 

If you fancy leaving the car at home when you visit, take the tram 28 or 37 to Kocka utca from Blaha Lujza tér/Népszínház utca – the brewery is two minutes away.