December 21, 1990 – this is the date when the first official entry was made in the logbook about brewing farmhouse beer. The final result was 500 liters of beer, with an original gravity of 14° Plato. The same logbook reveals an interesting detail – the price at which the first batch was sold to the local villagers. The selling price of the first brew was 1.50 rubles per liter. This was the moment when the official journey of Saaremaa craft beer began.

Since then, Pihtla Õlleköök has grown, evolved, and adapted over time, but its roots have remained the same – true craftsmanship, authentic Saaremaa farmhouse ale, and a determination that keeps traditions alive.

The historical document in the picture explains why we celebrate our anniversary on December 22. The certificate bears the seal of the Agro-Industrial Bank of the USSR, Kuressaare branch, along with our first official bank account number.

The year is 1990. Times are uncertain, store shelves are empty, and life in Estonia is caught in a whirlwind of change. Yet, there are those who see opportunity in uncertainty. One of them is Arvet Väli, the founder of Pihtla Õlleköök – a man with a diploma in mechanical engineering from Tallinn Polytechnic Institute, prior experience at Varma Brewery, and a deep passion for brewing. But where to start? How to find the necessary equipment?

The first steps toward establishing the brewery were filled with ingenuity and perseverance. Brewing equipment couldn’t simply be bought from a store – it had to be built from scratch. Used tanks and kettles were acquired through acquaintances, many of them needing extensive modifications. Fermentation vessels, mash tuns, boiling kettles, and lagering tanks were all handcrafted, repurposed from old industrial equipment and dairy coolers. But that didn’t stop the brewing from beginning.

Between 1990 and 1996, we brewed traditional Saaremaa farmhouse beer in a rented space belonging to Pihtla Kolkhoz, a building that once housed a canning, juice, and sausage production facility. The brewing process relied on steam from the kolkhoz’s seemingly endless reserves—a sign of the times when every resource had to be found locally.

But nothing lasts forever. When Pihtla’s agricultural sector collapsed and fuel became harder to obtain, the brewery faced serious challenges. A new solution had to be found. The answer came through Vendo Lõuk, who was the brewmaster at the time. Thus, we moved brewing operations to Vendo’s home – the sauna. For a couple more years, Pihtla Õlu was brewed in 400-liter wooden vats, handcrafted in true farmhouse fashion.

These same wooden vats are still preserved today and can be seen in our summer taproom, Mekituba – a living piece of Pihtla’s brewing history.

Do you remember the days when the village notice board displayed the milk truck’s arrival time, and everyone would bring their own container to fetch fresh milk? It was straight from the producer – fresh and authentic. But could anything be even fresher? Turns out, it could!

In the summer of 1992, Pihtla Õlleköök took a bold step – if milk trucks were making their rounds through villages, why not try the same with a beer truck? And so, a beer tanker began roaming across Saaremaa, giving locals the opportunity to buy fresh farmhouse ale directly from the producer.

The tanker had a capacity of 900 liters, and fitting it into a transport vehicle was no easy task. After much effort – and some serious muscle – we managed to squeeze it into the back of a bright red Ford Transit, down to the very last millimeter. Each morning, we pumped beer directly from the lagering tanks into the truck and set off on a pre-planned route.

The stops were carefully chosen in advance, and posters in local shops announced the beer truck’s arrival days and times. When the truck rolled in, the men were ready – each with their own container. Some brought three-liter glass jars, others had two-liter beer pitchers, meant for immediate enjoyment. More serious beer lovers came prepared with 50-liter kegs, stocking up for the long haul. There were no limits on the type of container – it all depended on imagination and need.

Unfortunately, this experiment lasted only one summer. It turned out that transporting beer this way wasn’t profitable, as many locals already had their own homemade brews fermenting in barrels at home.

But if anyone still remembers buying beer from the truck or knows someone who did, we’d love to hear the stories!

Life moved forward, and in 1999, Pihtla Õlleköök took its next big step. The early years had been full of constant adaptation, ingenuity, and improvisation dictated by circumstances. But now, the opportunity arose to build something more permanent and professional.

In the early spring of 1999, we acquired an old kolkhoz warehouse—a space that provided significantly better conditions for brewing and expanding production. While Pihtla Õlu had previously been brewed in rather modest settings, it was now time to do things properly.

The premises underwent a complete renovation. The walls were tiled in a modern pink finish, drainage channels were installed to improve hygiene and efficiency, and a brand-new grain mill was acquired from the Pärnu Brewery storage yard. This was a major advancement, allowing for higher-quality and more consistent raw material processing.

The brewing process became more modern, yet it never lost its traditional character. While the environment was upgraded, the spirit of brewing authentic Saaremaa farmhouse ale remained at the heart of it all.

On May 28, 1999, at 8:50 AM, Pihtla Õlleköök received a special visitor—Prime Minister Mart Laar. He toured the brewery and took the first bold sip of Pihtla Õlu, freshly brewed in our new, gleaming tanks. It was a moment of pride and honor! His visit affirmed that Pihtla Õlu was more than just a beer—it was a phenomenon, an integral part of Saaremaa’s identity and culture. It was proof that local craft beer had earned recognition and growing interest.

The old kolkhoz building, which became our home in 1999, remains dear to us to this day. Its legacy and significance are so important that we have even immortalized it on our beer crates.

This is more than just a building—it is the place where Saaremaa’s beer culture entered a new era. From 1999 onward, Pihtla Õlleköök became more than just a small brewery—it became a pioneer in Estonia’s craft beer scene, bringing the authentic taste and traditions of Saaremaa farmhouse ale into the spotlight.

Have you ever visited Õlletuba? It was the first place on Saaremaa where you could enjoy local craft beer in the kind of setting it truly belonged – casual, welcoming, and loved by beer enthusiasts.

In February 1997, we moved from our small beer kiosk to the newly opened Õlletuba, located right next to Saaremaa Kaubamaja. The venue was housed in a long outbuilding beside what is now Thule Koda, with one end reaching directly onto Uus Street. This was a huge step forward – no longer just a small sales point, but a local craft beer hub that brought together Saaremaa locals and visitors from afar.

Õlletuba even opened slightly before the legendary Kapteni Kõrts, which later became one of the island’s most famous entertainment spots. Although pubs and bars were rapidly emerging across Estonia in the 90s, Õlletuba stood apart – it wasn’t just another drinking spot; it was Pihtla Õlleköök’s first dedicated bar, where visitors could taste our authentic Saaremaa farmhouse ale straight from the source.

And who sat at our bar? You wouldn’t believe it! A mix of well-known figures – influential locals, Tallinn’s socialites, cultural icons, and even politicians who had heard that this was the place to taste real Saaremaa farmhouse ale.

For many, Õlletuba became like a club, a place to return to again and again, where the beer was always fresh and the conversations flowed as freely as the ale from the taps. It was a symbol of its time – when craft beer culture in Estonia was still in its infancy, but Saaremaa already knew what true, flavorful, and distinctive brewing was all about.

Though Õlletuba no longer exists in its original form, its legacy lives on in our brewery and Mekituba today. Those who visited Õlletuba in the 90s still remember it as an essential chapter in Saaremaa’s history – a place where a new era of local craft beer appreciation truly began.

Õllesummer was once Estonia’s largest and most anticipated beer festival, bringing together domestic and international breweries and tens of thousands of visitors. Pihtla Õlleköök was a proud participant at this legendary event for 19 consecutive years, offering our traditional Saaremaa farmhouse beer and standing side by side with major industrial breweries in their red and blue tents.

At times, the queue in front of our tent stretched over ten meters, as curious festival-goers and farmhouse ale enthusiasts from all over Estonia lined up for a taste. Pihtla Õlu wasn’t just another festival beer—it was an experience, bringing together longtime fans and first-time tasters alike.

One of the most memorable moments came in July 2001, when our tent was visited by two of Õllesummer’s iconic figures – SummerMan and the Beer King. Their presence perfectly captured the spirit of the festival – freedom, fun, and great beer.

Participating in these festivals provided us with valuable experience and countless new connections. Many of the people we met at Õllesummer have remained loyal customers of Pihtla Brewery to this day. Some still fondly recall their first sip of Pihtla Õlu, discovering the unique taste of true farmhouse beer for the very first time.

Through Õllesummer, our brand recognition grew, and so did Estonia’s craft beer community. The festival wasn’t just about selling beer—it was also about sharing stories: how farmhouse ale has been brewed on Saaremaa for centuries, and how a small craft brewery could offer something truly unique and different from the standardized flavors of mass-produced beers.

Although the era of Õllesummer has ended, the memories live on—not only for us but also for the thousands of people who enjoyed our brews there. Even today, visitors to our brewery share stories of their first encounter with Pihtla Õlu at the festival—proof that those moments left a lasting impression.

In 2016, we took a step forward by opening Mekituba, the official taproom of Pihtla Brewery—a place where guests can enjoy Pihtla Õlu right where it’s brewed.

Mekituba was born out of a desire to offer beer lovers an authentic and immersive experience—the chance to see how the craft beers of Estonia’s oldest small brewery are made and taste them fresh on-site. Located in a former cheese factory, our taproom serves not only the traditional Saaremaa farmhouse beer, but also a selection of new craft brews.

Here, visitors can listen to stories about the history of Pihtla Brewery, learn about the heritage of farmhouse brewing, and relax in the most authentic beer spot on Saaremaa.

The opening of Mekituba was a milestone that brought Pihtla Brewery even closer to those who appreciate genuine flavors and historical brewing traditions. To this day, it remains a place where people come to taste freshly brewed beer, soak in the summer atmosphere of Saaremaa, and explore the heart of Estonia’s farmhouse ale culture.