Pravda brewery was founded in Lviv in 2014 by Yuriy Zastavny. Since then, it has become a benchmark of the Ukrainian beer scene, with internationally awarded labels and a clear political stance, visible both in the beer names and the labels that travel the world. After arriving in Lisbon in 2024 – first in Marvila, then Arroios – the brand decided to expand to the Cascais coastline, opening a new bar in Parede in September. The person in charge is Dmytro Kostiuchenko, who found the perfect spot in this neighbourhood to carry the concept forward.
“When the big war began, my family spent six months outside Ukraine, in Lisbon, because I have a friend living here. I started coming, visiting, and I liked the place, the atmosphere. I saw some similarities in the culture, the history, the attitude, and also the relaxed way of life. So I thought: why not try to sell our beer here?” Yuriy Zastavny, co-founder of Pravda, explains to Time Out Cascais during a visit to the space that, even before having a proper bar, was already serving customers. “We had all these barrels here,” says Dmytro enthusiastically. “It didn’t make sense not to serve people.”
The move to Parede happened almost by chance. “Maybe ten years ago, I dreamed of opening my own beer bar. After meeting Yuri, I started talking, and my first idea was to open in Cascais, where I live. But it was complicated. When I discovered this place, I fell in love with Parede. I realised it’s the perfect neighbourhood, the perfect spot to introduce our beers, bring a taste of Ukraine, and share quality beer with this community,” recalls Dmytro, smiling when asked if he’s already visited the seafood spot Eduardo das Conquilhas. “It’s really good,” he admits.
Pravda’s concept is built around the idea of neighbourhood. “The small bars we opened in Ukraine are all about the local community. Most of our customers live within 500 metres. We call it the ‘third place’: you have work, you have home, and then you have this space, where you don’t have to wash the dishes,” he sums up.
In Parede, just as in Lisbon, all the beer served is produced entirely in Ukraine. “Everything is made there and imported to Portugal,” explains the co-founder. The Lviv brewery continues to focus on local ingredients, such as plums, pears, and elderflowers, which are combined with international styles. One of these seasonal recipes was even in the glass during our interview: a Berliner Weisse brewed with hand-picked elderflowers. “We make it at the end of May or beginning of June, when the flowers are at their peak. If it hasn’t rained before we pick them, the aroma is excellent. This year was good,” says Zastavny.
The brand’s political stance is another defining feature. In 2017, Pravda launched a series of beers with labels depicting figures such as Merkel, Obama, Trump, and Putin. “Sometimes people say you don’t need politics for marketing. But we don’t use politics for marketing. We represent Ukraine through our product. Some represent Ukraine through art, others through politics. We make beer. And we believe we can explain why we think Angela Merkel should be dressed in a fascist uniform, as Frau Ribbentrop, or why we created the Putin label in 2015. It’s a continuation of what we believe. It makes our lives very easy: we don’t need to hire marketing to tell us what to do,” says Zastavny.
One of the most famous labels is Putin Huilo, an 8% ABV Golden Ale with 27 IBUs, whose name in Portuguese roughly translates as “Go f*** yourself, Putin.” Released after the annexation of Crimea, it became a beer-lover’s anthem of resistance. In 2018, it won the bronze medal at the World Beer Idol in the Czech Republic. “The labels on our bottles carry messages about us to every corner of the world,” Pravda’s introduction notes. But there are plenty more flavours to discover: the brewery has over 25 different beers, some of them quite unusual – one we tried, the Tomato Gose, was reminiscent of a gazpacho.
Pravda’s strategy for the Portuguese market focuses on creating a network of small shops with a format that’s unusual here: beer to take away in one-litre plastic bottles. “It’s beer for the beach, for a barbecue, for a fun moment. In Ukraine, at least half of our beer is sold this way. Here we need to explain it, because it’s not common,” he says. To make it work, they installed a CO₂-injection filling system in Parede, similar to industrial setups, which ensures the beer stays fresh even days after bottling.
Expansion is on the horizon, though cautiously. Coimbra, Porto, and other Lisbon neighbourhoods are on the map. For now, the priority is to consolidate the Parede location and familiarise Portuguese customers with a different concept. As Kostiuchenko sums it up: “Parede is the right place to start. The perfect neighbourhood to enjoy quality Ukrainian beer.”
R. Miguel Bombarda 344 (Parede). Mon-Sun (14.00-00.00)