Surinaamse Brouwerij: Home of Parbo
The Beekhuizen brewery that's been putting the iconic green bottle on Surinamese tables since 1955.
Why Go
There's no drink more tied to Surinamese identity than Parbo. Chilled to near-frozen in its short, stubby 'djogo' liter bottle, it's the thread that runs through every barbecue, beach day, and after-work terrace conversation. This is where all of it comes from — a working brewery on the Suriname River's edge that quietly commands roughly 80% of the national beer market.
The Experience
Surinaamse Brouwerij is first and foremost a production facility, not a tourist taproom — so a visit here is less about sipping flights of experimental IPAs and more about paying respects at a national institution. Founded in 1954 by two Zeeland-born Dumoleyn brothers who arrived post-war looking for a fresh start, it grew into the beating heart of Suriname's food-and-drink culture. The compound at Brouwerijweg 1 sits east of the historic center in Beekhuizen, a mix of industrial silos, delivery trucks stacked with crates, and the faint sweet-grain smell of mash on brewing days. Public access is limited and tours are not consistently offered to walk-ins, so most travelers experience the brewery indirectly — by drinking its beer in the exact city where it was made, ideally within hours of leaving the line.
What to Try
Parbo Bier is the flagship — a 5% pale lager brewed with pale malt cut with locally grown rice, giving it that clean, crisp, distinctly tropical drinkability. Order the 'djogo' (the 1-liter bottle) if you're with friends; it's the local ritual and always cheaper per ml than singles. Also look for Parbo Power Stout, a darker, sweeter counterpoint that pairs beautifully with heavier Javanese-Surinamese dishes like pom or bakabana. If you spot Parbo Chiller or seasonal variants in supermarkets, grab them — export volumes are tiny.
Insider Tip
Don't go to the brewery expecting a visitor center. Instead, treat Parbo as a scavenger hunt across the city: a djogo at a warung in Blauwgrond, a cold longneck at a rooftop bar on the Waterkant at sunset, and a can from a corner winkel on the way to the beach. The beer tastes noticeably fresher in Paramaribo than the export version you might find abroad — that's your souvenir. If you're set on seeing the plant, contact the brewery directly in advance through parbobier.com; group and industry visits are occasionally arranged.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Brouwerijweg 1, Beekhuizen, Paramaribo — about a 10-minute drive northeast of the city center, easily reached by taxi. The site is a working industrial brewery, not a restaurant or bar, so there's no on-site tasting room for casual visitors and no posted opening hours for the public. Cargo trucks come and go all day; don't wander unannounced. For an actual drink, head back into central Paramaribo where Parbo is served on virtually every terrace, warung, and hotel bar, usually for a few SRD per glass.
Pair It With
- Waterkant terraces — The riverfront strip in central Paramaribo is where locals actually drink Parbo — order a djogo at sunset over the Suriname River for the full experience.
- A warung in Blauwgrond — Pair a cold Parbo with Javanese-Surinamese classics like saoto soup or bami — the pale lager cuts through the spice perfectly.
- Fort Zeelandia — Just a short drive from the brewery, this 17th-century Dutch fort gives you the colonial-era counterpoint to Parbo's post-war immigrant founding story.
- Central Market (Centrale Markt) — After learning about the brewery's rice-adjunct recipe, wander the market to see the same local ingredients — rice, cassava, tropical produce — that shape Surinamese flavor.
