Riga is the only city in Latvia with a clear and active bar scene. You'll probably only be going to Riga. If you aren't, this is a problem.

Riga's bar culture itself is atomised and segregated along ethnic, class and age divides. You could speculate this is as a consequence of a national people trying to carve out a fully expressed nationality after centuries of oppression. But it's also habits and rituals. You're unlikely to be sharing space with different generations, as such, what bars there are tend to be designed and pitched for somewhere within the 18-40 age category.

In certain cities with a higher population of Russians you may find the pub scene markedly different to those with a huge native population of Latvians, not only in terms of the culture but the prices and the general attitude to life.

Latvia have resurrected their brewing with a focus on national expression, many beers featuring plants, herbs and spices found native in Latvia. The craft beer scene seems intent on upholding selective elements of a folk tradition and in doing so differentiate themselves.

The quality is generally ok, though some of the fruity, stranger additions will have your mouth doing cartwheels trying to work out what's going on. Their standard fare is robust malty Dortmunder style lager which at middling quality doesn't entirely stand up to session drinking. In general, though, the beer is on the up and up.

Further complicating matters in the 2000s was Riga's position as stag-party central, leading to an economic basket-case situation in the city centre. The worst excesses have passed though and the pace of change in modern times is more gradual. There are some decent bars in the old town that remain worth a visit. The best bet is to visit the various alternative bars and venues in the Centrs district which is where the locals hang out, as most of these places seemed to get the balance right. In particular, look for courtyards in ex-industrial areas with complexes of bars which are atmospheric on summer evenings. There are 3-4 dotted around the city.

Latvia's provincial towns and cities are almost pub free zones, the likes of Jelgava, Ventspils and Sigulda strangely absent of any sort of social pub culture. Even in larger places like Daugavpils and Liepaja, offerings are thin - for anything at all.

Outside of the cities the whole notion of a pub seems to dissolve, much like the notion of a post office in villages in the UK, you get multipurpose venues trying to make money doing whatever they can. If they aren't open then you may find yourself in desperation visiting hotel bars until Latvia expands economically.

Have fun out there, but if anyone offers you some fermented cabbage juice as a tonic, in the words of Bernard Manning, chuck it back in their face and tell them to fuck off.