[6] The brewery was founded in 2011 by four Estonian beer enthusiasts, who were soon joined by head brewer Chris Pilkington.

[2] The first Põhjala beer, Öö Imperial Baltic Porter, was contract-brewed before the company's original brewery opened in Tallinn's Nõmme district in April 2014.

[14] In April 2024 Põhjala's former head brewer Chris Pilkington and his wife Kristina opened Tuletorn Brewing, a brewpub in Tallinn's Kopli district.

[15] Põhjala's best-selling beer is Virmalised, an India pale ale which accounts for over a quarter of total production.

[16] In addition to a core range of beers, the brewery produces numerous specials and has collaborated with craft brewers such as To Øl, Lervig, De Struise, Jester King and Jing-A Brewing Co.[6] The Cellar Series is a range of dark, barrel-aged beers while the Forest Series uses rare botanicals and forest ingredients.