The reason why I started this blog is a very simple one. I really like craft beer. I do not consume alcohol very often, but on those occasions that I do, I am opting for craft beer. I love tasting new creations, learning about new breweries and discovering favorite beers. I do enjoy drinking beers on my own (I do not mind that at all), but in the end craft beering is the ultimate social event to me. It is simply amazing to go to a pub with a friend or a group of friends, select from the menu that is hanging on the wall behind the bar and share the brews with each other. And then, at some point you come across a pint, which makes your eyes open up wide and your mind is blown away by this completely outstanding taste you just experienced. There are many beers out there that I have tried and that I really love, some that I like and some that I do not particularly need (I guess that is for everyone to find out you prefer, what your taste is and to develop it further….e.g. sour ales and gose beers are not really my thing, while I am crazy about stouts, (NE)IPAs and certain experimental pale ales). However, then there are beers that are simply so amazing that I will always remember them….and – returning to the to the social event – it is even better when you share these beers with people you love. When you see a friend having that exact eyes light up and wow! moment that I described before, you know you have seen something precious. “Whatever you do in this life, it’s not legendary unless your friends are there to see it.” – Barney Stinson perfectly describes this social craft beerience to me. So far, there have only been a handful of beers that have been this completely unique to me. These are the Torro Blanco Blond Stout by Black Lab in Barcelona (tasted in their own brew pub), the Original Ice Cream Pale Ale by the Swedish wizards of Omnipollo (tasted at BierCab in Barcelona), the 2 in 1 Coffeewit by zip’s brewhouse (tasted at Craftmühle in Vienna), the Mango Bay Milkshake Pale Ale by the Hungarian brothers of Mad Scientist (tasted at Jonas Craft Beer House in Budapest), the Chicago Smoke by Revolution Brewery (tasted at their own pub in Chicago), the Beery McBeerface Pale Ale by Beaver Brewing Co (tasted on their premises in the 9th district of Vienna), the 99 Hop Cones NEIPA collab by the Austrian Next Level Brewery and Reketye from Hungary (tasted canned on the streets of Vienna), the Eternal City Asian Ginger Wit by 1516 Brewing Co (tasted on their premises in Vienna), the Walnut Maple Stout by Berliner Bierfabrik (tasted at Hopfenreich in Berlin) and the Romani Garage Pilsner, a rosemary infused pilsner by Garage Beer Co (tasted at their brew pub in Barcelona). Man, there is a lot of Barcelona on this list, but this does not come from nowhere. This city is a craft beer heaven, but more about this later. I cannot wait to prolong this list and I will keep you updated. Whenever I travel to another city or to another country, I inform myself about craft beer places and bars to check out upfront. I know it is always hard to find good bars and, yes, craft beer is booming, but the majority of people are not yet into it, so it can be hard to find local bars by just asking random people on the street. Thus, it is useful to find some kind of guide written by locals for both locals and visitors. One of the best blogs I have read was the one I relied on in Barcelona by Ben Holbrook. Thanks so much, dude, you were the inspiration for writing my own guide and you certainly contributed to make my Barcelona trip even more epic than it already was.
As you may have guessed, I am from Vienna and I have lived here most of my life, so the main focus will of this blog will be on Austria’s capital. However, I also wanted to include bars that I have visited somewhere else – both abroad and in different Austrian cities. This will not be a craft beer tasting guide – I am not a beer critic. I will write about bars, pubs and other places where you can get craft beer. I will of course mention the beers and write a few lines about them that I have tasted at these places, the focus will be on the location itself though. Furthermore, I will only write about personal experiences and about bars that I have actually been to, so this guide is nothing but complete. I will add pubs, that I have not been to up till now, once I have actually paid them a visit (so, please give me tips and share your knowledge in the comment section – I am always glad to receive feedback). I will write about new bars that do not even exist yet and I will write about places in cities I have not traveled to, yet. So, the idea is that this guide will be constantly growing and it will hopefully help you find your way through the beautiful city of Vienna – should you live here or be from somewhere else. I can guarantee that only personal experience can be found on here. I will never write about a place I only heard of.
In this sense, thanks a lot to all my craft beer buddies, thanks so much for so many great moments and many more to come. HAPPY NEW BEER!
PS. It took me a lot of research, talking to people and plenty of beers to collect all material for this page. I hope I got all the information right. In case something is not correct on here, please let me know and I will adjust the changes accordingly.
Grizzly Michou
Vienna, November 2017
As you may have guessed, I am from Vienna and I have lived here most of my life, so the main focus will of this blog will be on Austria’s capital. However, I also wanted to include bars that I have visited somewhere else – both abroad and in different Austrian cities. This will not be a craft beer tasting guide – I am not a beer critic. I will write about bars, pubs and other places where you can get craft beer. I will of course mention the beers and write a few lines about them that I have tasted at these places, the focus will be on the location itself though. Furthermore, I will only write about personal experiences and about bars that I have actually been to, so this guide is nothing but complete. I will add pubs, that I have not been to up till now, once I have actually paid them a visit (so, please give me tips and share your knowledge in the comment section – I am always glad to receive feedback). I will write about new bars that do not even exist yet and I will write about places in cities I have not traveled to, yet. So, the idea is that this guide will be constantly growing and it will hopefully help you find your way through the beautiful city of Vienna – should you live here or be from somewhere else. I can guarantee that only personal experience can be found on here. I will never write about a place I only heard of.
In this sense, thanks a lot to all my craft beer buddies, thanks so much for so many great moments and many more to come. HAPPY NEW BEER!
PS. It took me a lot of research, talking to people and plenty of beers to collect all material for this page. I hope I got all the information right. In case something is not correct on here, please let me know and I will adjust the changes accordingly.
Grizzly Michou
Vienna, November 2017