Catalonian Craft Beerience
The Catalan capital is a craft beer El Dorado. The amount and variety of brew places is simply astonishing. Within an area of one block, there are literally (and by literally I mean literally) five different craft beer places – 3 of them I visited (I unfortunately didn’t make it to the Brewdog and the Napar Bar which would’ve been the other remaining places), but more to those later. I was blown away that even an ordinary 24/7 minimarket would sell some bottled domestic and international craft beer. When I saw this for the first time, I think my mouth dropped and I went “Awwww”. The craft beer revolution has really taken off in this city. Cervesas Artesanas, how they are called in Catalonian can be found at almost every corner and it seems like this city is somewhat of a European pioneer in this scene. During my (first) visit to Barcelona, I was overwhelmed the vast multiplicity of bars that seem to keep opening up and I did not miss out on the chance to taste myself through a couple of bars and brewskis. As always, this is by far not a complete list and I am only writing about the places that I actually visited. As already mentioned in the introduction this guide here helped me find my way through Barcelona and it is covering a lot more bars and pubs than I am going to write about below. Read it, learn it and drink after it should you ever plan to visit BCN; it was my bible (http://www.driftwoodjournals.com/10-best-craft-beer-bars-in-barcelona-an-inside-guide/). Before coming to my selection of bars, I would like to dedicate this articel, to my good friends Dimitry, John, Julien, Lauris and Stasys. The Barcelona trip was epic, thanks to you guys and the idea for writing this guide was born on exactly this vacation. Anyways, here is my list.
BLACKLAB BREWHOUSE & KITCHEN
This place is located in Barceloneta, fairly close to the yacht harbor and the beach promenade. I have read about this place before and it was on the top of my Barcelona bucket list, but I actually had not looked up the location and until my friends and I randomly ended up walking by it after a day at the beach. Of course we had to pop in, or rather sit down at one of the many outside tables that are arranged on some kind of big wooden stage. At BlackLab they brew and serve one of the best beers that I have ever tried. It is the Torro Blanco that I wrote about in my introduction already. It is a white stout and absolutely marvelous. This baby completey confuses your taste buds, since by its color it looks like a cloudy IPA or a wit ale. However, when you take the first sip, the taste of a creamy and smoky stout in your mouth completely surprises you. This beer was so outstandingly delicious that I came back the very next day when my friends had already made their way to the airport and had a couple more of it. I even bought a 1L growler to take home (they only charged 3 EUR extra for the growler – if I remember correctly, which is a much better deal than you would find anywhere in Austria). Another one of their brews that I really liked was their IPA creation, which is called Claudia, which is a bit lighter and goes down really well on a hot summer day. The interior of the bar is quite large although it was quite empty when I was there, given the fact that it was afternoon and a warm summer day in late May. However I am sure that on colder days or when the garden has closed up, it will be packed inside. They have six regular beers on their tap menu and always a couple of seasonal brews and a few experimentals, which are called the X-series. BlackLab has also created some crazy beer cocktails (Brewmasters recipes) and beer long drinks (Beer With A Surprise), which I did not try, but they definitely sounded interesting. They even sell some merchandise articles such as T-shirts or glasses.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Torro Blanco White Stout, Claudia IPA, Punto de Rocío APA, 1480 American Amber Ale
FOOD. They serve food that can be expected at a typical brew pub, such as salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, wings or shared platters. The food that we tried was really good, but the beer was definitely better. BlackLab should be on the list of any Barcelona visitor.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Sun: 12pm – 1.30pm.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L4 Barceloneta
ADDRESS. Palau del Mar, Plaça Pau Vila, 1, 08039 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
GARAGE BEER CO.
This bar is craft beer rock n roll. It is probably one of the coolest pubs that I have been to and it was my favorite bar in Barcelona. Garage Beer is simple and Garage Beer is REAL. The draught menu is written with chalk on a black board that is hanging behind the bar above ten different taps, the walls are decorated with some cool pieces of art - especially a painted poster of Mick Jagger starring at me and a graffiti sprayed Bill Murray who pointed his finger at me caught my immediate attention. The bar itself is narrow, but long and its dimmed lights make you believe you are actually in a garage. I also love that they display a table that is informing the customers about the last subway runs of the night. There are small tables with bar stools lined up on the sides and in the back, where it gets more spacious you can sit on comfortable leather couches and put your beer glass onto low tables in front of you that are decorated with shopping cart reels. At the very end of the pub, behind a glass wall is the heart of Garage, the brewery. You can have a glance at the tanks, barrels and hops-filled burlap bags that are stockpiled onto each other. They have put two rickety tables out on the street (they can be easily fixed with the old coaster trick), where you can enjoy the warm weather and Catalunyan evening sun as well. The owners pay their tribute to Steve Huxley, a man who left Liverpool in the 1970s and became somewhat of a beer pioneer in Catalunya in general and specifically in Barcelona and passed away in 2015. Beneath a wooden piece of art that shows the head of Steve Huxley thrice while he is holding a beer glass in one hand and the Garage logo between the fingers of the other, you can see another blackboard that reads in huge block letters “MR. STEVE HUXLEY, YOU’RE A FUCKING LEGEND!!!” His spirit is definitely within this beeradise. However, all these put aside, what makes the bar really amazing, is of course their beer. I have read reviews about Garage and what I heard was that they were to brew some of the best beers to be found in town. So, basically I came there with very high expectations (that was on the same day I was at BlackLab for the second time), and man, I should not be disappointed. Their beer is excellent. In the end, I spent two afternoons / evenings at this place and pretty much tasted myself through their hand pumped menu. I started with their Backup Dancer which is a really nice and smooth, golden Session IPA, with slight hints of tropical fruits and bitter citrus aroma. It is a rather light beer, which is perfect to drink in a warm summer afternoon. I also could not resist trying the Steve’s Bitter after I was taught about the story of Steve Huxley – which is a typical and very tasty British bitter. Two beers on their menu, however, were exceptionally outstanding; the Garage Brown Ale and the Romani Garage Pilsner. I think I must have had one of the last pints of the Brown Ale, because when I wanted to order another one, they were already out of it. The Romani pilsner really blew my mind. It is brewed with rosemary and that flavor really develops without dominating the beery pilsner taste, too much. It’s a really fantastic job that they do here. Every now and then, they also travel abroad and have their own tap takeovers in other bars, such as the Mikkeller Bar in Berlin, Germany. Garage Beer Co should be without any doubt on everyone’s Barcelona bucket list.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Romani Garage Pilsner, Garage Brown Ale, Backup Dancer Session IPA.
FOOD. I never ate there, so I cannot judge the quality of the food. Their tapas and nachos however, looked very tasty.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Thu: 5pm – midnight. Fri: 5pm – 2.30am. Sat: 12pm – 3am. Sun: 2pm - midnight
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat
ADDRESS. Carrer del Consell de Cent, 261, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
BIERCAB
When you leave Garage, take a few steps to the right, cross the street and you will approach BierCab. The huge front window of the bar and the big letters reading its name can already be spotted from the distance and you are basically dragged to the pub like a moth to a flame. When you enter, you have the immediate feeling that you have just stepped into a beer temple. 30 different draughts are displayed on a screen behind the bar, they have an endless variety of different kinds of beer glasses hanging atop the taps and the walls are full of shelves with bottles and growlers standing on them. Whenever they are tagged on social media, the posts are displayed live on the screen (I tested that when I had my so far No1 favorite beer ever there, but more about that in a bit J). The interior design is woody, very modern and it looks really cool. The ceiling is decorated with timber logs that are hanging from it. The bathroom area is separated by walls of nontransparent glass with more long wood billets on it and some hollow green light shining through it and the walls on the other side consist of simple brick. The kitchen is located in the very back of the bar with another big see-through window. I was at first overwhelmed by the beer choices I had, so I decided to go for half pints first to be able to work myself more through the menu and find what I really like. They have a big international selection and also quite a few local Catalunyan beers. What I found really interesting was that they seemed to have some kind of focus on Swedish beers, or at least they had quite a few from different breweries such as Omnipollo, O/O, Beerbibliotek or Brewski. This seemed particularly appealing to me since I lived in Sweden myself on the one hand and on the other one, it is extremely hard, if not almost impossible to find Swedish (micro) brews back home in Vienna. And there it was. A collaboration of Omnipollo and the British Buxton brewery called Orginal Ice Cream Pale Ale. This beer is probably the best one that I ever had. It was so damn good that it is hard to describe. It really tastes like liquid vanilla ice cream. I remember that bartender looking at me when I had the first sip at the bar. I think my face must literally have lightened up and I saw him smile at me. I returned and re-returned to BierCab to have more pints of this one. However, it was not only the Omnipollo that kept me there for quite some time. I don’t think I had a single beer there that I did not like. If you tell the staff what kind of beers you are into, they will recommend a great one. Guarenteed. BierCab also runs its own craft beer store which is located right next door, where you can purchase most of the beers they have on tap and many, many other brews as bottled versions for home. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring too many bottles on the plane, if I didn’t want to pay any fees for overweight luggage, but I definitely purchased some great stuff that I would not find at home. BierCab should be a must-visit when you are in Barcelona.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Omnipollo x Buxton – Original Ice Cream Pale Ale, Lervig x Evil Twin – Big Ass Money Stout, Magic Rock – Cannonball IPA, Naparbier – Mad Clown Extreme Pale Ale, Vento Forte - #28 Session IPA, Stigbergets – Amarillo APA, Brewski – Donkeyboy IIPA
FOOD. Fanatastic tapa selections such as salmon cubes, croquettes, wings on mashed potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc.
OPENING HOURS.
Bar. Mon – Thu: 12pm – midnight. Fri and Sat: 12pm – 2am. Sun: 5pm - midnight
Store. Mon – Sat: 3.30pm – 10pm
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat
ADDRESS. Carrer de Muntaner, 55, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
MIKKELLER BARCELONA
This was the second of my by now three Mikkeller bars that I have been to so far (after Copenhagen and just a few months before Berlin). As all Mikkeller bars, it might not be the cheapest place to drink at, but I believe that every single euro spent there totally pays off. Mikkeller brews absolutely amazing beers to begin with and freshly tapped they are even better and not comparable to the bottles, which by now are a stable variable in most craft beer bars around the world. Mikkeller is located in the same area of the Eixampel neighborhood, where you also find Garage and Biercab. The bar welcomes you with a little front yard under the roof with some sitting possibilities, which you pass through before actually entering the pub. Barcelona follows the same concept as the other Mikkellers that I have been, too. Light wooded tables, greenish-blueish floor, that comes out even better in the bright lights, their own cartoons on the walls and a somewhat sterile atmosphere, that is still very inviting and cosy. It is a sharp contrast to many other bars and underlines the exclusivity of the beer that they brew and provide. Mikkeller Barcelona has 24 beers on tap, with roughly half of them being their own creations and the other one is dedicated to their Friends (as their bar in Copenhagen is called), such as Warpigs, Mad or To Øl and of course to some Spanish locals such as Segarreta or Edge. What I really like is that they are selling 2 centiliter sizes which makes it perfect for tasting more samples – especially when bearing in mind that some of their stuff is really strong and goes up to double digit and even teen alcohol percentages. My favorite beers there were probably the Kaffestout, which was super rich in flavor and very smooth to drink because it was not too heavy, the Nelson IIPA and the mindblowing 13% Beer Geek Vanilla Maple Shake, that as the name implied was brewed with coffee, oatmeal, vanilla and maple syrup. You can’t have too many of this one though. I love Mikkeller’s beer geek series, but this was the first time I tried that specific one. From their friends’ brews, I very much enjoyed the Segarreta APA. It was a very pleasant coincidence that I was in town when the annual Primavera music festival took place, which led Mikkeller to host the Sound Connection event with great music and new, special beers.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Mikkeller: Kaffeestout, Nelson IIPA, Descendents-feel this coffee IPA (Mikkeller SD), Chipotle Porter, Beer Geek Vanilla Maple Shake. Friends. Edge – 6 Barrel New England Pale Ale, Warpigs – Thirstin’ More IPA, Segarreta – APA
FOOD. The kitchen doesn’t open till 5 or 6 pm, but the bartender can make you some very tasty snacks, such as chorizo with bread or some spreads.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Thu: 1pm – midnight. Friday: 1pm – 2am. Sat: 12pm – 2am. Sun: 2pm – midnight.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat; L5 Hospital Clinic.
ADDRESS. Carrer de València, 202, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
LA CERVESERA ARTESANA
This was the very first bar that I went to in Barcelona and I can already tell you that the impression that I got there tremendously contributed to may fantastic Bareclona exbeerience. The brew pub is located in a small side street off the Carrer de Còrsega, only about two minutes away from the popular Generator Hostel. La Cervesera Artesana was a great place to kick start the bachelor bash for one of my best friends (which was the reason why we travelled to BCN in the first place). Since we are all into craft beers, the best man picked that bar, so kudos for that one! They have a long list of self-brewed beers and even if some of the choices on the menu were already finished, we certainly did not get disappointed. Their Iberian Black IPA was exceptionally good and probably the beer I liked the most on their menu. They brew the beers directly on the premises, which makes them all taste extremely fresh. The other half of the tap list consists of imported (mostly Belgian) or other local craft beers and you can also choose from a decent variety of bottled beers. However, I certainly would recommend slurping on their brewskis, since you would not find them at many else places. Beside beer, they offer a great and completely mouthwatering selection of tapas on various sizes. Their cheese croquettes are not from this world. I came back to this bar a few days later, after my friends had already left, and got to try more of their brews. The Black IPA of course had to be ordered again, it was just too good. You would definitely miss out on something, if you don’t visit this bar during your BCN trip.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Iberian Black IPA, Iberian APA, Iberian IPA, Iberian Stout. Basically, they were all good and they have all sorts of different styles, something for everyone.
FOOD. Tapas. Cheese croquettes are a must try!
OPENING HOURS. Sun – Thu: 6pm – 2am. Fri: 6pm – 3am.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L3, L5 Diagonal
ADDRESS. Sant Agustí, 14, 08012 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
LA BONA PINTA
A few minutes’ walk south from La Sagrada Familia will lead you to one of the smallest pubs that I have ever been to. La Bona Pinta would easily fit into my living room – of course you don’t know the size of my living room, but it ain’t very big for sure J. Although a bit run down the bar is very cozy and inviting with a friendly and talkative bartender. They have a small, but very carefully chosen selection of domestic beers and one or two international ones on tap and quite a few bottles stocked up in the fridge. Outside on the street, there are two small wiggly tables (be careful to not spill some of your beer, but the good old beer coaster will do the trick), which are very welcoming to enjoy your drink in the fresh, Catalonian city air while having a nice conversation, reading a book or simply watch people and cars go by. La Bona Pinta probably is not a place to spend a whole evening at, but in my opinion it is perfect to stop by few cold and tasty afternoon / afterwork brews, before continuing the night out on the town.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Depends on what they currently have on tap. If they have the Basqueland – Imparable IPA, go for it.
FOOD. Some snacks and tapas.
OPENING HOURS. Tue – Thu: 11.30am – 2.30pm and 5.30pm – 11pm. Fri and Sat: 11.30am – 2pm. Sun: 5.30pm – 11pm.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L2 Monumental
ADDRESS. Carrer de la Diputació, 433, 08013 Barcelona
Webpage
Facebook
BLACKLAB BREWHOUSE & KITCHEN
This place is located in Barceloneta, fairly close to the yacht harbor and the beach promenade. I have read about this place before and it was on the top of my Barcelona bucket list, but I actually had not looked up the location and until my friends and I randomly ended up walking by it after a day at the beach. Of course we had to pop in, or rather sit down at one of the many outside tables that are arranged on some kind of big wooden stage. At BlackLab they brew and serve one of the best beers that I have ever tried. It is the Torro Blanco that I wrote about in my introduction already. It is a white stout and absolutely marvelous. This baby completey confuses your taste buds, since by its color it looks like a cloudy IPA or a wit ale. However, when you take the first sip, the taste of a creamy and smoky stout in your mouth completely surprises you. This beer was so outstandingly delicious that I came back the very next day when my friends had already made their way to the airport and had a couple more of it. I even bought a 1L growler to take home (they only charged 3 EUR extra for the growler – if I remember correctly, which is a much better deal than you would find anywhere in Austria). Another one of their brews that I really liked was their IPA creation, which is called Claudia, which is a bit lighter and goes down really well on a hot summer day. The interior of the bar is quite large although it was quite empty when I was there, given the fact that it was afternoon and a warm summer day in late May. However I am sure that on colder days or when the garden has closed up, it will be packed inside. They have six regular beers on their tap menu and always a couple of seasonal brews and a few experimentals, which are called the X-series. BlackLab has also created some crazy beer cocktails (Brewmasters recipes) and beer long drinks (Beer With A Surprise), which I did not try, but they definitely sounded interesting. They even sell some merchandise articles such as T-shirts or glasses.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Torro Blanco White Stout, Claudia IPA, Punto de Rocío APA, 1480 American Amber Ale
FOOD. They serve food that can be expected at a typical brew pub, such as salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, wings or shared platters. The food that we tried was really good, but the beer was definitely better. BlackLab should be on the list of any Barcelona visitor.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Sun: 12pm – 1.30pm.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L4 Barceloneta
ADDRESS. Palau del Mar, Plaça Pau Vila, 1, 08039 Barcelona
Webpage
GARAGE BEER CO.
This bar is craft beer rock n roll. It is probably one of the coolest pubs that I have been to and it was my favorite bar in Barcelona. Garage Beer is simple and Garage Beer is REAL. The draught menu is written with chalk on a black board that is hanging behind the bar above ten different taps, the walls are decorated with some cool pieces of art - especially a painted poster of Mick Jagger starring at me and a graffiti sprayed Bill Murray who pointed his finger at me caught my immediate attention. The bar itself is narrow, but long and its dimmed lights make you believe you are actually in a garage. I also love that they display a table that is informing the customers about the last subway runs of the night. There are small tables with bar stools lined up on the sides and in the back, where it gets more spacious you can sit on comfortable leather couches and put your beer glass onto low tables in front of you that are decorated with shopping cart reels. At the very end of the pub, behind a glass wall is the heart of Garage, the brewery. You can have a glance at the tanks, barrels and hops-filled burlap bags that are stockpiled onto each other. They have put two rickety tables out on the street (they can be easily fixed with the old coaster trick), where you can enjoy the warm weather and Catalunyan evening sun as well. The owners pay their tribute to Steve Huxley, a man who left Liverpool in the 1970s and became somewhat of a beer pioneer in Catalunya in general and specifically in Barcelona and passed away in 2015. Beneath a wooden piece of art that shows the head of Steve Huxley thrice while he is holding a beer glass in one hand and the Garage logo between the fingers of the other, you can see another blackboard that reads in huge block letters “MR. STEVE HUXLEY, YOU’RE A FUCKING LEGEND!!!” His spirit is definitely within this beeradise. However, all these put aside, what makes the bar really amazing, is of course their beer. I have read reviews about Garage and what I heard was that they were to brew some of the best beers to be found in town. So, basically I came there with very high expectations (that was on the same day I was at BlackLab for the second time), and man, I should not be disappointed. Their beer is excellent. In the end, I spent two afternoons / evenings at this place and pretty much tasted myself through their hand pumped menu. I started with their Backup Dancer which is a really nice and smooth, golden Session IPA, with slight hints of tropical fruits and bitter citrus aroma. It is a rather light beer, which is perfect to drink in a warm summer afternoon. I also could not resist trying the Steve’s Bitter after I was taught about the story of Steve Huxley – which is a typical and very tasty British bitter. Two beers on their menu, however, were exceptionally outstanding; the Garage Brown Ale and the Romani Garage Pilsner. I think I must have had one of the last pints of the Brown Ale, because when I wanted to order another one, they were already out of it. The Romani pilsner really blew my mind. It is brewed with rosemary and that flavor really develops without dominating the beery pilsner taste, too much. It’s a really fantastic job that they do here. Every now and then, they also travel abroad and have their own tap takeovers in other bars, such as the Mikkeller Bar in Berlin, Germany. Garage Beer Co should be without any doubt on everyone’s Barcelona bucket list.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Romani Garage Pilsner, Garage Brown Ale, Backup Dancer Session IPA.
FOOD. I never ate there, so I cannot judge the quality of the food. Their tapas and nachos however, looked very tasty.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Thu: 5pm – midnight. Fri: 5pm – 2.30am. Sat: 12pm – 3am. Sun: 2pm - midnight
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat
ADDRESS. Carrer del Consell de Cent, 261, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
BIERCAB
When you leave Garage, take a few steps to the right, cross the street and you will approach BierCab. The huge front window of the bar and the big letters reading its name can already be spotted from the distance and you are basically dragged to the pub like a moth to a flame. When you enter, you have the immediate feeling that you have just stepped into a beer temple. 30 different draughts are displayed on a screen behind the bar, they have an endless variety of different kinds of beer glasses hanging atop the taps and the walls are full of shelves with bottles and growlers standing on them. Whenever they are tagged on social media, the posts are displayed live on the screen (I tested that when I had my so far No1 favorite beer ever there, but more about that in a bit J). The interior design is woody, very modern and it looks really cool. The ceiling is decorated with timber logs that are hanging from it. The bathroom area is separated by walls of nontransparent glass with more long wood billets on it and some hollow green light shining through it and the walls on the other side consist of simple brick. The kitchen is located in the very back of the bar with another big see-through window. I was at first overwhelmed by the beer choices I had, so I decided to go for half pints first to be able to work myself more through the menu and find what I really like. They have a big international selection and also quite a few local Catalunyan beers. What I found really interesting was that they seemed to have some kind of focus on Swedish beers, or at least they had quite a few from different breweries such as Omnipollo, O/O, Beerbibliotek or Brewski. This seemed particularly appealing to me since I lived in Sweden myself on the one hand and on the other one, it is extremely hard, if not almost impossible to find Swedish (micro) brews back home in Vienna. And there it was. A collaboration of Omnipollo and the British Buxton brewery called Orginal Ice Cream Pale Ale. This beer is probably the best one that I ever had. It was so damn good that it is hard to describe. It really tastes like liquid vanilla ice cream. I remember that bartender looking at me when I had the first sip at the bar. I think my face must literally have lightened up and I saw him smile at me. I returned and re-returned to BierCab to have more pints of this one. However, it was not only the Omnipollo that kept me there for quite some time. I don’t think I had a single beer there that I did not like. If you tell the staff what kind of beers you are into, they will recommend a great one. Guarenteed. BierCab also runs its own craft beer store which is located right next door, where you can purchase most of the beers they have on tap and many, many other brews as bottled versions for home. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring too many bottles on the plane, if I didn’t want to pay any fees for overweight luggage, but I definitely purchased some great stuff that I would not find at home. BierCab should be a must-visit when you are in Barcelona.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Omnipollo x Buxton – Original Ice Cream Pale Ale, Lervig x Evil Twin – Big Ass Money Stout, Magic Rock – Cannonball IPA, Naparbier – Mad Clown Extreme Pale Ale, Vento Forte - #28 Session IPA, Stigbergets – Amarillo APA, Brewski – Donkeyboy IIPA
FOOD. Fanatastic tapa selections such as salmon cubes, croquettes, wings on mashed potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc.
OPENING HOURS.
Bar. Mon – Thu: 12pm – midnight. Fri and Sat: 12pm – 2am. Sun: 5pm - midnight
Store. Mon – Sat: 3.30pm – 10pm
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat
ADDRESS. Carrer de Muntaner, 55, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
MIKKELLER BARCELONA
This was the second of my by now three Mikkeller bars that I have been to so far (after Copenhagen and just a few months before Berlin). As all Mikkeller bars, it might not be the cheapest place to drink at, but I believe that every single euro spent there totally pays off. Mikkeller brews absolutely amazing beers to begin with and freshly tapped they are even better and not comparable to the bottles, which by now are a stable variable in most craft beer bars around the world. Mikkeller is located in the same area of the Eixampel neighborhood, where you also find Garage and Biercab. The bar welcomes you with a little front yard under the roof with some sitting possibilities, which you pass through before actually entering the pub. Barcelona follows the same concept as the other Mikkellers that I have been, too. Light wooded tables, greenish-blueish floor, that comes out even better in the bright lights, their own cartoons on the walls and a somewhat sterile atmosphere, that is still very inviting and cosy. It is a sharp contrast to many other bars and underlines the exclusivity of the beer that they brew and provide. Mikkeller Barcelona has 24 beers on tap, with roughly half of them being their own creations and the other one is dedicated to their Friends (as their bar in Copenhagen is called), such as Warpigs, Mad or To Øl and of course to some Spanish locals such as Segarreta or Edge. What I really like is that they are selling 2 centiliter sizes which makes it perfect for tasting more samples – especially when bearing in mind that some of their stuff is really strong and goes up to double digit and even teen alcohol percentages. My favorite beers there were probably the Kaffestout, which was super rich in flavor and very smooth to drink because it was not too heavy, the Nelson IIPA and the mindblowing 13% Beer Geek Vanilla Maple Shake, that as the name implied was brewed with coffee, oatmeal, vanilla and maple syrup. You can’t have too many of this one though. I love Mikkeller’s beer geek series, but this was the first time I tried that specific one. From their friends’ brews, I very much enjoyed the Segarreta APA. It was a very pleasant coincidence that I was in town when the annual Primavera music festival took place, which led Mikkeller to host the Sound Connection event with great music and new, special beers.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Mikkeller: Kaffeestout, Nelson IIPA, Descendents-feel this coffee IPA (Mikkeller SD), Chipotle Porter, Beer Geek Vanilla Maple Shake. Friends. Edge – 6 Barrel New England Pale Ale, Warpigs – Thirstin’ More IPA, Segarreta – APA
FOOD. The kitchen doesn’t open till 5 or 6 pm, but the bartender can make you some very tasty snacks, such as chorizo with bread or some spreads.
OPENING HOURS. Mon – Thu: 1pm – midnight. Friday: 1pm – 2am. Sat: 12pm – 2am. Sun: 2pm – midnight.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L1, L2 Universitat; L5 Hospital Clinic.
ADDRESS. Carrer de València, 202, 08011 Barcelona
Webpage
LA CERVESERA ARTESANA
This was the very first bar that I went to in Barcelona and I can already tell you that the impression that I got there tremendously contributed to may fantastic Bareclona exbeerience. The brew pub is located in a small side street off the Carrer de Còrsega, only about two minutes away from the popular Generator Hostel. La Cervesera Artesana was a great place to kick start the bachelor bash for one of my best friends (which was the reason why we travelled to BCN in the first place). Since we are all into craft beers, the best man picked that bar, so kudos for that one! They have a long list of self-brewed beers and even if some of the choices on the menu were already finished, we certainly did not get disappointed. Their Iberian Black IPA was exceptionally good and probably the beer I liked the most on their menu. They brew the beers directly on the premises, which makes them all taste extremely fresh. The other half of the tap list consists of imported (mostly Belgian) or other local craft beers and you can also choose from a decent variety of bottled beers. However, I certainly would recommend slurping on their brewskis, since you would not find them at many else places. Beside beer, they offer a great and completely mouthwatering selection of tapas on various sizes. Their cheese croquettes are not from this world. I came back to this bar a few days later, after my friends had already left, and got to try more of their brews. The Black IPA of course had to be ordered again, it was just too good. You would definitely miss out on something, if you don’t visit this bar during your BCN trip.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Iberian Black IPA, Iberian APA, Iberian IPA, Iberian Stout. Basically, they were all good and they have all sorts of different styles, something for everyone.
FOOD. Tapas. Cheese croquettes are a must try!
OPENING HOURS. Sun – Thu: 6pm – 2am. Fri: 6pm – 3am.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L3, L5 Diagonal
ADDRESS. Sant Agustí, 14, 08012 Barcelona
Webpage
LA BONA PINTA
A few minutes’ walk south from La Sagrada Familia will lead you to one of the smallest pubs that I have ever been to. La Bona Pinta would easily fit into my living room – of course you don’t know the size of my living room, but it ain’t very big for sure J. Although a bit run down the bar is very cozy and inviting with a friendly and talkative bartender. They have a small, but very carefully chosen selection of domestic beers and one or two international ones on tap and quite a few bottles stocked up in the fridge. Outside on the street, there are two small wiggly tables (be careful to not spill some of your beer, but the good old beer coaster will do the trick), which are very welcoming to enjoy your drink in the fresh, Catalonian city air while having a nice conversation, reading a book or simply watch people and cars go by. La Bona Pinta probably is not a place to spend a whole evening at, but in my opinion it is perfect to stop by few cold and tasty afternoon / afterwork brews, before continuing the night out on the town.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Depends on what they currently have on tap. If they have the Basqueland – Imparable IPA, go for it.
FOOD. Some snacks and tapas.
OPENING HOURS. Tue – Thu: 11.30am – 2.30pm and 5.30pm – 11pm. Fri and Sat: 11.30am – 2pm. Sun: 5.30pm – 11pm.
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. L2 Monumental
ADDRESS. Carrer de la Diputació, 433, 08013 Barcelona
Webpage