Thursday, March 8, 2018.
Fuller’s – London Pride
Thornbridge – Vienna IPA
Beavertown – Gamma Ray
O’Hara’s – Irish Red (Nitro Tap)
O’Hara’s – Stout
O’Hara’s – Irish Pale Ale
Brewdog – Punk IPA
Brewdog – Indie Pale Ale
The Wildbeer Co – Pogo
Tiny Rebel – Fubar
Westons – Rosie's Pig Cloudy Cider
Carlow – Falling Apple Cider
My favorite of these was the Vienna IPA. I really like the Thornbridge brewery and I haven’t had this one before. Funnily enough, we were at Mel’s for a pint before Mad Jack’s officially opened and over there I already wanted to order it, but they were out of it. You can imagine that I was very happy that they had it on tap at Jack’s. It is a crisp golden colored West Coast IPA with slight citrus flavors and quite hoppy. I also really like the fruity rocket that is The Wild Beer’s Pogo. I have been meaning to find that pale ale on tap again ever since I tried it at The Wild Beer’s and To Øl’s tap-takeover at Mel’s back in fall. The prices are extremely fair, ranging from EUR 4.80 to EUR 5.80 for a pint. They did not have any bottles yet, but it is definitely the plan to stock up the fridges in the near future, as well. Also, the whiskey collection is very well sorted – in my opinion a good glass of whiskey is a stout’s very good buddy. There were certainly more people at Delirium – at least from the look through the window – and Mad Jack’s was less busy at least in the beginning; something I personally prefer. We were one of the first customers at Mad Jack’s. The pub still smelled like fresh paint. No one has sat on the stools before, no one has put the beers down on the bar before and no one has drunk from the glasses before. I very much enjoyed that. It felt all new and exciting, like a kid seeing the lit candles on the tree for the first time at Christmas. Mad Jack’s is pretty much made up of two parts – a small and narrow upstairs area and a surprisingly large basement. On street level, there is the bar itself, which easily consumes a third of the space. However, at the very end there is a table with some chairs around it, so if you are fast, that would be another possiblilty for enjoying your beers. Right next to this table, wooden stairs lead you into one of those dim cellar-vaults that are so typical for and can be found in many old houses in historic Vienna. Stone-built walls arch over the main room downstairs where you’ll find plenty of sitting possibilities and tables. The rest of the cellar is full of wonderfully weird nooks and crannies, such as a tiny booth with one stool in front of a big mirror in which you can watch yourself drink, or a narrow kind of bunk with chairs and a board in front of you. One larger room with a long high-table and a copy (hopefully :D) of Leonardo's ‘The Last Supper’ on the wall gives you the impression of actually taking part in that final snack – surely with a better end – and unlike the disciples, people can sit on both sides of the table though. What very much contributes to making this place so great is the contrast of the darker basement and the bright upstairs area, that is dominated by light-blue wood panels, and old-school vending machine and plenty of photographs. Just take your pint and switch between these two parts of the pub.
I had a very pleasant evening at Mad Jack’s. The barman was super friendly, the audience, which was made up of both Austrians and internationals was a fantastic chat and the beers were great. I will most certainly be back. I do not see any reason to not do so.
BEERS I RECOMMEND. Thornbridge - Vienna IPA, Beavertown - Gamma Ray, The Wild Beer Co - Pogo, O'Hara's Stout
FOOD. They did not serve any food at the opening. But they will do so in the future.
OPENING HOURS. Mon-Sun: 11am – 2am
NEAREST SUBWAY STOPS. U1 Stephansplatz, U2/U4 Schottenring
ADDRESS. Mad Jack's Ale House. Judenplatz 1, 1010 Vienna / Delirium Café. Kurrentgasse 12, 1010 Vienna
Webpage Mad Jack's
Webpage Delirium