G4Pour Drinks Our Way Through Barcelona

From what I understand, there’s been a shift in brewing trendsets. Where American brewers have in the past looked to European tradition, Europe now looks to American innovation. It seems as though we’ve even convinced them that we invented the barrel aged brew! Throughout our beer travels in Spain I was often brain picked on BA methods, when really I was hoping to pick up some techniques from the true originators. Oh well. Grass is always greener, right?

The American influence was prominent in many of the breweries that we visited. An abundance of hop bombs, Citra far and wide, and now the resurgence of sour styles. In the case of Edge Brewing, it’s not just an hommage. Their 30bbl brewhouse was imported from the U.S., as are their ingredients. Their water profile is adjusted to match San Diego’s. Essentially, they are brewing American beer in Spain.

Robin Barden, Edge’s go-to guy was kind enough to offer a private tour in exchange for a bottle of BCS (those things are the best bartering tools). The taproom is by appointment only, hidden away in a warehouse building in residential Barcelona. We were treated to the full gambit of their taps, my favorite being the Apassionada, a mildly sour ale with a punch of passion fruit. Worth a mention is the Hoptimista IPA, crafted in true San Diego tradition. What was most curious to me is that Edge exports much over half of their production, with a good portion heading to the U.S. Why make American style beer in Spain only to ship it back to the States? Apparently the European consumer is still catching on.

Anyway, we got to check out the super creepy ammunition bunker in the basement, left from the Spanish Civil War. Jeff said the acoustics were perfect to record in but frankly it was a little too murdery for me.

After the tour Robin accompanied us to Ale & Hop, a cozy little gastropub with a great but short tap list. It was here that we had the BEST veggie based burger of all time, made out of all things, a beet. We are carnivores but let me just tell you- 10/10 would eat again.

The next day we headed to Garage Beer Company, where: WOULD YOU LIKE SOME FREE BEER? Why yes, yes, I would.

Apparently, we stumbled upon the filming of their crowd sourcing video. So in exchange for permission to use our images, we got to drink for free ninety nine. The RIBA, a hoppy lager was quite nice. Perfect to wash down the American style nachos we ordered. There was like, an epidemic of nacho ordering so we didn’t feel like total Yanks for doing so.

The feel of Garage was similar to Revolution’s tap room here in Chicago. Very casual, young-ish local crowd. Lots of beards. Different from Brewdog Barcelona, which we visited next.

It felt like a chain. It is a chain. This is not to say we didn’t like it. But in truth, the best offerings, such as the Jack Hammer and Punk IPA are accessible in the Midwest. And we didn’t find the “rarer” brews to be exceptional. The Lizard Bride, branded as an American IPA, was just plain weird. My tasting note was a giant question mark. Sorry, that isn’t very helpful.

We continued on to what would become our favorite beer bar in Barcelona, Mikkeller.

Interestingly, Mikkeller is also a chain of sorts. But the ambiance and tap selection leave no indication. The staff is top notch. They know their shit, they are super personable and pleasant to talk to. So much so in fact, that we returned to gift them with the bottle of Bourbon County Barleywine that we brought with “just in case”. As a thanks, they treated us to Mikkeller’s Acid Trip Barrel Aged White Wine, which I will dare say rivaled the bottle of Fou’ Foune that I’m about to brag about drinking.

The magic happened at Lambicus, a Belgian focused bottle shop with 4 taps and a small snack menu. This place is just an absolute wonderland for those of us geographically deprived of true lambics and Trappist ales. And as I was told by owner Henk, I did what all Americans who visit there do: head straight for the Cantillon.

I didn’t want to wait for the Fou’ Foune. I didn’t want to share the Fou’ Foune. Henk, pop that sucker in the fridge. It’s going down.

Did it live up to the hype? Yep. Extremely delicate all around while simultaneously very complex. That’s not an easy feat. The nose was surprisingly Pez-like! It greets you with farmy, dried apricot and leaves you with just a bit of lemon rind and tartness. Juicy but not sweet. Maybe a bit white whaley. I know that’s a factor. I’m not in denial.

A mention should be made of BierCaB. It’s an obvious choice for a beer lover visiting Barcelona. 30 selections on draft, mostly exclusive to the EU. You wont get much of a feel for the local beer culture here, as it is typically packed with English and American tourists. We did have the opportunity to try a fantastic DIPA out of Catalunya by the name of Circus, made by Quer. Beautiful tea notes, a little fresh grass. Worth seeking out.

It’s a shame that we waited until our last day in Barcelona to check out BlackLab. It turned out to be a total gem. First off, it’s parked right on the sea. So on a nice day, you can grab a growler and head to the beach. Or just grab a pint on their patio and watch the boats sail by. Best part is- their beer is across the board great. We were actually a bit surprised. Nestled between some pretty high-end seafood spots, the area is a little swanky. From the outside, it’s a bit Rock Bottom-y. But there is zero pretentiousness here. And their Serie X Mosaic was just brilliantly executed. Though an American-style DIPA, something about this read local. Perhaps it’s the water, or their house yeast. But the mystery element was also present in their IPA, Claudia. I found these to be the most interesting and successful versions of American styles, because they don’t just copy but rather re-interpret.

All in all, it appears Barcelona has become a veritable beer destination, almost completely under the radar. This was just serendipity for GalapagosPour. But the word is getting around thanks to big mouths like me. I’d book your trip ASAP, before more jerks find out.

Vale!