So I was hoping I might be able to crowd-source some suggestions. The wife and I are visiting Spain for a week at the end of May. We plan on hitting Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. Are there any beer-related destinations worth visiting? Also, non-beer related suggestions are more than welcome and appreciated. Thanks!
When in Barcelona, go to this place http://biercab.com/ Amazing selection on draft and bottle, and the food was great too. One of the best beer bars I've been to in all of Europe, for what it's worth.
Having just returned from Barcelona I would echo the above recommendation and add a nice little bottle shop suggestions. Rosses I Torrades. It's a small store but they offer quite a lot of Catalan beer, amongst some Belgian and other European brews. The shop is very easy to get to if you use the metro (L1 Urgell station). Another gem is the Moritz brewpub and gift store (Fabrica Moritz Cerveceria). It's definitely worth the stop for a cold pint. Should you want to bring any beer home they offer Styrofoam packaging (a sleeve for a 750ml bottle), I believe they will sell them even without beer purchase.
On an unrelated (to beer) note. Consider attending the last match of the season for F.C. Barcelona on the 18th of May. Although I did not get to check it out myself I'd suggest Ale & Hop. Keep in mind there is also a retail chain name Ale - Hop of which there are a few in Barcelona. Avoid those
Aside from those already mentioned: The Drunk Monk - Calle Via Europa, 30. Local 3, Mataró Great for belgian beers, there´s always something interesting on tap. http://www.cervezabelga.com/index.php La Mes Petita - Calle Diputació, 30 Baixos Tiny, tiny little bar with 8 taps of great beers. Well worth a look. www.cerveserialamespetita.cat Mosquito - Calle Carders, 46, Born-Ribera Mostly bottles but good stuff, Rochefort etc. The reason to go here is to order dumplings with your beer. By far the best asian food in Barcelona. http://www.mosquitotapas.com/ 2d2dspuma - C/ Manigua, 4-8, Barcelona Part bottle shop, part bar and part craft beer supply shop. Always worth a visit. (Have been known to sell nice loons, shhh, don´t tell) http://www.2d2dspuma.com/ If you end up over on the Basque coast then look me up. Always happy to share a few beers.
This is definitely happening... have been a HUGE Barca fan for many years so a (possible title-deciding) match @ Camp Nou is a massive bucket list item that is getting checked off - We even scheduled our visit specifically so I could attend that match! Cannot wait! If there are any other BAs in Barcelona also attending hit me up!
Don't think I'll be making it out of Barcelona on this trip, but the invite (and info) is much appreciated!
I had no idea people had started replying to my post. Seems like something the website should have informed me about... Thanks for the tips everybody!
I was in Barcelona for two weeks at the end of May, here's the 5 places I made it to in order of preference: Homo Sibaris (the only one of the 5 with outdoor seating, jumped from 2nd to first after my second visit because of the outdoor seating and the fact that they had Cantillon's Rose de Gambrinus on tap in advance of a lambic fest, and they had the cheapest Cantillon prices by 10 euro a bottle!) Ale n Hop (I had the best beer of my trip there, HORALs Oude Gueuze Mega Blend) BierCab (one of the top craft beer places in the world, just a little too crowded and pricey for me) La Cerveteca (closest to our apartment, delightfully funky, but the taps weren't that great the times we visited them) CatBar (pretty good vegan food, very small, very crowded every time we were there, lots of local craft beer on tap)
In Madrid there is a local brewery close to Grand Via and a great beershop with Belgian beers ... just check out the forum and you find the adresses....
