Homosibaris - Sants Beer Bar

Yesterday we stopped at Homosibaris for the first time. We picked a great time for it, right in the middle of the Festa Major de Sants. First of all, parking in the area is... well, let's just say it's probably easier to take the metro  - the nearest stop is less than 4 minutes from the Plaza Osca, where the bar sits (It's probably a ten minute walk from Plaza Espanya). It's a narrow, reasonably unpretentious place, and it looks like a great little hole in the wall when you walk in. There are some tables in the back, after the short bar and decent selection of bottled beers along the wall. There's not really any room at the bar itself, so we headed outside to enjoy the plaza.

The beer selection on tap was pretty good. Jake and I had the Agullons Sant Joan pale ale, which was pleasant, well balanced and a nice choice for sitting outside enjoying the late summer evening. Sherman had a very citric-heavy wheat beer from England and Devon had a more standard wheat beer which was very refreshing. The second round included the local stout. A little disappointed in the stout, which had a great burnt chocoloate/coffee aroma, which was immediately noticeable in the first taste but disappeared almost immediately, leaving very little else to the beer. For a beer which promised much, it was a bit of a let down.

Overall, the prices are not cheap, but the selection is nice and the setting is wonderful for locals and visitors to the city alike.

La Festa Major de Gracia 2013 - 1st annual Vilabirra Microbrew Festival

La Festa Major de Gracia are one of the summer highlights of Barcelona. Every year the village of Gracia, which until 1897 was a separate, thriving town from the neighboring city of Barcelona, hosts a 10 day street carnival which turns the heart of the city into a maze of paper mâché decorations, stalls and activities for all ages. Locals mix with tourists among the brightly adorned buildings and squares. It really is one of the most interesting and festive celebrations of the summer in the city. 

This year, with the ever increasing craft brew revolution taking place across the peninsula, the festival is offering its first ever craft brew festival, VilaBirra. Hosted by the Cara B bar, the beer festival offers 14 taps with more than 30 different beers from around the world. Some of the local beers worth highlighting are:

• Sang de Gossa from Zulogaarden
• Suria from La Pirata (I haven't had this one, so it's on my short list to try first)
• Blat Raner from L'Anjub (probably my favorite wheat beer from Catalonia, one of the best I've had from anywhere in recent years)
• and perhaps the one I am most looking forward to: La Virreina, which is a beer made specifically for the Festa Major, only 850 bottles made according to the website. 

In addition to the beers available for sampling, there will be activities such as beer tasting courses, concerts, and a workshop on homebrewing. So if you needed another reason to visit Barcelona's most popular summer festival this year, may i suggest the VilaBirra Festival!

Beer rings II - a new store to check out

Last year we talked about beer rings and other creative ideas. Well the producers of these rings will be opening their own store in Mataro, Can Manetes opens at the end of March on C/Jaume Recorder, 4 (between the Caprabo and Caixa Laeitana). In addition to the opportunity to buy these products, there is also a workshop area where you can learn how to make you own jewelry (or mosaics). Check out the store and then head over to The Drunk Monk, voted best Belgian beer bar in Spain!

Barcelona Beer Festival - March 9 - 11, 2012

Te Barcelona Beer Festival is this weekend. As an American sometimes it takes me back to think that I will be going to a beer festival in the Gothic cloister of Sant Agustí Convent in Barcelona. More than one hundred beer varieties from Spain and abroad will be available.

There will be also culinary offers to go with the festival's various types of beer and the food & beer combinations that will be on offer at the Barcelona Beer Festival.

Entrance is free, and you can buy a glass there. We'll let you know how it goes.