Power Plant Saison - An introduction to the Edge Brewing Company

Last night I had the pleasure of enjoying the Barcelona-based Edge Brewing Company's Saison. According to the website, it is  "a classic belgian Saison fermented at high temperatures ...[it is] complex, hearty, yet subtly drinkable."  It's also 7.3%, so drink it slowly, enjoy it, because the alcohol is definitely there. And yet it's got a fruity aroma that is not overpowering, and a great balance that last from the first to the last sip. It's structure held up well throughout, and it would have been easy to drink it in a larger format than the Big belgian aroma of fruitiness, spiciness and a bit of citrus and floral notes. This all carries through to the taste to help complete the saison experience. Overall a great introduction to this brewer (yeah yeah, I know, they've been around since 2013, so I'm a little behind the times). I'm going to have to visit the brewery one day ( they're open on Fridays for tours and tastings). And as an American expat living in Barcelona, finding a brewery owned by  American expats living in Barcelona appeals to me.  

Mataro Beer - Extra Special - not-so-special?

Last night I had the chance to try the Mataro Beer Extra Special. I've been looking forward to this as we started our homebrewing experiments in Mataro, and the train on the front is a great tip to the fact that the first train in Spain ran from Barcelona to Mataro in 1848. Bottling aside, the beer was pretty good. It had a nice balance between hops and malt, although I will admit to being slightly underwhelmed. It was a good, solid beer but nothing I would recommend, given the level of competition that's arisen in recent years.

I'm going to have to try a few of their others, but one of the most remarkable things I've been privy to witness is the augmentation of the process: 5 years ago that beer would have been a great one for many, but the leaps and bounds in the world of Microbrews and craft ales in Catalunya (and now all of Spain) has upped the level and the expectations. And maybe that's what happenned to me, I went in with my expectations too high. It strikes me that maybe I should have another one today and see the contrast between having one in the evening and one in the splendid sunshine of a gorgeous spring day...

Barcelona Beer Spots - La Cerveteca

Perhaps the best located and easiest to find, La Cerveteca is one of the original beer bars in Barcelona. Located next to the Correos building in the old city, its small and ever-lively atmosphere is complemented nicely by the knowledgeable bar staff and a nice selection of beers. On tap they usually have 4 or 5, and at least one local brewer. The lack of seating is not as big a problem as it might seem initially as there is ample table space and it's very easy to forget about the time as you sample the fine selection of ales.

The prime location within walking distance of almost all the sites in the old city and I would recommend stopping at one of the local tapas bars or crossing the street to the happening Born district for dinner after tempering the summer heat and a hard day's sightseeing with a well-served ale.

Barcelona beer spots - 2d2dspuma

This little bar off the Passeig Maragall is pretty new and is one of my favorites. They've got a great beer store (one of the best Catalan microbrew selections I've seen) and right next store is their bar, which offers a lot of the beers. They have local beers on tap as well as  a good selection of bottles. They also do good food (they claim they make the best hamburgers on that side of the city, but as yet I have not had the pleasure of trying them so I can't confirm that. Down side is that bar-restaurant is only open in the evenings, but the beer store is open morning and evening (they do close for siesta) and is definitely worth a look.

Barcelona's brewpub - La Cervesera Artesana

Just off the Passeig de Gracia on a street heading up into the Gracia district is Barcelona's own Cervesera Artesana Brewpub, La Cervesera Artesana. Tucked into a quiet street and boasting a line of English-style ales which include an Iberian Pale Ale, Stout, Honey Ale and one made with bolets (local mushrooms)!

A nice place to check out for those looking for a more traditional brewpub without heading to an Irish pub.

Barcelona Beer spots

In the coming weeks we will be posting more information about the best places in Barcelona to get a great Catalan microbrew. What started only a few years ago as a tiny spark of interest among a select few people has really forced its way into the cultural life of Barcelona, even if it is still relegated to a few brewpubs and bars. It's growing, and we're excited to be a part of it!

A visit to Glops

Just the other day the three editors of The Barcelona and Catalan Beer page had the chance to visit Glops microbrewery. So naturally, we all jumped at the chance. The brewmaster/owner of Glops, Alex, has a very down-to-earth style that makes it very easy to ask him questions about his beers. His explanations of how he started and how he makes his beers were clear and concise. The tasting at the end of the visit was great, as not only did we get the chance to sample three varieties, but with Alex on hand to explain exactly what went into to each beer it was a great way to delve a little deeper into what is fast becoming one of Barcelona's best-known microbreweries.

The three beers we sampled were:

Glops Blanca - White beer, cloudy and the spices with notes of coriander make this a particularly easy-drinking beer for the summer months.
Glops Fumada - In the Smoke Beer/Bamberg style, with notes of bacon and spices associated with the style, Alex said it was one of his favorites, and it's easy to see why.
Glops D'Hivern - Heavy notes of sweet spices, particularly honey and rosemary (he used a rosemary honey plus an additional dose of rosemary) for this one. It is an interesting beer, and a great choice if the mood hits you.

Rosita, the beer from Tarragona

Every beer has its own story, sometimes a little hidden, waiting to be discovered. The story about "Rosita", as you can imagine, takes the shape of a woman. It is the founders, Núria and Jaume Comte love story. A story marked by the social and family pressure because of the different origins and social classes of our main characters. But as all true love stories it has a happy ending: the birth of their daughter, Rosita.

And maybe you are wondering, how is Rosita? This beer has been brewed since January 2008, in Tarragona, in the town of Alcover. It is a blond beer and, as her parents define Rosita, with character.

Companyia Cervesera del Montseny

The Companyia Cervesera del Montseny was born in 2007. They are located just next to the Natural Park of El Montseny, about 40 minutes from Barcelona. Right now they have 3 different styles of artisanal beers and have produced the specialty Hivern Ale (Christmas Ale):

+ Lupulus: Iber Ale. Top-fermented blond beer that incorporates malts and hops used in the elaboration of Pilsen and Lager beers.
+ Malta: Pale Ale. Top-fermented beer, pure English style.
+ Negra: Stout Ale. Top-fermented dark Irish beer with four grains: barley, weat, oats and rye.

With the creation of Iber Ale the Brewery has created a new beer style in memory of our beer culture (dated from the iberian times) before the Romans took Catalonia and Spain into the wine culture.

Llúpuls i Llevats - Glops

How Llúpuls i Llevats started

Llúpuls i Llevats, located in l´Hospitalet de Llobregat, about 20 minutes from Barcelona, started its artisanal beer at November 2005. Àlex Padró, the founder of Llúpuls i Llevats, thanks to a trip to Germany discovered the artisanal beers and began its dream a reality: he wanted to have an artisanal beer company like the ones he saw in Germany. So he studied at the University and met Steve Huxley, a brewmaster from Liverpool that had made the best Ales from Barcelona and Steve taught him the art of making artisanal beer.

Steve, Àlex and other friends founded their first brewery and during 10 years they enjoyed and perfected their technique for making artisanal beer. At the beginning of 2005 Àlex decided to start his own beer business (Llúpuls i Llevats) with his girlfriend Carme Valero and another friend, Raul Ramírez. Since then we have had the pleasure of tasting one of the best beers of Barcelona: Glops.

Glops, the name of their beer

Llúpuls i Llevats Team started making:

Glops Torrada (Lager, Munich style)
Glops Fumada (Lager, Rauchbier style)
Glops Negra (Lager, Swartzbier style)
Glops Blanca (Ale, White beer style)

This four beers are made using nothing more than water, barley malt, hops and yeast, without any additives, filtering or pasteurization. The beers have an alchohol content around 5%, 15 Kcal/100g ( 45 Kcal per bottle) and group B vitamins.

Right now you can also find in shops two more beers:

Glops Rossa (Lager, Pilsen style)
Glops d´Hivern (Ale)

Information taken from Llúpols i Llevats.