A Beer Tourist’s Guide to…Barcelona

Don’t worry, the anti-tourist protesters will let you in if you drink high quality local beer. If you’re seen with a Mahou, however, you’ll be blasted with water that tastes better than the Mahou. To find the good stuff, Barcelona has four top stops to cool off after a long sweaty day wondering why the Sagrada Familia hasn’t been finished yet.

Garage Beer Co
Hypest hype for the most exported Catalan, or Spanish for that matter, craft brewery. The taproom is a scene, right in the heart of the chaotic but slightly tourist-lighter Eixample district. It is relentlessly busy, catering to a mashup of locals wanting a good time, tourists who see all the locals having a good time and want a piece of it, and a handful of craft beer nerds sitting in a dark corner checking in to Untappd all the variously-hopped iterations of Garage’s flagship beer, SOUP.

BierCab
A stone’s throw from Garage (even if you’re not that good at throwing) is this indie beer taproom with a large list, though not too much from around Spain. It’s a very American-style, slick operation with a glossy modern interior, menu screens and different pour sizes. If you’re hungry, get a table; otherwise we recommend taking a seat at the bar and seeing what you can try from Spain, or even better, Catalunya.

Maresme Brewery Taproom
Further down into the city, near the thriving and nightlife-centric El Raval area is this large, airy taproom with great A/C (you heard it here first) and an even greater beer selection. At least 15 of their own beers are there for the trying, with knowledgeable, patient staff creating a very different scene from Garage but one with (whisper it) just as delicious beer.

OKasional Beer
Around the corner from Maresme is this little craft beer shop, which will allow you to buy tasty stuff to drink on the beach, or on your balcony, or anywhere really. It has a huge selection of Spanish and Catalan craft so for anything local that you can’t find elsewhere, get a takeaway and enjoy.

Bonus Stop: Bodega Fermin
Tucked away down in La Barceloneta, this teeny tiny Vermouth bar is a locals haunt that you may feel a little out of place in, but they’re as friendly as you are. With a rotating beer list of local independent beer and some incredible tapas, if you find yourself in this area it is a must-visit. It is important to clarify that no points will be deducted for skipping the beer entirely and enjoying their house Vermouth instead.

Note: There are some other venues we visited that serve independent beer that we simply weren’t impressed enough with to include here. If you think we have missed anywhere that deserves a mention, drop us a line!