Keep an eye out for Almogaver, a popular craft brewery based in Catalan. Photo:Manel Zaera

Craft beer movement in Barcelona

Beer and ale are a big deal in Barcelona, and all over Spain, these days. Microbrews are trendy, innovative and in-demand. Most people don’t think ‘beer’ when they think ‘Spain’, and the craft beer scene is still small compared to Belgium, Germany or sudsy cities such as Portland or Denver in the US. Nonetheless, brewers are busy in Catalonia creating some great beers, so keep an eye out for Almogaver, Les Clandestines and Llupols i Llevats.

Sipping craft beer in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Regina W Bryan

Barcelona Beer Festival

Many of these tasty craft beers will be available at the Barcelona Beer Festival taking place April 11-13. The event showcases several up-and-coming Spanish brands but also a few international labels. The festival works like most foodie fests: you buy a half-pint glass for tasting, a wad of tickets and off you go to sip and tip as many beers as you can muster. The same tickets also work for food. This year the festival will be held right at the end of La Rambla in the Maritime Museum, a more ideal venue than last year’s which was in the conference center of a mall. It’s open to the public and popular with locals—expect a long line to get in at night!

Hostal Benidorm is a stylish cheap sleep along La Rambla. Photo: EuroCheapo

Where to Stay

Hostal Benidorm (with doubles from: $83 to $104) is within walking (or maybe stumbling) distance from the brewski bash as well as several great nightlife and dining spots. It’s hard to beat this central location. The interior offers a funky, modernist style, and each accommodation comes with a private bathroom, flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi. A few select rooms even sport balconies that offer views of the bustling scene along Las Ramblas.

Ale&Hop has a modern tap system with several local beers available. Photo: ScottRobertson2009

Where to find local brews

If you’re not able to make it to the Barcelona Beer Festival, but still want to try some locally-made ales, pop into Ale&Hop, a pub in La Ribera ‘hood that is a self-proclaimed beer geek hangout with 10 taps and vegetarian snacks. Cervecería Jazz in Poble Sec is another option with a robust list that pairs with burgers hot off the grill. Or how about a beer library? That’s what you will discover at La Cerveteca that stocks a wonderful selection of Catalan bottles. It’s the perfect spot to browse and taste to see what suits your fancy. You’ll also find bottled craft beer in many wine shops (bizarre as that sounds), a few in supermarkets and at any decent restaurant (okay, maybe not…but eateries are starting to carry microbrews, so keep a sharp eye out for them). Salud!

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1. Listen to music at Festival del Mil·lenni

Returning to Barcelona for its 15th edition, the Festival Mil·lenni brings you some of the best music of the year. Look for Nana Mouskouri in February, Goran Bregovic in April at the Palau de la Música, and many others. Tickets go for between €13 and €79. Their ‘Pack Flamenc’ is a bargain, offering three flamenco concerts for €50. We don’t always recommend flamenco in Barcelona, but this is one to see.

2. Eat piles of grilled green onions, a Catalan delicacy

Food festivals and traditions are always good excuses for visiting a city. Come to Barcelona (and Catalonia) this winter to eat barbecued calçots, a sort of fat green onion available until late March. Valls is the top spot to eat calçots, but you will also find them all over the city at restaurants and in vegetable markets.

3. Sip a craft brew at the Barcelona Beer Festival

Barcelona has quite the burgeoning craft beer scene, so much so that the Barcelona Beer Festival is holding its third annual event this year from April 11th-13th 2014.

4. Save big during post-holiday winter sales

Sales or ‘rebajas/rebaixes’ in Spanish/Catalan are on from January 7th until mid-March. The best deals are to be had now, while your shoe size is still in stock. If you miss these post-holiday winter sales you’ll have another chance to save big in July and August.

5. Get down with hipsters at Primavera Sound

One of the best music festivals in Barcelona, Primavera Sound never disappoints. On in the spring (hence, ‘primavera’) from May 29th-31st 2014, this one brings out the hipsters in full force. The music is always plentiful, as multiple stages are set up around the Forum, the Mediterranean Sea the festival’s stunning backdrop. Festival passes are being sold at a discounted rate until February 7th. Hurry.

6. Feast with friends at the best eatery…in the world!

You may have heard that Celler Can Roca was nominated the best eatery in the world by Restaurant Magazine. Granted, you’ll have a heck of a time getting a reservation these days, but if you manage it, Celler Can Roca is just an hour north of Barcelona in Girona.

7.  Hear unique  guitar sounds

25º Guitar Festival BCN is yet another music festival on in the city from February to May 2014. Femi Kuti and Andrés Calamaro are a couple shows worth buying tickets for in advance.

8. See incredible Barcelona street photography

Joan Colom is one of the most important Spanish photographers of the second half of the 20th century. Now in his 90s, he is known for his black and white photographs of street life in Barcelona. See more than 500 photographs spanning the whole of his career at the MNAC Museum until the 25th of May 2014.

9. Participate in annual city traditions

Apart from these events, there is a seemingly endless list of holidays and traditional festivals held in Barcelona and all over Catalonia every year. Some of the most entertaining are: Sant Jordi’s Day on April 23rd, Sant Joan on June 23rd and 24th, and La Mercè at the end of September.

Plan your jaunt to Barcelona at the same time as one of these functions for an even richer experience. For more tips on exploring the city for less, check out EuroCheapo’s Barcelona city guide.

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