After
Saturday evening (27 January) and
Tuesday afternoon (30 January) in Barcelona, this third blog post is the final report on my 2018 quest for the beet Barcelona beer bars!
Two blocks south east from BierCaB leads to the taproom for the
Barcelona Beer Company at
Carrer de Muntaner 7.
It was hard to get a good exterior photo as there was scaffolding around the building. In contrast to other bars I had visited which had a narrow entrance and deep interior, this layout was wide at the front with plenty of windows. There are some standard height tables near the bar as well as high level tables near the windows. Rather than locals or beer enthusiasts the customers here seemed more like tourists or students.
I found a table in a quiet spot with a good view of the bar and checked the screen for which beer to choose from the 16 taps.
Barcelona, brewed by Barcelona Beer Company, a 5% American Pale Ale brewed with Magnum, Perle and Cascade hops from tap 1 was served to my table in a stemmed glass (25cl / 2.80 euros) with a free helping of peanuts.
There are some quirky graphic designs on the end walls of the taproom.
There's even a framed photo of Eric Cantona.
Although the taproom was a bit bright and basic there was time for another beer here and this time Miss Hops from tap 7 was my choice.
This 6% ABV India Pale Ale brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo had more bitterness than Barcelona.
A mile long walk towards Parque De Joan Miró (Sants) was now in prospect involving eight blocks south west and one block north west.
En route a window display of colourful USB stick holders caught my eye - quite a selection!
A parked blue scooter provided another distraction.
It was a relief to reach Cerveseria La Més Petita at Carrer de la Diputació 30 and find a free bar stool at the 'smallest beer bar'.
I spotted a pale ale on a blackboard to order. It was a surprise when the proprietor immediately disappeared out of the front door but he soon returned with a bottle of Barcelonina for me. This was from Ratpenat Cervesers where he is a brewer. For 3 euros this 5.1% ABV pale ale with citrus notes was good value.
Producing a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine, I was able to persuade the multi-talented Loren Font to pose for a photo in front of the range of 8 beer fonts (see what I did there?!).
I observed a small group of English drinkers come into the bar and order pints of Lager Ritual from tap 8. In my initial haste to order I had looked at the smaller bottles blackboard instead of the taps blackboard but for my next beer I would simplify Loren's job and also ordered a glass of Lager Ritual from As Cerveser, brewed at Montornés del Vallès in the province of Barcelona. The refreshing 25cl glass of gluten free pilsner cost 3.50 euros.
Cerveseria La Més Petita is a good place for beer enthusiasts to find local draught beers with typically six from the Barcelona / Tarragona area complemented by a German wheat beer and a Belgian triple.
As its name suggests this bar is akin to a UK micropub albeit with fonts instead of handpumps to serve the beer. Due to its small size it may be crowded at weekends!
My plan was to enjoy a meal at the branch of Mussol restaurant in Las Arenas.at Plaça Espanya.
The impressive Las Arenas was designed by Catalan architect August Font i Carreras and opened in 1900 as a bullring. 22 years after closing in 1977, it was bought by Sacresa who gave Richard Rogers the task of converting it for shopping and entertainment which opened in 2011.
Escalators take visitors to the various levels and at the top are restaurants including Mussol. A disappointment was to be told on arrival that the restaurant was closed for a private function.
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View towards Palau Nacional, Montjuïc (top left)
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At least the ascent was not a waste of time as the views towards Montjuïc from the circular platform could still be enjoyed.
Feeling even hungrier I headied west along Carrer de la Creu Coberta towards Plaça d'Osca, about a kilometre away.
En route, I was tempted by 'chip star' but instead found a nutritious meal at a kebab cafe.
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| Homo Sibaris - wide mirror reflects beer blackboard |
It was quite late by the time I arrived at
Homo Sibaris,
Plaça d'Osca 4. This was the first beer bar I visited on arriving in Barcelona on Saturday and the last I would visit before departing on Wednesday.
Unlike Saturday, there was plenty of space at tables in the backroom but I chose to sit on a stool opposite the bar with a shelf to rest my beer on.
As on Saturday, Cervezas Populus cask Citra IPA, served from a handpump near the window was my first choice. The staff were busy clearing up at the end of the evening and a few customers were present.
Garage IPA from Barcelona was a new beer on the board since Saturday and would be my last beer in Barcelona and another thoroughly enjoyable one with medium bitterness.
After enjoying the friendly service here, I persuaded a member of staff to pose for a photo with Ullage before leaving. At Homo Sibaris you can expect a good choice of beers including several from local breweries. Food including sandwiches, cheeses and snacks can be provided at reasonable prices. This is a bar I will recommend to friends visiting the Sants area and one which will probably be me first and last port of call on future visits as well!
