The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Beer Bars
Spain

 

 

Highlights from "An American's Thoughts on Beer in Spain"

1) You're not in Spain to drink beer.
2) The vast majority of beer poured in Spain is pale lager.
3) Craft beers as you know them in the U.S. are virtually nonexistent in Spain.
4) Keep your expectations low.
5) Some beer taps are tomorrow's museum pieces.
6) We never heard anyone pronounce cerveza, "thairr-BAY-tha" .


 

Café Iruna
Plaza del Castillo, 44
31001 Pamplona (Navarra), Spain
telephone 948 224 293
www.cafeiruna.com

If you're in Pamplona and not too busy running with or from the bulls, drop in to Café Iruna, Hemingway's local watering hole and one of his inspirations for The Sun Also Rises . The main bar and restaurant are said to look exactly as they did in Papa's day, but the real attraction is the smaller bar where he held court. Today a Hemingway statue at the entry to the bar marks his spot for tourists (from outside enter through the far right door). On our visit we had a San Miguel (only beer available) and got free pinchos (think egg salad on a small slice of bread) for about three euros. A real bargain. OK, so its not even a good beer place, but it is a great place to have a beer.

 

 

Cerveseria D'Or
Carrer del Consell de Cent 339, Barcelona, 08007
Phone: +34 93 2156439

In the midst of streets lined with small cafes and bars, the Cerveseria D'Or is a true beer drinking oasis.  Actually a tapas bar, they have three beers on tap as well as about 50 bottled beers.  About a dozen of the bottles are local to the Barcelona area, the rest are from nearby western Europe.