patron of beer

I wondered who it might be before, and there are lists and lists of names, but I think the leading candidate must be San Lúpulo.  Four neighborhood businesses organize a festival of beer, promoting local brews, and with a special challenge: drink two pints from each place over the two days of the festival.  It is two days, but eight pints is plenty for most people I think.  I can do it, though!

I start at La Birratorium, the only not-bar.  They have eight taps, though.  I wonder what kind of license you need for that.  My first pint was La Quince Hop Fiction IPA.  It's a standard beer color, with light head and a very mild ale smell.  It has a clean and slightly grassy taste, a little salty even, with only a hint of bitterness.  I was told that it was "young", about a week in the keg, which might account for the grassiness.

Looks like breakfast

With pastrami instead of bacon, but okay

I strolled over to the market for more, stopping first at Craft 19.  La Quince was on tap here too, and I had a Green Mind NEIPA, intrigued by the name.  The beer itself is intriguing, it looks like fizzy orange juice, maybe a little yellower, and with just a touch of citrus aroma.  As for flavor, the orange Julius bittersweet predominates, but not terribly strongly.  In fact, the beer is a well mixed brew of flavors with no loud notes drawing attention away from anything else.  Salty chips are really nice with this sweetish beer, bringing out the lightness of the taste.

Now a new place for me, Drakkar.  They have a nice variety in nine taps, but only about half were part of the promotion.  Among those was La Pirata Súria IPA.  There is a definite pattern in these beers.  Súria is clearer than the previous IPAs, more filtered looking, with kind of a wheaty smell.  It has a dusty feel but also a mildly sweet flavor, not being heavy on the hops.  Very normal in terms of beer, definitely bitter, but not as citrusy as many IPAs.

A friend was joining me and I had my second from Drakkar, Mad Brewing Trigo Hoppy White IPA.  It has a lemon juice sort of appearance, and the typical citrus ale scent.  It has a snappy citrus taste too, but very smooth and refreshing.  It's a little more like the typical IPA than Súria.

Before the burger came, but rest assured it was glorious

We took advantage of the food offerings, not a bad idea with a number of pints, and ventured into Prost Chamberí.  With my delicious burger, I had another La Quince, this time the familiar Llipa IPA.  It's the most like the standard for craft IPAs in color and aroma, although the taste is slightly floral.  It's a light and non-filling IPA, and in spite of its identifiable flavor, it doesn't distract at all from food.

The next day I went to finish up my challenge, and started at La Birratorium again.  They had tapped a new keg for the second day, but what really caught my eye was La Pirata Barcelona Tropical IPA.  Several people had commented on its quality the day before, so I went after it.  It's a nice dark orange color and there is a tropical essence to it.  Maybe mango in particular, although it might be the color that makes me think so.  It's a little sour and tangy, not the fruity that the smell seems to predict.  There's a lingering bitterness, but nothing too heavy.  It's not as sweet as I expected given the smell and the name, but it is a very refreshing beer.

Back at Craft 19, I picked up their other NEIPA, Mad Brewing True England.  It has a similar look to Green Mind, but is even juicier.  I had a taste the day before and found it harsher and greener than Green Mind, but today it was settled down somewhat.  Another freshly kegged beer it seems, this one with only a couple of days behind it.  The smell is very light, almost imperceptible, but the flavor is strong - hoppy, tongue twisting, with a mellowness that recalls fresh-squeezed juice.  There is an undercurrent of citrus but with a clearly beery cover.  It's like a beer cocktail, really.

And that's about how you feel after eight pints

My discount pint was taken at Prost Chamberí, without the burger this time.  La Pirata Viakrucis IPA was the one.  Perfect light beer appearance, very mild scent, but with a bitter and attention grabbing flavor.  As an IPA it is rather standard, but as a clean and easy-drinking beer it should be welcome anywhere.  It keeps its flavor balance well, not going sweet at the end, and leaves plenty of room for conversation.

Who knows what the saints will bless us with next?

almost missed it!

Even though it's fantastic to have a constant stream of new beer and stores and celebrations, it also means some of them can sneak up on you.  Or even past you.  I knew about Beermad already in September, but for some reason thought it was going to be the last weekend of October.  Fortunately, I thought to check the flyer - and realized it was the last day!  So, had to hustle down there.  Unlike the beer fairs of old, this one took place in sports facility, the Caja Mágica tennis arena.

Barely open gate, for some reason

First Monasterio caught my eye.  There was a bar nearby that had the beer, but I almost never saw it open, and finally it appears to be closed for good.  This looks like a chance to see what I've been missing.  I wanted to start light, so I got a Rubia to start with.  It isn't very aromatic, but the taste is quite strong, very bitter in fact.  It's also very "natural", harkening back to German helles.  There is an interesting sweet aftertaste.  There were some mostly dried hops at the stand for smell sampling - very pungent.  I was told these were a variety developed by the brewery itself.  As I hadn't had breakfast that day, I thought it would be wise to not drink on a completely empty stomach, and got myself a bratwurst.  As expected, the German style similarities made it a good pairing.

Obviously sipping while waiting on the brat

Next, touching on the Halloween theme, La Calatrava.  Again, backing off from the heavier beers for the time being, I picked up Rossa, an American Wheat.  In spite of the description, it's not a strongly wheaty beer, having a sweet smell, and with that touch of citrus so common in IPAs.  The taste is very standard lager, only mildly bitter, lacking the wheat tang.  It's a little sweet going down, and very easy to get down.  Very refreshing and clean flavor, possibly on the delicate side to go with more sausages.

Finally, I visited an old friend, Sagra.  Again, for the season, I chose their Calabaza y Canela, expecting a smooth and mildly sweet ale type.  It's a lovely orange color, with a bit of a cinnamon aroma.  I was surprised to find it more of a pumpkin pie in a glass than a mere pumpkin smoothed ale or märzen.  The cinnamon really has a kick to it.  While I enjoyed it, I heard another day that it's not at all a favorite for many.  But that day was another day.

A street band entertained us for a couple of hours

Then a DJ set up

I think there was a concert in the evening

no snake in the grass

I was pretty sure I saw a notice that La Birratorium was changing locations a couple of months ago, but when I went to sift through my email to find it, I couldn't.  Maybe I just dreamed it, I have vivid dreams sometimes.  But no, it was real, and they've moved.  A little closer to my house in fact.  Their stock is still sitting proudly on its wooden shelves, gathered by origin, so if you're looking for that perfect Norwegian beer, this is where to find it easily.  After a little wandering around I finally decided on Lord Cobra, an IPA by Freaks Brewing.  They seem to imply that the snake is the result of some experiment done by a shadowy government: "Son of ambition and colonialism, through his cold blood runs the scent of liberty and the poison of empire.  The aristocracy taught him to attack without losing control, fierce but always elegant."

Opening the bottle releases a sharp but sweet scent, reminding me a little bit of ginger ale.  It's rather a darker color than that, though, more of a rosy orange.  Also, once in the glass the aroma is much stronger in the citrus range.  Although a bit bitter, the sweetness of a fresh mandarin overrides it.  It's a simple, fruity taste, very light and refreshing.  I was expecting something with more...bite, I guess.  It's not a disappointment, but not as weighty for my personal taste for a cold weather beer.  It's a good thing we haven't had any cold weather for quite some time.

Supplier: La Birratorium
Price: €3.30

black cats for luck

I couldn't resist grabbing something to go from Oktoberfest Artesanal, going with a brew from Tyris.  Black Pussy Palace is a black IPA, so the right color to start the month, and as an IPA it should be a little snappy to get me out of my warm evening blues.  It's October already, it shouldn't be 80ºF!

I didn't get a lot of head on it, but it's a black and secretive looking beer.  It has kind of a plummy smell, more like a porter than a black IPA.  It definitely doesn't have a porter taste though - at first.  First there's a strong and heavy bitterness, much like a stout mixed with an IPA, so there's bitter without the citrus.  But, after a couple of seconds, an undertaste of sweetness starts to bleed through, rising up to cover the rest with the swallow.  There's a slight aftertaste that's a lot like what you expect from a porter. While delicious, it's a surprising beer, one that will grab your attention.  For those looking for a light and non-distracting bit of refreshment, my advice is to look elsewhere.  Those of us who cherish the drink will take care of this one.

For some reason I feel like he's singing a pirate song.  Privateering?