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?