branching out

It's time for another field trip!  The boys at La Tienda de la Cerveza have opened a bar, with craft beer taps of course.  They still have the store and the in-store taps, but now there's Craft Against The Machine, on c/ Embajadores 31.  It's a small place, so it's not implausible that you find it uncomfortably popular at a given moment, but it's not far from Mercado San Fernando and La Buena Pinta, so if you absolutely must have a beer at that time, all is not lost.  The place was a hairdresser's and they kept the tiles outside, so if you're not careful you might walk right by it.  Inside, there are more bar seats than tables, so you're best off in a small group.  Unless you're lucky enough to snag the back table.

Don't be fooled, there's beer inside

Cheers, explorers!

Interesting tapas here

I was hoping for a dark beer, but everything was pretty yellow on the menu.  There was a barleywine, but I wasn't especially in the mood for the heavy sweet beer that barleywines tend to be.  In the end, I chose Freaks Tropical Explorer APA.  It appeared as a slightly cloudy orange with a very moderate head.  There was the typical citrus aroma, but the taste has a bitter and sweet punch at the same time, while still being separate flavors.  Interesting.  I found it had a slightly dusty feel, thirst quenching, but still leaving a tickle.  In spite of the surprising combination, the taste is very mild, making this a good chat beer.  There is only a slight bitterness, and in this case that's pretty well tamed by the garbanzos.  When I got some pomegranate before taking a sip, I found a stronger orange citrus flavor to be pulled out.  Based on the name, I expected more fruitiness to be honest.  Still, Tropical Explorer is a nice beer, a good drink, and pleasant bar companion.

Price: €6/pint