As we wake up again to life outside, both thanks to spring and to the idea that we don't have to worry about certain viruses anymore, celebrations that we remember fondly also reappear. Beermad did shake off its sleep last fall (and will be up again shortly), but Artesana Week was nowhere to be found for a couple of years. Happily, it has been awakened. A few places I remember from other years aren't on the list, but some familiar names are, and there's no reason to shun new opportunities anyway. As a grumpy introvert, I went down in the afternoon, hoping there would be relatively few people. There might have been, but there were still more than enough for me.
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Good to know we are well watched over
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We begin at Casa Zoilo, one of the old standards. They had four Península brews on tap, and I considered the sour at first, just for something different, but ended up with Sendero Hazy IPA. For whatever reason I felt like starting off slow and the sour was a fairly strong 7%. Sendero has a cloudy look, thick head, what I tend to like in a NEIPA. It's bitter-juicy, a natural, fresh squeezed kind of tasting beer, not super citrusy, like a mild grapefruit. The chorizo tapa is ok, a little grease to balance the bitter, almost tart, of the beer. Despite appearances it's not a super thick hazy, feeling very light and easily drinkable. Also not exceptionally strong, at just over 5%. It's a good starter, just a little push-off for a beer march. Crawl is not the word I want, especially early Saturday afternoon.
Now on to a new name, Beer Joint. They offer Oso's Dignity IPA for the Week. It's similar to Sendero, down to the cloudy color, but much lighter head. It has a somewhat flatter taste, a little bit planty, less overt hops, tingles a bit more. In fact it's weirdly tickly for such a mild flavor. Again, nice afternoon starter drink, good to talk with since it doesn't demand the limelight.
I think Taberna Filomena used to operate under a different name; I might have to dig through some old posts to see if I can track it down. Their sponsorship goes to Groovie, with a session IPA and an amber ale. I've already had two IPAs, so Gabba Gabba Hey it is. Nice caramel color, low aroma, kind of salty sweet to the taste at first. Maybe like a candy you forgot in your pocket. Still, it has a certain charisma, an allure with a touch of bitter that maybe, just maybe, hints at something more. Eventually it mellows out into a malty sort of refresher, a little bit heavier after the IPAs, feels like a good step on the path.
Chinaski has shown some good times in the past, and they've done a little redecorating. Gone is the board on the wall with the scribbled names of brews, up is the shiny new screen behind the bar with names, prices, percentages etc. The menu is long and varied, but I'm dedicated to Artesana Week, and what they have for that is La Quince Roots Red Ale. La Quince is good and red ale is normally good. I dive in. Also good color, much like Groovie's, but there's something in the aroma a little like when you first open a freezer. The flavor is a ball of surprises - grainy, sour, bitter - all strangely pleasant. There's a slight cucumber/melon with a touch of salt in the aftertaste. I'd say this is a more grown up beer than the previous ones, a beer that isn't afraid to stand alone. That little bit of saltiness even makes it seem like its own snack.
Wandering down Argumosa, I remember how much I didn't like going out before the pandemic. It's good to see people patronizing their local watering holes, but the crowd is a little too much. I sit down in La Buga del Lobo anyway, after asking for Speranto's Blanka Trigo at the bar. I wait quite a while before a waitress takes pity on me and brings out my beer within a minute. We're back to a cloudy beer, with that sweet, light wheat aroma. It's just a little sour in flavor, but mostly sweet and summery. It's a nice wheat beer in that it doesn't have that weird aftertaste a lot of the German ones have. It's a step back from Roots, into lighter territory, but it's a solid step in a series of afternoon beers.
Old El Pedal was taken over by the more traditional cafe next door, I guess. Maybe to have a space to appeal to hipsters, and take advantage of all kinds of promotions. Of course, the offer isn't what it once was; La Virgen is on tap. I risk a Jamonera for old time's sake. It's what it has been for years - vaguely beer tasting with a nice color. The more bitter note is nice after the sweet wheat beer, and is in fact more impressive than Jamonera has been in the last 5 years or so. It's an ok mid-romp beer, a little thick and sticky, something that doesn't flow past you perfectly unnoticed. I still might keep badmouthing the beer, at least in comparison to what else La Virgen puts out these days.
I've been traipsing around for a few hours now. One more to call it a day, and another new place: La Caníbal. I'm hoping for something dark and substantial, but it's just a pilsner. With a little raspberry though, so that's something. Dessert? The brewery is San Frutos, so I can trust that it's at least pleasant. It looks very normal, nice little head, really no aroma at all. The taste is certainly different from what I've been having today, a lot of woodiness, a very bitter and stimulating kind of pilsner. The aftertaste does have some fruit in it, but unprompted I don't think I would identify it as raspberry. It's sharp and driving, the kind of beer you don't fall asleep to, not the most obviously pleasing however. After a bit of time a sweeter, softer, more desserty flavor comes out, but also only in the aftertaste and it vanishes quickly. It's an interesting beer, I'll give it that, stout and built up in sensation, delicate and easily crumbled in flavor.
Artesana Week comes to an end in Lavapiés, but Beermad is just around the corner!
