Craft Beer in Madrid: Where to Get Your Fix

So now for the good stuff. The craft beer craze has come to Spain, and while it is still a fairly underground phenomenon, it’s becoming more and more visible each and every day, powered by small groups of dedicated and knowledgable brewers and consumers. 

Madrid held the Thielmann International Craft Beer Fair last year, which was the first event of its kind to be held in the capital.  The fair was a big success and will be happening again this coming fall.  Similar fairs are popping up in other Spanish cities like Bilbao and Barcelona, and new bars, breweries, and shops are opening in all of the major cities. 

Two of the most prominent craft breweries in Madrid are Cervezas La Cibeles and Cervezas La Virgen.  Cibeles’ brewery is located in Leganes, in the southwest part of the city, and La Virgen is based in Las Rozas in the northwest part of the city.  Both breweries offer tours and tastings of a diverse selection ranging from wheats and lagers to IPAs and barley wines, all with a distinct Spanish sensibility.  La Virgen boasts a beer that they claim is the perfect companion for a bocadillo de jamón.

But besides going to the breweries themselves, how do you get your hands on this stuff?  Both Cibeles and La Virgen are becoming more widely available in bars around the city, normally bottled but sometimes on tap. 

I’ve already talked about several bars in Malasaña that offer a great variety of craft beer.  I’ll add Café Gaspar to that list.  Located just south of dos de mayo, they offer a good selection of mostly Spanish craft brews in a laid back atmosphere.  On the other side of Fuencarral in Chueca, La Buena Cerveza has a great variety, along with a clean and modern design.  They also host frequent themed tastings, sometimes paired with food.

There’s a newly opened bar and beer shop just west of Calle San Bernardo on Calle Palma called, fittingly, Palma Brew with a knowledgeable staff and a cool, unfinished wooden table kind of vibe. 

Just to the north, Prost Chamberí sits inside of el Mercado de Vallehermoso, a short walk away from the Quevedo metro station, and offers an excellent selection of bottled beer as well as a rotating tap list and some pretty bomb pinchos, as well as being far off of the tourist trail.  In the same neck of the woods, just north of metro Bilbao, there’s Cervecería L'Europe, offering Spanish brews, as well as everything from Belgian Geuezes to German double bocks. Further south, in Lavapies, there’s Cervecería El Pedal, which, like Irreale in Malasaña, offers a rotating tap list as well as bottles to take home.

If you’re looking for a large selection and something to enjoy in the comfort of your own home or nearest plaza, however, a beer shop is your best bet, and luckily there are several very good ones around.  My favorite is Más que Cervezas, located just north of metro Anton Martín. 

They have a wonderful selection of beers from all over the world, including a particularly impressive selection of beers brewed all around Spain.  Their staff is super helpful as well, and they made plenty of recommendations the first time I went in, all of which turned out to be delicious beers.  Heading west towards Retiro, you'll find the positively punny Be Hoppy Madrid. Just a couple metro stops down by Atocha Renfe, there’s Espuma, which offers workshops and tasting besides a great selection. 

Located in the Ópera area, La Tienda de Cervezas, which besides offering a variety of world beers, also offers the tools and materials to brew your own, should that float your boat.  Similarly, Cervezorama in Malasaña offers beers by the bottle and the equipment necessary for home brewing. 

Many of these bars and shops have opened within the last few years, and so the future promises to be bright and tasty for beer lovers of all backgrounds.  In the next post, I’ll talk about some of the beers that I’ve tried from all around Spain.  ¡Salud!