Ale in Spain

yessam

Sorry if this has been discussed before. My first time on this forum.

What Ale is readily available in pubs in Spain that is similar to Smithwicks.

We are bringing a friend with us on holidays and has drank Smithwicks all his life and doesn't like lagers.

I don't remember seen ales in Spain before.

Bigcheeze

Generally available ? None.

English or Irish pubs may have something red like John Smith's.

What you will find in Spanish supermarkets is Murphy's Red which is like Smithwicks.

Ravelleman

You'll get Murphy's Red in pretty much all the Irish pubs in Spain as they're tied to/supplied by Heineken. Strangely though they all carry Guinness rather than Murphy's Stout.

Lovely Bloke

Seemingly Kilkenny is Nitro Smithwick's.

Ravelleman

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Seemingly Kilkenny is Nitro Smithwick's.

Or not, as I was to discover...

neamhspleachi

Mahou Negra is more like a Bock beer rather than an ale & is available widely throughout mainland Spain

Ravelleman

neamhspleachi wrote: »

Mahou Negra is more like a Bock beer rather than an ale & is available widely throughout mainland Spain

It's terrible.

neamhspleachi

Ravelleman wrote: »

It's terrible.

True that, best of a bad bunch though, unless you can source some 'cervesa artesana'

Ravelleman

The Corte Inglés typically have some craft beers in their food courts. Most Carrefours would also have a few local offerings. In my experience the bottles are often quite dusty...

squonk

The Ale in Spain is mainly on the plane!

sarkozy

There is a growing number of craft cervezerías in Spain, but mostly in places like Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, Cádiz, San Sebastián, Santander (i.e. cosmopolitan, connected, trendy cities).

But I think there's a lot to be said for just drinking what ordinary people drink in ordinary places, whether that's local brew, local wine, cider, whatever.

I've learned that some central markets in cities have some food stalls and bars that have gone a little up-market and serve some local brews.

However, I've rarely found ales. Some Spanish takes on IPAs, which aren't really the same, and light beers is what they go for, it seems.

Ravelleman

My observations of Spanish tastes would be slightly different. Typically, I find, in Spain people like malty beers more than hoppy ones. If you go to a bar that has anything other than the usual Mahou, Cruzcampo, Estrella de Galicia etc, it will usually be something Belgian or in imitation of Belgian beers. Hence the popularity of the likes of Grimbergen and Gulden Draak amongst Spanish cerveceros.

Unfortunately, if you feel more adventurous and buy local craft beers, in my experience, you run a real risk of being terribly disappointed. I've tried lots of stuff from around Castile, for example, and some of it is very poor indeed. There are a few gems out there from various different places - Domus in Toledo do some good stuff, though their 'European Pale Ale' is awful. The prices are usually closer to Irish ones and in a country where you can get 750ml cachis of macro lager for about €2 it sometimes doesn't seem worth it.

Some bars do stock a good range of bottled beers. In Valladolid there's a place where you can get Orval for about €3 at the bar. When it comes to a choice between something like that and an unknown Spanish craft beer sometimes my desire for a guaranteed nice beer outweighs my sense of curiosity.

sarkozy

Agree with above. Just drink wine, like (or sidra in the north).

syklops

I regularly stay in a friends villa in the South of Spain. Its easier to find John Smith Brown Ale in the town we go to, than actual Spanish beer. Its a bit of a british corner. You have to actively go looking for Spanish cuisine, spanish beer. Hell, you have to go looking for Spanish people.

OP, where are you going exactly?

Aglomerado

I had a bottle of "San Fermin" beer a couple of weeks ago which I picked up outside Pamplona. Very hoppy and similar taste to a Pale Ale. I was pleasantly surprised and wished I had bought more! I didn't see it anywhere else on my travels.

Carawaystick

I got a bottle of stout in Cadaques a few years ago, very like Irish stout, dry, not malty.
The label was entirely in Catalan though, tried to decypher it, but forget where it was brewed now.

dregin

Had the Hoptimista from these guys in Sitges over the weekend. Very tasty indeed!http://edgebrewing.com/ourbeers/