Ale Madrid: Why the Spanish capital should be on every beer lover's list

In April, Netflix came out with Brews Brothers, a comedy series about two siblings who run a brewing company in Los Angeles.

The show has a decent plot and some zany characters to boot, but ends up being a dire — and doltish — attempt at beer comedy, an insufferable version of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But if there’s something to take away from the series, it is the passion with which the two warring brothers brew their beer — always pushing the envelope and conjuring up new, exciting ales and lagers.

Needless to say, passion — and deep knowledge of the art — is what separates good craft beers from middling ones. Now Madrid, until a few years ago, wasn’t really known for its beer. Yes, the ubiquitous Mahou and Estrella were consumed in abundant quantity during peak summer, but the city never quite stood for its craft breweries and the experimental, artisanal beers they have come to represent.

But the Spanish capital has since woken up to “cerveza artesanal”, or craft beer. Madrileños, as I realised from my visit there in February — a more conducive time for such indulgences — are now demanding fresher, more flavourful brews from their neighbourhood bars. Take Taproom, for instance, the microbrewery in the university neighbourhood of Moncloa that has taken the city by storm. It offers more than 40 fresh beers on tap, an astounding collection that features variants of all sorts: lagers, witbiers, IPAs, stouts, porters… The time I was there, the night of the Champions League game between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, the place was overflowing with carousers. The best part about Taproom is that all the beers are listed on overhead blackboards behind the bar, details that include the name, type, country of origin, ABV and price.

Drakkar is known for 'Liquid Cocaine', an imperial IPA that originally comes from a famous Hungarian brewery called Mad Scientists.

I had started my evening off with a 4.4% Pilsner Urquell and a 7.5% Spanish IPA called Recharge at Labirratorium, a splendid beer boutique selling beer on tap as well as packaged stuff — stacks and stacks of colourful cans and bottles my eyes couldn’t get enough of. So at Taproom, I was keen to try something more offbeat. The options were plentiful and I ended up going for a mango-flavoured weizenbier: creamy head and golden-white with notes of apricot. It’s one of the best beers I’ve tried — sweet but refreshing, medium-bodied but still super light.

Marcos, the Airbnb guide — booked for a steal at ^1 (plus tips, of course) — who gave me the tour, told me that endless variety and curious customers are what’s setting the Madrid beer scene apart. After Taproom, we headed out to La Zamorana, one of the oldest restaurants in the city, its vintage façade a testament to its antiquity. La Zamorana is popular for beer and tapas, the bite-sized snacks Spanish cuisine is known for the world over. I was tempted to go for a stout, but settled for a Belgian pale ale, which went well with the pickled olives and cheese croquettes I had ordered.

The last stop was Drakkar, a small brewery inside a supermarket selling meat and vegetables. Drakkar is known for “Liquid Cocaine”, a beer that originally comes from a famous Hungarian brewery called Mad Scientist. While seemingly harmless when compared to the narcotic, it did pack quite a punch. At 9% ABV, the imperial IPA came with a fruity aroma and intense hoppiness, but otherwise possessed a smooth texture. And if you thought that 9% ABV is as robust as it can get, well, Drakkar has also on tap an imperial stout packed with 10.5% alcohol.

By the time I reached my Airbnb in central Madrid around midnight, I wasn’t even mildly inebriated, but was more than glad to have experienced Madrid through the aromas, flavours and textures that its brewmasters had so masterly concocted. Travelling to Madrid for beer or otherwise — some bars and restaurants have resumed business post the lockdown — may seem like a fantasy right now, but it’s one of those exciting pilgrimages that should be on every beer lover’s bucket list. The Brews Brothers, I’m sure, would concur.