30 beers we’d drink if we weren’t working. Spoiler: they’re not “the best”, they’re the ones we don’t want to miss.
Each year we like to do this exercise: imagine how we would experience the Barcelona Beer Festival if we weren’t working. No walkie-talkies, no schedules, no responsibilities. Just criteria, curiosity, and the desire to go with the flow.
This is our impossible route of 30 beers. It’s not a list of “the best”, but a selection of moments we’d like to live inside the festival. Some beers draw us in for their track record, others by intuition, and a few simply because we don’t want to be left wondering.
5 essentials (this is where we’d start the day)
Ales Agullons – Hop&hopes – Pale Ale – 5.5%
A beer that is much more than a recipe. It celebrates a relationship built over the years, based on respect and complicity. 15 years of BBF and 15 of Hop&hopes, and the feeling that this is only just getting started.
Montseny – Mala Vida – Imperial Stout – 11%
A beer that shouldn’t be improvised. This is where we stop, find the right moment, and give it space. Dense, complex, and persistent, it shapes the rest of the journey.
Paulaner – Salvator – Doppelbock – 7.9%
Going back to the classics is also a way of moving forward. Salvator is living history, and we like to revisit it to remember where we come from and why some styles remain benchmarks.
BIRRA08 – Mescladís – American Pale Ale – 4.9%
Some beers go beyond what’s in the glass, and this is one of them. Mescladís is born from the coming together of projects and perspectives, and you can feel that in every sip. Starting here is also a reminder that the value of a beer goes far beyond the liquid itself.
Unibroue – Fin du Monde – Belgian Tripel – 9%
An elegant tripel full of nuance that always delivers. When we want to play it safe without giving up enjoyment, this is one of those names that naturally comes to mind.
Ten that don’t fail (when we want to get it right without overthinking)
Cerveses Althaia – Heliodora – Berliner Weisse + blood orange – 4.2%
Refreshing and precise, with that light acidity that cleans the palate and keeps you going. A key piece to maintain the festival rhythm.
DosKiwis – Black Swan – Nitro Dry Stout – 4.5%
Creamy, smooth, and dangerous because of how easy it is to drink. One of those that disappears from the glass before you notice.
OSO Brew – Ursa – Session IPA – 4.8%
Balance and moderation done right. A beer that lets us keep going without giving up on flavor.
Staropramen – Unfiltered – Unfiltered Lager – 5%
When everything gets intense, going back to a well-made lager is almost an act of clarity. Clean, balanced, and necessary.
BOGA – Tosta – English Brown Ale – 5.5%
A beer that starts gentle but unfolds with depth. Caramelized notes and a silky body make it rewarding if you give it attention.
Cloudwater – Kraai – Black IPA – 6.5%
The balance between darkness and hops isn’t always easy, but here it works. There’s intent, balance, and a certain elegance in the contradiction.
Brouwerij ’t IJ – IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
Pure balance and drinkability. In the noise of a festival, finding an IPA that doesn’t tire you out is almost a luxury.
Les Clandestines – Atheus – Dubbel – 7%
A dubbel with identity, where honey and yeast esters build a rich and approachable profile. Territory and style in natural dialogue.
Cervesa Espiga – Funky Berry – Fruity Farmhouse BA – 7.5%
Acidity, fruit, and barrel in constant conversation. One of those beers that asks for time and attention beyond a single sip.
Oud Beersel – Sparkling Lambic – Lambic – 7%
Complexity and tradition in liquid form. No shortcuts here, just time and craft.
10 discoveries (where we really like to get lost)
Leplan-Vermeersch – D-0 Virgin Dark – Alcohol Free Stout – 0.3%
This genuinely sparks our curiosity. How far can a well-made alcohol-free stout go today? One we want to try without prejudice.
Pivovar Vinohradsky – Káranská 9 – Czech Pilsner – 3.9%
Low alcohol, maximum technical precision. These are the beers that truly test a brewery.
Kinnegar – Devil’s Backbone – Irish Red Ale – 4.9%
Apparently simple, but with that malt-driven profile that makes it especially gastronomic. A beer that grows in context.
Van Steenberge – Fourchette – Belgian Tripel – 7.5%
A tripel designed to work with food. We’re curious to see how it behaves in a festival setting.
Birrificio Renton – Hop Invaders – Double IPA – 7.6%
Structure and balance. An IPA that doesn’t rely on excess, but on consistency.
Red Hoof – Base Camp DIPA – West Coast DIPA – 8%
Clean and direct, with hops leading the way through citrus and resin, supported by a firm bitterness. It’s also one of Vila de Gràcia’s best-kept secrets, the kind of place and beer worth discovering before it becomes widely known.
Salvador Brewing – The Throne – Double NEIPA – 8%
Big hop load and intense aromatics. The challenge here is finding balance within that exuberance.
Menno Olivier – Crema Catalana – Barley Wine – 10.37%
Sweetness, alcohol, and memory playing together. It might be a treat or a surprise, and that’s exactly why we’re interested.
Oitava Colina – Aduela – Barley Wine Madeira barrel aged – 10.5%
Barrel, oxidation, and time. Here we look for depth and nuance rather than immediacy. Probably the most internationally minded new brewery in Portugal.
Basqueland – Omako Basoa – Imperial Pastry Stout – 17.5%
Excessive and indulgent, almost like a liquid dessert. Not something to repeat, but definitely something we want to experience.
5 rare / geeky (the ones that break the logic)
CoolHead Brew – Tropical Sour – Fruit Sour – 4%
An explosion of fruit and freshness. Direct, fun, and perfect to reset the palate.
Cerveza 7 Vidas – Rosé Brut – Fruit Beer – 6.8%
A hybrid between wine and beer, with an elegant and contemporary profile. The kind that sparks conversation.
Bierboi – Encantada – Gruit Beer – 7.5%
No hops, just herbs and history. An invitation to step outside the usual framework and rethink what beer can be.
The Kernel Brewery – Imperial Brown Stout London 1856 – Imperial Stout – 9.6%
A look into the past that still resonates today. The recipe that, over a century ago, gave birth to the Imperial Stout style.
Arriaca – Barleywine 18º – Barleywine – 18%
A beer at the limit. Beyond immediate pleasure, this is about curiosity and exploring how far things can go.
