OLD WORLD, NEW FLAVORS
FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 2025
MÀGER BREW
This true garage brewery was founded in 2019 by Renaissance man Alex Puig, who, in addition to being an excellent brewer, has been busy renovating, building, art-designing and in general forging an impressive new presence on the Catalan craft scene right out of his childhood home in the tiny village of La Llacuna.
Specializing in sour and wild ales, Aleix’s company – currently consisting of a brewery, shop and makeshift tasting hut, but with much more to be added in the near future – is named after his hometown’s castle, Vilademàger. Following traditions of Belgium and other European countries, many of the beers are flavored with fruits, flowers and herbs, and the brewery sources as much of it locally as possible.
Most significantly, the ales here are aged in wine barrels from the village’s Penedès region, so the resultant beers can be reminiscent of local traditional wines or cavas, with their acidity and fruitiness. According to their creator, “This makes it beer committed to the territory, which gives us a unique character, representing our wild environment.”
cava / BODEGA MASCARÓ
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine made in the same way as Champagne, only with a different variety grape. Bodega Mascaró is a multi-generational family company, and has produced cava, wine, liquor, brandy, and vermouth in Vilafranca since the 1940s.
Dedicated to the belief that the essence of a product is in its origin, the company sources grapes for all of its wines and cavas from self-owned local vineyards, allowing full control of the entire production process and guaranteeing the highest quality of the final product. Mascaró offers a fascinating tour of its ancient underground cellars and an even better tasting in the new, dedicated event grotto.
Current 3rd-generation matriarch Montserrat Mascaró was recently featured in a Wine Enthusiast article celebrating female cava producers.
In 2025 we hope to visit as well the distillery; scheduling for this visit is to be determined.
VILAFRANCA
Founded in the 12th century, ‘Vilafranca del Penedès’ boasts a 13th century palace as well as a number of historical churches and townhouses. But it’s best known as a center of wine production, being the only sizeable town in the Penedès, a rural region recognized internationally as the home of Catalan sparkling wine, or cava. Many of the town’s buildings are or have been owned by local wineries, and there is unsurprisingly a thriving wine tourism industry here.
BLACKLAB
Founded in 2014 by a Chinese-Spanish restaurateur and an American brewer, BlackLab epitomizes the entrepreneurial and expat influence on Barcelona’s vibrant craft beer scene. The brewery’s approach to beer-making — focusing primarily on perfecting classic styles and then adding substantial dashes of experimentation — is very much in line with the modern-day Catalan model, and its kitchen creates exotic Asian / New World / Mediterranean flavors that pair well with the fresh ales and lagers on draft.
BlackLab offers live music as well, and is blessed with perhaps the very best location afforded to any brewpub in Catalonia: Barcelona’s scenic and romantic harbor is just around the corner, and three of the city’s most popular, historic and atmospheric neighborhoods—the legendary Gótico, El Born and Barceloneta quarters– are just a few minutes’ walk away from the taproom.
LAS RAMBLAS
This is the principal thoroughfare in Barcelona and a much-loved pedestrian path for locals and visitors alike. Along the 1.2-kilometer tree-lined street are found many of the city’s most important historical buildings, and just off Las Ramblas is the famous main outdoor market La Boqueria. The road is also the strict boundary separating the historical, frequently visited districts Gótico and Raval.
el born / BAR BRUTAL
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Barcelona, El Born is arguably the city’s most exotic area for nightlife. Its evocative winding streets and alleys, many of which date back to the 13th century, house many of the city’s most characterful and essential bars and restaurants, including the ever-popular Can Paixano, arguably Cataluna’s best sparkling wine bar, and Ale & Hop, one of Barcelona’s first dedicated craft beer destinations and a favorite for locals and travelers alike. Perhaps El Born’s greatest contribution to Catalan drink culture however is Bar Brutal.
One of Barcelona’s most popular destinations, this eccentric taverna-styled restaurant was originally a wine shop. Since converting to a restaurant it has offered a small but select tasting menu that’s heavy on seafood, and a large and impressive wine list that changes frequently. Quirkily decorated, but with a coastal-rustic vibe, it’s the perfect place to sample authentic Mediterranean tapas. Most importantly, Bar Brutal is a magnet for both experts and debutantes of natural wine, thanks to an especially knowledgeable staff.
biercab
Opened in 2013 as Barcelona’s first serious international craft beer bar, BierCab was considered in some circles the world’s very best such watering hole just a year later. Founded by the pioneering visionary Belgian expat-entrepreneur Sven Bosch, of Naparbier fame, BierCab remains very much a local and international institution today, thanks to its surprisingly star-studded draft list, quirky and artsy interior design, and requisite excellent Catalan tapas menu. It’s also one of the few bars in Spain to serve a wide range of Belgian and American rarities, on tap and in bottle.
These days it’s just one of an ever-growing list of fine beer destinations in Barcelona, but much-revered by both locals and international travelers, for whom it is the indisputed go-to venue in Catalonia for those wishing to hob-nob with like-minded brew fanatics from all over the world.
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