Barcelona Beer Festival returns with 575 different brews on offer

The Barcelona Beer Fest returns for its first post-pandemic edition on December 17-19 in La Farga in L'Hospitalet, promising a bigger edition than ever before. 

This year sees the 9th edition of the biggest celebration of craft beer in Catalonia. 

A mouth-watering 161 taps – up from 110 in 2019 – will serve up 575 different beers from 250 breweries from Catalonia and across the world over the course of the weekend, positioning itself as an ever-growing festival in the European beer scene with an increasing presence from international brewers. 

Presenting the 2021 festival were Mikel Rius, director of the event, Judit Càrtex, vice president of the Catalan Guild of Craft Beer, and Xavier Pereira, a brewer from Engorile Beer.

The pandemic has given the industry the chance to “regenerate itself” and find “green shoots,” with many new beers on show that were born during the health crisis.

Càrtex said that the craft beer industry in Catalonia is in “very good health” at the moment, and celebrated the role of a “social network” that the sector plays, adding the element of a vibrant community to the industry.

Beer is often thought of as a beverage to quench your thirst with, and many standard lagers commonly on offer serve exactly that purpose. But Xavier Pereira pointed out that the rich world of craft beer is closer to an artisanal gastronomic experience than just a refreshment. 

This year’s festival will also see nomadic brewers especially highlighted, including Oddity Brewing, Engorile Beer, and Caravelle. These ‘nomads’ are micro-brewers that don’t have their own facilities, but rather rent the installations and equipment of other producers to brew their own recipes. 

Organizers are also delighted to champion new, very experimental styles of beer this year, from an Italian Grappe Ale which mixes the best of wine and beer, to a beverage made with the flavour of Mallorcan ‘sobrasada’ - a type of raw, cured sausage. 

Additionally, there will be an extended range of offerings at the 2021 festival, from more musical performances, more food options, and plenty more parallel activities such as masterclasses and discussions with brewers.

Covid measures

Some new measures have had to be applied relatively last-minute for festival organizers. Government measures currently mean that all visitors to the fair will have to show Covid passports to enter, just as they would in any bar or restaurant in Catalonia.

Apart from that, the general rules apply that would inside bars or restaurants, including wearing face masks whenever food or beverages are not being consumed. 

‘Nomad’ breweries

One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the presence of nomadic breweries. 

Xavier Pereira, of Engorile Beer, explained that this mode of operation comes with pros and cons. For him, there are no fixed costs, Engorile have not had to pay for their own machinery or pay any rental costs or purchase a space to brew. 

This allows for more budget to be put towards quality and experimental ingredients. As well as that, it gives him the freedom to produce beer wherever he wants, presenting an example of entering the Japanese market. 

However, their per-litre production is more costly than a brewery with its own facilities, and this is ultimately reflected in the shelf price for the consumer.