It's May, and that means the Barcelona Beer Festival is celebrated this month!
The 2023 edition, now in its eleventh year, returns with a novelty: after several years, the festival is back in the city of Barcelona, turning it into the beer capital of the world for a few days. We tell you all about it below.
But first of all.
What is the BBF?
The Barcelona Beer Festival is the largest meeting point for craft beer enthusiasts and professionals (InnBrew) in Southern Europe, making it an essential event both for connoisseurs and fans, as well as for those who want to try new gastronomic experiences centered around beer.
What activities will be held this year?
Among all the activities that will take place, we want to highlight the gastronomic stands that will accompany and enhance your beer-related experiences; the gastro-cultural activities that won't leave you indifferent; the leisure area for the whole family; and the wide variety of taps that will be present.
It will also feature the awards ceremony of the Barcelona Beer Challenge.
Participating breweries
Many prominent breweries will participate in this edition of the Barcelona Beer Festival, some of which we introduce to you below as a sneak peek.
Península
Cerveza Península was born in Alcobendas, Madrid, in October 2017, after Román Jove Lleixa finished his studies in "Brewing & Distilling" at the University of California, Davis, and moved back to Madrid, fulfilling the dream that both he and his father had held for years: founding their own brewery.
This Madrid-based brewery is characterized by making 4 monthly releases, with which they intend to surprise the public, experiment, have fun, and treat their fans to unique and unrepeatable beer experiences.
Guineu
Guineu is a brewery from Catalonia that was born in the Bages region with the goal of producing beer and also manufacturing beer production equipment, activities they combined for years. They are currently dedicated to beer production. It is a pioneer brewery in the Catalan craft scene.
Montseny
Founded in 2007 by a group of beer enthusiasts, it is one of the largest craft breweries in Catalonia. Since then, and thanks to the tireless work and spirit of its master brewer, the quality of its beers has been rewarded, as in 2016 it won the award for Best Brewery in the first edition of the Barcelona Beer Challenge.
Westmalle
This Belgian brewery produces Trappist beers that are known all over the world. A Trappist beer is different from an abbey beer. "Trappist" is a protected designation of origin for a beer that meets certain requirements and is controlled by the International Trappist Association.
Most of the sales revenue goes back to the brewery and is invested in improving working conditions. The monks are not in charge of brewing the beer themselves, but entrust the brewing process to external collaborators. The monks are responsible for the general management of the brewery.
Weihenstephan
This German brewery is officially considered the oldest active brewery in the world, boasting 990 years of history.
It was in the year 1040 when the town of Freising granted the Benedictine Monastery of Weihenstephan the license to produce and sell beer.
Throughout its history, this brewery has suffered many mishaps, but it has known how to reinvent and rebuild itself to this day.
Stop by the Barcelona Beer Festival
So, if you live in Catalonia, or you happen to be in Barcelona during these dates, we believe it is a must-attend event for you, our reader. A few days where you can discover, learn, and enjoy the best beers.
When, where, and how can I get there?
The Barcelona Beer Festival is held this year at the end of May, on the 26th, 27th, and 28th, at Fira Barcelona - Montjuïc (Hall 7), and it is very easy to reach by public transport:
Metro: L1, L3, L8 (Pl. Espanya)
FGC: S3, S4, S8, S9, R5, R50, R6, R60 (Pl. Espanya)
Get your tickets
Buy your tickets on the festival's official website.