I found most Spanish beer to be good. Estrella Damm, Aguila, Cruzcampo, Mahou (McDonalds beer), even San Miguel is ok. Saw plenty of people drinking red wine and coke too. But my fave beer that I found in Spain in San Seb was actually Portuguese. Super Bock. It is one of the best beers i have ever tasted. It seems to exist mainly in the Algarve of Portugal.
Anyone ever drink Desperados. i found them to quite popular in France. tequila and beer. very nice and very potent.

San Miguel beer is OK, but isn't it Philippino, and not Spanish?

Anyone have the history on San Miguel's Spanish connection. Was it the Spanish empire in the Philippines, or something more mundane like capitalism and importation?

What explains the popularity of an Asian beer in Spain???

san miguel is definitely spanish, so i guess it has found its way to philippines thanks to marketing ploys and what we can all thank america for starting, evil capitalism.
san miguel has just about found its way everywhere. fairly popular bottled beer in london as well.
at least it is better than budweiser. does america have any decent beer?
get a real beer up ya! have a super bock.

i drank the sewage and it turned my willy green

I know that underage drinking and "congregating" in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and other places around Spain is becoming a problem. I've been reading (and seeing photos) about the huge gatherings of teens in plazas in Madrid on weekends where they sit, stay for hours, getting drunk, getting into fights, playing loud music, and just generally causing problems. What are these gatherings called? "Botellones"?? Something like this. It seems Madrid is now making some effort to break up these gatherings, but at the same time, public assembly is a part of the culture so it's a difficult situation.

By the way, San Miguel , the one sold/imported here in the US is from the Phillipines - same logo exactly, but it's not the same beer as in Spain. When in Madrid, I prefer to drink Mahou , a local brew.

And WHAT'S THIS?!?!?! Cruzcampo is owned by Heineken??!! That's a downright sin!!!

Saludos, MadridMan

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

I have always liked one of the ways they make the CUBATA in Spain, with Ginebra, I like the taste but, of course, it's good too with Ron Havana Club.

CHURROCALIENTE!
Well, I am honored to see someone here from Miami! I live in Miami too, Churro, but near Kendall!

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

MM interesting that you have Filipino beer in OHIO!

We debated the San Miguel issue in my family. When we were in the Philippines, San Miguel was the predominant beer on the market, however, I believe that we came to the conclusion that it was a Spanish company that set up shop there when the Spaniards had control of the Islands. Eh-hem Ralphy... Spain was in the Philippines BEFORE the USA was, so in a sense, they brought their own capitalism!!

I just took a look at SMC (San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines) website http://www.sanmiguel.com.ph/companyinfo/milestones.php. The San Miguel Fabrica opened a brewery in the Philippines under a Royal Grant in 1890, 8 years before the US took over the islands. Although it doesn´t specifically say the San Miguel Fabrica of Spain, one can only surmise that was the case.

Cheers! (a little Spanish/American/Filipino history for us all!)

P.S. America does have good beers, but they are mostly micro brews or smaller names. Try Dock Street or Yuengling (I think now owned by Coors), Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, Red Hook...

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: Chica ]

Yuengling beer is from my husband's hometown of Pottsville, PA...I didn't know anyone else in the world had heard of it!! It's always a great ceremony for him to hang his green Yuengling's ornament on our Christmas tree. Pottsville folks are very proud of being home to "America's oldest brewery."

Their website doesn't say anything about being affiliated with Coors ( http://www.yuengling.com/beers.htm ), but who would brag about such a thing, anyway?

Tara

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Yuengling-America's Oldest Brewery. I live in Philadelphia and its all my friends and I drink (mostly Black and Tan!) Heard they just bought a facility in Fla.

As for the Cerveza discussion. I enjoyed Cruzcampo (in a can) on the streets of Arguelles and Mahou (draught) in the bars, mostly in El Chapandaz in Moncloa.

Happy New Year everyone!

When in Spain, don't miss the chance to drink some really good Cuban Rum. Try a "cubita" with Havana Club anejo. Also, don't miss the really great sherry (jerez). A fun spot in Madrid across from the Hotel Ingles is the Venezia. They sell jerez by the glass or bottle in a very friendly, though slightly funky, atmosphere.