jsut wondering what kind of beers and drinks are common in Spain.

when i was in paris/s.africa
New Castle was common, heineken, some corona,. the only u.s. beer i saw was MGD.

i heard from a friend that Red Wine and Coke(cola) is really popular in Spain now days. is this true?

can you have drinks on the street?
is there an age limit? do i need my passport?

thanks
dan m

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(Dan & Abbie may be using this user name, but Dan will usually sign his name)

You can get imported beers but I think Spain makes some pretty good domestic beers. My favorite in Madrid is draft Mahou. Just order una caña. In Sevilla it's Cruz Blanca (now part of Guinness' worldwide family of beers). In Barcelona I like Estrella Dam & in Galicia, Estrella de Galicia.
I wouldn't drink on the street unless in some place like Pamplona during San Fermines and the legal drinking age is 18.

Red wine has always been a popular dinner drink; but thinking of red wine with coke makes me gag. ¡Yuk!

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 02-03-2001).]

My favorite beer was always San Miguel Selecta--in bottles. Drinking on the street? How about sidewalk kioscos?
Cantabene

what i meant by drinking on the streets , was like in new orleans , during marde gras -stuff like that.

thanks, for bottled beer tip, tap or keg beer is on the bottom of my list

dan m

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(Dan & Abbie may be using this user name, but Dan will usually sign his name)

Michigarian, there's no problem about drinking in the streets, well, peacefully, of course, and in entertainement zones, not in front of El Corte Inglés with the litter bottle and at noon. I am from Spain, and as far as I know there's no law against that, but no one knows, now there's too much PP people and they may have changed things, but it's no big deal I think, if you see people drinking in the streets, you can do it too.
Where are you in Michigan? I am in Ann Arbor, but I don't like it, I want to come back!! have fun for me in the streets!

ah, and about the age and the passport and everything, no big deal either, unless you look like 12 or something you will not have any problem and no one will ask you about nothing. if you look like 16 and up it is ok. I think the theorical age limit is 16, but there's no big deal.

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 02-04-2001).]

The red wine & coca cola mixed drink is called a "calimocho" and is popular in Spain among the younger crowd. See www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Plaza/2185/
Years ago it was known as "un cubalibre del obrero"

Normally one does not see people drinking in the streets in Spain (like on Bourbon St. in New Orleans) although on Friday or Saturday nights some popular bars are so crowded that patrons might be socializing in the street just outside the entrance.

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 02-05-2001).]

beer by the bottle...
VOLL DAMM
very drinkable, and 7.2% alcohol per beer. at that percentage, its like having 2!
as for wine and coke, its called calimoche.
disgusting. have a cervetha, or a cuba libre (rum and coke)

I became fond of Cruzcampo beer while in Spain. Its owned by Heineken. Spain makes good beer, which is the hallmark of any refined civilization.

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

for the ann arobor person, im in wyandotte, ann arbors nice. nicer than Ypsi atleast.

thanks for the drink tips. ill try em all till i find what i like. that 7.2 sounded good to me.

thanks
dan m

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(Dan & Abbie may be using this user name, but Dan will usually sign his name)

where is wyandotte? I am in Ypsi right now in Eastern, but I live in Ann Arbor. But I am from Spain.

Cruzcampo? Ugh. Que mierda.

Careful with that Voll Damm there, it has a habit of wrecking you the following day...

I always thought the Damm beer was funny..."here comes the Damm beer truck", "I'll have another Damm beer", "they sure know how to make a Damm beer"...okay, maybe it was just me that thought it was funny. Sorry.

Another vote here for draught Mahou! (Sorry MissMadrid98, I've always spelt it that way, but everyone knows wot I mean and I would never pull your leg about two o's in honour, or colour! You must give lessons in your cool dude talk, though, because I think it's great! Sorry, wrong thread......!!) Anyway, back to Mahou - 'tis amber nectar!

The youngsters ARE now in the streets in Andalucia every weekend, in small towns and cities too. It's known as "la movida" and basically people chip in together to buy packs which are made up of several two litre bottles of cola, Seven Up etc, bottles of whiskey, gin, vodka, "tubo" glasses and a big bag of ice. Then they sit in the squares and drink and chat and snog and generally have a good time!

It leaves a bit of a mess, though and local residents are getting a bit fed up now. Recently a group of neighbours in Granada gathered all the rubbish after a Saturday night from their plaza and dumped it all in the town hall as a protest!

The Spanish have very good draught beer, I never tasted a better one and it comes with tapas too (some places).
And their wine is really worth a try. White or red, it doesn't matter, there is a post here about Spanish wines. I really like Ribeira Joven, which has a fruity flavor and is a very little sparkling. But there are A LOT of very nice wines, it's a experience just to taste them. Try Sangria too, a mix of wine and juice with pieces of fruit in it (often apples)

We had outdoor drinking parties in Salamanca like the ones Anchovy was talking about but we called them "botellón." Couple of bottles of 43, coke, and sitting outside the cathedral. Sigh.

We always do botellones with J&B con cola. It's cheaper to get a buzz first like this then to drink at a bar and get drunk there. Some have even found themselves drinking out of the hatchback of their cars at 6 AM but I would never do something like that!
Salut y forza!!

When you ask for a drink in a bar just remember that the "liquor proportions" will be different. If you ask for a rhum with coke the standard mix will have at least 40% rhum, and with a litle gesture they will pour even more. Expect that in most places they are going to give you the drink plus the bottle with the remaining coke, tonic, lemon,...three or four drinks will put you in another state of mind.

In today's issue of the New York Times there
is an article entitled "la vida loca? In a Plaza in Madrid" And it talks about the botellón crowd that parties in the plaza de san ildefonso and the tenants who want it stopped because they can't get any sleep and the businesses that suffer.

I have the paper edition and it seems that in order to look at the article(page A8) on-line(www.nytimes.com) you have to have a membership. It is a fairly long artice for an American daily.

I love Mahou draught. In fact I loved it so much one night that four large mugs of it had me laying in the bathroom, prepared to drive the porcelain bus... I guess drinking four of them in less than 90 minutes may be a bit too fast.

For two days I had a "kutzenyammer!" Also known as a hangover to non Wisconsinites...

I now curtail my Mahou'ing to two frosty mugs of nectar...

Yes... they do mix a mean Cuba Libre in Spain. Good rum... I have been known to get a hangover from that too but have learned you can always say that you got "bad ice." Nobody believes you, but who cares?

I'm outta here! Heading for an Indian gambling casino not too far away... Gotta make my contribution...

Wolf (Seeing blackjacks dancing through his mind like sheep over a fence, when I try to sleep.)

I cast my vote for Mahou, too. A refreshing Caliguay (white wine and Seven Up) comes second .
Wolf, I hope you won´t forget us, your friends here on the board, after becoming a millionaire... I´m looking forward to receiving an invitation to drink a toast of welcome at your hacienda . But,please, don´t serve us any tequila after Mahou. That´s not any good combination.
Tia, wise by experience

Tia,

I was a contributor to the casino... usually happens that way... but my wife won enough that we ended up out only $60.

Of course we had their buffet while there. It wasn't that good. Didn't have one drink since it's about a 35 mile drive. It's an interesting town. Hayward, WI... Population: 1,900, but during the summer, with the resort area around it, they say there's at least 30,000 to 40,000 people there all the time. Quite a tourist area.

But we did stop and see the largest fresh water Musky (fish) ever caught. A big sucker! I've seen it before but my wife hadn't. She was totally in awe, considering it was longer than she is tall. A little thinner though... (I pointed that out and got punched in the arm --- ).

I did ask the barkeep for a Mahou though when we went in... since they didn't have any, I settled for a 7up...

Hey! I don't need to win a million to have an open door policy at our home. It's always been that way. We always welcome visitors...

Wolf (Who's wallet is $60 lighter.)

Speaking of beer, or perhaps dreaming of it,

In the USA and in Holland (Heineken) there are guided tours of many breweries with much needed samples offered. In Spain do the large breweries open their doors to the public in a similar way? As a matter of fact, the tour could be omitted, provided the samples are abundant. I pose this important question since I am committed to fermenation science and its future growth, or perhaps I should merely be committed :p

Cheers!

Anchovy--are you from Granada? I lived just off of Pedro Antonio de Alarcon in 1993--talk about partying out in the street until all hours of the night!! I was always the lucky one, living near all the action, but when it was time to go to bed, I could still hear everyone, even in my little room on the inside of the building! Now from what I hear they're spread out more, we went to one last April near the Albaicin, I cant remember the name of it, but we saw a bunch of American high schoolers who were on our flight there!!

What about the liter bottles of Alhambra beer?!

Speaking of drinks, since I don't really drink beer, and mixed drinks aren't too popular there, I'd end up ordering Vodka with pineapple juice--very nice & refreshing! But you can walk from bar to bar with open containers, no problem, as long as you're not making a scene.

Have fun!

-GG

I was in Spain this Sept and savored the summer varieties of vino tinto with La Casera and cerveza con La Casera. (Pim has mentioned these in another thread). I also enjoyed rose wines from Navarra and I usually don't like that kind of wine.

I wasn't blown away by any particular beer, but the alvarinho wine ... and chupitos de orujo ... and the pristine air that filled my lungs ... (sigh) ... Galicia is so intoxicating "as is"

Oh and sidra! Did I mention sidra?

I went to a wedding in Asturias and unfortunately there was nothing to drink at the church ceremony :o (zzzzzz ... I was scolded for trying to take a siesta, at which point I said I was really getting into the sermon and doing yoga), ok I digress ... but the party afterwards featured open bar pre-dinner cocktails and sidra, different wines with each course, cava for dessert, after-dinner drinks and then post-dinner open bar consisting of hard liquor and mixers, available till 6 am.

Holy matrimony! I've never seen anything like that at any US wedding. I wonder if the bride woke up wondering who the groom was?




Churrito

[ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: churrocaliente ]

Drinks on the streets.

We must avoid this practice. It is not funny seeing so many young people really drunk, shouting loud, disturbing the neighborhood, leaving the streets so dirty, with that smell...

No matter if it is cheaper than taking a drink in a pub. The street is not the place for long drinks ('tubo' glasses as someone said above)

Enjoy the beers of Spain, specially Mahou, but try one of these too:
- Aguila Reserva.
- Voll Damn.

And forget those American beers that makes you feel as being in the States (Budweiser, Miller's or Mexicans as Coronita, Sol...)

Try also the beers from the rest of Europe (German WeissBeer as Erdinger, and the ones from Belgium/Holland as Leffe...)

If your are a wine drinker during 'tapas', be sure that the bottle you are drinking from has been opened for you or for the man who is at your side (the oxigen is not good for Baco's drink, and can make it taste as vinegar).

[ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: josemacall ]

Churro,

I totally agree with you....I love Alvariño!(specially when having tapas gallegas). Have you tried Ribeiro?, you'd like it because it's very similar, a little bit less expensive I think(at least where I buy them). Have you ever drunk them in those special 'cuencos'(strange porcelain glasses/bowls)
I know a great place where we can have some when you get here, if you want

I also love sidra casera when having some 'pintxos'(tapas basque-style) or bacalao, etc; and some Jerez/fino/manzanilla ('oloroso' is my favourite), when going for 'tapeo' andaluz.


pim

Pim yes I have tried Ribeiro and I would be honored to drink some in Madrid with you! I'll be there as of the 26th.

I also love jerez/fino/manzanilla. The good stuff is a bit pricey in Miami's tapas places, but occassionally I'll order a copita at my watering hole, condal y peñamil.

By the way everyone, it's funny to me that kids would drink out on the street when they CAN get into a bar. Over here, at least in South Florida, the drinking age limit is higher, and so kids don't have a choice but to drink at home or at a park somewhere. You can't drink on the street or in front of an establishment because that's considered loitering. Of course we don't have plazas and streets like they do in Spain -- those great urban spaces.

In South Beach, it's possible to order a "to go" cocktail from some places, but this isn't for drunken loitering, it's just to have something to drink as you stroll down Lincoln Road or walk to Ocean Drive. I am an early bird, but many folks in vampire mode stay at a bar until 5 am and then go to an after hours bar ... of course they don't have a churrería to go to!

It's funny to read all these postings regarding beer, wine, etc. because all the friends I have who are from Spain drink one thing and one thing only........SCOTCH AND COKE!

Drinking age may be 18, but nobody cares, at least up north.
Drinking in the street is tolerated, at least as long as you aren´t loud and excessively obvious.
Coke and wine is called a "calimocho" (spelled phonetically). Not a personal favorite.
Never heard of anyone that drank scotch and coke.
San Fermin is a great party. New Years, too.

I for one enjoy calimocho. If you have ever been to San Fermin, it is what everyone drinks (and ends up wearing too!)...my white t-shirt and shorts (fashion requirement for San Fermin along with a red bandana) were permanently stained and had to be tossed after the trip.

Another drink is a clara or clarita which is a draft beer mixed with gaseosa (similar to tonic water or a light sprite)

¡Arriba! ¡Abajo! ¡Al centro! ¡Al dentro!

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.

Two bottles of estrella damm one hot afternoon in Toledo had me sleeping on the train back to Madrid with saliva dribbling out of my mouth a la Homer Simpson

For drinking on the streets, check out

guardian tefl

Chip! Welcome back after one year of not posting! At first I imagined you as some "mature" high school student suggesting hard alcohol when visiting Spain on a high school summer trip. hehehe.. So I followed your trail back to one of your most recent postings from July of last year in the " San Fermín- Running of the bulls (Pamplona) " thread. Did'ja run?? Please go back to that old thread and give us your feedback when/if you have time. It's comin' up, ya' know!

Oh, and to everyone.. keeping this thread on track here... umm.. DON'T DRINK and DRIVE when in Spain! (or anywhere, for that matter)