Best Spanish Beer: Where To Buy It

If you're looking to buy Spanish beer, you're in luck! There are several online retailers that offer a wide variety of Spanish beers, including Total Wine & More, Your Spanish Shop, Beers of Europe, and Basco Fine Foods. These websites offer a range of options, from classic Spanish beers like Estrella Galicia, San Miguel, and Mahou to craft beers from microbreweries across Spain. In addition to online options, you may also be able to find Spanish beers at your local liquor or specialty store, especially if you're located in a major city. So, whether you're looking for a crisp lager to beat the Spanish summer heat or a unique craft beer to enjoy during a fiesta, you should be able to find a Spanish beer that suits your taste and budget.

Spanish beer in the US

Although Spain is one of the largest European beer producers, it hasn't been known for producing quality or noteworthy beer, with big breweries dominating the market. However, in recent years, Spain has caught on to the craft brewery trend, and now there is a lot more variety in Spanish beers. While not all products are available in the US, there are still plenty of options to try.

Where to Buy Spanish Beer in the US

You can buy Spanish beer online from various retailers, including Total Wine & More, Drizly, and Basco Fine Foods. These websites offer a range of Spanish beers, including craft beers and well-known brands such as Estrella Galicia, Alhambra, and Mahou. Some websites also offer free delivery on orders over a certain amount.

Popular Spanish Beers

One of the most popular Spanish beers in the US is Estrella Galicia, which has a bright golden colour and a refreshing taste. Other well-known Spanish beer brands in the US include Alhambra, with its traditional German-inspired Pilsner style, and Mahou, which has been a favourite in Madrid for over 120 years.

If you're looking for something different, you can try craft beers from the Catalonia region, which offers a wide range of styles, including lagers, IPAs, and ales. These breweries use Catalan traditions to inspire their beers, including interesting bottle designs and names reaching back to medieval times.

So, whether you're looking for a well-known brand or something more unique, there are plenty of options for Spanish beer in the US. Cheers!

Spanish beer online

Although Spain is traditionally known for its wine, beer is also widely consumed in the country. In fact, Spain is one of the largest European beer producers, ranking third after Germany and the UK. The Spanish craft beer scene has been growing in recent years, with microbreweries popping up across the country, particularly in regions like Catalonia. These microbreweries are getting creative with hop combinations and spices, giving Spanish beer a unique flavour.

Where to Buy Spanish Beer Online

There are several online retailers that offer a wide variety of Spanish beers for purchase. Here are some options:

• Gastronomic Spain: This website offers a range of beers from all regions of Spain, including well-known brands such as Alhambra, Ambar, Amstel, Cruzcampo, Estrella Damm, Estrella Galicia, Mahou, and San Miguel. They provide free shipping throughout Europe for orders over €89.99, with no weight limit.
• Beerbay: This website features a selection of Spanish craft beers, including brands such as La Pirata, Laugar, Edge Brewing, and Garage Beer Co. They offer a range of unique and innovative beers from independent craft brewers across Spain.
• Beer Sapiens: This website supports independent craft brewers from across Spain, aiming to democratize beer consumption and give visibility to brewers at a national level. They offer free shipping in Peninsular Spain for orders over €49 and have a wide range of beers available.
• Beers of Europe: This website offers a selection of Spanish beers, including both traditional favourites and unique offerings. They have a range of low-alcohol beers as well as options from well-known brands such as Alhambra, Estrella Damm, Estrella Galicia, and Mahou. They offer free delivery for orders over £100.
• Your Spanish Shop: This online store offers a wide variety of Spanish products, including beers from popular brands such as Alhambra, San Miguel, Mahou, Cruzcampo, and Estrella Galicia. They offer a range of pack sizes and prices to suit different needs and budgets.

Whether you're looking for a traditional Spanish lager or a unique craft beer, these online retailers provide a convenient way to purchase Spanish beer from the comfort of your home.

Spanish lager

Traditional Spanish Lagers

Traditional Spanish lagers are the most popular type of Spanish beer. They are brewed using time-honoured techniques and ingredients, resulting in a unique taste and aroma. These lagers are light, crisp, and refreshing, with a slightly sweet flavour that makes them easy to drink.

Some popular traditional Spanish lagers include:

• Alhambra Reserva 1925: A lager with a light and refreshing taste and a hint of bitterness, making it a great pairing with tapas.
• Mahou: Founded in Madrid in 1890, Mahou is the most popular beer brand in Spain. It offers a range of beers, with Mahou Cinco Estrellas and Mahou Clásica being the most well-known. Cinco Estrellas has an intense taste and a higher alcohol content (5.5%), while Clásica has a lighter texture and a fruity flavour.
• San Miguel: A well-known beer with many different types and textures. San Miguel Especial is a balanced beer with pleasant bitterness and toasted notes of barley—perfect with potato chips and olives!
• Estrella Galicia: This lager is manufactured in La Coruña, Galicia, and is exported worldwide. It is a bright-golden beer made with extremely bitter malts and hops, undergoing a 20-day fermentation, cooking, and maturation process.

Craft Spanish Lagers

Craft Spanish lagers are a newer variety, gaining popularity in Spain. Craft brewers experiment with different ingredients and techniques, resulting in unique tastes and aromas. Some notable craft Spanish lagers include:

• Barcelona-based breweries that produce full-bodied, flavourful lagers using locally sourced ingredients and traditional brewing methods.
• Madrid-based breweries that create light and refreshing lagers with a twist, inspired by traditional Spanish recipes.

Where to Buy Spanish Lager

Alcohol-free Spanish beer

One of the most well-known Spanish beers, Estrella Galicia, offers an alcohol-free version of their flagship beer. The alcohol content is reduced to 0.0% using advanced vacuum distillation, which does not alter the beer's original character. This beer can be purchased online from Dry Drinker and Total Wine & More.

Another popular Spanish beer, Mahou, also offers an alcohol-free version of their classic lager. Mahou Sin is described as a standard lager without the alcohol, with a subtle malty flavour. It is available in Spain and can be purchased online from Your Spanish Shop.

Amstel, another well-known beer brand, offers two non-alcoholic options: Amstel 0.0 Pura Malta and Amstel Oro. The former is described as a refreshing, everyday lager, best served cold. The latter is said to have a rich golden colour and more complex flavours, resulting from the roasting process used in its manufacture. Both options are available in Spain and can be purchased from supermarkets such as Consum.

Other Spanish alcohol-free beers include:

• Adlerbrau Sin Alcohol
• San Miguel 0.0
• Daura Damm Lager
• Moritz 0.0
• Free Damm
• Cruzcampo

Spanish beer in Spain

Beer is the drink of choice for many Spaniards, especially during the hot summer months, and it goes perfectly with tapas. In fact, Spain is a major beer-producing country, second only to Germany in terms of the number of people it employs in the beer industry in Europe. In 2016, the average Spaniard drank 46.4 litres of beer.

Each region in Spain has its own local beer. In Madrid, you'll find Mahou on tap; in Barcelona, it's Estrella Damm or Mortiz; in Granada, it's Alhambra; in the north, Estrella Galicia is popular; and in the Valencia region, you'll find Ambar Zaragoza and Estrella Levante.

There are also many artisanal beers to try in Spain. These include 'Montseny Mala Vida Chili', a Catalan beer with spiced notes; 'La Virgen de Castañas', a Madrilenian beer made with roasted chestnuts; and 'La Sagra Blanca de Trigo', a light-coloured beer with a fruity, floral aroma.

If you want to order a beer in Spain, it's not as simple as "una cerveza, por favor". Beer sizes vary across the country, and there's a whole vocabulary associated with ordering a beer. For example, a caña is a small glass of beer, usually around 200ml (6.7 ounces), while a tubo is about 333ml. A doble is a larger pour, and a jarra can refer to either a tankard-sized glass of beer or a jug of beer with separate glasses to share. If you want a beer with lemonade or soda, ask for a clara, also known as a shandy.

Frequently asked questions