Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2012, Blaðsíða 42

42
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2012
Words
Byron wilkes
Photo
alísa Kalyanova
Iceland is often heralded for its
wild nightlife on weekends. Late-
night debauchery has even gained
the attention of the US government,
which now warns tourists about the
carousing that takes place in down-
town Reykjavík.
Belying this alluring degeneracy,
though, is the bad rap Iceland gets
for its big-name beer brands, beers at
which connoisseurs would no doubt
turn their nose up and turn to sobriety
instead.
But one bar is doing its part here
in Reykjavík. The hero's name is Mi-
cro Bar. Micro Bar currently carries
between 80–90 beers, even carrying
upwards of 100 at times. The beers
come from Belgium, Denmark, America
(no Natural Light or Pabst Blue Ribbon
here, though) and yes, Iceland. From
pale ales, IPAs, stouts, imperial stouts,
barley wines and even a few lagers, Mi-
cro Bar has something for those who
enjoy flavour with their beer.
Bartender Steinn Stefánsson says
the bar is always branching out for rar-
er beers, and at least 25 of the beers it
sells cannot be found elsewhere in Ice-
land. “The more rare, and special the
beer is, the bigger seller it is,” Steinn
says. “People ask us, ‘Can I get a Sol?
Can I get a Corona?’ But we don't have
them because we only want to have
brands that you cannot get any place
else in town.”
Beers typically cost around 1,000
ISK, but one beer (the Trappist Westv-
leteren 12 of Belgium) sells for as much
as 4,750 ISK. And for good reason: this
beer ranks No. 1 on many beer rating
websites, though sadly, Steinn says of
the twelve bottles recently purchased,
only one remains. The bar's draft selec-
tion of Icelandic microbrews hits closer
to home (and are lighter on the wallet).
During Happy Hour, which is between
17:00–19:00, one of their draft beers
(this changes daily) can be had for 500
ISK.
On that note, Micro Bar does its part
in promoting Icelandic microbreweries,
with a bunch of Gæðingur on tap and
other microbrews from Bruggsmiðjan
and Ölvisholt by the bottle. The beers
on draft, though, change too. Perhaps
no surprise, the founder of Gæðingur
helped make Micro Bar a reality. As
the story goes, a particular Reykjavík
bar stopped offering some of the coun-
try's micro brews, so Gæðingur's owner
teamed up with some people to put a
bar smack dab in the middle of Reyk-
javík that would feature strictly micro-
brews.
Steinn says credit also goes to Ingi
and Andri Kjartansson, owners of dis-
tributor/importer company Járn og
Gler. Steinn claims these part-time beer
aficionados are largely responsible for
choosing the bar's wares, constantly
keeping an eye out for the finer tastes
in beer.
Micro Bar has some hard liquor and
wine, but the real reason to go is to
sample some of finest beer you can find
in Iceland. “We don't have any live mu-
sic,” Steinn says. “This is a place where
you can come, enjoy good beer and sit
down and actually talk to each other.”
A refreshing quaff apart from tradi-
tional Icelandic nightlife, indeed.
“Micro Bar has some hard liquor and wine, but the
real reason to go is to sample some of finest beer you
can find in Iceland”
Tel: +354 411 5000 • www.itr.is • www.itr.is
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Reykjavik's Thermal Pools
A source of health
Thermal pools and baths in Reykjavik are a source of health,
relaxation and pureness. All of the city´s swimming pools
have several hot pot´s with temperatures ranging from
37˚ to 42˚C (98˚–111˚F). The pools are kept at an average
temperature of 29˚ C (84˚ F).
Thermal
swimming
pools
Saunas,
steambathsand showers
Hot tubs
and
jacuzzi
Special | Best Of Reykjavík - Best Beer Selection: Micro Bar
Special | Best Of Iceland: Food to try
REAL LIVE BEER CULTURE
IN ICELAND
By Ragnar Egilsson
• The oxtail meatballs with blue
cheese at Forréttabarinn. Thank God
for small portions because those pack
a fatty punch. Cranberries save the dish
from going off the deep end.
• Empire State at Roadhouse. Went
off the deep end, swam to the moon
and came back with a grilled cheese
sandwich between its teeth (along with
jalapeno, bacon, eggs, onion rings and
two large burgers). Comfort food bor-
dering on discomfort.
• Mussels at Höfnin. They were huge
when we went there (no guarantees—
mussels are fickle bastards) and come
with three tasty dipping sauces.
• Bacalao at Snaps. Fresher than
salted cod has any right to be. Perfectly
balanced dish and my favourite bacalao
in Iceland.
• Æsufellingur at Íslenski Barinn.
Slow-cooked, beer braised shoulder of
lamb with a beer-mayonnaise. You can
barely go wrong with lamb in Iceland
and it’s hard to point at any one place
as having the best lamb. But this dish
at Íslenski barinn is tasty, original and
affordable
• Rye bread ice-cream at Café Loki.
Rye bread wins the prize for the least
versatile and most over-used ingredi-
ent in 2012, but Café Loki has tamed
the wild Icelandic basics. Fun, authen-
tic, rustic, all the right buzzwords. The
skyr cake is also good there.
• The scallops with sea buckthorn
and pine at Dill Restaurant. Strictly for
the food geeks. Dill is Iceland’s answer
to Noma and a must try for the adven-
turous, fans of Scandinavian cuisine
and localvores of all stripes.
SEVEN GREAT DISHES TO TRY
IN ICELAND
Best beer selection
Micro Bar, Austurstræti 6, 101 E4