Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2018, Page 32

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
32
“With a classic rock perma-soundtrack and
a gastropub vibe, it’s the perfect place to ei-
ther be a dad, or take your dad. Or grandad.”
CITY GUIDE
Beer,
Glorious Beer
Iceland catches up with the international
craft beer trend
Words: John Rogers Photos: Art Bicnick & Timothée Lambrecq
1988 sucked in Iceland. Beer, be-
lieve it or not, was still puritan-
ically illegal. However, in 1989—
as the world flocked to see the
first ‘Batman’ reboot and ‘Hon-
ey, I Shrunk The Kids!’—all that
changed. Icelanders immediately
started getting their drink on, and
they’ve never looked back. Recent-
ly, brands like Einstök, Kex, Borg
and Kaldi have changed the game
again with their all-Icelandic craft
beer recipes—these days, you can
barely move without bumping
into some kind of experimental
rhubarb gose or quintuple IPA,
and there are micro breweries
coming out of the woodwork.
Beer enthusiasts, rejoice... in the
following places.
KEX Hostel
Skúlagata 28
Kex have been a leading propo-
nent of the Icelandic beer revo-
lution. They run the Annual Ice-
landic Beer Festival, which brings
together international brewers
with their local colleagues for
three days of tasting and revelry.
Kex also brew their own beers,
with wonderful early results—the
“Forbidden Fruit” in particular is
a very zingy sour ale. The Kex or-
ganisation is at the epicentre of
Iceland’s craft beer revolution.
Mikkeller & Friends
Hverfisgata 12
Groundbreaking Danish craft
brewery Mikkeller have a nice bar
in Reykjavík. It’s called Mikkeller
& Friends, because of the con-
stantly-changing variety of guest
ales that sit alongside the Mik-
keller brews on the taps. It’s pric-
ey, but you get what you pay for
here—Mikkeller & friends turn
every flavour up to eleven.
Kaldi
Laugavegur 20b
Kaldi is one of the champion craft
beer brands of Iceland, brewed
up north near Akureyri. Their
bar in Reykjavík is a cosy hole-in-
the-wall place, with a literal hole
in the wall—a former alleyway is
now an additional seating area.
Patrons can get a satisfyingly
chunky pint of their unfiltered la-
ger, dark ale, or whatever seasonal
brew is currently on the taps.
Microbar
Vesturgata 2
The charming geek of the craft bar
family, Microbar is a tucked-away
basement on Vesturgata that has
a healthy selection on tap, and
a veritable vault available by the
bottle. The barmen are true beer
aficionados, and they’re always
ready for a chat. It’s often quiet on
weeknights, so you might be able
to hear yourself think. Bonus!
Skúli Craft Bar
Aðalstræti 9
Skúli is the most “dad” of an al-
ready very daddish bar selec-
tion. With a classic rock per-
ma-soundtrack and a gastropub
vibe, it’s the perfect place to either
be a dad, or take your dad. Or
grandad, for that matter. They
have lots of Icelandic and interna-
tional guest beers, and a Bao Bun
food truck parked outside. Bring
your own flat cap and dance sit-
ting down.
Bryggjan Brugghús
Grandagarður 8
This spacious, swanky beer palace
out on Grandi has an in-house
brewery producing a constant ro-
tation of interesting new things
to try. It’s a bit pricey, but if you’re
with a large group, you’ll definite-
ly be able to get a seat.
Icelandic Craft Bar
Lækjargata 6a
This new tourist-oriented bar
on Lækjargata is one of the few
places you can pick up Austri
beer, which is brewed out in East
Iceland. They have an all-Icelan-
dic selection, and have set their
hearts on having pretty much ev-
ery craft beer in Iceland available,
on tap or by the bottle. They also
have a basement for entertain-
ment, so you can expect some Vi-
king shit to be going down in the
immediate vicinity.
Vesturgötu 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel. 551 2344 | www.tapas.is
late night dining
Our kitchen is open
until 23:30 on weekdays
and 01:00 on weekends
A LOCAL FAVOURITE
FOR 17 YEARS
TAPASBARINN – A MUST TRY IN ICELAND
Experience tapas the Icelandic way, made with
the freshest local ingredients in an energetic
and vibrant atmosphere.