Craft Beer, Tapas and Company. Lunch at Fabrica Moritz

I like beer, maybe not as much as wine, but what I definitely like is the GOOD beer. For me – that’s craft beer. There are plenty of places where to try locally crafted beer here in Barcelona and today we stop to taste the oldest and, maybe, the most known one. Moritz.

Moritz was brought here in 1856 by an Alsacian, Louis Moritz Trautmann, and the brand has soon became an active part of the Catalan culture. Where the former factories are – some 10 minutes away from Plaça Catalunya, today there’s a cool gastronomic space, Fàbrica Moritz. They still have a microbrewery here so make sure you order draft beer to taste the Moritz types in their freshly crafted version.

As I’ve never tasted all their beers, I choose this time to order their sample tastings. We had them all coming fresh directly from their beer LAB, where is continuously brewed, down, on the basement of the factory: the Original, la Epidor, la Red IPA, la Negra, and la Sour, and besides we also tried their bottled Radler.

I really cannot say which one is my fav, I simply loved them all like they are, with their singularities and personality. Could be Epidor if I’m in the right mood for having something strong, of just the Classic if I want a quick refresh. It’s always the Black one when I crave for some dark coffee taste. Or could be Radler if it’s too much summer in Barcelona. But you know what? I really love the Red IPA, it was love at first sight.

We had some food, of course, to accompany the drinks. Some very good local tapas. I highly recommend the beer-steamed chicken or Picanton à la Moritz. The Escalivada plate is also a good option if you want to mix the roasted veggies topped with Cantabric anchovies or you may take the Esqueixada salad if you like raw, desalted codfish meat dressed with juicy Spanish tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.

As for the space, the 19th century factory was revamped in 2011 by one of the most famous contemporary starchitects, Jean Nouvel, the same who designed the Torre Agbar and the Poblenou Park. He left intact most of the brick walls, arches and vaults of the Fàbrica, whilst adding stainless steel details, leaving the beer tanks apparent and creating originally designed elements. Overall, a visit at Fàbrica Moritz is an opportunity to taste the eclectic Barcelona.