Malt & Grain

What malt is Barcelona's beer brewed from? Mostly pale barley. Spain is one of Europe's major barley growers, and the grain is cultivated primarily inland, in regions like Castile and Aragón. From there, the brewing barley travels to maltings, which germinate it and then kiln it — that is, dry it.

For a pale lager, lightly kilned Pilsner malt is used. It gives the beer the color of straw, a hint of bread crust, and just enough sweetness to balance the hop bitterness. Strong roasted notes are unwanted here — the beer is meant to stay clear and pale in the glass.

Things get more interesting with Estrella Damm Inedit, which the brewery developed together with star chef Ferran Adrià of restaurant El Bulli. According to the brewery, it's made from two beers: a classic barley malt beer and a wheat beer brewed with spices. The wheat beer follows the style of Belgian witbier, for which part of the wheat is left unmalted.

Daura is another special case. This beer from the Damm brand is brewed from barley malt rather than sorghum or rice, as many other gluten-free beers are. The brewery uses its own process to break down the gluten, reducing it, according to the manufacturer, to less than 3 ppm — three parts per million.

The craft scene brings in further ingredients. For hazy, juicy Hazy IPAs, brewers like to mix wheat and oats into the grain bill to give the beer a soft, dense texture. The malt for this usually comes from Spain or is sourced from other European countries.