When you think about Spain, I’d guess the first beverage that pops into your mind would be wine, such as Cava, or perhaps a Tempranillo from Rioja. But these days, Spain has a fast-growing craft Beer scene as well, including a couple of different beer festivals throughout the year. One such craft beer event in Spain is the Birrasana Festival de Cervesa Artesana de Blanes, or Birrasana Craft Beer Festival of Blanes.

The Birrasana Beer Festival held it’s fifth annual installment from May 1 – 3, 2015, along the Passeig Maritim de Blanes, right on the beach promenade.

Note: The 2016 Birrasana Craft Beer Festival dates have been announced: May 13-15, 2016.

This year, Birrasana featured 127 beers by 26 breweries housed within the 1500M2 festival tent. There were local craft breweries representing Catalunya, as well as craft breweries from other regions of Spain. There were even some invited craft breweries from France, Italy, Germany, and even Hungary. The organizers of the festival, l’Associacio Birrasana and Cervesa Marina, were more particular for this fifth edition to ensure quality over quantity, with a wide varieties of beer and brewing styles represented in the offerings.

Some of the beers available for tasting, as well as their brewers who were on hand to showcase their beers.

Alongside the beer, the Birrasana Festival also offers food, as well as a weekend-long program of live bands to entertain the crowd.

And to top it all off, the Birrasana Craft Beer Festival also offers the most stunning views I have ever encountered at a craft beer festival, directly onto the beach of Blanes and the Mediterranean Sea.

How to taste at Birrasana Craft Beer Festival

Tasting at the Birrasana Craft Beer festival is a bit of a hybrid style. Similar to the other festivals I have attended in Belgium and the Netherlands, you first buy a tasting glass with the program of beers from the main festival information booths at either end of the tent. Unlike other festivals I have attended though, you don’t also pre-purchase drink tokens or tickets, but instead you just pay for each beer at the brewer’s booth.

Some breweries also offer bottles that you can purchase to take with you, some of which were not available for tasting.

I attended Birrasana during the TBEX Travel Bloggers conference in Lloret de Mar, Spain. Some TBEX attendees did attend Birrasana as part of an excursion organized through the conference, but I attended at my own expense.