You might remember from my last post that I was given a free beer voucher (!!) for Icelandic Craft Bar, following a really great experience at their sister restaurant, Icelandic Street Food, next door.
It was definitely an experience I did not want to pass up!
Icelandic Craft Bar is located right in the heart of Reykjavik, at Lækjargata 6a, 101 Reykjavík.
Serving only Icelandic craft beer from different breweries of Iceland, they offer a unique opportunity to taste your way around the country in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
They offer wine, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks too — as well as Happy Hour specials!
If it’s your first time in Iceland, you should try their Shark Tale Shot, which includes a shot of Brennivín (Icelandic aquavit, that has a mild licorice flavour from the cumin and caraway seeds it is made with) and a piece of infamous fermented shark. Doing this is practically a right of passage!
During my visit, I had the chance to try three very different beers and an off-menu cocktail too.
The first beer I tried is Segull 67‘s new Siglo IPA. Coincidentally, I had walked by their brewery the day before, when I was visiting Siglufjörður in North Iceland.
Segull 67 is a small family-owned craft brewery that operates out of an old fish factory, that has since been modified into a brewhouse. In Icelandic, “segull” means magnet; and being such a northern brewery, it signifies how the needle on a compass always points to the magnetic north. 67 has long been a lucky number for the family.
This beer is an American-style IPA. Hoppy, but not too bitter, with hints of citrus and floral notes. I found it was refreshing after a relatively warm day of hiking and would recommend it to anyone who likes IPAs.
Ölvisholt Brewery’s Lava Smoked Imperial Stout is a truly unique beer that you need to try.
Ölvisholt is a microbrewery located at an old dairy farm in Selfoss, South Iceland. It was started by two neighbouring farmers about 13 years ago, and now exports to Sweden and the USA too. They now have a female brewmaster, Ásta Ósk Hlöðversdóttir, who has a background in engineering, chemisty, and physics.
This beer is particularly unique because it tastes like lava. Yes, that is how everyone describes it. Inspired by the active volcano Hekla, nearby, it smells like a smoky mix of charcoal and coffee, and tastes like smoky dark chocolate, caramel, coffee, nuts, biscuits, and licorice. It’s like the tastes and smells of Iceland in a bottle. Minus the sulphur.
I like the Lava stout so much that I decided to try another beer from the same brewery.
I opted for something lighter and chose Ölvisholt’s Freyja Witbier. Aptly named after the goddess of love and fertility, this beer is fresh and citrussy, with hints of coriander.
This beer is definitely a crowd-pleaser, from people who are avid beer connoisseurs to those who only drink occasionally. It was a great beer to finish off my tasting!
Icelandic Craft Bar has a really talented bartender. In addition to being really friendly and hilarious, he can mix up some pretty incredible concoctions as well. He made cocktails with various ingredients for some of us to try. They were actually the best I had in Reykjavik!
Funny story with this drink: the glass’ stem broke, so we rested it in another cocktail glass full of ice. Kept the drink nice and cold!
If you’re looking for a places to unwind after a meal or a day of adventure, I recommend paying this place a visit! Skál!