Tuesday, 09 July 2019 12:48

Viva: Gran Canaria's Original Craft Beer (And Where To Try It)

Gran Canaria's original Viva craft beer Gran Canaria's original Viva craft beer

Gran Canaria's craft beer scene has frothed up nicely in the last few years with 22 breweries attending the last Gran Canaria beer fair. But one brewery, Cervezería Viva, has been making quality craft beer in Gran Canaria since 1999.

With eight different beers, each with a Gran Canaria twist but made to German purity regulations, Viva is well worth tracking down when you are in Gran Canaria. It really does make a beer for every taste...

  • Somo Costeros: A premium bottled beer with a 6.5% AVB.
  • La Morena: An amber ale with toasted malt.
  • Soy de Aquí: A quality pilsen with a body and a touch of bitterness.
  • Eres un Puntal: A light and refreshing lager.
  • Viva Trigo: An unfiltered wheat beer with a hint of citrus.
  • Viva Negra Hapyness: A stout with a hint of coffee.
  • Let's Go Canarias: A lovely unfiltered pale ale with fruiy and citrussy notes. 
  • Viva Libre: Beer with less than one percent alcohol for a refreshing change.

Which one should you try? We suggest starting with the first and working your way down the list.

Viva only works with returnable bottles so you can't buy it in supermarkets. Its bottled beers are sold in many bars and the brewery even offers a free delivery service all over Gran Canaria.

For draft Viva, head to the following spots all over Gran Canaria.

Try draft Viva beer in Las Palmas city

In Vegueta old town, Te lo Dije Perez sells Viva blond and Morena (amber) lager on draft. It's at Calle Obispo Codilla 6; the street that runs up the hill towards the cathedral. At number four on the same street, Tasca El Canalla does the Viva special blond. 

On the Las Canteras beachfront, head to Paddy's Irish bar (by the pirate ship playground on the sand) for the Viva blond lager or to Somos Costeros; Viva's own restaurant under the palms of La Puntilla at the nothern tip of the beach. 

Alex Says: For more about the Las Palmas beer bar scene, read our guide

Drink draft Viva beer in south Gran Canaria

In Playa del Inglés, the Viva special blond brew is on draft at the Atelier Cocktail Bar on top of the Bohemia Spa and resort and at German butcher/restaurant Piicasso (amber lager). The Machbar sportsbar stocks pilsner and Viva is also available on draft at the El Carretón steakhouse. 

In Puerto Rico, the Happy Valley Indian restaurants stock Viva, as does the El Ciervo steak house. La Taberna Timanfaya sells the Somos Costeros permium Viva beer in bottles.

At Playa de Mogán head to Sol y Luna for a taste of draft Viva and a creative twist on Canarian food. 

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Tip of the day

  • The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!
    The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!

    If there is one thing we hate it is visitors being tricked in Gran Canaria. In the past we've warned about overcharging at Gran Canaria chemists, and rip off electronics shops in resorts. 

    In this Tip Of The Day we return to the island's chemists or rather, to the island's fake chemists.

    A chemist in Gran Canaria is called a Farmacia and always has a green cross sign. Farmacias are the only place tobuy medicine in Spain, even basics like paracetamol.

    However, there is another kind of shop in Gran Canaria that looks and sounds like a chemist but doesn't sell medicine. This is the Parafarmacia and it also uses a green cross sign.

    A parafarmacia is a herbal medicine shop that is not allowed to sell any normal medicine such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antibiotics. 

    Instead, parafarmacias sell herbal alternatives to medicine but don't have to prove that they work and they can charge whatever they want.

    We recently heard from a visitor to Gran Canaria who went into a parafarmacia and was charged 40 euros for a herbal alternative to Ibuprofen. It was only when they read the label that they realised what had happened. 

    To locate a genuine farmacia, see this website and search within your municipio (Puerto Rico is in Mogán, Playa del Inglés is in San Bartolomé de Tirajana). At weekends and on fiesta days many farmacias close but there is always one open, known as the farmacia de guardia, in each municipio.

    Search for the nearest one to you with this tool

    Lex Says: To keep costs down, see this article for the way to ask for generic medicine rather than expensive branded alternatives. 

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