The tap board, this month
Microbar, on Vesturgata
Microbar is the basement craft-beer room on Vesturgata, near the corner of Aðalstræti, that pulled together fourteen taps of Icelandic-only craft beer in 2012 and has been rotating them ever since. The bar is small (around thirty seats, half of them at the bar itself), the lighting is warm, and the staff treat the tap list as a working menu that changes by the week. The right way to understand Microbar is to read the current board.
01
Kaldi Blond
Pilsner
5.0%
The bar's standing reference pour - the flagship Icelandic craft pilsner from Árskógssandur. If you like it, order more. If you don't, the staff will route you toward something darker.
02
Borg Brugghús Skjálfti
Helles Lager
5.2%
From Reykjavík's own Borg brewery. A clean, malt-led helles named after seismic activity. The lager that Reykjavík bartenders order when they want a beer that does not announce itself.
03
Einstök White Ale
Belgian Wit
5.2%
A Belgian-style wit brewed in Akureyri with Icelandic glacial water. The export-friendly Icelandic beer most foreign visitors will already have tried.
04
Kaldi Smoked Porter
Smoked Porter
6.0%
Brewed with malt smoked over Icelandic birch. Drinks like a campfire. The right second pour if you started on the Kaldi Blond.
05
Borg Snorri
Pale Ale
5.6%
Hopped with American Cascade and Centennial, balanced with Icelandic barley. Named for Snorri Sturluson, the 13th-century historian.
06
RVK Brewing Co. Lava IPA
West Coast IPA
7.0%
From Reykjavík's newer craft brewery. Aggressively hopped, bitter, dry. The pour the bar uses to test whether you actually like IPA or just say you do.
07
Ölgerðin Egils Gull
Lager
5.0%
The mass-market Icelandic lager - the bar carries it for visitors who want what Icelanders drink at home. Inoffensive, well-made.
08
Borg Garún No. 1
Imperial Stout
11.5%
A heavy imperial stout aged for months. Order it in a tasting pour, not a full pint. The bar's most considered serious drink.
The remaining six taps rotate weekly. The board on the wall is hand-chalked; ask the staff for what is on if you cannot see clearly. The bar's pricing is honest by Icelandic standards (a half-litre around 1,400-1,900 ISK depending on style); a small tasting flight of four pours is around 2,400 ISK. Open every day, closes 1am Sunday through Thursday, 3am on Friday and Saturday.
