Eric the Red (Эрик Рыжий)
Another recent entry into the Moscow craft beer scene, Eric the Red has a whopping 54 taps (a lot for Moscow) spread out among the bars on all three floors. Floor 1 (basement) has 20 taps as does the 1st floor (main level). The 2nd floor has 14 taps. The tap selection is predominantly Russia beer with a handful of European beer, including a few Belgian beers. They also have coolers stocked with 125+ bottles of beer. The basement and top floor are only open in the evening. Casual menu of Russian pub food is available. There are also a couple outdoor seating areas available. The bar is located on a heavily traveled pedestrian street which is about 1 Km long. This makes the outdoor seating a great people watching place. They have a light food/snack menu (Russian style). This is the best craft beer bar in Moscow right now. The second night I went here, they were installing a Dogfish Head Randall, which infuses a tap pour with flavor enhancing ingredients such as herbs or fruits. As they were installing it, I went over and talked with them about it. They were infusing a local Russian pale ale with grapes and 'fresh' amarillo hops. The hops were bought locally but came from the US in a vacuum sealed pouch. They graciously gave me a sample pour and the infusion really changed the profile of the beer. It was quite an interesting flavor. I'm anxious to see what else they will try. The location is on historical Arbat Street which has existed since the 15th century and was formed as an important trade route and home to a large number of craftsmen. Today, the street is line with various small shops on either side. A few hundred years ago, the Arbat was the most prestigious living area in Moscow, however it was completely destroyed in a fire during Napoleon's occupation of Moscow in 1812. It was subsequently rebuilt. Location: Arbat St, 36/2с1, Moscow Nearest Metro: Smolenskaya Station, Line 3 Updated Jul '16 |
Eric the Red 2nd Floor Bar
Eric the Red Basement Bar
Main Level
Dogfish Head Randall
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Rule Taproom
Rule Taproom opened in late 2015. I stopped here on a late Sunday afternoon. It wasn't the easier place to find, however, it is very close to a subway transfer station for 4 lines. The difficulty in finding it is that the location is down an alley and not visible from the street. You had to enter the alley through a gate. I just followed other people entering the gate, so I figured it must be down there. There was a very steady flow of customers coming and going. Many of the customers got their beer, then drank it outside. Not much for tables outside, but people tended to congregate there, regardless. There were lots of people inside too. They had to change out 5 kegs during my visit, so there is a constant changing of taps, of which there are 27. They also have a selection of 150+bottles. This is another place that does not let you run a tab, even if you are sitting at the bar, so again, it's a little inconvenient to pay with credit card each time. I met some fun people at the bar and ended up staying very late. One of them was an Australian who taught college for a few years in my hometown. Small world! Location: Starovagankovsky Pereulok 19s7 Nearest Metro: Transfer Station for Biblioteka Station (Line 1), Arbatskaya (Line 3), Alexandrovskiy Station (Line 4), Borovitskaya Station (Line 9) Updated Jul '16 |
Rule Taproom
Alley Entry
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Биртайм (Beer Time)
Open since late 2015, this small beer pub is located down an alley among several small restaurants and shops. It is in the basement level and to the right after going down the stairs. This may be the cheapest craft beer bar in Moscow. There are many beers for around $2.00 US or less for a .4 liter pour (typical beer glass). There are 20 taps serving primarily Russian craft beer. No heavy hitters served here and the strongest beer was about 7%. When I was there, it was just a slow trickle of people who came and drank one beer, then left. It was very hot inside. I don't think they have air conditioning. There is a small grill behind the bar that will fry up a burger for you. Pay per beer - no tabs. Location: Sushchevskaya ul., 19 Nearest Metro: Transfer Station for Mendeleevskaya Station (Line 9) and Novoslobodskaya (Line 5) Updated Jul '16 |
Beer Menu
Биртайм
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Crafter Bar
Open since September 2015, this second floor bar serves up a very nice selection of craft beer from 26 taps. They also have about 10 bottles available. The beer selection is mostly Russian craft beer. There were a handful of Euro beers (1 Danish, 1 BrewDog and a few Belgian) and one US beer - Rogue Ales. None of the beers stood out as being outstanding but as seems to be the case with Russian craft beer, it was good. It is not a large place. There are 5 bar stools and about 12 tables throughout the bar area. This is another pay per beer bar. There is a limited food menu, including burgers. The greasy odor filtered into the bar area. That was the only negative. Overall, a nice place with a friendly staff. Location: Starovagankovsky Pereulok 19s7 Nearest Metro: Transfer Station for Tverskaya Station (Line 2), Chekhovskaya (Line 7), Pushkinskaya Station (Line 9) Updated Jul '16 |
Entrance
Bar Area
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PivBar
Another late 2015 entry into the Moscow craft beer scene. A good sized bar with 2 rooms and lots of tables. No seating directly at the bar but plenty of room in the bar area. Some of the bartenders had difficulty with English gave me a frustrating look, like why are you here, when I tried to explain that someone else was already helping me. Order at the bar, pay by cash and go find a table to sit. It was extremely crowded, so I shared a table with others. Conveniently located across the street from a metro station. There is food available, but I think it is light snacks. There was nothing in English. 30 taps and 100+ bottles. All the beer on tap was signed in Russian, even the American beers, so it was difficult to decipher what was what. Luckily, the Untappd beer app on my phone was extremely good of displaying the English name of the beer when I type in the Russian Beer. It's not 100%, but quite good. Location: 1-ya Tverskaya-Yamskaya ul Nearest Metro: Mayakovskaya Station (Line 2) Updated Jul '16 |
PivBar Tap List
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