No, the people of Spain aren't about to abandon their Rioja, fino sherry, and sparkling cava. But on dry, sunny days when temperatures soar, nothing quenches their thirst like a beer. The numbers bear this out: Spain is the European Union's third-biggest brewing country, and its per-capita beer consumption is not far below the European Union average.
The beer served in Spain is continental Pilsner: cool, crisp, and refreshing. Most it comes from the nation's big breweries; the brands you're likely to see include Cruzcampo, Mahou, Aguila, San Miguel, and Damm.
In Spain, beer is served in a small (approximately 10-ounce) stemmed glass called a caña. The beer, poured slowly from the tap, has a thick head which the bartender smooths with a flat plastic object that looks like a tongue depressor. Most of the time, your beer will come with a small plate of olives or peanuts--a little reminder that food and drink are meant to enhance one another.
Sitting outside, beer in hand and watching the world go by, is one of travel's great pleasures. But if you want to be more than an observer of Spanish life, you need to take part in the tapeo, the nightly celebration of food, drink, and friendship. Perhaps you've been to a tapa bar at home. Now imagine spending an evening with your friends and neighbors, drifting through half a dozen of them.
Tapas reflect a distinctively Spanish style of eating, and a way of life as well. Home entertaining isn't common, so bars and restaurants are the neighborhood meeting places. And in a land where dinner is served at 10 pm, tapas serve a practical function: staving off hunger until mealtime. It's even possible to eat an inexpensive, well-balanced meal consisting entirely of tapas.
According to legend, the tapa tradition began when Castile's King Alfonso the Wise recovered from an illness by drinking wine and nibbling small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered taverns to serve their guests food along with wine.
Nice story, but the origin of tapas is probably more mundane. According to Penelope Casas, an expert on Spanish cuisine, tapas were first served in the southern region of Andalucia in the early 19th century. The regional drink was sherry, an aperitif that goes well with appetizers. Andalucian bartenders began putting a slice of chorizo sausage or serraño ham on top of their customers' wineglasses to keep insects out (the Spanish word tapar means "to cover"). The snacks were a smart marketing ploy; they were on the house, but spicy enough to stimulate thirst.
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