By the end of last year, almost all small domestic breweries had opened their own taproom: Mad Scientist at Szimpla Kert, White Rabbit on Soroksári út, Reketye at Bálna, and Horizont at Gozsdu Udvar more or less purvey their own beers.
But MONYO Tap House at Kálvin tér is an exception, in that its history dates back well before the brewery was set up. In fact, were it not for Ádám Pein, we wouldn’t be talking about it today. The owner tried in vain to offer small-batch brews but at the time, the quality just wasn’t there. So he decided to do it himself. He contacted Antal Németh, then still running an underground operation – and the rest, as they say, is history.
This latest chapter takes place on Erzsébet körút. Sitting down with the Beer Point team behind the Kakas bars, the idea came up that Grand Kakas needed a change of image, and that it could continue as MONYO Grand. Just as in the case of Horizont Taproom By Léhűtő, the old team will be responsible for the day-to-day running, while MONYO provides the brews, the look and the rest.
Since then, debate has been raging among local ale aficionados as to how many taps it might have – and we can reveal that the short answer is 16. Of these, 12 will be regular and four will change monthly, perhaps themed around regions – small-batch brews from Austria, for example, or from different areas of Hungary. For a chaser, you can choose between 12 types of rum and whisky, and eight different gins.
We’ve also been told that various burgers, hot dogs and wraps will also be available, while the latest member of the Radical experimental beer series, Have You Ever Been To MONYO Grand? is being prepared for the opening today, Tuesday 7 May. Look out for it, it’s an IPA session beer created with bergamot. And if this venture proves successful, there’s every reason to believe that MONYO will not stop at two taprooms...
MONYO Grand District VII. Erzsébet körút 53
Open: Mon-Wed noon-midnight, Thur-Sat noon-2am, Sun noon-11pm
