An Arctic Bar Crawl under the Midnight Sun

I am a big fan of Bar Crawls, especially on travels, as they are a great way to discover the local way of life and immerse myself in the traditions and culture of the place I am exploring. So, no matter what kind of destination I visit - be it a former fishing village or a throbbing urban jungle - I always chart out a bar crawl map to explore the best watering holes in town to check after the sun goes down.  But I certainly didn't expect to indulge in this exercise in a remote archipelago that is one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, and known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and tundra sheltering polar bears! 

Tucked away far to the north of Norway, at a mere 650 miles from the North Pole, Svalbard is probably the remotest and wildest place in the Arctic with regularly scheduled flights. This is as close as most mortals can get to the North Pole.  Located deep inside the Arctic circle, the wonderful archipelago is an otherworldly land of dramatic snow-covered peaks, colossal glaciers, enormous ice fields, pristine fjords, forbidding icebergs, and of course, a significant population of Polar bears that roam around the towns freely! 

Isolated on this polar archipelago at 78 degrees north, the islands' capital town of Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost permanent settlement. A settlement that is made up of around 2000 residents who are used to extremes. So when I visited this archipelago, I didn't expect to find anything more than barren lands of tundra, research stations, polar bears, and a few minimal establishments. However, what I found on the ground blew my mind.  I wasn’t expecting a warm, diverse, and interesting community that had carved out a fine way of living in a place where life exists in its most primal form - squeezed between the rocks and ocean and persisting in spite of the punishing wind and cold. I might not have found Polar Bears, but I did find Polar Beers!

Everything from gourmet burgers and craft beers to boutique liquor shops and massive grocery stores was available in the town. The tiny town even houses a swanky cocktail bar! I visited the island during the legendary Polar Summer  - a magical time of year between mid-May and late August when day and night become one in the High Arctic, and the light is the same around the clock!  A time during which the Midnight Sun dominates the sky and doesn't ever drop below the horizon.  This combination of a seemingly endless Arctic night with its perpetual sunlight, and an array of bars that were all packed within a small radius, was more than enough motivation for me to embark on a legendary Arctic Bar Crawl! 

Svalbard Bryggeri

Kicked off the one-of-a-kind bar crawl at what's supposed to be the world’s northernmost brewery! Northernmost Craft Brewery to be precise. When you brew beer in the Arctic, you have easy access to a special ingredient: Glaciers. 16% of the water used to brew Svalbard Brewery’s beer supposedly comes from the Bogerbreen glacier. And its makers claim the meltwater from the 2000-year-old glaciers and the arctic minerals that are used as ingredients give their beers a unique flavour.  And I wholeheartedly endorse that! You can either take a brewery tour or sample all of them at the brewery's beautifully designed Taproom.

Barentz Gastropub

Located inside the Radisson Blu hotel, this is a great place to meet some locals who live and work at 78 degrees north. or exchange stories of your arctic adventures with other travellers! The drinks menu includes a locally crafted Barentz Arctic Pale Ale, in addition to a variety of speciality beers from northern Norway.

Karlsberger Pub

Known as KB by the locals,  this is a small, but very well-stocked pub in the heart of Longyearbyen.  Set into a cosy wooded room, this is Longyearbyen’s most atmospheric place to get sauced and chat up a local. While they don’t serve draught beers, what they do offer is an astounding selection of whiskey and cognac. They claim to have in stock over a thousand different varieties! Some of them, are very vintage. Like the unique collection of Armagnac, dating from 1908 to 1989! 

Stationen

This place is more of a restaurant than a bar, but certainly deserves its place in this crawl thanks to the pub-like ambience it has. Stationen lies in a building that is a historical part of Longyearbyen's mining history - a shopping centre that was a former wardrobe for miners. And the name 'Stationen' comes from the archipelago's history of housing whale hunting stations.  They have Svalbard Brygerri's IPA and Pale ale on tap, that's great to sample along with some fine Norwegian cuisine.

Kroa Steakers

Another historic gastropub where a lot of locals convene to socialize and catch up over drinks and food. The interior of the bar is uber-romantic and cabin-cosy. Decked with old driftwood and decorated with pictures from hunting time, the place oozes character from all corners. Apart from fine ales, this is a great place to also sample some hyper-local cuisine - like cured arctic char, smoked minke whale, pepper steak and moose burger!

[Image Credit: Loosethemap.com]

Svalbar Pub

At this point in the crawl, it might feel like you've had an overdose of old-world charm and a bit too much expedition lodge vibes. And this bar is the best way to shift that mood to a new world feel. With a Les Paul signed by four members of Mõtley Crüe and enough Drakkar Noir-wearing Norwegians to film a reality show, this spacious bar, filled with large vinyl couches, is the perfect place for authentic local colour after hours. Also, a great place to play pool or darts, or catch some sports on the Telly.

[Image Credit: visitsvalbard.com]