Starbucks 'Trenta': How The New Size Compares To Your Stomach
Famous Death Row Last Meals
A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.
For 20 weeks now, What's On Tap has taken a peek at some amazing beer-friendly bars from all across the country (and once, even beyond). Problem is, the US of A is massive and new brew-based establishments are opening all the time. So this week, What's On Tap is asking you, our readers, for your favorites.
The only restriction? The locales must serve draft beer of noteworthy quality. Sure, a lot of great bars serve pitchers of PBR and nothing else, but save those joints for a list of Best Places For Boys' Night Out [Or Girls! -- Ed]. Extensive local selections and rare abbey imports are the kinds of things that make a bar WOT-worthy. (Also, though brewpubs are awesome for unique finds, for this post, let's try to stick to bars.)
Leave your favorite spots for sipping suds in the comments and check back later for a compiled list of our readers' top beer-centric watering holes. You may even see your suggestion featured in an upcoming edition of What's On Tap!
Jane Seymour's Modest And Modern Style
Broke Stars: 11 Celebrities Who Went Bankrupt
LOOK: Amazing Underwater Photos Of Dogs
Adele Five-Year Break? Singer Plans to Focus on Relationship, Write 'Happy Record'
Social Security Is Failing Even Faster Than We Thought
PHOTOS: How You Can Get The 'Miracle' Dress
Man Says Starbucks Discriminated Against Him Because He Has Half An Arm
Chris Brown, Grammys 2012: Embattled Singer Slams Critics
Janice Dickinson's Outrageous Style
Ford's clever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ad features phantom model
Trace Adkins Reunites With College Crush, 30 Years Later
Photos Of Dead Lacrosse Player's Injured Body Shown To Jury
3 Economic Misconceptions That Need to Die
Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)
PHOTOS: Model Falls At Dennis Basso Show
'Hooker Teacher' Forced To Resign, Now Can't Find Work
Lauren Scruggs Goes On Ski Vacation
WATCH AND LAUGH: Cops In 2-Hour Standoff With Empty Car
Woman's Dead Fiance Is Behind Her Disappearance: Cops
Stephen Wiltshire Draws Cities From Memory
We Meant There WERE Nukes In The Fire
6-03-2009 @3:16PM Matt Mazz said... Tyler's Taproom in Apex / Carrboro / Durham, NC. Best selection of draft beers around and a weekly pint night special. Even get brewery reps in from time to time; the New Belgium launch party was amazing.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:25PM elizabeth said... Hey--that's BAR! While their beer and pizza are both really good, the service there is AWFUL. Usually I camp out at the main bar, get a pizza from the takeout counter, and watch the melee unfold.
Probably the two best bars I know in terms of depth and quality of selection are Delaney's Tap Room in New Haven, CT, and Flannigan's Boathouse in Conshohocken, PA. Both boast beer lists (more like books) that rival fine wine lists, yet both are very down-to-earth and fun to hang out at on a random night.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:28PM Gourmetcook said... World of Beers in Tampa is a great place. 30 beers on tap and over 500 beers for sale. If you can't find your beer there you won't find it anywhere.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:27PM Slashfood Editor said... PDX: Lucky Lab & Green Dragon
SFO: Toronado
NYC: Bar Great Harry, Pacific Standard, Blind Tiger
hooray for great beer! --Alex
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:33PM B said... Easy. Brouwer's in Seattle, which your "What's on Tap" guy woefully neglected to go to. The place has over 50 taps on the wall. The tap list is always a full page, and is of great selection. Local craft beers, tasty belgians, etcs. There is a seperate bottle list that you can ask for, that is 5+ pages long, filled with just about anything worth drinking. It's truly amazing. Combine that with the fantastic German beer hall type setting and you have what is widely considered to be the Mecca of beer.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:34PM kerry81480 said... The Dirty Truth in Northampton, MA
or
The Sunset Grill in Boston, MA
or
The Old Forge in Lanesboro, MA
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:34PM ben beck said... Trappeze Bar in Athens, GA. Awesome tap selection, even better bottle selection. Great food, good service, wonderful atmosphere. The food rocks. All around the best bar.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:34PM lafille said... St. Augustine, FL: Rendezvous
New Orleans, LA: The Bulldog, d.b.a., Cooter Brown's
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:51PM Katie said... Disagree with NYC pick (though technically this is in Brooklyn). Best beer bar in the US is Spuyten Duyvil.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:40PM Phil said... Toronado in San Francisco for sure! Belgians you never thought you'd see on tap, and bottles you never knew existed.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:46PM Carl Alviani said... OK, let's be thoroughly logical about this, as is appropriate for such a momentous question.
First, what city? There are beer towns, and then there's Beertown: Portland, OR. Given that it's got more breweries than any other city on earth (34 at last count), and sits in the heart of the world's largest hop-growing region, and has been doing craft beers since the early 80s, this is a given.
Second, we need a lot of taps. That narrows it down to 20 or so establishments in the area: The Green Dragon, Henry's, Bailey's Tap Room, Concordia Ale House, etc.
Third, we need environment: a great spot to linger, play darts, eat proper pub food, etc. preferably while surrounded by dark wood and a few decades worth of brew-oriented paraphernalia. That gets us to just a handful of spots.
The clincher though, for me, is history.
The Horse Brass on Belmont Ave has 30+ well-chosen taps, loads of character, sassy but knowledgeable waitstaff, and Scotch eggs on the menu, but it's also got original beer geek cred: Don Younger, one of the godfathers of the Pac NW craft beer scene, is a founder, and still wanders around the place leering at young women from time to time. Loyal patrons get into lengthy discussions about this year's barleywine offerings versus last year's, and do, in fact, gather for breakfast (with beer) to watch Premier League football matches, and they're not even Brits, most of them.
All in all, I couldn't fantasize about a place more deserving of the title. Plus, it's in my neighborhood.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:47PM Spam said... My vote is for a place in Baltimore called Bad Decisions. Not only does this little dive bar have a great name, but it's also run by a guy who is a self-admitted beer and liquor snob; he knows his boozes and beers, always has fantastic things on draft and on hand, and always has TONS of really creative varieties on hand. Rather than having drink specials, they keep their prices low all the time, so you never have to wonder what night it's safe to order your favorite drink. (On the other hand, when there's a surplus of something at the bar or the kitchen, they're not afraid to have a crazy fire sale to clear some of it out!)
Bad Decisions has also become quite a social phenomenon in Baltimore. Their frequent and amusing involvement on Twitter (@bad_decisions) has made them the most popular drinking spot in the city for the geek community, and since the owner is also on the local men's roller derby league, it's also the default watering hole for both the men's and women's leagues. Dating back to last fall, they've been hosting an occasional "Bacon & Beer Happy Hour" that attracts hundreds of people to enjoy creative and crazy items off an all-bacon menu, snacking on shot glasses and pint glasses filled with bacon, even downing a bacony drink from time to time.
I'm nominating Bad Decisions not as an owner or employee...just a loyal customer and fan of the place. If what I've written doesn't qualify Bad Decisions as America's Best Beer Bar, I don't know what does.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:48PM Chris Hourihan said... My favorite by far is The Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA. http://www.brickstorepub.com/home/
They have an extensive tap of American and European ales and lagers downstairs as well as a variety of premium scotches. Upstairs they have the Belgian Bar devoted to, you guessed it, Belgian beers. It's amazing to have a place to try Belgian's on tap, which they rotate very often.
They also host a variety of events, dinners, tastings, and special cask ales (every Saturday).
Besides the amazing beer list, draught and bottled, the atmosphere really makes this place special. Old styled pub with lots of wood, great food and amazing staff.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:56PM Chris Hourihan said... For Georgia, and generally a top 10 pick for U.S., it's the Brick Store Pub in Decatur.
Around 20 taps downstairs at the main bar of American and European brews, with usually a special cask ale available as well. Upstairs they have a Belgian bar with 5-10 Belgian's on tap which rotate regularly. In bottle, the menu is insanely large touching on just about every style imaginable.
To touch on a prior comment, the ambience and atmosphere really separates this place. Tons of dark wood and pub-style tables/booths. Lots of old beer paraphernalia. Rustic feel and lighting. Great staff and good pub food.
They are coming up on 12 years of business and are celebrating with 12 days of special kegs. On the final day they are tapping 12 kegs, 1 an hour I believe.
Reply
6-03-2009 @3:59PM Carl Alviani said... @Katie: Technically, Brooklyn's been part of NYC since 1896.
I agree about Spuyten Duyvil though. Great pickles there, too.
Reply
6-03-2009 @4:04PM ESC said... I was going to say Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA but Chris beat me to it!
Reply
6-03-2009 @4:35PM Ari said... Four, (in no specific order).
DBA's in NYC
Monks Belgian Cafe in Philadelphia
The Toronado in San Francisco
Big Time Brewery in Seattle
They are all located in the "no fail zone"!
Reply
6-03-2009 @4:31PM RolandMM said... Cooter Brown's in New Orleans. If a 200+ item long beer menu isn't enough, they have raw oysters!
Reply
6-03-2009 @4:35PM Oaklander said... The Trappist in Oakland, CA---twenty Belgian brews and other specialty microbrews on tap, not to mention another couple hundred by the bottle. Anything on tap is available in a flight if you want to taste 'em all.
Reply
6-03-2009 @5:06PM noza said... The Falling Rock Tap House in dowtown Denver. They have over 70 beers on tap as well as many more in bottles. The staff are all beer experts. Great place to unwind before or after a Colorado Rockies game as it's just a couple of blocks from the ballpark.
Reply