What's On Tap, Boston - Deep Ellum

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Oct 22nd 2009 @ 3:00PM

Photo: deepellum-boston.com.

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

No need for a double take. Yes, Deep Ellum is the name of a neighborhood in the Dallas area. And yes, this week's What's On Tap features a Boston bar. But don't worry, Deep Ellum co-owner Max Toste has an explanation: "My business partner, Aaron Sanders, was born and raised around the Dallas area, and Deep Ellum was always his favorite place to go."

Toste describes the Dallas neighborhood as an area teeming with tattoo parlors and rock joints -- the kind of place with "people who don't wear suits to work." "We always thought it would be a cool name for a bar," he recalls. Toste and Sanders found a similar feel in the Boston neighborhood of Allston, so about three years ago, when opening their own bar, the name was a perfect fit.

"I love beer," Toste states proudly. "I wanted to have a bar that was awesome."

What exactly is his idea of awesome? "Our plan was to be very artisanal. Everything we sell and promote is handmade stuff." And that ideology goes beyond just beer into the realm of their cocktail selection and food. Toste's explanation for such strong demands on what Deep Ellum serves is simple: "I don't do anything half-assed."

Read more about Deep Ellum and its complete tap list, as of this Tuesday, after the jump -- and for future draft lists, check out its Web site. Drafts update whenever they're changed.

But beer continues to be an important part of what sets this Allston "new saloon" apart. "Our selection is different from the rest of the city," says Toste. "We carry a lot of German and British stuff, not just the same IPAs everyone's got." The ultimate goal of the selection is to be "different with out being obnoxious." "I don't like snobbery," he laments. "I'm a beer geek, but I'm not a snob."

And beer geeks will find plenty to love at Deep Ellum, with their regularly changing taps and cask selections. And Toste hopes it will be a place for people to appreciate good drinks and food for a long time. "We don't want it to be a hot spot. We wanted a place that could last -- that could be in it for the long haul." If they keep offering one of the best beer selections in Boston, Deep Ellum is a shoo-in.

Deep Ellum's Draft List