What's On Tap - Matt the Miller's Tavern, Dublin, OH

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Mar 19th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Matt the Miller's Tavern

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

Dublin isn't just the capital and largest city of Ireland. A number of Dublins exist right here in the United States. One of the largest is Dublin, Ohio, a growing suburb outside of Columbus. It also boasts one of the best places to grab a craft beer, Matt the Miller's Tavern.

Since opening in October of 2008, Matt the Miller's has prided itself on offering great food, wine and beer, and Dublin has reacted enthusiastically. Even more so than owner Craig Barnum expected. "[Craft beer] is huge these days. If I could do it over again, I would have put in more draft lines."

Barnum tries to keep the average drinker content by keeping five standard choices on tap, leaving just 9 spots to venture into the craft world. They had their system custom-made in Italy with a beautiful backlit display, otherwise he'd consider expanding to 21 or even 28 taps. Barnum helps make up for the paucity of lines with a strong bottle selection as well. He knows that having the better beer selection gives him the edge.

Read on about Matt the Miller's Tavern and its recent draft list after the jump...

"Around me, I've got four restaurants that might compete with me a little bit but they are all American taverns that contain the same usual suspects," Barnum says, before adding, "and there's nothing wrong with that." But he knows offering up something different makes his tavern unique. Well, that and having an amazing bar that seats 70 people -- a large number.

"Dublin is a very affluent community. There are a lot of big companies pretty close to me," Barnum points out, so he wants his tavern to serve as a "very classy gathering place." Well, "classy casual," he clarifies later. They're still serving beer.

Matt the Miller's recent draft list: