The Kite and Key in Philadelphia. Photo: Kite and Key.

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

Celebrating Independence Day is a big deal all over America, but especially so in the City of Brotherly Love where that famous Declaration was signed.

Want to up the ante? Name your bar after one of our best-known founding fathers. (Kite ... key ... Ben Franklin ... get it?) The popular Philadelphia watering hole Kite and Key seems on top of its North American of events, including our brethren to the north. Those stopping by for Canada Day will find a firkin of Yards Brawler, boasting a touch of maple syrup.

But the big event hereabouts is July Fourth, and Kite and Key will be pulling pints of -- what else? -- Yards Ales of the Revolution. Inspired by colonial beers or brewed from actual historical recipes, brews like the unique, rosemary-like Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale or highly drinkable Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale are about as close as one can get to a taste of history. Kite and Key will be offering up Yards on tap throughout the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Superb chicken wings and the current Kite and Key draft list, after the jump.

The Great Lost Bear celebrates their 30th anniversary this week. Photo: greatlostbear.com

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

Last week, What's On Tap visited Portland, Ore., one of America's top craft beer cities. But there's another Portland on the opposite coast of the country that deserves recognition, in the great state of Maine. Despite a population that ranks 40th in the nation, the state manages to hold its own in the suds department, and is home to such well-known craft brewers as Allagash, Atlantic, Sea Dog and Shipyard.

Boasting more than 60 taps from more than 40 different brewers nationwide, perhaps the most recognizable brew-focused Portland watering hole is the Great Lost Bear. This week, on Sunday, June 28, the pub will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.

"We started adding micro brews in 1986. At that point we only had six beers on draft," says president and co-owner Dave Evans, explaining the transition to a focus on craft beers. The pub broke the 60 tap barrier about six months ago after adding some dedicated Allagash lines.

Evans insists that the Bear is more about having a great bar than about just having great beers. "We also have PBR in cans," he says. "We try to get every beer patron in the world, and we still sell more food than beer."

The Green Dragon in Portland, Oregon. Photo: mrzarquon/Flickr

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

According to the past two weeks' worth of WOT, Portland, Ore., might be the most neglected What's On Tap city. And what neglect! Portland has regularly been regarded as one of America's top beer towns, snagging top honors in a recent online poll that beer legend Charlie Papazian put together.

This week, Portland's Green Dragon gets some much deserved attention. It was named after Boston's original Green Dragon Tavern, which was dubbed "the headquarters of the Revolution" due to the proclivity of many rabble-rousing Colonial American groups to congregate there. Proprietors of this modern Oregonian iteration promote relaxation, not rebellion, with a great draft selection that includes a number of hard to find brews, a chill atmosphere and a large selection of bar games.

Last year, the Green Dragon was purchased by Rogue Ales, but that hasn't changed its commitment to offering a unique range of beers. Assistant Manager Samantha Sugar (who calls herself the "Beer Gazelle") tells us the Dragon still aims for that "neighborhood bar appeal" with an always rotating selection of beers.

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

A giant thanks to all the Slashfood readers who responded to last week's call for shoutouts of favorite beer-friendly bars. We received a whopping 43 comments naming almost 50 watering holes in 19 states.

Beyond giving Slashfoodies a chance to chime in, What's On Tap's goal was to compile a list of new bars to draw upon for future WOT posts. We've already featured places like Chicago's The Map Room, Houston's The Ginger Man and San Diego's O'Brien's Pub (though they are always worth revisiting). It's also worth noting that WOT strives to vary metropolitan areas as much as possible. For example, San Francisco's Toronado received by far the most comments, but we visited SF suds relatively recently, so don't expect a Toronado post anytime soon. (For those who cry foul, remember, WOT isn't a list of the best beer bars in each city -- just an interesting choice. Sometimes it's more adventurous to go off the beaten path.)

Using that criteria, a lot of great pubs may be bumped towards the back of the queue, such as those in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Cambridge, Mass., and Santa Monica, Calif. After the jump, a list of bars you're likely to see in future WOT posts based on your comments.

Another day, another list. This time, it's Anthony Bourdain's "13 Places to Eat Before You Die," which appears in the June issue of Men's Health. Bourdain's article shouts out restaurants and stores across the globe, from New York's smoked fish shrine Russ & Daughters to Spain's gourmand ground zero, elBulli.

Bourdain acknowledges that as "any seasoned traveler can tell you, the 'best' meals on the planet are the result of an ephemeral confluence of circumstances," and makes convincing arguments for each of his picks, which also include Kansas City, Kan.'s Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, Tokyo's Sukiyabashi Jiro and London's St. John.

But even with the disclaimer and rationale behind Bourdain's choices, plenty are as likely to find fault with his logic (and apparently abundant frequent flier miles) as they are with a list proclaiming, say, the best pizza places in the U.S.

We have the text of the article so you can weigh in on Bourdain's hits -- and misses -- after the jump.

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!

So it's 5 o'clock EST. Did you make your last widget for the day? Answer the boss's last e-mail?

If "yes," read on. If "no," you've been warned. Because it's totally possible you'll lose the next 24 hours of your life to Endless Simmer's fantastically obsessive Top 10 Top 10 Food Lists.

Yeah, you read that correctly: For better or for worse, it's all there, from The Frisky's Top 10 Songs with Sexually Suggestive Food Metaphors (props for the Cibo Matto, guys -- but no Def Leppard?) to Lifehacker's genius Top 10 Food and Drink Hacks (we can open a beer bottle using a piece of paper?!). There's even a nod to the Creepiest Mascots and Bad Boy Bourdain's best takedowns.

These types of lists make all other tasks sort of disappear. So if we've just sent you hustling to iTunes to start typing out retorts to The Frisky or hunting for a sheet of 8 1/2-by-11 and a Negro Modelo, we apologize.

But not really.

[Via Endless Simmer]

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

The San Diego area has so many great breweries -- AleSmith, Green Flash, Port, just to pull a few off a list in alphabetical order -- that it certainly needs its fair share of great beer bars to showcase the local SoCal talent. They've got the goods. Perennial powerhouse Hamilton's Tavern always keeps a mighty draft list. Significant start-ups like Toronado's recent San Diego location offers tons of taps. Even Stone Brewery gets in on the action, featuring not only their own brews but favorites from around California and beyond.

Today, however, O'Brien's Pub gets the nod for a trend worth supporting: draft beer archives! Not only do they offer up their own "On Tap" link via their website, but patrons can also view a complete list of every brew they've ever had on draft ... or at least for the past few years. "It's everything we've ever posted on the website," says owner Tom Nickel, "but the site only dates back to 2007." Still, two years of beers is the kind of comprehensive compiling that What's On Tap nerds can get behind!

After the jump, a reprint of the most current draft list off their website.

Few things, aside from tax cuts and the eyesight of ballpark umpires, incite more passionate debate among Americans than pizza.

Deep-dish versus thin-crust, canned tomato sauce versus fresh -- no detail is too small to merit an opinion or, in some cases, a heated diatribe. So GQ's list of the 25 best pizzas in America is bound to flame the (wood-burning) fires of controversy.

The list's creator, Alan Richman, is well aware that plenty of people won't be happy with his picks, but stands firm by his favorites, which were culled from pizzerias across the nation, from the grilled pie at Providence (R.I.)'s Il Forno Pizzeria Bianco's prosciutto-topped, coal-fired number in Phoenix, Ariz.

See who won after the jump.

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

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer vacation season, so we turn our attention to one of America's largest tourist destinations, Las Vegas. Sin City has every indulgence one could ever hope for, and great beer is no exception. With a nice tap selection and an absurdly hefty bottled beer list featuring more than 900 possibilities, one of Vegas's best places to find rare brews is the Freakin' Frog.

Located across from UNLV's campus, Freakin' Frog may sound more aimed at college kids than tourists, but the bar is tailored to anyone looking for unique beers -- it boasts 900 bottles, 600 whiskeys, 300 tequilas and 15 taps. With an unassuming location in a strip mall a couple miles east of that "other" Strip, the Frog is a perfect alternative to the madness people associate with this desert city. "We're not a college bar," says owner Adam Carmer. "We're an intellectual, alcoholic coffee shop. We get people from all over the city, all over the country, all over the world."

Check out the Freakin' Frog's draft list after the jump.

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

If all goes well for the Cleveland Cavaliers, sweeping their way through the NBA Playoffs, they'll only have four more games in the Rock-'n'-Roll Capital this season, giving both local and out-of-town fans a chance to drop into one of 14 outposts of the Winking Lizard Tavern.

Sports fans and the craft-craving crowd don't always see eye to eye. "This is the Midwest," partner John Lane says, "Unlike cities like Portland and Seattle where you can't find a yellow beer, [some people here] just want to quaff a big one."

But Lane realizes the importance of having a great craft selection too, with Stone Levitation Ale sidling right up alongside Bud Light. Mass-market brews are the biggest sellers, but Lane strives to get special selections on tap at all Lizard lounges with recent events from craft brewers like Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. So though Lane jokes that he "wishes the Cavs would lose one or two to extend the season," (careful, buddy) patrons know great suds will be on tap all year long.

Find yesterday's complete draft list from the Winking Lizard Tavern's Gateway District location after the jump.

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

With Mother's Day just around the bend we hunted far and wide for an establishment whose name pays lip service to mama, happily stumbling upon the tiny but tantalizing tap selection at Cambridge (Mass.)' Hungry Mother. Though she only boasts five suds, they're solid: "Craft and quality beers pair just as well with food as wine [does]," says owner John Kessen. "Although [our draft list] is small, it's a really interesting one and a good cross section of styles."

This Mother plays favorites with careful curation:

5. Stone Ruination IPA is one of the most intense and highly regarded imperial IPAs on the market.

4. Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye is another nationally renowned India Pale Ale but, since it is brewed with 20 percent rye malt), it boasts a distinctly different flavor.

3. Fisherman's Brew, a local amber lager, donates part of their proceeds to out-of-work fisherman.

Read Mother's last two picks after the jump.

Some brews, such as Guinness, shine in colder weather while others are more suited to the beachy crowd (ever seen a Corona commercial?). As per American craft beers, plenty of breweries have a summer seasonal in their arsenals, but these eight feature a whole slew of suds to keep you refreshed despite the heat waves (we listed our faves alphabetically).

8. Abita - Maybe it's the local swelter in which they were created, but Louisiana's Abita brews seem well-suited to any hot day, especially Purple Haze, Restoration and Strawberry Harvest -- as fruity as it sounds.

7. Bell's - Some say that spring isn't actually here until Bell's Oberon is released (a notion we far prefer to a neurotic groundhog) and their Two-Hearted Ale may be the best summer IPA in the biz.

6. Brooklyn - Sure, they offer a Summer Ale, but with year-rounds including a nice Weisse, a baseball-adorned Pennant Ale and a refreshing Pilsner, summer in Brooklyn is secure.

5. Harpoon - Harpoon has an aptly named Summer Beer made in the Kölsch style, but their UFO Hefeweizen garnished with a touch of citrus is one of the most drinkable American wheats on the market. The light, crisp Harpoon IPA is only mildly hoppy and is another winner.

The final four after the jump!

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

If your definition of summertime doesn't include barbecue, beer and baseball it's time make some serious corrections to your agenda -- like, with a bright red pen.

In Detroit, those properly schooled in brews amble on over to Slows Bar BQ a joint that caters to fans of all three types of fanatic. Just a mile or so down the road from Comerica Park and in the shadow of the old Tiger Stadium, Slows is a popular pre- and post-game stop for Tigers fans. Manager Terry Perrone notes that its primary appeal is the food: "We're a barbecue restaurant first and foremost." Terry isn't stopping suds snobs with a nose for microbrews from slipping through the door, too, though.

With renowned Michigan names like Bell's, Founders and New Holland, Slows has no shortage of local breweries to draw from and stocks as many as possible: of 20 taps Perrone says they try to keep "no less than 14 from Michigan or the region." Some, such as Great Lakes Grass Roots Ale and Dragonmead Corktown Red, aren't readily available anywhere else. So though Slows puts eats first, Peronne admits, "We see more and more [beer lovers] as the notoriety gets out that we are a great destination to find these local beers."

Check out yesterday's complete draft list after the jump. (Got a fave on the list? Let us know what we should be sipping this summer).

Mamma mia! This morning's pasta pic has us stuck in noodle-craving mode. Comforting, hearty Italian eats never get old for us Slashfoodies, so we put together a list of our unforgettable, lick-the-plate clean faves from red-sauce trattorias to fancy-pancy eateries.

As with our sandwich post and followup (in which you continue to comment, nominating your beloved sub shops) we want your vote. What'd we miss? Which chicken parm or scallopine di vitelo should we be booking plane tickets to feast upon? Hit us up in the comments, and in a few days we'll post a master list of Slashfoodies' favorites.

Savelli's, Knoxville, Tenn.
Blink and you'll drive right past the hole-in-the-wall where Mama Savelli's Chicken Surprise, bursting with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and a creamy lemon sauce, will take up permanent residence in your best food memories bank. We really amore the BYOB policy. -- Gretchen Roberts
Vetri, Philadelphia, Pa.
Marc Vetri's cozy 40-seater has its share of naysayers, but with impeccable service and amazing food in a warm, intimate setting there's no better spot to celebrate a special occasion. -- Mike Pomranz
Franny's, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Known for its thin-crusted tomato, mozzarella and sausage pizza, this petite Brooklyn joint also whips up silky pastas with natural local ingredients like spinach and farm fresh eggs. -- Max Shrem
Augustino's, Hoboken, N.J.
Double-thick sautéed pork chops topped with hot and sweet peppers cause jaws to hit tables. We didn't come up for air until our plates were spotless. -- Sarah Christine (aka The Hungry Bride)
Convivio, New York, N.Y.
A well-crafted love letter to Southern Italy that is refined without being fussy with dishes like expertly charred octopus and malloreddus -- a weird, wonderful marriage of sea urchin, crab and gnocchi. -- Rebecca Flint Marx

...the final three after the jump!