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

Where's the best place to grab a beer in Salt Lake City, Utah? Despite its unexpected name, many would suggest a bar known as the Bayou.

"The whole idea of the Bayou, people gathering together and the mix of different cultures -- that's what we had in mind with the name," says Mark Alston, who owns the bar with his wife. Speaking with him, his philosophy seems to boil down to one word: "different."

To create a great beer bar in Utah, owners have to be different. Law prohibits the Bayou from carrying any draft beers over 4% alcohol. Bottles, on the other hand, can have any ABV, a rule that Alston finds ironic. "Yesterday we sold a bottle of [Sam Adam's] Utopia to a table of four guys," he uses as an example. Utopia can clock in at upwards of 27% alcohol by volume -- ridiculously high by beer standards, and fine in Utah since it's served in the bottle -- but when it comes to draft beer, that would never fly.

This odd discrepancy in the rules partly explains why the Bayou has focused so much on bottled beer, not draft, since opening in 2002. "That's why our bottled beer selection has 230 beers," Alston explains. "We can sell whatever we want."

Read more about the Bayou and check out its recent draft list after the jump.

Photo: Matthew Wholderfield, Flickr.

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

Here's one to file under "Why doesn't every beer bar in America do that."

Seal Beach, California's much heralded Beachwood BBQ offers a live HopCam, offering prospective patrons a chance to peek at their big draft beer board anytime via the bar's Web site.

In the past, What's On Tap has heaped praise upon bars that keep their beer list current online, but eventually most establishments fall victim to the number one reason why Web sites go out of date: laziness. It ain't easy typing those beers up and publishing them on the Internet for all to see, especially for less Web-savvy business owners. Plus, any good owner knows having a current list up on the wall in person is top priority. Otherwise, customers wouldn't know what's available to order.

Photo: House of Sims/Flickr

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

Imagine walking into a bar with 39 beers on tap, four more on cask. Limiting things down to your favorite style doesn't help: There are 10 IPAs available on draft alone.

As more and more establishments become beer-friendly and focus on offering up as many taps as possible, this scenario is not uncommon. It plays out at beer bars all across the country. In fact, the initial example is precisely what happened to this writer last night.

Luckily, this particular bar has drinkers best interests in mind. New York City's Rattle N Hum is one of many establishments that have taken to offering beer flights, small (yet reasonable) pours of a number of the different brews available. Rattle N Hum ups the ante by make their flights affordable. Patrons can procure 4 ozs. of any four drafts for the same price as a pint.

And why not? 16 ounces of beer is 16 ounces of beer. Flights might take a little more pouring and glassware to accommodate, but the bartender is still moving product at the same cost per ounce. And is it any more work than serving up an infinite number of free tasters many drinkers demand before investing in a full glass? Drinkers appreciate the effort, and those four ounce pours can go down pretty fast, causing big beer drinkers to go for more. Plus trying his new favorite brew might just be the reason a person buys that next drink.

Photo: theporterbeerbar.com

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

When Molly Gunn and her husband, Nick Rutherford, served their first pint at The Porter fifteen months ago, they had done more than just open a new beer bar and restaurant: They were opening up a new part of Atlanta, GA, to delights of craft beer and microbrews.

"We're very lucky there is another bar near here called The Brick Store that is super committed to craft beer and small beers," says Gunn. "They paved the way for us, but they are in a totally different neighborhood."

Realizing the growing demand for great beer throughout the Atlanta area, The Porter seemed to fit a niche in their part of town. A number of local bars featured a few crafts on tap, but none offered a selection as robust as theirs, featuring over 30 taps and 300 bottles.

The response has fit their expectations: "It's been great. We've definitely found that beer is recession proof. People still want to drink and it's a less expensive option than wine." Then, with a laugh she adds, "You still want to drown your sorrows."

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Yes, you can! -- ditch the supermarket and make these 10 food items, that is.
• In these lean times try easy on the pocketbook and easily jazzed up red beans and rice.
• This plastic will fit nicely next to your ATM card.
• Say hello to the banana's big brother.
• With only two pans and some cans of soup, you too can make a panini.
• Do you know what this squashing machine is?
• Chili purists, turn away -- delicious meatless chili in a slow cooker.