"draft list" news and stories

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

For years now, Philadelphia has been making its case as the best beer drinking city in America. And I have to admit, as a former Philadelphian, I'm certainly biased. However, I'd also have to agree: Philly's really been on the cutting edge with beer for quite some time.

Case in point is a bar like Race Street Cafe: Not the most recognized beer bar in all of Philadelphia (that would probably be Monk's) or the one with the most extensive selection (which is perhaps Eulogy), but a bar that I constantly reference in conversation. Why? Well, it's indicative of a larger attitude towards beer that Philadelphia bars embrace.

Tucked away on what is more or less a side street near an I-95 on-ramp in the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Race Street Cafe isn't drawing any people in with location. Instead, they pride themselves on having a truly "hand-selected" draft list. At 15 taps, it's an efficient size, and there's not a Budweiser or Heineken in the bunch. Every time you step into Race Street, you know you'll be presented with a carefully selected variety of drafts, specifically picked by the staff themselves and lovingly hand-printed in chalk on the blackboard.

Sometimes less is more, and knowing that every draft was chosen with care makes a somewhat more limited list that much more appealing because you know anything you try will be excellent. It's a trend that's been growing in bars across the Philadelphia area and the nation as a whole, but not many bars I've been to do it as well as Race Street.

Let's take a look at what is on draft today at the Race Street Cafe in Philadelphia...