America's Best Beer Bars
America's Best Beer Bars
In the dark days before the craft beer boom of the 1980s, much of the beer sold in America was as uninspired as the generic bars that served it. But now historic beers, micro bottlings, and hyperlocal selections fill bars worth traveling to. Check out this selection of America's best beer bars.
The Bulldog; New Orleans, LA
To help customers keep track of the 50 beers on tap at this Garden District tavern, bartenders provide frequent drinkers with punch cards. Those who try all 50 (over the course of multiple visits) get their name on the bar's "plaque of adventurers." Louisiana draughts are well-represented on the list, with offerings like Tin Roof's citrusy Perfect Tin and NOLA Brewing's Hopitoulas, a West Coast-style IPA. The outdoor patio features a beer tap water fountain made out of taps collected from breweries across the country.
Bukowski Tavern; Boston, MA
The hard-drinking author for whom the bar was named would surely belong to the frequent-drinkers program. After drinking 120 of the tavern's beers within six months, regulars get their own mug, which is hung on the back wall and reserved for their use. Some of the lesser-known highlights include Smuttynose's funky Brett and I (brewed with Brettanomyces, a wild yeast that gives the beer a slightly sour flavor) or the house beer, The Buk pale ale, a collaboration between Worcester's Wormtown Brewing Co. and the tavern's staff. Wavering customers can leave their pint up to fate by spinning the "wheel of indecision."
Draught House; Austin, TX
Beer doesn't get more local than this pub's house-brewed selections, like the nutty Guy Smiley, made with fresh coffee, or Sunburst, their bright, citrus-packed summer ale. The 75-beer-strong list further draws lines on weekend nights, and cask beer enthusiasts geek out on Firkin Fridays when a different cask-conditioned beer is tapped every week, like the intensely hoppy Deviant Dale's IPA from Oskar Blues.
Father's Office; Los Angeles, CA
Named for the place where chef-owner Sang Yoon first tasted good beer (his own father's office), the upscale pub goes by the motto "Beer Makes You Strong." Both the original Santa Monica location and the newer — and more spacious — Culver City spot have draught-dominated menus divided by beer style: malty, hoppy, and yeasty/spicy, with a separate menu for rare, primarily Belgian beers like the herbaceous Brasserie DuPont Saison Foret (the world's only certified organic Belgian ale). Deciding what to eat is a much simpler endeavor: Chef Yoon's dry-aged burger topped with Gruyère and blue cheeses, arugula, and applewood-bacon compote is widely regarded as one of the best in the country.
Blind Tiger Ale House; New York City
The term "blind tiger" refers to a speakeasy, but this old-school West Village pub is far from under the radar. Built from salvaged 19th-century wood, the bar appears to have been in operation for ages, though it's only been in its current location since 2006. Both eager NYU students and beer enthusiasts flock to the unpretentious tavern to sample 28 mostly domestic drafts and expertly curated bottles. Appropriately, many of the selections are New York-sourced, like Red Ale from Three Heads Loopy and Brooklyn Brewery's light, wheaty Weisse.
Standard Tap; Philadelphia, PA
This large, Colonial-style pub serves only locally-produced beer. Luckily, many terrific indie breweries call the Philadelphia area home, so the bar's 20 taps always have something interesting to offer. In addition to familiar names like Victory and Dogfish Head, look for Manayunk's caramel-brewed Philadelphia Porter. The gastropub serves basic burgers and sausages, plus daily-changing seasonal dishes like fiddleheads with ramps and bacon.
Great Lost Bear; Portland, ME
A charming, cluttered Portland bar, Great Lost Bear started serving craft microbrews in 1979 when it had just eight taps. As the number of local breweries grew, so did the offerings. Sixty-nine taps now spotlight microbreweries like Marshall Wharf, whose Big Twitch is a sweet, citrusy style of IPA.
Über Tavern; Seattle, WA
A large industrial sign across the front of the bar reads "Kegs to Go," but patrons come for the potent beers on tap, most of which contain an above-average eight percent alcohol or more. Along with a terrific selection of Belgian, German, and American beers, the tap list also features meads (honey wine) like Skyriver Meadery's sweet, raspberry version. Monitors above the bar list all the kegs in the order they were tapped, along with each keg's level — checked by hand — so customers know if they're getting the first pint or the 50th.
Beer Revolution; Oakland, CA
Come for the beer, not the setting at this florescent-lit East Bay bar. As the bar's name suggests and punk rock owner Fraggle (no last name) dictates, no big business beers are sold here. There are 47 taps, such as Pacific Brewing Laboratory's Nautilus Hibiscus Saison, made with coriander, ginger, and hibiscus flowers, and you can pay the $1 "corkage fee" to crack open a bottle from one of the beer fridges.
Breukelen Bier Merchants; Brooklyn, NY
An American craft beer destination with more than 15 taps and growlers to-go, this warmly lit Williamsburg bar and shop has communal tables for drinking retail-priced beers like Bear Republic's malty Heritage (or any of the 100-plus bottles and cans from the cases) on the spot for no additional fee. Regulars play board games like Trivial Pursuit while snacking on German bratwurst sandwiches and soft Bavarian pretzels.
Monk's Kettle; San Francisco, CA
Though California's Bay Area is known for its wine, San Francisco is also a beer lover's town, boasting some of the West Coast's oldest breweries, such as Anchor Steam, whose history can be traced back to the Gold Rush. Local beers stand out at the Monk's Kettle. The pub's 200-strong beer list is encyclopedic, with a plethora of esoteric beers from all over, including Pliny the Elder, a cult, small-batch double IPA from the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa.
The Mitten Bar; Ludington, MI
Owner Megan Payment named The Mitten after the shape of her home state and curates a Michigan-only menu, with beers like Founder's blood-red Blushing Monk, fermented with raspberries. Not only does the small-town bar court regulars with local bands and beers, but it also draws customers across state lines with hard-to-find kegs like Bell's Brewery's Hopslam Ale, made with pungent, aromatic hops and a dollop of honey.
Verdugo; Los Angeles, CA
The bar's 22 taps feature craft beer bar standbys like the potent, lightly spiced Delirium Tremens as well as more obscure brews like Firestone Walker's Unfiltered Double Barrel Ale, an unpasteurized amber ale aged in toasted oak barrels. The restored 1930s bar is decked out in Art Deco style, with a rotating DJ lineup spinning a variety of music, from retro soul classics to reggae. A rotating lineup of food trucks parks outside to sell delicious snacks.
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