The East Coast has the greatest number of world-class beer bars in these United States of America. Not an outlandish statement when you consider that the eastern portion of the U.S. was home to the original 13 colonies as well as the birthplace of America, populated by rebellious men thirsty for independence… and beer.

Massachusetts in particular is rife with a myriad of these beacons of beery goodness. The Publick House was opened in Brookline back in 2002 by David Ciccolo (the former brewer at Tremont Brewing Company) and his wife Ailish Gilligan. Other than originally opening under the odd Gaelic name “Anam Cara” (admittedly a wrong choice by Ciccolo) they did a lot of other things right because after only three short years in business it was voted America’s #1 Beer Bar by reviewers on BeerAdvocate. Such success led to expansion, and in 2007 they opened the Monk’s Cell, a taproom adjacent to TPH. David is so devoted to the Belgian beer scene that he went to Brussels in ‘07 to be inducted into the Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs (Knighthood of the Brewer’s Mashstaff).

The Publick House has approximately 36 beers on tap with another 150 available in bottles. While TPH’s beer menu is heavily laced with Belgians (roughly 100 of them), they do have a respectable selection of American craft beers. As one might expect from a Belgian Knight, Belgian breweriana adorns the walls and beer is served in its appropriate glassware. The one thing many of these beer bars have in common are the crowds and long wait times. They wouldn’t be on the Beer Bucket List if they didn’t. So when traveling to one of these famed spots of inspired imbibing keep one thing in mind: good things come to those who wait.

Submitted by: Eli -The Mad Beer Man