“Giving beer the respect it deserves.” That’s the mission statement for the Tap House Grill. This popular Washington mini-chain (one is located in downtown Seattle, the other in Bellevue) boasts 160 beers on tap. An additional dozen or so, which they refer to as “Honor Society” beers - the crème de la crème of hand crafted goodness (i.e., Delirium Tremens, St. Bernardus 12, Caracole Nostradamus), are even served in their appropriate glassware. The beer selection changes frequently, so you’ll always have new ones to try. Nearly half of the Seattle pub’s 160 taps are dedicated to brews from the Northwest, but that still leaves plenty of taps for beers from across the globe. Continue Reading »

The Horse Brass Pub in Portland, Oregon, is not only the best pub in North America’s “Best Big City“; it’s also the best English pub anywhere outside Britain. And don’t let the “venerable Victorian quality” and “Dickensian ambiance” scare you off because Anglophiles aren’t the only ones allowed in this legendary 32 year old establishment. Continue Reading »

Oliver Twist (a.k.a. “OT” for short) is a kvarterskrog (neighborhood bar) that opened in central Stockholm, Sweden, back in the spring of 1993. With 30 or so beers on tap, another 150 bottled beers, and three cask ales available at any given time it’s quite possibly the best source of American microbrews in all of Europe. In the last fifteen years they have served over 800 different varieties of beer from over 100 different brewers. Continue Reading »

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. Continue Reading »

Boston is known for a great many things, from American patriots like Paul Revere and John Adams to New England Patriots like Tom Brady and Tedy Bruschi. Speaking of brewski… they’re also known for their beer. World-famous breweries like the Boston Beer Company (inspired by the American patriot Samuel Adams, who also happened to be a brewer) and Harpoon Brewery call Beantown their home. But it also has a metric ton of tea, er… beer bars. Perhaps the biggest and best is Sunset Grill & Tap. Continue Reading »

Corporate chains aren’t the end all be all of evil as long as they don’t lose their focus. This can be done by controlling expansion internally, and most importantly — responsibly (i.e., Flying Saucer). One such place is the Yard House. This “chain” currently has 21 locations scattered across the Southwest. Eleven are in southern California, three in Arizona, two in Florida, and one each in Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, and Hawaii. The fact that we are seeing more and more successfully operated “beer bar” chains is a testament to the exploding popularity of the craft beer industry. People’s tastes are changing, and the last thing they want is their daddy’s old macro-beer. Continue Reading »

I’m going to continue the Belgian beer theme I started last week (with the Delirium Café). If you can’t afford a trip to Brussels, don’t worry. Let’s “hop” back across the pond to the home of the cheese steak, Rocky Balboa, and Brotherly Love. Monk’s Café touts itself as the soul of Belgium in the heart of Philadelphia. As with other BBL entries, Monk’s Café is more dive than corporate fancy-schmancy chain. If you don’t like crowds, long waits and sporadic service — don’t go. But if you want to “drink like a monk” and taste some truly phenomenal beers, well… this is the place for you. Continue Reading »

There’s an expression about being so drunk you can see pink elephants. Well, if you’re in Brussels, Belgium, stumbling along a narrow alley near the Grand Place, you actually will see pink elephants — whether you’re stone cold sober or three sheets to the wind. How? They’ll be on the signs for the world famous Delirium Café. Belgium is home to waffles, French fries (Belgium claims to be the birthplace of this world-wide fast food treat), InBev (one of the world’s largest breweries), and over 500 different kinds of beer, including the famed Trappist monk beers of which there are only seven in the world (six in Belgium, one in the Netherlands). Located in the basement of an 18th century building, this grand beer bar is literally packed with history. Hanging from the hallowed walls are beer trays and keg tops that have been nailed on top of old beer advertisements that have been pasted over posters. Jugs, beer bottles and mugs dangle from the ceiling. Continue Reading »

Welcome to what the Guinness Book of World Records (which was created by the managing director of the Guinness Brewery Sir Hugh Beaver in 1954) describes as “the bar with the world’s largest beer selection.” The Brickskeller opened in October of 1957 and has been serving the very best beers to thirsty politicians and beer lovers ever since. This brick rathskeller (the German word for a tavern below street level that serves beer) sits in the basement of an old hotel in the heart of American democracy — Washington, D.C. Continue Reading »

UFO’s are real. Heck, if you live in Texas, North or South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, or Arkansas you may very well have been inside one. The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium isn’t just one beer bar, it’s a fleet (thirteen to be exact) scattered haphazardly across the middle of the country. Even though it’s a chain — which might seem to fly in the face of the singular bars on this list — the Flying Saucer is still a bastion of beery goodness. Continue Reading »