8. Beer Bars of the World--Spice Up Your Life
My own little guide to dreamy spots to drink a brew; plus opening our eyes to hope with a beer collab.
Barstools to Sit On All Over the World
This week, we’re talking beer bars (I hope you got my Spice Girls reference in the subject line or won’t I feel silly?). This is controversial, I know, but sometimes I love a beer bar even more than a brewery taproom. I mean, time and place, right? So, in case you’re looking for a new spot or planning some adventures now that we have some freedom to move around again(!), without further ado and in no particular order, some of my favorite spots:
BierWax, Brooklyn
Okay, I lied about the “no particular order” thing, but just for this one little exception, promise. BierWax is my number one favorite beer bar. It’s probably my favorite bar, period. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I spend a lot of time there. It’s just a perfect combination of perfect factors, imho. How do you immediately not love the fusion of craft beer and music? It was only my first or second time there that I learned about The Ohio Players, “What the Hell” playing on vinyl while I perused the always eclectic, thoughtful, and reliably exciting beer list.
The ambience is great, the events/live DJ-ing—returning now!—are great, the back patio is great, the sidewalk seating especially with Open Streets is great, the neighborhood and nearby restaurant selection is great, and the staff, well, we love the staff. It’s all great. And the fact that BierWax just announced a second location is in the works is great, too, and is one reason I got inspired to write this list.
More NYC:
I live here, so yah, I’m going to have a lot of favorites here. We are indeed spoiled with selection here, and there are so many stellar beer bars to choose from. We’re at the point where you have a good shot of having a solid beer bar in walking distance from your apartment, and where you have a top-five list of ones you’ll travel for, too.
Some of my go-to’s? Someday Bar, in Boerum Hill, for an absolutely killer can list (seriously, they have everything), delicious food, and an atmosphere that can go from chill afternoon to We’re Having a Night Out. St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe, also in Boerum Hill, because this rustic cutie is also one of the city’s best beer shops, and they’ve got a sweet little backyard. Beer Street South—it’s so close to BierWax, too—in Prospect Heights, for a spacious, stylish space where you can enjoy a thoughtfully curated beer list with brews from some of the most in-demand breweries, especially local gems.
The Grand Delancey, on the Lower East Side, because not only is the beer list just madness, but they’re in the Essex Market Food Hall so you can order from some of the best food purveyors the city has to offer. Proletariat, in the East Village, because this teeny spot is like a good secret with rock-and-roll attitude, and you can drink everything from Tripping Animals to 3 Fonteinen. Blind Tiger Ale House in the West Village because duh, it’s a legend. Torst, in Greenpoint, for its chic setting, genius beer list, and elevated farm-to-table fare. Finally, shout-outs to my neighborhood locals, The Owl Farm and The Gate, both just lovely and old-school in vibe with dependably solid and interesting beer menus.
Draught Industries, Beacon, NY
For many, a beer pilgrimage to Beacon, NY is all about Hudson Valley Brewery; for me, it’s about Draught. The beer list here is always just so good, combining the best of local offerings with excellent pours from breweries farther and wider. Plus, the food holds its own as a draw, too.
The Daily Pint, Santa Monica
I have to hit The Daily Pint, your grandpa’s favorite English-ish pub, every time I’m in LA. It’s an old school spot with exactly zero typical LA gloss—thankfully—but what it does have is an insane beer list, all the time. Their whiskey menu keeps up, too, if you’re into that kinda thing.
BeerGeek, Prague
The first good thing about BeerGeek is that it takes you away from the touristy hub of the city to a quiet street. This subterranean den of cool has an unrivaled beer list that pulls from beer scenes all over the world, and that would be enough right there, but they also brew their own beer for the bar under Sibeeria Brewery. Americans will feel at home thanks to the menu of wings cooked up by an Ohio-native chef.
The Dirty Truth, Northampton, MA
The Dirty Truth was one of my earlier craft beer haunts, an artsy bar in an artsy town where even a near decade ago, you could drink a beer from Norway and a beer from the next town over in one sitting. And the food is excellent farm-to-table-style stuff.
The Publick House, Brookline, MA
Perhaps even more important to my personal beer journey is The Publick House, which introduced me to the wonder of Belgian beer, and subsequently, the great big world of true craft. Importantly, the macaroni and cheese and moules-frites are next-level.
Muted Horn, Berlin
Sitting at the bar at Muted Horn, I decided that at some point in my life, I’d have to live in Berlin. And Muted Horn would be my home bar. Equal parts cool and laid-back, this bar is an ideal place to while away an evening enjoying picks from a diverse and large yet well-curated beer list.
Mother Kelly’s, London
I fell in love with the Bethnal Green location, in particular, a perfect mash-up of bottle shop and cool, easy-going bar. There are lots of taps featuring something for everyone, obviously exponentially more bottles and cans, and good snacks. Also, I know this is not a guarantee for when you visit, but there was a chubby bulldog next to us when I visited and I miss him.
The Whale, Asheville
This is my most recent find on my most recent vacation. I had long pined for The Whale after seeing so many posts about it on Instagram, and it doesn’t let you down. There’s plenty of outdoor, dog-friendly space, and the compact interior is punctuated with decor of the taxidermy and skeletal variety. It goes without saying the beer list is excellent, and there’s great food next door.
Szimpla Kert/Mad Scientist, Budapest
If you’ve ever been to Budapest, you know about this whole genre of bars called “ruin bars.” They’re sprawling watering holes that have taken over dilapidated buildings, and usually have some wildly mismatched, cheeky, whimsical decor happening. They can also become quite the scene at night, a mix of tourists and college kids and locals. Szimpla Kert is one of the biggest and best known, but before you say “no, thank you,” on account of the touristy basic-ness of it all, know this: Szimpla Kert has many bars within it. You wander from floor to floor, deciding if you want a well drink among creepy antique dolls or a cheap wine in the garden.
Upstairs, there’s a neon bar themed like a mad scientist’s lab, and this, friends, is one of the coolest (and tiniest) beer bars. The theme turns out to be no accident: this is the bar of Mad Scientist, a Hungarian brewery that I loved drinking all over Budapest. (I could go on and on about Budapest’s beer scene, and I’m sure I will at some point in the future, but for now know that Mad Scientist is one of the best breweries I discovered there.) So, if in town, make sure you drink inventive IPAs out of beakers in this little corner.
Salt Horse, Edinburgh
Most of our bar-hopping in Edinburgh consisted of very old-school pubs of the creaky all-wood variety—and I have absolutely no complaints about that. But on our last night, we followed a recommendation to Salt Horse, a tiny bar that shines like a burst of beer-infused light on a quiet street. Compared to pub life, this is a modern craft beer bar + shop, but it still feels old world thanks to expose brick and moody candle light. It’s cozy and has a garden out back, burgers and fries, and a beer list covering local and far-flung breweries.
Axelrad Beer Garden, Houston
I am, for better or worse, a five-year-old at heart, who loves to feel entertained. A bar that sort of feels like an adult amusement park is a big draw for me. Axelrad has a huge beer garden with picnic tables and colorful sort of hammock chairs, and there is often some kind of event happening—live music, of course, and when we were there, a rad flea market. There’s pizza next door. Inside is a chic little bar with amazing tap handles and board games. Basically, the beer is all you need to get you there, but Axelrad still goes above and beyond with fun stuff while you’re sipping.
Ambulance Brew House, Nanuet, NY
Ambulance Brew House naturally opened after I moved out of my hometown and it’s honestly one of the best beer bars I’ve been to. I go every chance I get (I may be headed there today, hi!). The beer list is superb, to the point that I can never not get a flight. The inside is lovely but the back garden is the pro move on a nice day. And don’t you dare not get a pretzel and/or that glorious cheese plate.
DrunkenDog, Mexico City
DrunkenDog is so good my friend and I ended up there twice in four days. I love the sleek-ified retro interior and wowzers, the beer list. I got to try so many local breweries, but also catch a rare Omnipollo pour. But biggest props to the lovely staff. They’re also a shop, and one bartender so patiently went through so many beers to help me find what I was looking for despite our language barrier.
Delirium Café, Brussels
Another touristy one, yes, but some things are as such for a reason, no? This is just essential. Another multi-storied bar with mini bars within, Delirium is a true paradise worth the pilgrimage for any beer fan. There are over 2,000 beers! You can obviously lean into all things Belgian, but you can also do a world tour. Just, you know…pace yourself.
Beer Tarot!
I pulled the Five of Pentacles, and you’d be correct if you’re thinking this does not look like the most fun card.
As a reminder, Pentacles are the suit of earth, and speak to matters of money, property, and achievement. A couple of issues ago, I pulled the Ten of Pentacles and that one was all about good news and success, and, well, this ain’t that, exactly. This card signifies a struggle, and that could be emotionally—a relationship issue or just general tough time—or financially. It could be lost or cut jobs, hours or shifts, projects, income sources, etc. You could be feeling plenty of concern and frustration at the moment.
See how bright that stained glass window is shining, though, while our two characters aren’t looking at it? That means that you may not be able to see it yet, but there is definitely hope, and things will improve, even if it’s not in the way you expect. Lean on friends and ask for help. This card also has a message of taking back power, which resonates with the climate in beer now. Keep demanding that this industry does right by women and people of color.
On that note, these beers are yet to start dropping, but watch this space for a very exciting, very important collaboration called Brave Noise. In partnership with Women of the Bevolution, HRuprise, Beer Diversity, SoCal Cerveceros Homebrew Club, Under the Jenfluence, #NotMe App and The Good Hop as well as Hops n Stuff, BSG Craftbrewing, Yakima Chief Hops and White Labs, Brienne Allan has created this initiative in the vein of All Together and Black is Beautiful, to help keep momentum going in the overhaul of the beer industry, continue raising awareness about these issues, and honor those who have spoken out.
Breweries participating need to submit their code of conduct and publicly post it, too, commit to long-term work, and make a donation from the collab brew’s proceeds to a verified non-profit like Safe Bar Network, Hollaback!, RAINN, Infinite Ingredient, Dandelion Initiative, The Drinks Trust, Hospitality Actiolion Initiative, Switchboard and Another Round Another Rally.
This Week’s Boozy Reading Rec
Treat yourself (and inform yourself!) by reading this oral history of Teri Fahrendorf’s life and career so far by Jeff Alworth on his blog, Beervana. (It’s a three-part series, the link is to the first post since ya wanna start at the beginning, right?) Teri defines pioneer; she is one of the first female craft brewers in the U.S., has led a career full of groundbreaking achievements and milestones, and founded the Pink Boots Society. I had the privilege of interviewing Teri once a few years ago for a story, and she is so generous with her time and knowledge—a real treasure and important voice for women in beer.
Until next week, here is Darby at Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton, MA. It’s a second Darby + beer pic without actual beer in a row, but come on, this outfit.
