BEST 2012: Best Bars for Geeking Out Over Brews
If you truly believe that Miller High Life is the "Champagne of Beers" then, guess what, you probably have no business patronizing any of these bars. And that's just fine. There's a bar for everyone in this city, even peons like you. (We kid, we kid). If, however, you know your Brau-Weiss from your Weizenbock and your Saison from your Chimay, then you just might be a bonafide, card-carrying beer geek. A beer geek takes their brews as deadly seriously as an oenophile does their Cabs and Pinots and knows where to go to find them. The nominees for this year's Best Poll represent the most geeked out bars for beer lovers this city has to offer and, trust us, Boston has quite a few.
The people here are very serious about their beer, so if you're occupying a table you had better get serious as well. Lord Hobo has great food, it's true, but if you're only there for a meal, do the right thing and look elsewhere...there are beer geeks who deserve the seats. If you're still a student of the fine art of craft beer studies, don't be shy...the knowledgable and friendly servers are there to help the newbies find their way from the King of Beers to a Noble Pils. more
All business beer bar (that upped the ante this year with the addition of their hella popular new sister establishment Lone Star Taco Bar) with top-notch shaker cocktails. The 2010 winner for "Best Bar," Deep Ellum is not a college joint or a dive, which already sets it apart from the bro-filled drunk fest coed bars (White Horse and Tavern in the Square) and the cash-only hipster dives (The Model and Silhouette) that populate the majority of the 'hood. Deep Ellum's a bar for drinkers who are serious about what they drink. Don't oder a PBR here, you'll look like a total newb (and you can get it for a hell of a lot cheaper down the street at the Model). They've got some excellent craft cocktails (and absinthe) but the real enterprise is the beer geekery. more
Publick House is consistently rated one of the best beer bars in town. Last year's winner for Best Beer Geek Bar, American Craft's sister establishment is always packed. Drawing a young (but not college young) crowd, Publick House of noisy, unpretentious, and packed to the gills with both beer nerds and enough craft beers containing up to 12 percent alcohol to get 'em all a little loose. They've got more than 150 brews, so it can get a little confusing: take your time. more
Named after the famously hard-drinking poet, we're pretty sure that old Chuck B would be wont to drown himself in his cups here if it had been around in his day. There Inman location is slightly less divey than the downtown bar that overlooks the Mass Pike, but is no less populated by beer snobs who take their brews seriously. They call their extensive beer list "120 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"...all of which are tempting enough to require the "Wheel of Indecision" for confused patrons. Don't forget to hit up the ATM...cash only. more
It can be tough getting a table on a Saturday night at this Rock City beer mecca. With 380 microbrews and exotic imports, 112 varieties on tap, and a simple motto: "Life's too short to drink cheap beer" Sunset is always, always hopping. The daunting 12-page beer menu features Belgian beers, organic beers, barley wines, even root beer - you name the style and it's represented here. The Cantina over by BU is usually a bit more manageable, crowdwise, though no less stocked with all the specialty beers you can guzzle. Best beer bar in 2010...can they do it again? more
The go-to spot for many a Phoenix extracurricular event (we're not playing favorites here, it happens to be in the PHX Headquarter's 'hood) the cash-only Lower Depths sports an impressively long beer list (how about a Sinebrychoff Porter or a Leatherlips IPA?) and friendly servers to help you decipher it. As the name suggests, it's below street level, which encourages us to think of it as a thinking-man's dive. more
Which of these bars is the beer geekiest of all? Vote for your favorite BEER GEEK BAR in this year's Best Poll (you can also write in one we left out). Then, vote for the rest of the 2012 Food & Drink categories. Feeling industrious? You can vote for all your favorite Boston places, people, and things on our complete 2012 ballot.
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