ON our annual hunt for the country’s top beer bars, it became clear that craft beer is everywhere, from gas stations to grocery stores. Best of all, we saw hundreds of beer bars with inspiring selections, well-versed bartenders and perfectly poured pints all across the country. We can’t imagine we’ll will ever go back to the days when “selection” meant light lagers and light lagers from Europe, but some things have stayed the same: Namely, the bars that championed craft beer (before we even called it that) are still leading the way. Hamilton’s, Falling Rock, Map Room—they’re still on this list. While a handful of phenomenal new bars cracked the top 100 this year, overwhelmingly, those who’ve been there all along are still the places every beer lover should visit. Below, our nation’s 100 finest:
APEX
1216 SE Division St., Portland, Ore.; apexbar.com
Bailey’s TapRoom
213 SW Broadway, Portland, Ore.; baileystaproom.com
Bazi Bierbrasserie
1522 SE 32nd Ave., Portland, Ore.; bazipdx.com
Beer Bar
Before Beer Bar, there was The BAR-X, its cool, older sister speakeasy known for classic cocktails with a twist. But before BAR-X, there was Beer Bar. The minds behind both spots—including Ty Burrell of “Modern Family” fame—knew they wanted to do something with beer even before BAR-X opened four years ago; last spring, they kicked in the space next door, launched 31 taps and created another buzzed-about spot for Salt Lake’s energetic (and often undersold) nightlife. With concrete floors, exposed-beam ceilings and beer-garden communal tables, it’s got all the contemporary trappings we’ve come to love in craft-forward spots. But what we really love is Beer Bar’s commitment to brew: They’ve brought new beer to Utah with their own truck, and a huge walk-in cooler ensures once it’s there, it has a proper home. Always served in proper glassware, tap pours are by and large local: State law dictates spouts can only have beer that’s 4% ABV or less, which once upon a time might’ve been a drawback, but today simply means a killer session selection, including the perfectly constructed house helles.
Beer Bar
161 E. 200 S., Salt Lake City, facebook.com/beerbarslc
Beer Revolution
464 3rd St., Oakland, Calif.; beer-revolution.com
Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark St., Portland, Ore.; belmont-station.com
Beveridge Place Pub
6413 California Ave. SW, Seattle; beveridgeplacepub.com
Blind Lady Ale House
3416 Adams Ave., San Diego; blindlady.blogspot.com
Craft and Growler
3601 Parry Ave., Dallas; craftandgrowler.com
Craft Pride
61 Rainey St., Austin, Texas; craftprideaustin.com
Draught House Pub & Brewery
4112 Medical Parkway, Austin, Texas; draughthouse.com
Encinitas Ale House
1044 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, Calif.; encinitasalehouse.com
Falling Rock Tap House
1919 Blake St., Denver; fallingrocktaphouse.com
Hamilton’s Tavern
1521 30th St., San Diego; hamiltonstavern.com
The Hay Merchant
1100 Westheimer Rd., Houston; haymerchant.com
Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom
3090 SE Division St., Portland, Ore.; imperialbottleshop.com
The Mayor of Old Town
632 S. Mason St., Fort Collins, Colo.; themayorofoldtown.com
Mikkeller Bar
If world-famous brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergso is Willy Wonka, this cool brick bar in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood is his Chocolate Factory. Sleek taps identified only by numbers appear sterile, but what pours is one of the most colorful, prolific beer collections on Earth. The 42 always-changing selections offer a glimpse into Bjergso’s beautifully complicated beer mind, a combination of boundless brewing creativity blended with rigid serving standards. The menu’s organized by serving temperature: You’ll find cask ales and stouts under the 55-degree category, sessionables like kölsches and pilsners on the 40-degree list, and farmhouse ales, IPAs and the Mikkeller Tenderloin beers brewed just for the bar under the 45-degree heading. You’ll also find a slew of Mikkeller specialties like Spontanredgrape (a grape lambic), but unlike Wonka, Bjergso knows he’s not the only brewer capable of greatness—so he hosts the fruit of other beer genius, like Vermont’s Hill Farmstead and Oklahoma’s Prairie Artisan Ales, too.
Mikkeller Bar
34 Mason St., San Francisco; mikkellerbar.com
O’Brien’s American Pub
4646 Convoy St., San Diego; obrienspub.net
Petrol Station
985 Wakefield Dr., Houston; facebook.com/petrolstation
Pine Box
1600 Melrose Ave., Seattle; pineboxbar.com
Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern
1004 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, Ore.; saraveza.com
The Sixgill
3417 Evanston Ave. N., Seattle; thesixgill.com
Strangeways
2429 N. Fitzhugh, Dallas; 214.823.7800
Stumbling Monk
1635 E. Olive Way, Seattle; 206.860.0916
The Surly Goat
7929 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, Calif.; surlygoat.com
Tap and Handle
307 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, Colo.; tapandhandle.com
Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Blvd., North Park, Calif.; tigertigertavern.blogspot.com
Tony’s Darts Away
1710 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, Calif.; tonysda.com
The Trappist
460 8th St., Oakland, Calif.; thetrappist.com
7 Monks Taproom
128 S. Union St., Traverse City, Mich.; 7monkstap.com
Bangers & Lace
1670 W. Division St., Chicago; bangersandlacechicago.com
Bier Station
120 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; bierstation.com
Bridge
1004 Locust St., St. Louis; thebridgestl.com
Clubhouse BFD
2265 Crooks Rd., Rochester Hills, Mich.; chbfd.com
Crescent Moon
3578 Farnam St., Omaha, Neb.; beercornerusa.com
El Bait Shop
200 SW 2nd St., Des Moines, Iowa; elbaitshop.com
Firkin
515 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, Ill.; firkinoflibertyville.com
Fountainhead
1970 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago; fountainheadchicago.com
The Happy Gnome
498 Selby Ave., St. Paul, Minn.; thehappygnome.com
HalfCut
Halfcut (the word) is 1920s slang for one’s state of mind after a few beers; HalfCut (the place) is a new beer parlor where you can achieve it. Nestled in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, this bar boasts a giant “ghost sign”-style mural that pays homage to the Queen City’s storied German beer heritage. Across the room, a picture of a mountain climber, the mounted head of a billy goat and a grade-school map adorn the exposed brick wall, encouraging patrons to channel their inner explorer and try something new and daring, like Liefmans Goudenband sour or Rogue XS Old Crustacean barleywine. Customers form a deli-style queue to the counter to order; they can select from 16 taps, half of which highlight Midwest breweries such as Cincinnati’s MadTree and Rhinegeist, while others feature more distant delights. Try the carefully curated flavors of the Flight of the Night, or ask an expert “beerista” for recommendations; if you can’t stay, grab a jug through the walk-up Growler Window.
HalfCut
1128 Walnut St., Cincinnati; halfcut.com
Heorot
219 S. Walnut St., Muncie, Ind.; facebook.com/heorot-pub-and-draught-house
Hopleaf
5148 N. Clark St., Chicago; hopleaf.com
Krug Park
6205 Maple St., Omaha, Neb.; krugpark.com
Local Option
1102 W. Webster Ave., Chicago; localoptionbier.com
Map Room
1949 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago; maproom.com
Mitten Bar
109 W. Ludington Ave., Ludington, Mich.; facebook.com/mittenbar
Palm Tavern
2989 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee; 414.744.0393
Republic
221 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; republicmn.com
Romans’ Pub
3475 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee; romanspub.com
Sugar Maple
441 E. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee; mysugarmaple.com
Avenue Pub
1732 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans; theavenuepub.com
Beer Run
156 Carlton Rd. Suite 203, Charlottesville, Va.; beerrun.com
The Beer Trappe
811 E. Euclid Ave., Lexington, Ky.; thebeertrappe.com
The Birch
1231 W. Olney Rd., Norfolk, Va.; thebirchbar.com
Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur, Ga.; brickstorepub.com
Busy Bee Cafe
225 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, N.C.; busybeeraleigh.com
Closed for Business
453 King St., Charleston, S.C.; closed4business.com
Craft Brewed
2502 Franklin Pike, Nashville; craftbrewednashville.com
Craft Conundrum
630 Skylark Dr., Charleston, S.C.; facebook.com/craftconundrum
Growlers Pourhouse
3120 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, N.C.; growlerspourhouse.com
Holy Grale
1034 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, Ky.; holygralelouisville.com
Hops + Crafts
319 12th Ave. S., Nashville, Tenn.; hopscrafts.com
Laser Wolf
Inside this squat building painted a few shades beiger than primer is a slapdash collage of stickers, irreverent art, combat-boot-wearing patrons and some of the rarest beers on tap in South Florida. (What you won’t find: TVs.) The bar’s motto is “No jerks. Yes beers,” and it’s with that spirit Laser Wolf caters to an un-jerky brand of beer drinkers with an affinity for cult movies and barrel-aged everything. Laser Wolf seems to have first dibs on special releases, especially from Cigar City Brewing: Owner Chris Bellus (or his brother Jordan) also seems to have an affinity for Evil Twin Brewing and cider; for a while, this was the only place around pouring Zombie Killer. While that’s music to the beer lover’s ears, there’s also real music for your ears, too: Chris recently launched a record label (expect speed metal and booty bass), and beertender Bleubird is a local underground-hip-hop celebrity.
Laser Wolf
901 Progresso Drive #101, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; laserwolf.com
Mahogany Bar
3810 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, Miss.; mahoganybar.net
Mr. Beery’s
2645 Mall Dr., Sarasota, Fla.; mrbeeryssrq.com
The Nook
3305 Bob Wallace Ave. SW, Huntsville, Ala.; thenooktavern.com
Oak Barrel Tavern
825 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, S.C.; 843.789.3686
The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta; theporterbeerbar.com
The Raleigh Times Bar
14 E. Hargett St., Raleigh, N.C.; raleightimesbar.com
Redlight Redlight
2810 Corrine Dr., Orlando, Fla.; redlightredlightbeerparlour.com
Sergio’s World Beers
1605 Story Ave., Louisville, Ky.; sergiosworldbeers.com
Tapwerks Ale House
121 E. Sheridan Ave., Oklahoma City; tapwerks.com
Armsby Abbey
144 N. Main St., Worcester, Mass.; armsbyabbey.com
Beer Street
413 Graham Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.; beerstreetnyc.com
Bierkraft
191 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.; bierkraft.com
Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St., New York City; blindtigeralehouse.com
The Brewer’s Art
1106 N. Charles St., Baltimore; thebrewersart.com
Brouwerij Lane
78 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.; brouwerijlane.com
ChurchKey
1337 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.; churchkeydc.com
Deep Ellum
477 Cambridge St., Allston, Mass.; deepellum-boston.com
Ebenezer’s Pub
44 Allen Rd., Lovell, Maine; ebenezerspub.net
Eulogy Belgian Tavern
136 Chestnut St., Philadelphia; eulogybar.com
The Grey Lodge Public House
6235 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; greylodge.com
The Jeffrey
311 E. 60th St., New York City; jeffreynyc.com
Lord Hobo
92 Hampshire St., Cambridge, Mass.; lordhobo.com
Max’s Taphouse
737 S. Broadway, Baltimore; maxs.com
Memphis Taproom
2331 E. Cumberland St., Philadelphia; memphistaproom.com
Monk’s Café
264 S. 16th St., Philadelphia; monkscafe.com
Novare Res Bier Café
4 Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine; novareresbiercafe.com
Proletariat
A must-visit in Manhattan’s West Village, Proletariat’s a slip of a place, intimately narrow and moody with photo-filled walls and a dozen barstools. Snag one to taste—as promised by the sign in front—new, unusual and rare beer. Originally (and quite accidentally) a speakeasy, Proletariat used to be tucked between a storefront that sold cinnamon buns and its kitchen, but the bar eventually pushed out to the window, where today it pours fun oddities from well-curated spouts, courtesy of general manager Cory Bonfiglio. Though the selection changes every New York minute, he vows there will always be something hoppy (though probably not a straightforward IPA), something boozy and most certainly a selection of funky and sour brews. Not sure what to get? The bartenders genuinely know their stuff, and, better yet, genuinely care that you get what you want.
Proletariat
102 St. Mark’s Place, New York City; proletariatny.com
The Publick House
1648 Beacon St., Brookline, Mass.; thepublickhousebeerbar.com
Rattle N Hum
14 E. 33rd St., New York City; rattlenhumbarnyc.com
Spuyten Duyvil
359 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.; spuytenduyvilnyc.com
Strangelove’s
216 S. 11th St., Philadelphia; strangelovesbeerbar.com
Teresa’s Next Door
124 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, Pa.; teresas-cafe.com
Three Penny Taproom
108 Main St., Montpelier, Vt.; threepennytaproom.com
Top Hops Beer Shop
94 Orchard St., New York City; tophops.com
Torst
615 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.; torstnyc.com
Tria Taproom
2005 Walnut St., Philadelphia; triacafe.com/taproom