BEST BREW PUBS
WORDS BY JENN PLUM
In Munich, Germany, the arrival of fall means one thing - Oktoberfest, a bacchanallan festival that serves as the centerpiece of any beer lover’s calendar. But you don’t have to travel halfway across the globe to get into the spirit of he celebrations and experience the best home-brewed beer in the world. Here are a few of the greatest brew pubs; lederhosen are otional, but a frothy pint is certainly mandartory.
BALTIMORE
Baltimore was once known as a city of neighborhood taverns where barflies threw back cans of the local beer, National Bohemian, more affectionately known as “Natty Boh.” But times have changed, and visitors are now more likely to find trendsetters quaffing potent Belgian blends in one of the city’s brew pubs.
Brewer’s ArtBrewer’s Art
1106 N Charles St, 410-547-6925 www.belgianbeer.com
Bar hoppers have two options at Brewer’s Art—there’s the cave-like basement bar with dim lighting and intimate, candlelit grottoes, or you can try the arty upstairs bar, where a hip crowd lounges on couches and sips the house’s Belgian and Dutch-style brews. Note that the key word is sipping, as many of these beers, including Resurrection and Ozzy, are not only loaded with flavor, but also with alcohol. The best countermeasure to getting tipsy too early is a heaped plate of the bar’s legendary frites (French fries) loaded with rosemary and garlic.
DuClaw Brewery
901 S Bond St, 410-563-3400 www.duclaw.com
Fell’s Point is the center of beer drinking in Baltimore, and the latest branch of the DuClaw Brewery occupies prime real estate right on the water. DuClaw gets an A+, not only for great beer, but for great names too. How can you go wrong when imbibing seasonal specials including the Mad Bishop (German-style Oktoberfest lager), Twisted Kilt (Scotch ale), Devil’s Milk (barley wine) and old standbys such as Kangaroo Love (Australian-style lager) and Venom (American-style pale ale)?
The Wharf Rat
206 W Pratt St, 410-244-8900 www.thewharfrat.com
With its convenient location across from Camden Yards, The Wharf Rat is a good choice for a pre-game drink during the summer months, so long as you stick to just a half-pint of the Oliver Hot Monkey Love, which has a whopping 9% alcohol. But with baseball season over, why not while away your entire day at this bar, trying more of the great Oliver Ales? Oliver Harvest Ale is a good place to start, while Oliver Blackfriar Stout is a smooth and creamy nightcap.
BOSTON
New England is one of the country’s most popular fall destinations, so it’s no wonder that these Boston brew pubs infuse their seasonal ales with a taste of autumn, from pumpkin-flavored brews to rich amber-hued specials. Cambridge is one of the coolest places to enjoy some of these autumn treats. This neighborhood is probably most regarded for its top-notch universities, but on the weekends, it’s the bartenders who are working hard, serving pints to all those thirsty students.
Cambridge Brewing Company
1 Kendall Sq, Bldg 100, Cambridge, 617-494-1994 www.cambrew.com
The Cambridge Brewing Company is an old-timer among brewery-restaurants, as it was the first in the Boston area and one of the first in the country. The menu of favorites and rotating seasonal specials includes Great Pumpkin Ale, a classic American brew that dates back to colonial days when barley supplies were low and colonists in Plymouth used starchy pumpkins to make their own beer. Cambridge Brewing Company is one of the only brew pubs in the East to carry on this tradition, serving the brew from September through Thanksgiving.
Beer Works
61 Brookline Ave, 617-536-2337 www.beerworks.net
Baseball and beer go hand-in-hand in the summer months, but what’s a fan to do once the World Series is over? The field lights may go out at Fenway Park when baseball season comes to an end, but Beer Works will still be there pouring 15 microbrews until last call. In keeping with the baseball theme, the boozy lineup includes Fenway American Pale Ale and Bambino Ale, named, of course, for the infamous Babe Ruth.
John Harvard’s Brew House
33 Dunster St, Cambridge, 617-868-3585 www.johnharvards.com
It’s good advice to take advantage of short-term seasonal brews while they’re available, especially John Harvard’s malty Oktoberfest lager. But it would also be a shame to miss out on the rest of this joint’s concoctions, including the Nut Brown Ale and Old Willy India Pale Ale. The best thing about this brew pub is that you don’t actually have to be in Boston to enjoy the award-winning brews, as John Harvard’s has outposts in six states along the east coast.
DENVER
Everyone knows that Colorado is serious when it comes to skiing, but the number of brew pubs scattered across the state proves that the art of brewing quality beers is just as important. Outdoor enthusiasts play hard during the day—skiing, biking, rafting—and then hit the bars with the same zeal at night, sampling the adventurous beers made in local brew pubs.
Breckenridge Brewery & Pub
2220 Blake St, 303-297-3644 www.breckbrew.com
Located near the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field, fans of baseball and beer alike flock to the Breckenridge Brewery & Pub for the tasty pints and ski-bar atmosphere. The brewery’s best-selling beer may sound scary, but the amber-hued Avalanche Ale is anything but, with a crisp taste and just enough alcohol. Another favorite is Autumn Ale, a fusion of malty German lager and crisp American ale.
Bull & Bush
4700 Cherry Creek Dr South, 303-759-0333 www.bullandbush.com
The Bull & Bush is a true English-style brew pub, modeled after a pub of the same name in Hampstead Heath in London, England. It’s not just the bar that looks British, but even the brewing tanks and some of the hops used in brewing have been brought from the UK. Both the creamy Hail Brau Hefeweizen and the amber Allgood Ale are crowd-pleasers, with numerous awards to prove it. Then there are the darker brews that give a nod to the Brits, like Big Ben Brown Ale and the substantial Stonehenge Stout.
Wynkoop Brewing Company
1634 18th St, 303-297-2700 www.wynkoop.com
The Wynkoop takes beer drinking so seriously that every year the bar sponsors the “Beer Drinker of the Year” award. This is not some frat-style chugging contest, but rather a heated competition between beer enthusiasts from around the country that involves knowledge of beer and a good palate for discerning between different brews. But even amateurs will know that the brew pub’s flagship ale, the dark red RailYard Ale, is something special.
MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL
The Twin Cities’ reputation for brutally cold winters may leave some visitors to assume that the residents bunker down for the winter and wait for the thaw of spring to resume dining out and socializing. But this is far from the truth. A complex network of heated skyways allows for easy navigation of downtown on even the nastiest of nights, so the bar scene doesn’t suffer one bit in the long cold winter. The city’s brew pubs mix up boozy concoctions that are the perfect antidote to the chilly weather.
Barley John’s Brew Pub
781 Old Highway Eight, New Brighton, 651-636-4670 www.barleyjohns.com
There are few surprises in the beer world these days, as brewers infuse batches of beer with everything from blueberries to chocolate to whole vanilla beans. But rice—now that’s something new. Barley John’s Wild Brunette is a Belgian-style brown ale with the earthy taste of Minnesota wild rice. This brew pub is a short drive from the city, but the well-tuned beers and juicy hamburgers make the trip worthwhile.
Great Waters Brewing Company
426 Saint Peter St, St Paul, 651-224-2739 www.greatwatersbc.com
Located on the west side of St Paul, Great Waters carries a host of excellent beers brewed on the premises. The copper-colored Saint Peter Pale Ale has some notes of caramel, while Martin’s Bitter and The New Centurian are pulled with old-fashioned hand-pumped taps. Outdoor seating is key in the warm summer months and even during the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, when it is converted into an ice patio.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
1430 Washington Ave South, Minneapolis, 612-339-8696 www.townhallbrewery.com
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery is a staple of the city’s nightlife with its old-time atmosphere, complete with vintage photos and a tin ceiling. The beers have an English flair, including the malty Hope and King Scotch Ale and the dark and creamy Black Water Oatmeal Stout. In keeping with English pub tradition, Town Hall Brewery offers a house session beer—West Bank Pub Ale. It’s easy to throw back a few of these beers without a brutal headache the next morning.
SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco isn’t far from California’s famed Napa Valley, so one might assume that wine is the star of this city’s nightlife. While there are plenty of wine bars where enthusiasts can indulge, the city’s brewers take the art of beer-making just as seriously.
ThirstyBear Brewing Company
661 Howard St, 415-974-0905 www.thirstybear.com
For a taste of Oktoberfest without the wiener schnitzel, check out the menu at ThirstyBear Brewing Company. This downtown staple combines two great trends in the food and wine industry—tasty handcrafted beers and addictive Spanish tapas. Beer fanatics dig the crisp Valencia Wheat and light Golden Vanilla, but any of the house beers are sure to be delicious when paired with a plate of spicy chorizo and creamy Spanish cheese.
Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
901 Gilman St, Berkeley, 510-528-9880 www.pyramidbrew.com
If it’s not enough to simply enjoy drinking Pyramid’s sophisticated brews, visitors can also tour the brewery for a crash course in barley, yeast, fermentation and the mastery that goes into creating the perfect blend of apricot and wheat found in the Apricot Weizen. Not in the mood for something so fruity? Then one of the other 15 beers offered on draft is sure to suit. The good news is that distributors throughout most states carry Pyramid beer, so out-of-state visitors can enjoy the hoppy goodness at home.
MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee is prominent in beer-drinking circles, and not just for the obvious reasons. Sure, it’s home to Schlitz, Pabst and, of course, the Miller Brewing Company—one of the world’s largest brewing companies and owner of the city’s only remaining outdoor beer garden. But beer connoisseurs are quick to point out that not all of the beer that comes from Milwaukee is mass-produced—there’s a noteworthy brew pub scene keeping the boozy spirit fresh.
Milwaukee Ale House
233 N Water St, 414-226-2337 www.ale-house.com
Overlooking the Milwaukee River, this brick warehouse serves at least six handcrafted brews each day. Toast the city’s history with the Downtown Lites Honey Ale, a light, clean-tasting pale ale, which pays tribute to the beers that made Milwaukee a brewing capital. Or shuffle a deck of cards and deal a hand of your favorite card game while drinking Sheepshead Stout, named for an old card game popular with the German immigrants who settled this city so long ago.
Water Street Brewery
1101 N Water St, 414-272-1195 www.waterstreetbrewery.com
In 1987, Water Street Brewery followed in the footsteps of Milwaukee beer legends and began brewing small batches of unique beers. There are a number of beers celebrating the city’s German heritage, including Old World Oktoberfest, Munich Lager, Dopplebock and the sweet and fruity Raspberry Weiss.