Can Hockey Build off of the 2024 Final

Many, many lifelong hockey fans were complaining that a Stanley Cup Final game was being played on Monday, June 24th. By far the latest we've ever had (covid seasons excepted). The irate reactions to so many gaps of two days - of course most of those due to not conflicting with the NBA, that has done a 3-week long finals schedule for eons now. It was weird. It leads to a super rushed week that goes from Game 7 through the Hall of Fame class being announced, to the NHL Draft and then Free Agency. All of it is weird. But do you know what? Thist may have been the best thing to happen to the NHL.

With the NBA Finals starting first, and ending so quickly, the NHL took the sport spotlight. Sure, there are millions who don't care at all, but I saw a lot of people posting on Twitter about how great the Stanley Cup Final was. So many people watching hockey for the first time, posting about the speed, the madness, the nail-biting drama. So many people getting their first exposure to hockey with one of hte most dramatic Finals we've had in decades, with so many competing storylines that are easy for a casual. The NHL got a week in the spotlight, and man did the product deliver.

It's funny since rewind a week and the NHL was staring at a 3-0 series, much like the NBA was, but good God the Oilers earned their stripes. That rout in Game 4 felt different than the Mavs similar rout in their Game 4. Their close win in Game 5 set things up so well. The atmosphere and dynamics of that Game 6 in Edmonton, with a stadium as loud as one will ever be. And it all led, with two days of anticipation for a game many billed as the Biggest game in NHL History. From a "history" standpoint, probably an exaggeration. But from what it could mean to the league? Absolutely.

We were either going to get the biggest collapse ever, allowing a Canadian team to win a Cup for the first time in 31 years, with arguably the most talented player ever at its core. Or we get the crowning of a great Florida team, and one more "non-traditional" market that is firming itself up as a hockey hotbed (much like Florida's neighbors three hours north in Tampa). So much rode on this game, but also the chance to entertain millions of people that normally don't watch hockey.

I can't overstate the importance of that game not being a boring rout (much like the last two Game 7's were in 2011 and 2019). The last time the NHL had this much going for it in a single game was probably Game 7 in 2009 - the last great Game 7, when Crosby's Penguins went to Detroit and won against the defending champs. That set off a mini hockey renaissance (along with the rise of the Blackhawks), before the 2012 lockout and tough to love Kings kind of ruined things for a bit. Thsi was hockey's next chance, after a full week of chances, and it delivered.

That first period itself was one of the best played, most dramatic and tense, first periods I've ever watched. And from so many tweets, again many from basketball reporters, football reporters, to even, hell, football players (e.g. Reggie Wayne), it was a collective experience of ultimate enjoyment. Even if the second and third periods didn't quite live up to it, there were a few moments of brilliance that will hopefully attach enough of the first-timers to set hockey on a new course.

First was the six minute stretch in the second period without a whistle, ending perfectly with the Sam Reinhart winning goal, right after the Oilers came an inch away from taking the lead. That six minute stretch was something special. Hockey is never better than when you get one of these stretches without a whistle. Basketball is similar, in a way, but even there the game is slower than hockey. Here it was up an down, a few missed changes, some odd man rushes, some scrambles, and ending exactly a 5:59 without a whistle. In truth, it didn't end with a whistle, it ended with a goal horn.

Second was the last few minutes of the game. Yes, it would've been nice if the Oilers had a clearer chance in those dying seconds after pulling the goalie. Yes, it would've been great if Bobrovsky had to lay out at the death for a few saves, say like Marc Andre-Fleury had to in 2009. But still, the energy, the noise in the building - amplified somehow by the 40% or so that seemed to be Oilers fans. Those last seconds with the fans realizing it was over was a noise level that should grab people.

And finally, of course, the celebration of the handshake line and the Cup, the moments of all these players skating aroudn. It is almost passe to say it at this point, but the fact that the NHL hands the trophy to the players first, and you get this moment of them skating aroudn with the Cup, is just so iconic. It is the best trophy in sports. Even non-hockey fans just absolutely know this their core.

For all the people who like me are trying to make this a super important moment for the sport, if not a turning point of sorts, much of that is wishful thinking. We want hockey to be more loved. Of course, despite having some lingering "big-4"-ness, we know the NBA left it a long time ago. But if we can steal a few fans back, well we should want a bigger tent. It was so cool seeing people who don't really watch hockey tweet about the game and more pontedly tweet about how great the game is - how incredible playoff hockey is. It is that great, and hopefully this is the start of more of that to come.

The Magnificence of the 2024 Euro's

It happened almost instantly, on day two of the tournament. Albania, a newcomer to the Euro's, scored thirty seconds into their clash against Italy. The half of the fans in red and black were going insane. This after the mockingly, jokingly, snapped pasta in the faces of Italian fans pre-game. Italy of course came back with a vengeance, adn the blue half of the stadium was going insane. Albania had a few chances late, and the atmosphere was just on 11 for the entire game.

It continued more the next day, when Slovenia, in their first major tournament in years, went balls to the wall in the second half, finally scoring late to eke out a draw against Denmark. We saw in the next day when Romania scored two bangers to beat Ukraine, in Romania's first tournament in a long time. Then Turkey overran the stadium in their win of Georgia. On and on and on it went. Day after day, game after game. There's much of this tournament to go, and it's already breaking the bank of memories.

Three things define this Euro's so far. First the nature of the crowds, the atmosphere, the fan zones. All of it such a nice return of a mostly fan-less Euro 2020 (played in 2021) and the weirdness that hung over Qatar 2022 like a pall. And truthfully, while I'm sure the US World Cup in 2026 will generally go off fine, even then the atmosphere won't be the same. We ahve to savor every moment of how great this has all been.

Second, the level of bangers. Not sure if it has crossed the 2018 World Cup in terms of the total panolpy of audacious banger goals, but this is certainly coming close. Just a crazy amount of goals from outside the box, even from teams you wouldn't expect like Romania getting two screamers in their opening game. There has been some icnredible ballsiness on these shots.

And finally, and maybe most importantly, the style of play has been refreshing. We've come so long from our 2010 and 2012 nadir, when nearly every game would be some team driving 75% of possession and the otehr sitting back. Sure, there's still some of that now, but the games have by and large fed off the crowd and been more open, and certainly more dynamic, with weird awesome swings like Denmark dominating a first half and almost at the drop of a hat switching to Serbia. There's a freshness with this unpredictability.

But really, att least as the group stage is concerned, the real glory has been that first point. The fans, the atmosphere, teh chanting, the vibes. I mentioned early on that viral video of the Albanian fans breaking raw spaghetti in half in front of Italian fans on the street. In writing it seems stupid and the wrong (read: annoying) type of people may look to say its offensive. However, in reality, it was hilarious. The Italians comically overreacted in disgust. It was a beautiful moment, and there's been so many more.

It's been a while since we had a major tournament in what woudl be seen as a traditional football powerhouse. We had the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which was a celebration of all things South American football, and then the 2016 Euros in France which was supposed to be spectacular. I often think the world writ large is unfair to the vibes, atmosphere of Russia 2018, but are probably right to say what a disappoinment teh 2022 World Cup was from a fan perspcctive. Giant throngs of fans all unison in one color, mobbing the streets and open plazas of German towns: that's what these tournaments are supposed to be about.

Same with the play on the field. THis is the third Euro's since it expanded to 24 teams, and while that still leaves some unfortunate situations of 3rd place teams in groups making the knockouts, for the first time it seems like there are 24 teams worthy of being here. The gap between best and worst is smaller than ever, and the fans packing every building, and all 23 countries traveling well in Germany, has made this just a perfect brew.

I hope it never ends. It will of course. Already in the third set of group stage games, that perfect routine of a game at 9am, 12noon and 3pm has broken. But that's not to say we already haven't had the spectacular so far, with Germany's stoppage time equalizer against Switzerland (to win the group), Hungary's 90+10' winner against Scotland, Italy's dramatic goal in the 90+5' to draw Croatia and secure their place (and almost certainly end the run of Luka Modric). This tournament has had it all. Euro 2024 is a masterpiece of a tournament, six years in the making. The first real, non-bastardized major tournament post covid is making up for lost time.

That third aspect, the level and evenness of play, is super important in this as well. The most pointed example is the Manchester City players who play best in that system, just control and keeping and probing the ball, in Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, have had fairly average tournaments. This isn't the tournament for complex, possession heavy systems. We've had teams wear down from over pressing. No, instead this has been the tournament of bangers, of 1v1 dribbles, of counters, of brilliance. I truly hope I don't overplay what is to come, but this has been a special, special tournament halfway through.

Just Let Canada Win a Cup

Most hockey fans will know that it has been 31 years since a Canadian team won a Stanley Cup. Even non-hockey sports fans are often aware of this weird dichotomy, the country that loves hockey above any other sport, that provides about half the players in the league, and that have had between 6-7 teams, good for generally 20% - 25% of the league through that period, has not won since the first year of the Clinton administration. They've come close, losing the Final in 1994 (Vancouver), 2004 (Calgary), 2006 (Edmonton), 2007 (Ottawa), 2011 (Vancouver, again), and 2021 (Montreal). Four of those losses were in Game 7 (1994, 2004, 2006, 2011), admittedly three of the four the Canadian team was on the road for Game 7. Anyway you slice it though, it is mathematically super unlikely that any group of 6-7 teams in a 24-32 team league wouldn't win the title in a 30 year span.

Made worse, for Canadians at least, is that so many of the Cups in intervening years have been won by "non-traditional" hockey markets - the markets that only have teams because the best player of all time left Edmonton. Those dastardly warm weather teams won in 1999 (Dallas - admittedly a relocation team), 2004 (Tampa), 2006 (Carolina, again relocation), 2007 (Anaheim), 2012 (Los Angeles), 2014 (Los Angeles), 2020 & 2021 (Tampa) and of course, maybe worst of all last year (Vegas), where a team that only existed for six years won a Cup.

All this leads to teh series that will be kicking off in a few days. There has maybe never been a better set-up for drama, with Edmonton, the most northernly Canadian team, with of course the leagues best player, trying to break the streak against Florida, maybe the most stereotypical example of the "non-traditional market" (at least since Phoenix is no longer with us). Granted, we've had the Canadian Hope against Non-Traditional Market in 2004 and 2006, but both of those years the Canadian team was the significant underdog, Cinderella team. Edmonton is no Cinderella, and I hope to God they win.

I'm not Canadian, though through different work projects have spent a lot of time in Canada, but in this series I am. For a few reasons, but maybe none more than that their crazy, ridiculous, color-coordinated fans, are what made me love this sport so much. I wrote a Nostalgia Diaries years ago about growing up sneaking my way into watching late nigth Western Conference games, specifically those played in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver (shout-out to San Jose, Colorado, Anaheim, etc.). Those crowds. The chants, the energy, the colors. The way they had the crowd sing O Canada - I can pull Youtube clips of the Edmonton crowd in 2006 singing O Canada and get myself energized. That is fandom.

That excitement just exploded out of the TV screen and into a young, impressionable hockey fans living room and heart. Sure, I was a Devils fan first and foremost, and their long semi-dynasty from 1995-2012 kept my interested always at a baseline, but following their 2003 Cup win, they generally were knocked out early in the playoffs. It was those Western Conference Canadian crowds, from the Red Mile in Calgary 2004, the the white-outs in Winnipeg, to the deep, bellowing goal horn of the Canucks, that got me back in and cemented hockey as my second favorite sport (granted, that alternates with baseball almost weekly). We saw it this past series in Edmonton - I've never heard a crowd come across louder through the screen than the 3rd period of that game.

That is hockey, the best distillation of it. New Jersey was not really cold enough to have the frozen ponds and what not, but even then the mythology of the backyard makeshift rinks in some Canadian farm town - that is what this sport is more than anything else. It's their time.

I want Detroit fans to experience a Super Bowl win, or Cleveland fans. The country of Canada, from 1993 to now, is basically a country of Lions fans when it comes to winning the one thing that is their national identity. The Stanley Cup is named after the old governor general of Canada, for christsakes (the one bit of Colonialism I can get behind). 

And this in reality is the right team to break the streak. Granted, the 2011 Canucks would've been a perfectly great team to do so as well, with the lovable Sedins and the rest, but then they went and played that whole series as if the weight of a country was on them. I truly hope Edmonton doesn't do that. Even aside from teh Canada thing, I've long proclaimed my staunch belief that every all time great deserves at least one ring, and Connor McDavid is very much that. Leon Draisaitl not too far behind him. The rest of that team is full of interesting stories and legacies as well - my pet favorite being Adam Henrique, the guy who had two series winning OT goals as a rookie for the magical 2012 Devils, a playoff run I'll never forget. He didn't win the Cup that year, but he;'s old enough to be the Oilers nominal OGWAC. The stories are all there.

Not that I would be sad if Florida wins - they have a bunch of great stories as well, and they are genuinely an excellent team that all things said are slight favorites in my mind. Seeing them bounce back from losing the Final last year has been great to watch. But really guys, Canada may just burn to the ground if this Edmonton team loses to Florida. But God willing that won't happen. Canada deserves this, and more than that, I just want it for them.

Real Madrid's 6 in 11, the Memories

2014

It's hard to remember now after they've won the competition more often than not, but in the eleven years preceding (2003 - 2013) they didn't win once. It was an obsession of Real Madrid's to win La Decima. For a while they never got close, losing in the Round of 16 five straight seasons, some in embarrassing fashion. But Jose Mourinho changed that, along with Cristiano. But even then it was a series of Semifinal losses - all various levels of infamy, from losing to Barcelona, to losing on PKs, to losing 1-4 in a 1st leg to Dortmund.

But 2014 seemed different. Ancelotti had the team humming in Europe. Their 5-0 two-leg win over Bayern Munich, including a 4-0 undressing of Munich in Munich in the second leg, was the stuff of legend. I was on a project in Mexico at the time. I vividly remember teh second leg playing out on a TV in teh corner of the lunch spot we were at. The first Ramos header was fun, the second was insane, and then the perfect counter attack, ending in Ronaldo's goal to make it 3-0 was ecstasy.

I was similarly abroad for the final, on a cruise with friends. They had one sports bar on the boat that showed the game, though we arrived towards the end of the second half, when Madrid was still trailing. They were dominating the game (something often forgotten). It seemed like a fait accompli they would win, and the mystique and aura of Madrid's recent times would indeed start with Ramos's goal at 92:48, but at the time it seemed like the most agonizing way to lose out on La Decima, to your crosstown rival. So much might be different if Ramos doesn't get that header. Ancelotti maybe gets fired then, losing both the league and UCL to Atletico Madrid. But isntead 92:48 happened, and everything has happened since starts from that moment.

2016

The whole Zidane 1.0 experience seems like a fever dream, maybe none more than the first title at this point. Zidane took over a talented team in dissaray, and almost instantly got them humming. He committed to Casemiro being in teh starting eleven, displacing primarily James. Real Madrid was probably the best team in Europe the second half of that season, going 15-1-2 in La Liga under Zidane, including a 2-1 in Barcelona during a 10-game win streak to close the season. They were amazing. They weren't though in Europe.

Looking back now, if there was any year where Real Madrid didn't really deserve the trophy for their level of play, it was this one, as it was fairly flimsy, but even within that there were some amazing moments. The greatest being the 3-0 2nd leg win against Wolfsburg, a hat trick by Ronaldo, to overturn a 0-2 first leg loss. That first leg was dreadful, but this was the birth of something special. Even in the Round of 16, there was a great moment after Ronaldo scored the opener in the first leg, where he runs right over to Zidane and gives him a giant hug. Vibes FC to some degree started then. 

The semifinal was a dour 1-0 two-leg win over a pre-Pep Man City. The final a fairly average performance in a 1-1 (5-3 in penalties) win over Atletico Madrid, but even in these games Zidane showed a keen ability to change up game plans and styles. In the final, after scoring first, Zidane had his team sit back a bit. I remember in that moment being fairly in awe of Zidane's ability to know how to push and pull posession vs. counter. The penalties were never in doubt, Madrid going 5 for 5 with none being close to being stopped. This was the first penalty shootout Madrid played since losing to Bayern in the 2012 semis, a shootout with three misses, including a comically bad miss by Ramos to end it. Here, Ramos got the 4th penalty and Ronaldo finished it. They weren't the best often in Europe, but they were in Spain and they were, more than anything, ust get started.

2017

Everyone has that one season that they just completely obsess over. In other sports, it was the 2002-03 Devils (they won the Cup!) or the 2009 Colts (they... didn't win it all...). For soccer, it was the 2016-17 Real Madrid team - Zidane's first year in charge, fighting off fluke allegations. The team itself fighting off fluke allegations. Instead, they had one of the best years in their history, winning the league with style, winning Europe with style, capped off with a masterclass of a Final, a 4-1 throttling of a very good Juventus team, where they toyed with them for the entirety of the second half.

This was a team on a mission - a mission to win the league for the first time in five years, and to do what no team had done before in the modern incarnation of the Champions League: go back-to-back. It started brilliantly, with extending their streak of games without a loss to 28 in La Liga before finally dropping one in Seville on January 15th. This team was so good, so deep that by the second half of the season, to conserve the stars legs for the Champions League run, Zidane played full B teams for road games. Of course, the B team included Nacho, Pepe, James, Kovacic, Morata, Bale (by then replaced by Isco), Asensio, etc. This was dominance & depth personified.

Their run through Europe was also something special, going 6-0-1 in the knockout rounds, the one loss being a 2nd leg 2-1 loss to Atleti after winning 3-0 in the first leg. It was Ronaldo at his best, with hat tricks against Bayern (2nd leg QF) and Atleti (1st leg SF), but also the team as a whole at their best. That starting XI shoudl go down in history: Navas - Carvajal - Ramos - Varane - Marcelo - Casemiro - Kroos - Modric - Isco - Benzema - Ronaldo. The Gala XI. The best team in Europe by far. 

It's become super fashionable to categorically state how Madrid is a UCL monster but was rarely the best team in Europe. I argue vehemently against this most seasons. They definitely weren't the best team in Europe in 2018 (we'll come to that in a minute) and 2022, but they probably were in 2014, 2024. I would argue they were in 2016 if we take the Zidane period of the team. All that noise aside, the one undisputable fact is taht they were the best team in teh world in 2017. A magical team, that capped it off with a truly dominant performance against Juventus in the final. Juve had given up 3 goals the entire competition - they scored 4. They could've scored 6. Juventus had some moments in the first half, including a ludicrously cool team goal, but that second half should be put in a museum for Madrid. They were so clearly the team on the mountaintop.

2018

Overtime, the threepeat got this unearned reputation that they weren't good domestically but jsut overly brilliant in Europe. It is for the mess of the 2018 season that this label stuck. It isn't deserved. The 2017 team won La Liga, and the 2016 team probably would have had Zidane been there from the start, losing out by one point after finishing on that 15-2-1 run I noted. But in 2018, tehy were just not all that good in Spain. I don't know if it was intentional, but man did they rise in Europe.

I specifically remember their quarterfinal win over Juventus. How could you not - the cementing moment being Ronaldo's first leg bicycle-kick in the rain. Madrid by then already were gone in Spain, but of course they go to Turin and win 3-0 in a driving rainstorm scoring wonder-goals. That incredible reaction of Zidane brushing his head, as much a meme moment as the goal itself. Of course, they then almost blow it, giving up that 3-0 lead before a 92nd minute penalty in the 2nd leg. I was at my eye doctors at the time, in the waiting room, just catatonic that their 3-0 first leg win would nearly be for naught. But nothing is for naught.

Same with the Semifinal first leg win in Munich, won by a brilliant goal by Marco Asensio. The 2018 team for all their faults became to date the only winner to win all three of their knockout stage away leg matches, 2-1 in Paris, 3-0 in Turin, 2-1 in Munich. That is who they were. They just knew how to win. I remember those moments more than the final, which they deservedly won 3-1 against Liverpool but the whole affair clouded by the weirdness hanging over things. I don't think we knew Zidane was days away from retiring, but the celebration seemed muted - made worse by Bale and Ronaldo both giving post-match interviews expressing their displeasure. 

The Zidane era would end, the Ronaldo era would end. For all the weirdness, the fact they threepeated is still so surreal. No one had won two straight in teh Champions League era, and now this Madrid team, with a fairly similar starting 11 each year, wins three straight. It was crazy, made even more crazy by a novice manager who happened to be one of the greatest players ever as the manager pulling the strings. It ended badly, and needed Zidane to rescue them again months later, but for a moment it all seemed so incredibly surreal.

2022

This is the one that cemented them as the run to end all runs. I still remember that second leg against Man City. I was in the airport, about to board a flight to Las Vegas (to then head to Zion). I was following the game on the airport TVs, boarding when it was 1-0 Man City (5-3 on aggregate) heading towards the end of full time. I turned it off, and boarded. The row in front of me had a guy watching the game and he exclaimed in glee that we were heading to extra time. I'll admit, it was the one time I turned my back on Madrid, and they repaid  it with two goals by Rodrygo.

I quickly signed up for a free trial of Paramount+ to watch extra time, with Benzema's penalty, and see them close it out in euphoric glee, the game ending right before take-off. It was thrilling. It was a European night in the Bernabeu. That whole run was about nights in the Bernabeu, from Benzema's second half hat trick to overcome PSG in the Round of 16, to of course Benzema's 96th minute winner to break a 4-4 aggregate tie against Chelsea in the Quarterfinals. People say Madrid escaped, but to me it was Madrid just making the right plays at the right times. We gloss over in this run Madrid winning 3-1 in Stamford Bridge, or three times scoring after Man City took two goal leads in teh first leg in Manchester. They were never overrun, just always around.

The final itself was fairly unremarkable, a 1-0 win over Liverpool where Courtois made great save after great save, and Vinicius scored a great winner. This run wasn't about the final. By the time we got to the final, the Real Madrid black magic seemed too real for anyone to have any expectation other than a Real Madrid victory. 

The other aspect of this year was the Benzema of it all. Benzema left a year later, after winning the Balon d'Or, and while Madrid didn't replace him directly, it clearly didn't really impact them too much. For that reason it's easy to forget about how ridiculous Benzema was that season. The two hat tricks in the Champions League. The oodles of league goals in a fairly easy La Liga win for Madrid. The cold blooded penalty in extra time against Man City. This was the best player in the world. He was in Madrd forever, but only reached that height for a couple seaons, but enough to make a lasting, memorable impression for the most magical of runs.

2024

It seems all so set in stone when it ended. Madrid was the clear best team in Spain, probably the best team in Europe when firing on all cylinders. They didn't fire on all cylinders in the final, but it didn't matter because it never does. Madrid just wins. Their goal was inevitable. People will probably overstate the amount to which they were "lucky" - certainly Dortmund was the better team in teh first half but they expended way too much energy to wear that crown. Madrid ruled that second half. 

But the story of this team is the ultimate set of vibes. It wasn't that Madrid didn't have harmonious locker rooms before. The 2014 team was legendarily close-knit - this before Bale got hurt and got a bit sidelined, that being the weird undercurrent always present during the threepeat. But this year it was all fun and games. Not that it wasn't hard. La Liga was easy - from the second they beat Girona towards the end of the first half of the season it was basically set in stone. But Europe was not.

For all the vibes and fun of this team though, my lasting memory will be their tie against Man City, particularly their performance in Manchester needing a result after a 3-3 draw in Madrid. They scored first. They defended brilliantly - albeit giving up the equalizer. And then, in their first knockout tie penalty shootout in 12 years, since the disaster against Munich, they were never in doubt. Modric did miss his first, but after they were given some life, Madrid hit the next four with ease. The best one to me was Lucas Vasquez, the main who has worn so many hats but stayed so resolved in his ability to come through in big moments. There was no doubt in the world he was making that penalty. There was no doubt Madrid was winning this title.

La Decima took forever, but adding the next cinco took no time at all. 10 years. Only three players remain, but far more than three won at least four of the six (many constants in teh 2014 + 2016-18 groups) or even five. The fact that though only three remain, two of which are bench players in Modric and Nacho, and one being the second choice back (Carvajal), does make this into a bit of an end of an era. Granted, with Mbappe coming on board, no one would be shocked if they win again next year. But this 6 wins in 11 years run is over, and it was amazing, it was world changing. It was Madrid.

My Top 16 Beer Bars, Cocktail Bars & Clubs from my Travels

On a combination of my travels for pleasure and some for work, I've set-up a spread sheet with the same general outlay each time. Some of it is arranging what I want to do each AM and PM and Lunch and Dinner. But there's a spot for night. There's a second tab then that breaks "adult/drinking" activities into various categories: Craft Breweries, Beer Bars (i.e. a place known for beer on tap, but not specifically a brewery of its own), Cocktail Bars and EDM Clubs. So, let's put aside craft breweries since honestly while some stick out I've just been to way too many by now, let's go with the other three to build a Top-10 of each.

Best Beer Bars

16.) Magerks  (Horsham, USA - 2018)

It's weird ranking this one but I'd gone there enough during my project in suburban Pennsylvania that it easily makes the list. It was a giant upscale BrickHouse Tavern type place, but with a far more extensive and interesting tap list of about 30-40 beers, all servied in a giant bar in the middle. The kept the wall of windows open which gave a great atmosphere. They showed every type of sport on their TVs that were above the giant rectangular bar. All of this was great. The place it was in? take it or leave it. If this same place was in a major city, it might be Top-5.

15.) The Raleigh Times  (Raleigh, USA - 2019, 2020)

A couple of these are places I went to during various consulting gigs, including The Raleigh Times, built in the ground floor of the old newspaper building. Technically this is a full service bar more than just a beer bar, and often I went there for food when arriving into town on a late flight. But from a drinks perspective they had about 20 local (Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia) beers on tap, with a great variety of styles, ABV levels, etc. The place also had a really relaxed vibe, with music on a rooftop - though this was more reading it than seeing it as generally that was on weekends.

14.) Loyal Legion  (Portland, USA - 2017)

No surprise that a place like Portland that had itself a crazy collection of craft breweries, has a place where they had about 60 beers on tap, at least half being local craft beer. The bar is large, and in theory is a full service bar, but the imposing row of taps make it clear where they make their money. The beer list featured a ton of stouts as well. In the end, the over-abundance of options is somewhat of a drawback. You would think a bit more discretion could be used. 

13.) NYKS  (Montreal, Canada - many times)

So this one is largely on the vibes side but they do have a solid beer selection, including 2-3 beers of 2-3 local Montreal staples, including generally dark/stout beers. The atmosphere, spitting distance of the Place des Festivals where the Jazz Fest is held. I did go a few times unconnected to the Jazz Fest - including in the dead of winter arriving late into Montreal, it was just a great little refuge in the heart of the city.

12.) Hopaholic (Budapest, Hungary - 2024)

If you get past the weird lime green stylings of the place, you can realize just how great it is. They had about 10 beers on tap, a great mix of mostly Central to Eastern European origin, including a healthy does of local Hungary. They also had about 100 different bottle options from all over. Budapest as a whole had a great beer culture, but Hopaholic was the one that best combined that culture and a cool setting, great rock music, and just a really nice place to start or end a night.

11.) Al Brewer's Beer Stand (Takayama, Japan - 2023)

Our first new entrant is one of the most random, exquisite places to find a great regional craft beer bar. AL Brewer's in Takayama is a simple place serving a great collection of beer from all around Japan, including focusing on a few options local to the Hida area. It was IPA heavy, with great tap pours in ice cold glasses. The setting was good too - semi open air, great decor and a truly great crowd of mostly tourists having fun with the local bartenders. Yes, I'm probably giving it a bit of extra credit for just how amazing it was to find it in Takayama, but the quality of the offering lives up to the ranking.

10.) Stand Umineko Koto (Kyoto, Japan - 2023)

If you want to sample as many Japanese craft beers from all over the country, be it 24 taps or at least 100 more can options. They only serve Japanese beer, from all over Japan, and when I was there had about 10 of their taps being from a craft brewery in Osaka area. Overall, the selection was great, a good variety of all types, be it a few IPAs, three stouts and a good amoutn of sours. You can tell there was quite a care taken in what they procured to put on tap. The only thing keeping it from being higher is the "stand" of it all - the place generally requires you to stand at the bar. Good for interacting, not great for just chilling. Anyway, another special place on my Japan trip.

9.) The Wandering Tortouse  (Phoenix, USA - 2021)

This is the first of two Phoenix places, and I have to say Phoenix has got the beer bar concept locked down perfectly. Giant bar in the middle, tons of seating everywhere else. A giant tap list, of mostly local brews, with a brillaitn color coded system on how they write it, with all IPAs in Green, all Stouts/Porters in purple, all ales in white, all lagers in yellow. So simple, so smart, so effective. Why the Wandering Tortoise is a bit lower than its Phoenix companion is its location being a bit outside the city. It was perfectly fine and safe, and the place was great, but not super easy to get to.

8.) Falling Rock Tap House  (Denver, USA - 2019, 2020)

Falling Rock closed down during the pandemic, more due to some odd rental dispute. It is hard to imagine it is gone. The place was an institution in Denver, and had a giant tap list of nearly all Colorado based craft breweries. I went there maybe four or five times and the place was a joy each time. The only thing keeping it from being higher up is the fact that the decor was a bit blah. There was a lot of normal bar trappings (novelty signs, sports jerseys, etc.), but ti was too bright, too much like a Buffalo Willd Wings type layout. Get past that, and the place was about perfect.

7.) Hilaria Gastrobar  (Mexico City, Mexico - 2014, 2018)

I don't want to overstate how good Mexico City beer may or may not be, but Hilaria probably has the best combination of location, food and beer of any is this list. The place is literally right off the Zocalo, with seating overlooking the main roads leading into CDMX's main square. The food was Mexican, but quite good version of it. The beer was plentiful - mostly can options, but from all over Mexico in one special spot. Honestly, hard to beat this combination of factors.

6.) Koht  (Tallinn, Estonia - 2024)

Deep inside old town Tallinn, within an alley, lies Koht which is just a gem of a place. Low ceilings, one of which plastered with a bill from every currency known to man, and two bartenders that are super knowledgeable about all things beer. There were 12 on tap, from all over Europe (maybe 2-3 from Estonia) and a fridge full of various can options. The place played perfect rock music, had people coming and going all night long till their closing time at 3am. It was a place to just enjoy what it means to be in Tallinn.

5.) Clark Street Ale House  (Chicago, USA - 2022, 2023)

It was a bit surprising to find a tremendous beer bar in the heart (and I mean heart) of Chicago that (1) wasn't super crowded, (2) had a great tap list, both local and far away. Even better, the crowd was great, they played sports all over the palce, and had free popcorn (something of a Chicago staple, to be fair) available at all times. This was a golden place for someone who has had to Chicago more often recently for work reasons.

4.) Hop Scholar Ale House  (Spring, USA - 2018, 2019, 2020)

Most of my picks are in cities. Hop Scholar is very much not. It was in the Houston suburb that I both had a project in, and where I have a cousin that lives in. If anything there's a back road from my cousin's neighborhood that leaves directly to Hop Scholar. Anyway, as a place, it is everything. They have about 20 beers on tap. A very healthy amount of interesting stouts. It doesn't limit itself to Texas, but features enough local options to make it interesting. They also had a good food selection, with elevated pub fries and hot dogs. It was a refuge of a place on a project where I was alone for a long stretch. I don't think anyone should go out of their way to visit here, but if you ever find yourself in The Woodlands, hop on down to Hop Scholar.

3.) Toronado  (San Diego & San Francisco, USA - 2014, 2017)

I believe these two are if not owned by the same people, at least linked. The San Diego location has closed, which is a shame as to me it was slightly better than the San Francisco location. In both cases the place had a weird collection of people (headbangers, goths, everything else) along with about 25 beers on tap. Much like Wandering Tortoise I believe there's some color coding done in the way they show their beer, but I couldn't discern it. Toronado takes full advantage of the wealth of craft beer options in both cities, and were easily my favorite night options in either city.

2.) BarHop Brewco  (Toronto, Canada - 2017, 2019, 2020)

Situated in a dark, dive type bar, with a wall with a projector showing either sports or some old weird movies, and a tap list of about 30 beers, high majority being Canadian, BarHop Brewco was a fascinating place to visit. Half of the brews were sold at $5 CAD on Monday's, which is often the place I went. They had a good mix of bar and table seating. And they had great food - especially a PBJ burger that I had way too much. Everything about BarHop was great, including the crowds whether weekday or weekend. Best part was it was right in the heart of the city, but a block or so off the main drag. BarHop was close to perfect.

1.) The Theodore  (Phoenix, USA - 2021)

As perfect as BarHop was - it wasn't The Theodore perfect. I went there my first night traveling post covid, and it was great. I went there three times that trip and then went months later when I went to Phoenix for my friends wedding. I dragged our mutual friend that was also there to it late on a Friday, him being skeptical, and even he agreed it was fantastic. Giant bar, huge tap list, with that everpresent color coding that I love so much. No food, but food trucks aplently all around. Truly right in the heart of the city, serving as excellent place to either end the night or start one. The Theodore is about as perfect a place as I can picture when someone says to me what a great Beer Bar is.

16 Best Cocktail Bars I've Been To:

16.) The Gin House  (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - 2019, 2022)

This place may have closed down, it is hard to tell, but The Gin House was a great place in Ho Chi Minh City. My only real complaint is they get a bit too crowded, largely because they had live music Wednesday through Sunday - granted the music was generally good. The cocktails were great. Yes, most were gin based, and I was lucky enough to come when they had a resident mixologist from New Zealand of all places visiting, but they were smooth, refreshing and a great starter for a night out in Ho Chi Minh City - the place I would go to after is coming up in the next category.

15.) Whisper Sister  (Tallinn, Estonia - 2024)

They get pretty limited points for a super half-hearted attempt at "speakeasy-ness" as all you need to do is call them and they'll open up the apartment building front door where they reside in teh basement. But get into the place, you're met with a wall of liquors adn concoctions. They have a fairly brief menu of about 12 options (though you can order off menu, of course) but all are fairly whimsical and good. The only real knock I have is they are super exacting with their pours so they aren't the largest drinks, but man they are excellent. 

14.) Cobbler (Seoul, Korea - 2022)

    

Cobbler was situated in a pretty seemingly quiet part of Seoul, an area not really well known for bars and the like, but deep in this residential area of narrow alleys is Cobbler. It had great decor, made to look like a clubhouse lodge, with exposed wood everywhere. The drinks were excellent, with no set menu and you just give them your preferences. The drinks were all little, interesting twists on classics, the best being a truly incredibly smoked somkey old fashioned that nonetheless as smooth as any I had. The place was well crafted, well maintained, a truly professional outfit that took pride in just serving great cocktails.

13.) Flekk  (Istanbul, Turkey - 2024)

Flekk is too cool and popular for its own good almost - just a palce that people come every day to hang out and chill but just happens to have amazing cocktails, all pretty novel inventions, by the staff in the small bar at the back. As a solo traveler, was able to generally score myself a seat at the bar which made the service a bit faster. But this isn't a place to rush through life, but sit back and enjoy. They were quite liberal with their pours, but exacting in their bitters and syrups and the like. Flekk was a true surprise in how great it was in the middle of the urban maw of Istanbul.

12.) The Bellwoods (Tokyo, Japan - 2023)

You enter into The Bellwoods, see the old timey dress worn by the fun bartenders, and the ragtime era music playing, and you get immediately what they're after. There's no weird entrance or hideaway that pushes into that aspect of a speakeasy - jsut a decor, vibe and sense that you are back in the old days. The Cocktails are excellent, with cool glasses and great presentation, if a bit on the lighter, sweeter side. Still, with a core list of about 20 options, you can go a while without running out of things to try, and ragtime era environment to soak up.

11.) Meteor  (Minneapolis, USA - 2022)

It is hard to judge a place like Meteor, which has zero of the acceptable levels of pretension that come with all five above it. If anything it is set-up like a dive bar, with low lights, mostly bar seating and gourmet hot dogs rolling, but has an inventive, playful cocktail list of about 15 regulars. Their use of strange ingredients, like Sesame in a bourbon-based cocktail, or coconut milk in a gin-based one, was excellent. It isn't too expensive coming in at $12 a pop. They even have a decent draft beer list if you want to mix it up - granted that has no real impact on the ranking here.

10.) Summer Experiment (HCMC, Vietnam - 2023)

Ho Chi Minh City is a city on the rise, and much as it has in every area of life, it is setting it sights higher and higher on top cocktail spots. Summer Experiment is like almost everything in HCMC, up two stories in a dark alley, but enter through its doors and you walk into a sleek, dark bar with some outside seating, and a long bar with weird ingredients, hundreds of bottles and young bartenders looking to develop some crazy stuff. Not all of it is perfect, but their good concoctions, like the best frozen cocktail I've ever had, to a great play on a Manhattan, knock it out of the park. Summer Experiment is relatively new, so I foresee it rising in promenance.

9.) Tres Monos  (Buenos Aires, Argentina - 2023)

This place just hit all the notes really well. It is very well reputed, but not too crowded (a bit plus in the bustling late-night mecca that is Buenos Aires). The drinks are excellent - inventive without being pretentious (granted, a few places higher on my list could be accused of being such). In the end, this place consistently served great cocktails and had a great Ho - a mix of bar-front seating to watch the mixologists do their thing, to a lot of couch and chilling space, which of course like any top Buenos Aires space, spilled out into the streets.

8.) Wa-Shu  (Taipei, Taiwan - 2019)

Wa-Shu was a Japanese Cocktail Bar in the heart of Taipei that I went to twice. The bartenders were quick to tell me that they were Taiwanese, but the cocktails featured Japanese-based alcohol mostly. I had multiple Japanese Whiskey based cocktails, including my favorite being a weird one that used peanut butter seeped through a coffee filter to create a peanut butter old fashioned. It was one of the places with no supposed menu, where we tell them a certain flavor, or fruit or type of food, and they'll whip up something that makes sense based on that. It worked every time. The Wa-Shu guys knew very much what they were doing.

7.) Hotsy Totsy  (Budapest, Hungary - 2024)

How do you like 52 drink options? Hotsy Totsy gives you that with teh conceit of them all being grouped into four types and put on playing cards. You sit down in their underground bunker type bar, and you are given a deck to cycle through. A bit gimmicky, sure, but the drinks then prove themselves anyway. The crispest, the coldest, the best cocktails I've had in Europe, with the added bonus of a really cool scene and fun bartenders to talk to. Hotsy Totsy was in the heart of the Budapest nightlife scene, but more understated, classy and coolly dark than the vividness of the Jewish Quarter outside.

6.) Alice (Seoul, Korean - 2022)

Alice was quasi-gimmicky, in that it was Alice in Wonderland theme - but they didn't hit you over the head with the theme, but instead hit you over the head with great cocktails. There were interesting ingredients, from utilizing soy bean paste, to beer foam and flowers, to so much more. Even the names were whimsical - like "Hippity, Hoppity" and similar things. The best part I appreciated is that none of the drinks were overly strong or bitter, just perfectly balanced, perfectly inventive.

5.) Bar Trench (Tokyo, Japan - 2023)

Small but incredibly strong, Bar Trench was the favorite place I went to on my recent trip to Japan, with a wealth of cocktail options, all liquor-forward to not make you feel cheated, with also incredibly knowledgeable, entertaining bartenders that will play around with different styles and make stuff on request without going too far down the pretension rabbit hole. Bar Trench just makes super good, strong, solid, inventive drinks - plus has a really great vibe aided by teh smaller size and great decor with a giant library-style wall of bottles and fermentations, all to make your head spin for all the right reasons.

4.) Carnaval  (Lima, Peru - 2022)

Carnaval shows up the Worlds Best 50 Bars list, and after going there I have to say it earns that spot. It gets crowded, but is in a posh area of Lima, doesn't let in more people than they have seats for, and had a great energy aroudn it. The drinks were wild, in both preparation and design - things like alcoholic cotton candy as part of a play on an old fashioned, to a frozen watermelon cocktail that is melted when you tip your glass to combine it with a mint cocktail. It was all a scene, and it was just great.

4.) #FindTheLockerRoom (Bangkok, Thailand - 2022)

Sometimes speakeasies can take the concept of just how hidden their entrance can be a bit too far. FindTheLockerRoom, down a wet and damp alley, and a row of lockers, toed the line. But the second you're greeted with an almost farcical second set of lockers, you enter a beautiful dark, roomy, bar with some incredible cocktails. The cocktails themselves are all reinventions of old classics, and were all uniformly great. The only real complain is the bar was a bit small, but I take it in a sense that fits with the speakeasy theme. Great concept, made a lot better by peerless execution.

2.) Cause Effect  (Cape Town, South Africa - 2020, 2022)

Cause Effect shouldn't be this good. It is placed right in the heart of the most touristy place in Cape Town. Basically this is like if a bar in Times Square was an amazing place. But somehow it is. They are easily the most inventive cocktail makers. Nearly all of their 20+ standard cocktail offerigns are a production, with props and set-ups and incredible staging. My favorite was one where you are given a plate with a depressed area in the middle, which is covered by an image of a bird and you're told you need to puncture the image which then combines with the cocktail below it to create something magical. The place has to be visited to truly understand it, but it is just incredible, and I can't overstate enough how brilliantly weird it is that this place exists in the V&A Waterfront.

1.) Licorecia Limantour  (Mexico City, Mexico - 2018)

I went to Licorecia Limantour without even knowing it was seen as a world renowned cocktail bar. It is high up the Worlds Top 50 bars. Granted, they have multiple locations - I went to both the main one and one in Polanco. Both have the same menu. Unsurprisingly a lot of cocktails were tequila or mezcal based but they were all crafted brilliantly. None were to too strong, all were super smooth to put down. The place had a great vibe in the heart of the city's more trendier areas, with an open layout letting you basically step inside from teh street. Licorecia Limantour was a marvelous part of my trip to Mexico City, and has only increased its reputation since 2018.

16 Best EDM Clubs I've Been To

16.) Pink Chihuahua  (London, England - 2022)

This was a surprising place that I went to twice on my last trip to London. First taken there by a couple work friends - one mostly who swore the place, which is downstairs of a latin restaurant, is great. What I found was perfect. Not too big, but not too crowded. Great mix of 00s hip hop and EDM, with amazing drinks, including some fantastic margaritas. It's only not higher because it isn't really an EDM club, and was more drink forward than music forward, which sin't really the case of most of these on the list.

15.) Aether  (Budapest, Hungary - 2024)

I almost didn't get a chance to experience Aether, as the top floor (same name) is a more traditional hip-hop type shop. But the second day I ventured down to in theory go to the bathroom, and saw the door in the corner leading to the real Aether, the real underground, fog machine, graet ventilation with a long bar, playing good classic techno EDM. Maybe because it was underground, it wasn't too crowded either, but the crowd was there were in absolute love with the music and the energy of the place.

14.) The Loft @ Skyway Theater  (Minneapolis, USA - 2022)

On the downside, they had maybe the worst drinks of any of them on the list, which is why its 8th. Admittedly they were strong, but their "soda" component of my whiskey soda order was basically water. But at least they were cheap. Anyway, let's get to the upside of the place. It had maybe the best ventilation system of any large space club i've been to. It was so airy, despite being crowded (not overcrowded) and them going heavy on the fog machine. Also the acts the day I went were spectacular. They seem to curate well as the place isn't open every day on the weekend. Great place, just don't expect drinks.

13.) Womb (Tokyo, Japan - 2023)

Womb was the most expansive club I went to in my time in Tokyo - easily the busiest and the largest. Three floors, all showcasing different types of music. The grournd floor with more underground, deeper EDM. The top floor with more traditional, laid-back house. Both of those two were my got to, with a giant laser-light and packed mainstream floor in the middle. Tons of bars, tons of people - it was just a great time in Tokyo. Only thing keeping it from being higher is it could've done great to have better ventilation - a small complaint as it was easy to not even realize getting lost in the great scene.

12.) Culture Club Revelin  (Dubrovnik, Croatia - 2017)

I debated whether or not to put this on the list, mainly because it is more of just all-around club than a EDM/House club. Granted they played a lot of that music, but they also played hip-hop, and had girls dancing in cages, and was more of a pure play party spot, than anything else. Not that it's bad. It migth be the best pure club I've been to, certainly the coolest atmosphere, but to me it fits on the list. Just go there knowing what it is.

11.) Cakeshop (Seoul, Korea - 2022)

Two clubs in Seoul make the list this time, and showcase the different elements of what makes Seoul a great city with everything. Cakeshop is lighter, airier, with a great bar on the side, and great tunes. It is a bit less hectic, less "clubby" and headbanging-ey than other spots in Seoul, with the same carefree attitude that made the city work. The music at Cakeshop was just perfect to enjoy, dance to, imbibe to, right in the heart of Itaewon.

10.) Club Under  (Buenos Aires, Argentina - 2023)

Honestly, if I went to Buenos Aires in 2019 or a few years earlier, this probablhy would be higher up the list. The place was everything you want out of an EDM club - good ventilation, good music acts, a ton of people having a grand old time. They probably could use slightly better crowd control (granted, there was still a line to enter), as the Saturday I went it was astonishingly crowded. There's really no complaints here to be had, it was just a bit jarring to, for the first time at an EDM spot, feel old.

9.) Espacio 93  (Santiago, Chile - 2024)

I don't think there has been any club I've been to that was more aggressively fast in its beats. This place was full momentum all the time. Also had some of the best architecture inside, with walls and poles and ledges and various rooms to enjoy the heavy, heavy, fast, fast beats. It was like a better, more compact, darker version of Club Under. The first night I went was some sort of BDSM type event so it was a bit out there. The second night was more traditional but the energy was unparalleled, even if it scared me out at times.

8.) Savage (Hanoi, Vietnam - 2019)

I have another Vietnam spot higher up the list. They are very similar in structure, but the main knock, the only knock, I have on Savage is that it was underground so it was a bit hot. They have one area that you enter that has more poppy house playing and a full bar, with another full bar in a shadowy back room that was hardcore EDM. Perfect mix of options, with full ability to move from one to the next. Savage also had full supply of balloons, more to come on that in a second here. Vietnam also has maybe the best bar service of any of these - in these cases the drink aspect is as much as the music, at least for the entry bar / area.

7.) Vent (Tokyo, Japan - 2023)

I don't go to clubs wanting to see great architecture and design, but it is hard not to notice these aspects of Vent, a truly special club in Tokyo. The exposed concrete walls, the trees indoors, the high ceilings, the exposed cement bar. It was all just a cool vibe, a great scene. The music was excellent as well, really curated DT setlists and a great energy that attracted an equal mix of locals and foreigners. It was a spot that didn't allow photos (like Modular to come next, would put a sticker on your phone camera), which is a little nuance I actually have come to enjoy. This place was just about having a great time, with a beautiful visage to experience it all in.

6.) Modular  (Cape Town, South Africa - 2018, 2022)

I have to say, Modular gets way more crowded than my places at ahead of it, but they did a great job of not really making it feel that way, with three full service bars in the same area. They also had a pretty great ventilation and air conditioning. It was packed though. They had no real regard for crowd control. Modular had some of the better DJ sets I've heard in terms of quality top to bottom. If even you're in Cape Town, would fully recommend going there on Thursday. It's slightly less crowded, but every bit as good.

5.) Habitat Living Sound  (Calgary, Canada - 2019)

I'm not sure if they're open or not. They definitely closed for good soon after the pandemic, but then re-opened in 2021, but seem to have closed again. Anyway, it was an experience. The only real downside is that it wasn't that big of a space, but on the plus side, they had excellent crowd control, shockingly cheap and decent drinks (i.e. if you ordered a whiskey soda you got a decent amount of whiskey), and the DJs were all pretty good. The good crowd control actually made this one of the more pleasant clubs to be in. I mourn for Canada's loss here.

4.) Club Faust (Seoul, Korea - 2022)

If I described Club Faust, a dark, large room that is open from 12am-7am, with a series of artists and DJs, you could probably well picture what Club Faust looks like. It is what it is, which is just perfect for what it is trying to be. Seoul is a lot about glitz on one end, but heart and passion on the other. No one would go to Club Faust to be "seen", mostly because you effectively literally cannot see anyone all that well. After a while your eyes do get adjusted, and your ears are great from the get go.

3.) Reset  (Cape Town, South Africa - 2020)

RIP, as this was another one that was a Covid casualty. Luckily Modular still exists, but Reset was just a better venue. With two levels and two performance spaces, a bit more light on the second floor, more heavy in the underground one. Bars had a lot of bartenders. They had great ventilation. The crowd control was decent, but just having it across two floors just made it all seem bigger and better. On the whole Reset was a fantastic place and a real loss in terms of nighttime entertainment for Cape Town.

2.) The Black Box  (Denver, USA - 2021)

There's one major question mark in ranking The Black Box this highly, and that is the fact that when I went in August 2021, they were still doing a reasonable amount of crowd limiting due to covid. There was no mask restriction, but they were operating at half capacity. That said, even if you double the crowd I don't think it would have been so much worse. The space was great - with lounge area with another DJ space when you enter, and a much larger space in the interior. Other than my place at number one this place had the best bar set-up, with at least five bartenders working, and the ability to go to the bar in the outside area at any time. The music was uniformly excellent, with generally three acts that all were great each day.

1.) The Observatory  (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - 2019)

From the truly loungey lounge that is its main area, to a full service bar with tons of bartenders that make things quick, to the plentiful balloons, to the light, airy indoor more heavy EDM club that had great ventilation, to it also being on the fifth floor with great sightlines of Ho Chi Minh City around you, The Observatory was close to perfect. That Friday and Saturday night spent at it was about as good as it has ever been in a club experience. You truly feel like you are at a rooftop bar one second, and a hardcore EDM club the next. Just an incredible set-up, great msuic, great balloons, cheap but good drinks, and a great crowd with a good mix of locals and expats. It all added up to a perfect experience.