Like my top restaurant lists, I'm graduating the places that have been closed into their own sections. My genius way of not having to continually increase the number. Lukcily, in the beer bar case, it's just two places.
Closed:
(Was #8/16 - Falling Rock Tap House, Denver, CO)
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.
(Was #7/16 - Hilaria Gastrobar, Mexico City)
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.
Best Beer Bars
18.) 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.
17.) 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.
16.) 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.
15.) Gluck (Santiago, Chile - 2025)
Chile is a burgeoning beer city. There are craft breweries aplenty. But this list isn't about craft breweries. This is about where beer is more varied than one places proclivities. Gluck is in a weird (if still super nice) part of Santiago, that is not on the normal tourist track - but taht might be why everyone there was a local enjoying some local craft Chilean beer. Most of the seating is outdoors - which personally I'm ambivalent on, probably costing it a few points. But the beer was cold, was good, and the vibe, like anything in Santiago really, was great.
14.) 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.
13.) HeuHeuHeu (Gyeongju, Korea - 2024)
Why I love Korea is for places like this. Gyeongju is not a big city. Tucked in a random residential street, sits this beauty of a beer bar. Now, about half of their taps were kicked - so honestly if that was more me comign at a bad time, this place honestly could be higher. The beer was decent - but their Korean Ham boards accompanying the beer was to die for. HeuHeuHeu was just a great place.
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.) RioTap Beer House (Rio de Janeiro - 2025)
On vibes, thsi place is higher up. On beer, it maybe is slightly lower. Brazil is not a beer mad country (yet), but RioTap is about as close you can come to a beer paradise in Rio. Like all places in Rio, it has mostly outdoor seating, an amazing vibe, the coolest bartenders and watiers. It has a list of about 200 beers to pick from, a good 60% from various parts of Brazil. The staff are knowledgeable. If Brazilian beer itself was better, this probably ranks higher up. I rank these 70% beer, 30% vibes - if the ratio was reversed, this is probably #5 or something.
9.) 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.
8.) 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.
7.) El Deposito (Mexico City, Mexico - 2025)
Nestled at the North end of Polanco, the poshest of posh suburbs with tasting menu restaurants, and world reknownked tasting menu spots and the like, sits El Deposito. Humble building, but amazing beer - including a vast, wide, and well mixed selection of craft Mexican beers from aroudn the country. They serve beer also in the icest cold of glasses. The decor and scene is a bit drab - but this place is, above else, just about the beer. And God bless them for that fact. Especially since my earlier go-to in Mexico City is no more.
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.
