We’ve scoured the country from Alaska to Hawaii and Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., to find the bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. Romantic or boisterous, scuzzy or dressed to the nines, the flavor of the places where fine brew is served runs the gamut. Here, the 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.
Today: Pennsylvania
700 Club
Philadelphia
This two-story neighborhood stop is comfy like grandma’s house, but turns into a full-on quirky dance party when the DJ spins upstairs. Some nights it’s just you and the bartender; others, it’s you and a gaggle of sweaty youngsters in T-shirts with questionable dance moves. Every night, though, there’s a slew of awesome brews, including those from two beer engines, local faves like Yards and far-flung ones like Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.
700 N. 2nd Street, 215.413.3181
Eulogy Belgian Tavern
Philadelphia
Here’s a question: Can you call a beer brewed 5,000 miles away a house beer? We ask because Belgium’s La Binchoise Brewery creates Eulogy’s Busty Blonde exclusively for this Philly venue. Debate amongst yourselves, but know that you’re having one regardless of your answer next time you happen across this Belgian brasserie that also boasts a Napoleon Burger that won a Best of Philadelphia award.
136 Chestnut St.
The Grey Lodge Pub
Philadelphia
This pub isn’t your typical Philly bar, what with its dozen constantly rotating taps and healthy bottle selection. Local favorites such as Philadelphia BiBerry collide with national selections (Great Divide Fresh Hop, Rogue Double Dead Guy) in a truly unique and wonderful way. The yearly Groundhog Day Hawaiian Shirt Beer Breakfast should be added to any craft lover’s Bucket List.
6235 Frankford Ave.
Johnny Brenda’s
Philadelphia
The second effort from William Reed and Paul Kimport, owners of the Standard Tap gastropub, practices the Keep It Simple, Stupid philosophy: All-draft, all-local beers, menus written in chalk, and the freshest seafood around. There’s nothing simple about how much you’ll enjoy a trip to this Fishtown neighborhood taproom.
1201 N. Frankford Ave.
McGillin’s Olde Ale House
Philadelphia
With taps flowing since 1860, we would excuse the Philly pub for not keeping up with the latest trends in the craft brewing world. These guys know, however, that the best complement to an authentic old-fashioned feel is a modern beer list. In addition to the 1860 IPA — brewed specially for the bar’s 150th anniversary in 2010 — the roughly 40 taps stay filled with the best brews from within 100 miles.
1310 Drury St.
Memphis Tap Room
Philadelphia
If a brewer married a foodie, Memphis Tap Room would be their lovechild. It has all the trappings of a serious beer bar — think Lepziger Göse and Popering Hommel Bier on tap next to a rotating beer engine — plus a superb menu of pub grub gone cuisine. Executive chef Jesse Kimball whips up a menu of cornmeal-crusted oysters, squash curry, and Swiss chard mac and cheese until midnight seven evenings a week, and even manages to sneak a few beer-infused dishes in there: Pilsner-brined hot wings and hefeweizen hummus, beer lovers?
2331 E. Cumberland St.
Monk’s Café
Philadelphia
A name like Monk’s guarantees a certain level of dedication. Luckily, this bar delivers with one of the finest selections of Belgians and beyond in the entire country. Bargoers order from a Beer Bible, and first-timers should definitely try the Monk’s Café Sour Flemish, a beer brewed by the Van Steenberge brewery in Belgium exclusively for this spot. The Web site proclaims patrons have “found beer heaven.” Let the religious metaphors flow; you’ll soon be a true believer.
264 S. 16th St.
Tria
Philadelphia
Believe it or not, beer and wine do harmonize, perhaps nowhere better than this sleekly casual café in Philly’s Rittenhouse Square. Less than 30 beers hold court, but they’re all superb (think Pliny the Elder). Keep focused on the brew, as the wines — the bar categorizes them with qualifiers like zippy, funky, and sociable — do their damndest to tempt you away. Uniting beer and vino is a mouthwatering cheese list — and an ultraknowledgeable staff to point you toward delicious pairings.
123 S. 18th St.