DRAFT Magazine

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) And we’re finally done. We end the list with a brief stop in DRAFT’s home state of Arizona. Hope you enjoyed the (extremely long) trip around the country. There are hundreds of great bars out there. Now stop reading this site and go enjoy them.

Papago Brewing Company
7107 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85257
480.425.7439 | www.papagobrewing.com
Located a stone’s throw from Papago Park, a quintessentially southwestern spot with red sandstone buttes and rustic hiking trails, Papago Brewing delivers the one thing near and dear to our hearts: amazing beer. Its 30 rotating taps offer a selection of Papago’s own, like El Robusto (a porter) and Orange Blossom (a mandarin hefeweizen); a number of local favorites from Four Peaks Brewing Co. like Kiltlifter (Scottish amber ale); and drafts you’re not likely to find anywhere else in Phoenix — think Redstone’s Black Raspberry mead and Van Steenberge’s Monks Café. And that’s just what’s on tap. Make an about-face from the bar and you’ll see about 10 glass-door refrigerators with brews from around the world. Grab a selection, and the knowledgeable staff will help you out with the proper glassware.

If you get the munchies halfway through your beer tour at Papago, we recommend ordering a pie. Classics like Roma and margarita pizzas make the list, but branch out with the Beer B Que (made with Maduro Beer B Que sauce) or the belly-bursting Muffaletta pizza, which is best devoured with company. Catch the game or play one of your own: Board games are open to all so you can get crazy with Jenga while you drink your pint.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) The mighty cornfields of Nebraska get the treatment today.

Crescent Moon
3578 Farnam St., Omaha, NE 68131
402.345.1708 | www.crescentmoonalehouse.com
The Moon controls Omaha’s beer empire: Not only has Crescent Moon offered good beer to the masses for 12 years, it also opened Huber Haus, a German beer hall in the Moon’s basement, in 2005. Then, of course, there’s its Belgian beer mecca, Max & Joe’s, and bottle shop, Beertopia, which opened next door in 2006. The main bar has 100-plus bottles and more than 30 beers on tap (including selections from locals like Spilker and Empyrean), always served in appropriate glassware.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) As we finish the second to last day, we hit up Kansas.

Barley’s Brewhaus
11924 W. 119th St.,
Overland Park, KS 66213
913.663.4099 | www.barleysbrewhaus.com
If you’re looking for a large selection of brews in the Sunflower state, Barley’s is a can’t-miss watering hole. With 99 taps on hand, including selections like Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout, Avery Hog Heaven Barley Wine, and Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat, the choices seem as vast as the state’s iconic prairies. Take a tour around the country with Barley’s flight options, or try something from locals like Flying Monkey, Boulevard, Free State, or 75th Street Brewery.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) New Mexico awaits.

Billy’s Long Bar
4800 San Mateo Blvd. NE #C, Albuquerque, NM 87109
505.889.0573 | (No Web site)
Don’t let the prevalence of pickup trucks in the parking lot fool you; Billy’s has 50 taps and more than 70 bottled beers to choose from, making for the largest selection in the state. Imbibe and kick back for a game of darts or pool. Plus, the eye-candy waitstaff makes the beers go down that much easier.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) It’s all about Montana this afternoon.

Montana Ale Works
611 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715
406.587.7700 | www.montanaaleworks.com
A one-time railroad warehouse, this pub features 40 taps, including seven house-brewed beers and local offerings from breweries like Bitter Root, Bayern and Big Sky. The kitchen puts a Montana twist on comfort food, such as buffalo pot stickers and bison burgers. If the weather’s right, they’re served in a converted freight car.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) With only a few more states to go, we enter our final week with a trip to Tennessee.

Preservation Pub
28 Market Sq., Knoxville, TN 37902
865.524.2224 | www.preservationpub.com
Is it called Preservation Pub because the bar so easily grips a crowd? Live music seven days a week, nearly 200 brews to weed through, and a 27-item list of strong beers you can only have one glass of (Orkney Skull Splitter, Black Eye Ale) keep the masses coming back and staying here.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) The Big Easy calls.

Cooter Brown’s Tavern & Oyster Bar
509 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
504.866.9104 | www.cooterbrowns.com
Located in the Riverbend neighborhood of uptown New Orleans is this Western-style tavern-meets-sports bar. With 400 brands of domestic and imported bottled beers, 45 different beers on tap, and a menu chockfull of po-boys, burgers, dogs, and amazing raw oysters, Cooter Brown’s can cook up just about any flavor combination you can think of. The comfortable, local joint rounds out its repertoire of offerings with 15 TVs (each one’s almost always tuned in to a different game) and clever caricatures of celebrities with beers that complement their personalities.

In honor of DRAFT’s “Best Bars” list — which can be found in the Jan/Feb issue, we’re running a city-by-city breakdown on DRAFTMag.com in the coming weeks. (See the archive here.) We doff our caps to Maine.

The Great Lost Bear
540 Forest Ave., Portland, ME 04101
207.772.0300 | www.greatlostbear.com
This wicked awesome beer haven in a city of dives features 65 taps, including 15 Maine breweries and five in Allagash Alley, a collection of taps dedicated to that brewery’s offerings. Four casks pour notables like Sheepscot Valley Boothbay Bitter. Besides the beer, guests come for the burgers and stay ’cause it feels like home.