Craft beer is a favorite among people who like a little more of a homemade flair to their beer experience. People who like beer for the experience and the taste are great at finding little places in the middle of nowhere that serve up some of the best craft beers in the country, and then sharing that information with the internet. With the rise of the internet, even little tiny craft beer places can have a huge reputation.
Here, we’ve collected the best of the best all across the nation. If you really want a great experience, you’ll want to take a trip to these craft beer bars.
Beerhead Bar & Eatery, Pittsburgh
There are plenty of great craft beer bars in Pittsburgh, but Beerhead Bar & Eatery is definitely on the top of the list. This bar offers not only hundreds of different craft beers, but also a wide offering of food, which they try to make as simple and delicious as possible. They make their bar friendly and interesting by providing things like live music, tastings, and trivia, as well as seasonal events that change depending on the month. It’s not just a place that sells beer, it’s a bar, with all the community that comes along with that.
Twitter: @Beerheadbar
The Ginger Man, Austin
It’s not hard to find good craft beers in Austin; there are a wealth of them, and it can be great to just spend a bit of time sampling some of what Austin has to offer. But if you’ve only got one night to try things out, The Ginger Man is the place to be. They have some regular standbys, but also a selection of beers that rotates as the seasons do, making it always an interesting visit. Even better, their schedule is always packed, making it a good idea to keep an eye on the website so you can find something fun to do.
Twitter: @AustinGingerMan
The Whining Pig, Phoenix
Phoenix is a great place to find a selection of restaurants, events, and bars that will cater to anyone’s preference, which means craft beers aplenty. If you’re only going to one of them, though, The Whining Pig is definitely a top pick. They have three locations, making it easy to visit no matter where in the valley you are, and their events are always crowd pleasers, including unforgettable fun like rounds of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Their menu is nothing to sneeze at, either, with dishes that look so good you could see them in a five-star restaurant.
Twitter: @TheWhiningPig
Proletariat, New York City (East Village)
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that New York City has a bustling craft beer scene. The demographics of New York City are all over the charts, which means there’s a bit of a niche for everyone, and there are plenty of niches to explore. If you’re one of those people with a palette like no other, and you want to taste something you can’t get anywhere else, Proletariat is the place for you. They focus explicitly on “rare, new, and unusual beer,” which means that you can get something you’ve never tasted before every single time you come. Try chatting up their bartenders for some exclusive knowledge.
Twitter: @ProletariatNY
LUCK at Trinity Groves, Dallas
If you’re trying to find a great craft beer bar in Dallas, you’ll probably end up getting overwhelmed — there are a ridiculous number of great spots sprinkled all around the city. But if you really need something exclusive to Dallas, LUCK Local Urban Craft Kitchen is something completely different. Not only do they stick to sourcing beer from breweries within a 75-mile radius, but they also use that beer in their American dishes, ranging from beer cheese fondue to beer-battered cod for fish and chips.
Twitter: @LUCKdallas
Martin City Brewing Co., Kansas
Sure, there are plenty of places for great craft beer in Kansas City, but not many of them have the interesting history and signature beers that Martin City Brewing does. Martin City Brewing is actually two different buildings; the Pub and the Taproom, as the owners of the original pub decided to start their own brewery a few years after opening. Both places have a bit of their own feel, and you’re essentially getting two experiences for the price of one. The over 200 liquor stores that now distribute their brews can’t be wrong!
Twitter: @MartinCityBrew
Denver Beer Co., Denver
Denver is one of the hottest new places for technology and young minds, which means it’s also a blooming place for craft beers. If you’re going to go to just one place, though, Denver Beer Co. is a great place to be. The idea of farm-to-table dining is a central part of Denver Beer’s philosophy, and it makes their beer truly unique. Their drinks rotate with the seasons, and beers on tap rotate almost weekly, making every visit different from the last.
Twitter: @DenverBeerCo
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Church, Atlanta
There are plenty of places for a fun night out in Atlanta. But if you really want a great place to hang out and you enjoy eccentric, slightly blasphemous bars, Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium — “Church” for short — is a great place for that experience. Their beers come cheap, and their calendar is always packed with interesting, fun events that will be sure to entice anyone.
Union Craft Brewing, Baltimore
Baltimore is a beautiful city that’s extremely well-known for its craft brews, and that means the bars are extremely widespread. Union Craft Brewing is known as being the first craft brewery to open in city limits when it was opened in 2012, and they have plenty of signature beers to show for it. The new place they’re moving to is going to add more brewing capacity and a music venue, making things not just bigger, but better.
Twitter: @UnionBrewing
Belmont Station, Portland
With all its hipster charm, Portland is well-known as being a great place to sit down and have a craft beer, and nowhere is that more obvious than Belmont Station. Though the name is a relic of the past, when the street it sat on was named Belmont, the place is still up and running, and it has a great selection of beers for any person. Over 1,000 bottled beers, both local and imported, line the walls, and you can drink there, take a bottle home, or try something on tap.
Twitter: @belmontstation