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Philadelphia possesses one of the richest and most dynamic beer-drinking cultures in America. Tenured publicans flex on far-reaching friends to secure bottles and kegs that don't land anywhere else, while nationally recognized breweries in and around the city spread the hoppy love the opposite direction. Even the most rudimentary area bar will be able to provide you with a properly poured pint, but it takes some recon to organize a run-thru of Philly's best.

Here are 10 must-visits in the Philly beer bar scene, running the beer-geek gamut from Belgium, Germany and Italy back to the best America's got to offer.

Monk's Cafe

[Photographs: Drew Lazor]

Any Philly glass-emptying marathon, regardless of length, intensity or itinerary, should include a stool-warming session at Monk's. It was opened in 1997 by partners Tom Peters and Fergus Carey, but the charmingly creaky Center City institution "looks like it's been here forever," as Peters tells it. Its idiosyncratic Euro-style layout—two separate bars, connected by a hallway scattered with seats—seems the ideal spiritual home for what many consider the best Belgian beer selection in the country.

Peters' pioneering efforts as an Belgian beer booster in the US were rewarded with a 2004 induction into the country's Knighthood of Brewers' Mashstaff. In other words, he's got the hookup, translating to a staggering 300-plus bottle selection (broken down in the pages of the infamous "Beer Bible") and 20 constantly rotating drafts. If you have no idea where to begin, bend the ear of your bartender—all Monk's staffers go through rigorous tasting and sensory analysis training, so they know what the hell they're talking about.

264 S. 16th Street, Philadelphia PA 19102 (map) 215-545-7005, monkscafe.com

Alla Spina

Translating to "from the tap," Alla Spina is the most casual member of chef Marc Vetri's cabal of Philly Italian concepts. It takes its namesake duties quite seriously, too—just have a look at the gorgeous copper-plated draft system at the triple-sided bar, lorded over by "Alex," the eerily demonstrative sock-wearing pig mascot that lives above the liquid. Gregarious GM and beverage director Steve Wildy (check out his "Weekly Wildy" series on YouTube) fills his draft lines with choices both accessible (house exclusive Hundred Horse, a chestnut ale from PA's Victory) and esoteric (Madamin's Loverbeer, a pucker-inducing pour fermented with wine yeast in oak barrels).

The accompanying bottle list is broken down into unexpected and exacting styles, from fruit ales to Belgian tripels. All this plays nice with chef Mike Deganis' pork-obsessed menu, where agrodolce pig tails join swordfish BLTs and beer cheese-coated pretzel bites.

1401 Mt. Vernon Street, Philadelphia PA 19130 (map) 215-600-0017, allaspinaphilly.com

Fountain Porter

Perfect neighborhood bars tend to possess a hard-to-codify but easy-to-ID spirit, a bizarre, possibly supernatural air that both relaxes and energizes any thirsty pint-drainer who darkens the doorway. Fountain Porter's only been open since October of last year, but it's got this whatever-you-call-it for days. Industry veterans Evan Clancy and Scott Pawlicky teamed up to opened this small draft-only operation (no bottles/cans) in South Philly, with value as big a concern as variety. "We wanted to keep it honest and keep it grounded," says Clancy. "We didn't want to go the beer snob route."

Though roughly a quarter of the 20 taps are earmarked for locals (Kenzinger, from Philly Brewing Co., is always $3), the rest of the lines reflect a solid curatorial eye—label mainstays include Jolly Pumpkin, Green Flash, Bear Republic and Firestone Walker, with rotating rarities from the states (Hill Farmstead) and Europe (Dugges, Freigeist). An all-vinyl soundtrack, fed by Clancy's personal collection and regulars who work in record shops, is a unique draw, as is the cheap, intentionally simple food (backyard-style burgers for $5).

1501 S. 10th Street, Philadelphia PA 19148 (map) 267-324-3910, fountainporter.com

Kraftwork

No one was surprised when Adam Ritter, owner of Graduate Hospital's easy-to-love Sidecar, nailed it a second time with Kraftwork in Fishtown. As tempting as it is to assume that it's an establishment obsessed with emotion-free computer music performed by Teutonic robots, the name's more of an homage to the old-school, hands-on practice of building something from scratch. Note the recurring construction theme of the decor, culminating with the enormous hop bud-etched saw dangling above the bar. It's under this conversation piece that the best work gets done—spunky, knowledgeable bartenders navigate the 24 taps (plus one cask) as drinkers take in the beer menu, displayed on info-packed print-outs designed to resemble a contractor's itemized order form. Recent draft choices included Mikkeler's Drinkin' in the Sun, a low-ABV summer session; and Oxbow's Farmhouse Pale, a smartly balanced saison out of Maine.

541 E. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19125 (map) 215-739-1700, kraftworkbar.com

Khyber Pass Pub

Though we recently noted the Khyber as an excellent place to sip a Sazerac, Old City's rock club turned NOLA culture hub is known primarily as a beer bar. They pour 22 on draft at any given time, broken down by name on wall slats and in sardonic detail on the forearm-length bill of fermented fare. They're quick with sample pours here, so don't be shy to taste through a few before committing to a pint or tulip. If you're a sour fanatic, seek the counsel of bartender Jonny Medlinsky, who knows his way around funky brewing bacteria so well that he's leading a class on it during Philly Beer Week.

56 S. Second Street, Philadelphia PA 19106 (map) 215-238-5888, khyberpasspub.com

Brauhaus Schmitz

It's a bit difficult to know for sure, but Brauhaus Schmitz co-owner (and dual American/German citizen) Doug Hager thinks he's got the broadest German draft beer selection in the United States. Typically, 28 of the always-mirthful bar/restaurant's 30 taps, spread between the main hall and the adjoining Brauer Bund room, are German imports, many of them rare or exclusive. The distinction might be intermittently lost on a percentage of Brauhaus' more party-hardy soccer crowds—they draw droves for Bundesliga, English Premier League, and Philadelphia Union matches—but those in the know get there early enough to stake out a stool. Lately, Hager is excited about his impending kegs from Andechs, the Benedictine monastery whose beers enjoy a fervent cult following, but he's constantly motivated by landing the new, unusual and challenging-to-wrangle. "It's a tedious and time-consuming job," he says, "but hell if there aren't worse jobs in the world."

718 South Street, Philadelphia PA 19147 (map) 267-909-8814, brauhausschmitz.com

American Sardine Bar

The first (and, at the moment, only) craft beer bar in Philly's Point Breeze 'hood, this welcoming two-story pourhouse works off 16 exclusively American tap handles, with credence given to the kitchen's sandwich-heavy, eat-with-your-mitts approach. "In order to match the food, I seek out sessionable, pintable beers," says bar manager Kathryn Wiggins, who also minds the taps at sister bar South Philly Tap Room. Picks from Bell's, Left Hand, and Russian River, mixed with local mainstays like Dock Street Dude de Garde and Manayunk Brewing's ASB-exclusive Sardine Ale, dominate the current lineup. For more choices (including imports), look to the bar's cold case, stuffed with upward of 30 pop-toppable craft cans. ASB has also got one of the best jukeboxes in town for those of you tired of The Shins Pandora.

1800 Federal Street, Philadelphia PA 19146 (map) 215-334-2337, americansardinebar.com

Fiume

To find West Philly's quirkiest, coolest beer destination, locate the side door of Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia, open it and scale the stairs till you can't scale no more. At this point, you'll be inside Fiume, Kevin James Holland's gem of a bar that, at first blush, resembles Kevin James Holland's gem of a living room. A lifelong beer geek, Holland has always admired rarefied liquid, but he didn't begin marrying personal passion with Fiume's selection until about six years ago. "That's about the time we started offering truly special beers—Holy Grail kind of stuff," says the jovial barkeep and musician, whose 120+ lineup is exclusively bottled.

While more heavily trafficked bars will run out of stuff in a single shift, Fiume's out-of-the-way locale translates to a stockade of treasures—Founders 2011 Breakfast Stout, J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale 2000—that Holland can hand out, or continue to horde, at his whim. There's no secret password or handshake to gain access—simply glance up and down the beautiful wall placards, hand-drawn by longtime bartender Brian Nothing, to figure out what to drink.

229 S. 45th Street (above Abyssinia), Philadelphia PA 19104 (map) no phone, Facebook

Prohibition Taproom

Years back, restaurateurs Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello installed a cute little brunch spot called Cafe Lift on a dull industrial block of North 13th Street. Since then, they've introduced two additional concepts to the strip—the brand-new Bufad, a wood-fired pizzeria; and Prohibition Taproom, a friendly neighborhood tappie with a well-rounded approach to craft drafts. The bar's most distinct physical feature is its actual bar, which features two odd but accommodating peninsulas jutting out of it. (Staffers take advantage by sliding shots down the polished wood—be ready to receive or cry over spilled whiskey.) The beer selection is also of note, and enthusiastic GM Jon Lyons is the guy to talk to. Oft-overlooked styles like English strong ale (21st Amendment's Imperial Jack) and Russian imperial stout (Monster Mash, from Jersey's Boaks) have slots on the latest draft list, which is small but formidable. One mainstay: Hoppy Lil' Hudson, an eminently drinkable American IPA Philly's own Yards brews especially for ProTap.

501 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia PA 19123 (map) 215-238-1818, theprohibitiontaproom.com

Nodding Head

Philly's a national leader in craft beer, but we lag a bit behind other cities in the brewpub tally. Luckily, the ones we do have are badass. One of the longest-running, Center City's Nodding Head, displays plenty of skill and seasonal acuity in its on-premises approach. Head brewer Gordon Grubb keeps busy making the mainstays, like the English-style brown ale Grog and the malty, cask-conditioned 60 Shilling, but he also makes some sick-good limited runs—see his refreshing traditional Berliner Weisse (woodruff syrup available upon request), or Lava, an unfiltered lavender and vanilla blonde ale. The second-story brewpub's name is a nod (heh) to owner Curt Decker's bobblehead doll collection, which is displayed prominently in a glass case at the top of the stairs.

1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia PA 19102 (map) 215-569-9525, noddinghead.com

About the author: Drew Lazor is a freelance food and drink writer based in Philadelphia. Check out more of his work at drewlazor.com and say hi on Twitter: @drewlazor.

View Where to Buy Craft Beer in Philly in a larger map.

Philadelphia's rightly proud of its collection of beer bars, but even our most social drinkers need reliable retail to ensure their booze receptacles refrigerators stay full and happy. Here are our picks for the best craft beer stores and bottle shops in the city. If you're planning to come through for Philly Beer Week, visit these spots to stock up on beers you can't find in your home town.

Hawthornes Biercafé

[Photos: Drew Lazor]

Chris and Heather Fetfatzes' Hawthornes provides the neighborhood it's named after a bevy of beer options—close to 1,000 bottles, 11 draft choices and a dozen additional beers available in growlers—to stay or to go. (It's also a full restaurant and hangout space with a working fireplace.) The selection, which strikes local, domestic craft and Euro/Belgian notes, can be overwhelming, but "we always have a 'beer dude' on hand to help," Chris says proudly. Swing through on Wednesdays for complimentary tastings.

738 S. 11th Street, Philadelphia PA 19147 (map) 215-627-3012, hawthornecafe.com

Bottle Bar East

"Over 1,000,000,000 styles of beer served," exclaims the sardonic sandwich board outside Fishtown's Bottle Bar East. That's a slight overestimation, but uncle/nephew duo Mike Kellett and Brad Helder, who also own the nearby Xhale Cigar Lounge, are sitting pretty in the high hundreds. The space, which has a full bar, full kitchen and a mezzanine level with seating and games (foosball!), features a well-rounded selection, with a particularly nice selection of hop-bomby West Coast beers. Now that the weather's broken in Philly, BBE's bigger movers include two bottles sourced from neighboring Delaware—Dogfish Head's balanced 61-Minute, brewed with Syrah grape must; and Old Dominion's surprisingly dry Cherry Blossom Lager.

1308 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19125 (map) 267-909-8867, bottlebareast.com

The Bottle Shop

East Passyunk Avenue is Philly's fastest-growing food corridor, but The Bottle Shop has been at it since 2010, their 500+ craft beer roster (plus four taps for growlers) predating the arrival of most of EPX's hopping restaurants. The food offerings here are modest (mostly packaged snacks), but that doesn't stop patrons from plopping down at tables armed with bottle openers and brought-from-home board games. Newly stocked products include beers from Terrapin, Evil Twin, and Deschutes. Also keep an eye out for sub-$10 large-format options—the light, sneaky-stiff Double White from Long Trail's limited-edition Brewmaster Series, recently.

1837 E. Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19148 (map) 215-551-5551 bottleshopbeer.com

Beer Heaven

A nondescript shopping center that boasts cultural hubs like Pep Boys and Dunkin' Donuts doesn't exactly sound like the ideal environment for beer nerds, but South Philly's Beer Heaven proves to be a well-stocked exception to the rule. They stock upward of 900 choices and are particularly beefy in both the Euro and American large-format categories—nice prices on cult picks from Goose Island and Maine Beer Company, to name just two.

1100 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia PA 19147 (map) 215-271-5248 @beerheavenphl

Local 44 Bottle Shop

Spruce Hill's well-regarded Local 44 expanded into an adjacent retail space to open this retail shop about a year back. "We take the word selection seriously," says co-owner Leigh Maida. While the 400-ish bottle cold-case lineup is leaner than some competitors, L44 augments it with separate shelves stocked with rare beers and ciders. If you want a cold one while you peruse, they've run lines from the twin beer engines at the bar across to the shop; local faves Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale and Yards Philly's Best Bitter are on at the moment.

4333 Spruce Street, Philadelphia PA 19104 (map) 215-222-2337 local44beerbar.com/bottleshop.htm

The Corner Foodery

With locations in Wash West, Northern Liberties and Roxborough, The Foodery is the most recognizable name in the Philly bottle shop game, but their latest space ticks thanks an ambitious approach to the food part of the equation. A partnership with 13th Street restaurant The Corner, this Center City newcomer has a tighter selection than its compadres, but a smart, affordable menu from chef John Taus bridges the gap (get the porchetta). Guests can pick bottles from beer manager Kyle Sebring's fridge collection as they go, or dip into the drafts, which recently featured choices like Bullfrog Edgar IPA and Chouffe Biere du Soleil.

1710 Sansom Street, Philadelphia PA 19103 (map) 215-567-1500 thecornerfoodery.com

Monde Market

It looks like your average Center City deli, and it is—reliable place to grab snacks, pantry items, hoagies—but Monde also happens to stock some incredible craft beer options, with value being the biggest draw. Few shops carry this many individual longnecks priced below $3 (grab a Duck Rabbit for $2.29), meaning you can often escape with a high-quality mix-a-six for well under $20, a difficult achievement at many bottle shops. Sales are a common occurrence, too. Check in often to nail down some nice big-bottle deals—recent steals include White Birch's two-year-aged barleywine and the Lost Abbey/New Belgium collab Mo Betta Bretta for around $10 a pop.

100 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia PA 19103 (map) 215-496-0564 mondemarket.blogspot.com

Brew/Ultimo Coffee

What's a craft coffee house doing on a list of Philly's best bottle shops? The Newbold neighborhood's Brew, which shares real estate with the original location of Aaron Ultimo's award-winning Ultimo Coffee, has the distinction of being both. Sip a Counter Culture Americano while perusing the taut selection of craft beer, American and otherwise. Fridays and Saturdays often see complimentary tastings for customers, with brewery-centric dealage rotating every month. In May, for example, they're moving 21st Amendment sixers for $9.99 a pop.

1900 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia PA 19145 (map) 215-339-5177 brewphiladelphia.com

About the author: Drew Lazor is a freelance food and drink writer based in Philadelphia. Check out more of his work at drewlazor.com and say hi on Twitter: @drewlazor.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: 5 Great No-Frills Spots to Drink Beer in Seattle, WA

[Photographs: Naomi Bishop]

As the artistry of cocktails pulls the bar trend in one direction, a new crop of no-frills watering holes in Seattle pushes back. Convenience stores, warehouses, and office parks quietly harbor some of the best places in town to drink beer. If there is good ale flowing through the taps, people will be stoked to sit down and have a pint, even if they're squeezing between racks of potato chips. What these scrappy upstarts lack in food, table service, and ambiance, they make up for by curating the biggest or best tap lists of anyone around.

It might not look like a beer destination, but there are serious goods inside.

Unburdened by the strict liquor laws that govern bars serving liquor, there's no time or money spent luring people in with false hopes of gourmet cuisine—though Super Deli Mart will serve you a dang-fine hoagie. But for the most part, we're talking just chairs, tables, and a few tap handles or a chalkboard to choose from.

What you'll find at these spots is a staff that's passionate about beer. People who love beer this much aren't content to spend half their time pouring Long Island iced teas for sorority girls. They need a space where the customers are there just for the malt and hops. Serving from over thirty taps (Chuck's) or just a few (Super Deli Mart only has six extremely well-chosen beers at a time), you can count on these folks to pour you a taste while they wax intellectual about double-hopped IPAs or what makes a great session ale. At Hilliard's and Two Beers you can drink just a few feet from where some of the best beers in the city ferment. At all of these places, you'll see more than the standbys: these are the places to go for one-offs and special seasonal offerings.

Taplist at Chuck's 85th St. Market

If you need something in your belly as well as your glass, you can always bring the kitchen—or at least the meal—with you: few of these places have restrictions on outside food. If you're lucky, there may be a food truck parked nearby that day. Otherwise, it's just like eating at home, only the beer is better and there are handfuls of strangers sitting around you, many with children or dogs. Since most of these no-hard-liquor spots aren't technically bars, they can open their doors to patrons of all ages along with their furry friends.

Looking for locally-brewed rarities or Belgian delicacies on tap? Start your no-frills beer destination tour in the slideshow above »

View Great No-Frills Spots to Drink Beer in Seattle in a larger map.

About the author: Naomi Bishop is a Seattle based food writer and marketer. Find more of her musings on her food blog, TheGastroGnome, where she claims that being a GastroGnome is not about sitting idly on the front lawn of culinary cottages. You can also follow her explorations of cooking and culture around the world at @GastroGnome.

[Photographs: Gloria Dawson]

When it comes to New York beers, Brooklyn and Manhattan often get the spotlight. But those urban areas don't always have spaces large enough for experimentation and expanded beer offerings, not to mention brewery tours and brewpubs. In the Hudson Valley, brewers have have created award winning beers and built idyllic spots to enjoy them in.

The Hudson Valley has a rich history of brewing, and spring is one of the best times to take in the suds. The breathtaking green, lush views of the Valley are best enjoyed with a local cold one found found among the breweries dotting what New York's Senator Charles Schumer calls the "Beer Trail." The area has also been dubbed the "Napa Valley of Beer," as it works to bring back large-scale hop growing to the Valley.

Here are 5 of our favorite spots for sipping and snacking along the Hudson Valley.

View Hudson Valley Beer Hop in a larger map.

Keegan Ales

Mother's Milk

It's easy to get to know your fellow drinkers among the communal tables at this cozy brewpub in Kingston. Try their Mother's Milk, a smooth milk stout with creamy hints of oatmeal and chocolate. It's their most popular brew, and the perfect pairing to the kitchen's Mother's Milk Brownies. If Super Kitty is on tap, be sure to grab a pint or a growler of this special beer, an American barleywine with a hint of sweetness thanks to honey harvested from the brewery's roof beehives. The brewery gives tours Friday through Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m., and if the visit inspires you, you can pick up some homebrewing gear across the street at Keegan Homebrew and Mercantile.

20 Saint James Street, Kingston, NY 12401(map)
845-331-2739; keeganales.com

Newburgh Brewing Company

Like many towns in the Hudson Valley, Newburgh has gone through an economic downturn as factories closed in the area, but this "tough-minded town" is "still as hardscrabble as it was when General George Washington stationed his army here more than 200 years ago," according to the brewery's website. The brewery is brawny inside and out—it's built in an old factory and has kept much of the industrial accents of the previous tenant.

But the beers here don't pack too much of a punch. Most of the brews are sessionable, with a lower ABV that will let you sample them all. Try the Von Steuben's Gose, a traditional German wheat beer brewed with coriander and salt, with a hint of lactic tartness at the finish. Pair it with the brewery's cream ale-battered onion rings while taking in the Hudson River on view from the large bay windows along the eastern wall. Schedule a tour for Saturdays before 6 p.m.

88 South Colden Street, Newburgh, New York, 12550 (map)
845-569-2337; newburghbrewing.com

The Gilded Otter

In this large, airy space you can dine among brew tanks after working up a thirst on the nearby trails of Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. Grab a pint or an eight-glass sampler of head brewer Darren Currier's current offerings. The Huguenot St. American Lager is a light beer perfect for guzzling in the warm months, and the low ABV means you won't stumble out of the brewpub when you're done. The Stone House Irish Stout is its opposite, a rich Russian Stout with hints of roasted coffee, raisins, port wine, and chocolate. (It clocks in at 9% ABV.) The food menu here is as diverse as the brews, so you can savor anything from meatloaf with stout gravy to ceviche. Come on weekend nights for live entertainment.

3 Main Street, New Paltz, NY 10523 (map)
845-256-1700; gildedotter.com

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

Scott Vaccaro started homebrewing at 17 before he was even legally allowed to drink. His youthful beginnings in brewing might have something to do with the fun fraternity-like vibe that his brewery projects. Enter the large warehouse-looking building and grab sampler tokens ($5 for five) and take a spin on one of the brewery's dozen or so suds on tap.

If you're new to Captain Lawrence, try a best seller like Liquid Gold, an orange-tinged Belgian Pale, or Brown Bird, a smooth malty brew. For something that screams summer, try the Sun Block Witte, a crisp and refreshing witbier. If there are experimental projects on tap, give them a try: some of these brews will never be offered outside the taproom. You also might have the chance to purchase bottles of the brewery's excellent sour beers or their Smoke from the Oak series. Hop on it; these are some of New York's best brews. Pair your beer with a hot dog from Village Dog Local and Artisan Hot Dogs, or a slice from the Friday pizza truck.
‪
444 Saw Mill River Road‬, Elmsford, NY 10523‬ (map)
914-741-2337; captainlawrencebrewing.com

Peekskill Brewery

This brewery's new four-story space, and its convenient location just steps from the Metro North Railroad stop make it a must-visit for superior suds this spring. From the names of their brews, you might gather that the husband, wife, and sister-in-law team behind this brewery don't take themselves too seriously. But grab a pint of one of the 13 brews made in house, like super-hoppy but not too bitter AMAZEballs, or Dream of the 90s, a coffee concoction, and you'll be reassured they have a serious side as well. The tap system is fed directly from the tanks; that means these beers are pretty darn fresh.

The views here are not to be missed: the inner workings of the brewery are on display in the taproom and the Hudson River spills out from the windows in the dining room where the open kitchen is also in plain sight. Try the classic PB burger pilled with applewood smoked bacon and cheddar. For a better look at the brewery, including the coolship upstairs, schedule a private tour on the weekends.

47-53 South Water Street, Peekskill, NY, 10566 (map)
914-734-2337; peekskillbrewery.com

About the author: Gloria Dawson is a freelance journalist based in New York. She writes about beer and other nutrients as well as art, tech, and the environment. Follow her at @GloriaDawson

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Where to Drink Sour Beer in Chicago

[Photographs: Roger Kamholz]

Lambic. Gueuze. Wild Ale. Oud Bruin. Flanders Red. Berliner Weisse. Lately, when I belly up to new and familiar bars alike and begin dissecting the beer offerings, I hunt for these terms like X's on a treasure map. They're among the handful of markers in the world of beers that signify sour. And, I confess, I've become obsessed with the whole lot of them.

Sour beers are exactly what they sound like: they belong to a style of suds deliberately made to present with acidity—often boldly so. Sours have, in my mind, always stood alone among the numerous classes of beer for that reason, even while occasionally sharing some traits with, say, their dry and hoppy or malty and cereal cousins. To my palate, the acidity of a sour beer is generally more acetic than citric; in other words, you might detect flavors akin to cider or balsamic vinegar over any hints of lemon or grapefruit. Sours can be sharply tart, fragrantly fruity, caramel sweet, wine-like, even herbal and vegetal. Indeed, sours are an unruly pack, resistant to hard-and-fast characterization. The more sours I try, the more impressed I become at the breadth of their range of flavors. And it's easy to understand how they developed these freewheeling personalities when you examine the history of their making.

Take Lambic. In Belgium, long a hotbed for sour-beer-making, brewers found that exposing nascent wort to the open air could foster "spontaneous" fermentation. Basically, the airborne yeasts and other bacteria present in the region (most notably Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces, and Pediococcus, which you can read more about here) were allowed to float into and take up residence within these breweries and thus get into the wort. All of these wily agents have a hand in shaping a Lambic's flavor—hence the term "Wild Ale."

This approach to fermentation can take a long time. On top of that, many sour beers are also barrel-aged for up to several years. These factors in part can make sours more precious (read: expensive) than their counterparts at the bar; large-format bottles of Lambic and Gueuze, for instance, can cost as much as decent wine. But if you ask me, the payoff is well worth it.

The bar at SmallBar on Division Street.

It could be their sometimes-elevated price, it could be their rarity, it could be their unusual taste, or a combination of all the above, but sours are simply not as easy to come by as an obsessive like me would hope. Thankfully, there's a cohort of ambitious, beer-focused bars in Chicago that not only stock their cellars with obscure and intriguing large-format sours, but also reliably devote one or two tap lines to the tart stuff—which provides an inexpensive entrée into this rich and dynamic style of beer. Check out the slideshow for eight great bars in Chicago that traffic in sour beer of all sorts »

View Best bars for sour beer in Chicago in a larger map.

Where to Get Your Sour On
The Map Room
Local Option
Hopleaf
The Small Bar
The Publican
Fountainhead
Bangers & Lace
The Bad Apple

About the Author: Roger Kamholz writes about a plethora of topics, including ramen, vegetarian dishes, and—most importantly—cocktails. If you see him at a party, demand that he make your next drink.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: The Best Places to Drink Beer in Nashville, Tennessee

[Photographs: W.S. Lyon]

The first thing to know about Nashville: wherever you go out, you're going to see familiar faces. I don't mean famous faces, although that's probable too. I mean friends, neighbors, exes, and that guy who works at the butcher. The second thing: the snaking Cumberland River bisects more than just the landscape. If the West Side of town is Nashville's super-ego, the East Side is most definitely its id. The onslaught of recently opened draft beer bars seems to be the great mediator between the two. And things are coming together nicely.

With outmoded state laws, like the legal split between high- and low-gravity beers (a demarcation at 5% alcohol by weight, or 6.3% by volume) and the "franchise laws" of the wholesale distribution system, Nashville once seemed destined to remain a craft beer backwater. But luckily for the locals, breweries have been popping up like a game of whack-a-mole—just you try and keep up.

Wes Langlois readying for a Sunday night country set at The Stone Fox.

Because of all that, and because, for the most part, beers from here are good and getting better, the craft beer scene in Nashville is focused heavily on local flavors. The out-of-touch might find it parochial. I'd call it hometown proud. Either way, Nashville is positioning itself as a bona fide beer destination. The richness of the music scene doesn't hurt any either.

Whether kicking it at one of the many established bars in East Nashville, cherry picking a favorite along 8th Ave, or searching for an alternative to the noisy honky-tonks on a downtown Saturday night, wherever you are, a craft draft pour is close at hand. Here are our six favorite spots to grab a pint »

View Best Places To Drink Beer in Nashville in a larger map.

Our Picks:
Pub 5
The Stone Fox
Corsair Taproom
Craft Brewed Bottle Shop & Tasting Room
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden
Village Pub & Beer Garden

About the Author: W.S. Lyon wanders high and low places with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. He writes, works and lives in Nashville, TN.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and Jon Langley Tell Us What to Drink at Tørst in Brooklyn

[Photographs: Eunice Choi]

There's a white door built into the back wall of Tørst. Daniel Burns, chef and owner of the newly opened bar and restaurant in Greenpoint, slid it open to reveal a small, simple room: tables on one side, his kitchen on the other. Everything about the space was clean and streamlined, but there were dozens of handmade ceramic dishes scattered everywhere. "These just came in from Denmark this morning," Burns said of the beautiful dinnerware. They were shipped over by Kasper Würtz, whose plates Burns will be using at Luksus, the 26-seat restaurant, when it opens in the back of Tørst next month. In the meantime, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø has made Tørst one of the city's most ambitious beer bars.

Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and Chef Daniel Burns

"I've had the idea to do a beer bar for ten years," Jarnit-Bjergsø said. "I travel a lot with my brewery (Evil Twin) and I go to a lot of good beer bars, but I never go to places where I feel like it's perfect. I knew that if I were ever going to be involved in a beer bar, I would have to give it 100%." Jarnit-Bjergsø, a Denmark native, is what people have come to call a gypsy brewer. He doesn't have his own facility for brewing. Instead, he travels the world and collaborates with different breweries, putting his recipes in their tanks and creating limited-edition brews, many of which are featured at Tørst.

The bar opened only four weeks ago, but has quickly won the hearts of hopheads this side of the Atlantic. "We went through the whole craft beer thing in Denmark only about ten years ago," Jarnit-Bjergsø explained. "It's still so young. For example if you have a bar in Denmark that has ten beers on tap, you call yourself a specialty beer bar. In the US, if you have ten beers on tap you could just be a restaurant that wants to serve a few beers. Craft beer is just way more integrated into drinking and going out here."

This enthusiasm in the US market gives Jarnit-Bjergsø room to expand his beer program. There are currently over 120 bottled beers available at Tørst. "We'll take it up to 150 or 200," Jarnit-Bjergsø said, "but I don't want more than that because I don't want to compromise the selection. I only want to present the beers that I want to sell, the beers I believe in." Some of the bottles aren't for sale, though: they're withheld as part of Tørst's cellar-aging program. "We have other stuff that we keep secret, mainly because if we didn't it would sell out," he said matter-of-factly. "I see it happen in the US and especially in Europe. One beer bar in Belgium used to have the greatest cellar. Ten years ago, I went there to drink all the time. Since people have gotten really into beer though, and started traveling for it, bottle lists can disappear very quickly. I don't want to risk that."

The paint color of each tap previews the color of each beer pour.

Tørst also has twenty-one tap lines to serve beers in eight or fourteen ounce pours. Gabe Gordon, a friend of Jarnit-Bjergsø's and the brewer behind Beechwood BBQ Brewing in Long Beach, California, designed the tap system. It's called the Flux Capacitor, and is a large part of what makes Tørst so unique. Each tap can regulate the amount of nitrogen and carbon dioxide that goes into every pour. Tørst manager (and DBGB alum) Jon Langley explained, "You get about five different gas blends and you get pressure control for each beer. That exists at other places, but ours are right up here at the bar. The gas blends are all quick disconnects, so you sort of operate the thing like an old-school telephone operator."

There is also built-in temperature control for each tap, which allows each style of beer to be served at the proper temperature. "The bigger a beer gets," Jarnit-Bjergsø explained, "the more and more flavors and layers it has. If you serve certain beers too cold, it kills those flavors. But if you let them warm up a bit, you can taste a lot more in the beer."

The beer selection at Tørst is as much a showcase of the world's greatest craft beers as it is a portrayal of friendship and passion Jarnit-Bjergsø has found along the hop trail. The list has options from Sweden (Omnipollo), Beligum (Hof Ten Dormaal, Brasserie de Cazeau, and Dochter van de Korenaar), the Netherlands (Emelisse), England (Thornbridge Hall), and the US (Stillwater, Perennial, Kuhnhenn, and Beechwood BBQ). But that will change just as frequently as Jarnit-Bjergsø travels and discovers new breweries. "I had some beers from a brewery called 7venth Sun about a month ago—absolutely amazing stuff," he says. "They're a very small brewery, but we're talking to them about making some beers for us just because it's so good and so unique. I think we have a place that gives a lot of attention to breweries from all over the world, so it'd be great to help get the word out about 7venth Sun beers."

The bottle list is in place for the deeply committed, but with more than twenty draft options from small, lesser-known breweries, how does the average drinker know where to start? We sat down with Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and Jon Langley and let them guide us through the expansive list. As we tasted our way from lightest to fullest, Jarnit-Bjergsø made the message very clear: "If we can set a new standard by showing what's possible in terms of the beer and service, and if we can inspire other people to do the same, that would be awesome. We just want to make New York a better beer city."

Check out the slideshow for Jarnit-Bjergsø and Langley's Tørst tutørial »

Tørst

615 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (map) torstnyc.com

About the Author: Craig Cavallo is a Serious Eats intern with an addiction to New York City's food and drink. Learn more about his problem at digestny.com.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Our 8 Favorite Sips from the Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ales Festival

[Photographs: Adam Lindsley]

Curated by Ezra Johnson-Greenough of The New School and co-hosted by local beer bar and bottle shop, Saraveza, the first Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ales Festival was a glorious testament to rare and one-off saisons, bieres de garde, and beers fermented with funky Brettanomyces and puckery Lactobacillus (read up on both here). 19 breweries brought over 30 different kegs to the festival, several of which have never been served on draft outside their respective home bases.

I sampled as many of them as I could over the two-day festival, including special beers from favorites like 10 Barrel, Pfriem Family Brewers, Solera Brewing, The Commons Brewery, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, and more. Check out the slideshow for the 8 most memorable brews on tap »

Did you make it to the Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ales Fest? Any favorite beers from the weekend?

About the author: Adam Lindsley is a Pacific Northwest-based writer, musician, and the author of the pizza blog, This Is Pizza. You can follow him at @ThisIsPizza on Twitter. He eagerly awaits the day Boneyard Brewing starts bottling their stellar lineup.

[Photo: Liz Clayton]

There's got to be room for a beer in even this city of wine, wine, and wine. As French brewers slowly join the legion of specialty craft beer makers crawling across Europe, Paris at last has an emphatic entrant in the beer destination category in La Fine Mousse.

Joining a very small cadre of serious (or increasingly serious) beer spots—like Brewberry, Supercoin, and bottle shops Bootlegger and the lovely Cave a Bulles, La Fine Mousse is a uniquely French-brewer focused, craft-focused gem of a beer bar in the 11th arrondissement.

Unassuming and lit well enough to read and re-read the constantly evolving beer (and cider, and some whiskey) menus, La Fine Mousse has that sort of stonecarved Parisian character of looking like it's in a basement while actually at street level. Though space and flow can be awkward when busy (unless you've settled into a leather club chair at the back), when isn't this a problem at any well-curated bar where the proprietors are happy to enter into lengthy discussions about the latest rotation you've never seen before on their 20 taps? Paris should have more of such problems.

Though the draft selection relies almost entirely on regional French brewers, appearances from around Europe and beyond (and half-beyond, if you count the passel of French-Nøgne Ø collaborations) fill out the menu to appease those who wish to enjoy things from further afield, like Rogue or usual suspect Mikkeller. In a country where beer taxes have risen repeatedly by the three-digit percentages, maintaining a bar like this is truly a labor of love.

On our visit, the Tasty Pale Ale, from suburban Paris brewer Outland, stood out as a surprisingly balanced pale ale (at only 3.8% but full of fruity, almost airy, crisp flavor), or the Prototype from Brasserie du pays Flamand, a subtle porter with Norwegian juniper berries (thanks again, Nøgne Ø). An unpasteurized Breton cider from Valee de la Seiche was a nice session break: dry and sour, with just enough mustiness.

For as broad a tasting of artisanal French beers as you'll be able to have anywhere, seek out La Fine Mousse to cast your allegiance with beer!

La Fine Mousse

6 Avenue Jean Aicard, Paris 75011 France (map)
+33 (0)9 80 45 94 64; lafinemousse.fr

About the author: Liz Clayton drinks, photographs and writes about coffee and tea all over the world, though she pretends to live in Brooklyn, New York. She is currently compiling photographs of the best coffee in the world to be published by Presspop this spring.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: The 10 Best Beers We Tried at New York City Beer Week

[Photographs: Christopher Lehault]

With this past week's NYC Beer Week, the five boroughs have once again proved themselves a formidable voice on the American beer landscape. From strong ales to funky sours to impressive IPAs, the "style" of NYC beer is in its diversity.

While many thought that moving Beer Week from the fall to the winter months would discourage revelers, the craft beer community was out in full, and most of the major tasting events were sold out. Sorely missing from the week, however, was Shmaltz Brewing's flagship Freaktoberfest celebration (still held every year in the fall). Freaktoberfest's evening of beers, bands, and burlesque brought a much-needed party spirit to a week that is too often spent with the nose in a glass and a fork in the mouth. Of the events we attended, Brewer's Choice once again came out as most impressive, with many brewers bringing super-rare and special beers to taste.

While our heads are still a bit woozy from ten days of strong drinks and small plates, we've managed to pick out the most memorable beers (many of them new and rare) that we tried in a week full of standouts. Check 'em all out in the slideshow above.

What were your highlights from this year's beer week in NYC?

About the author: Christopher Lehault is a New Jersey based homebrewer, cider evangelist and craft beer documentarian. Follow his cider adventures on facebook or on twitter at @bittersharp.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Our Favorite Beers at the Great American Beer Festival

[Photographs: Sean Buchan]

Celebrating its 26th year, the Great American Beer Festival took place in Denver, Colorado this past week to honor the best American beers and their respective brewers. Some 49,000 people attended the event to sample over 2,700 beers from 578 craft breweries across the United States. Although there was no way for us to sample anywhere close to all of them, we had a great time sipping beer and chatting with brewers.

There were a few changes to year's festival, including a brand new Brewpub section and added space for 110 more breweries as the awards stage moved across the street. Brewpubs didn't just take the center stage within the walls of the Convention Center, they dominated at the awards ceremony—Devils Backbone Brewing Company won 8 medals and Small Brewpub of the Year, Church Brew Works won 4 medals and Large Brewpub of the Year, and Thai Me Up won 3 medals including two golds.

It's always interesting to see style trends at the festival; this year demonstrated the continuing rise of sour and barrel-aged beers in the United States. Led by craft beer juggernauts like Firestone Walker and The Bruery, many smaller breweries are following suit....and they're not waiting long to do so. For example, St. Louis brewery Perennial Artisan Ales opened 13 months ago and they poured one of our favorite beers at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. It aged in barrels for 10 months; you do the math.

Did you attend this year's festival? Which beers are you still thinking about?

In the slideshow, check out a few of our favorite beers at GABF »

About the Author: Sean Buchan covers the Denver craft beer scene for Denver Off the Wagon in addition to doing freelance photography for Colorado breweries. You can view his beer photography here and check out his blog, Beertographer, here.

[Photographs: Corin Hirsch except where noted]

Up here in Vermont, the nights have dipped down into the 40s, the first fires have been lit and the leaves are just starting to turn. Any week now, we'll welcome waves of foliage groupies who will chase the cascading rainbow of mahogany, burnt orange, and gold from the Northeast Kingdom all the way down to the southern border.

For those who love both changing leaves and craft beer equally, Vermont is not only dotted with 26 craft breweries—the most per capita of any state—but also some innovative beer bars with carefully-curated taps and bottle lists. Whether you fancy ending a crisp fall day with a glass of gueuze or grisette, these pubs (broken down by region) regularly decant eclectic, unusual, or hard-to-find local craft beers, sometimes alongside some pretty exquisite (and usually locally-sourced) food.

Northeast Kingdom: Parker Pie Company

Tucked up in the northeast corner of the state, Parker Pie Co. is a cozy brick-and-wood oasis whose pies are scrumptious enough to inspire long drives by locals. Yet the 12 taps here also dispense local craft beers that are almost impossible to find outside of our border; on any given day, they could include Founder's Cerise, multiple selections from NEK's Hill Farmstead, and Citizen Cider Unified Press, a crisp, sublime hard cider made in northern Vermont. You'll probably have to wait for a table, especially on weekends, but live music and a cold pint make the minutes pass easily.

Parker Pie Co.

161 County Road, West Glover, VT 05875 (map)
802-525-3366; parkerpie.com

Mad River Valley/Stowe: Blackback Pub and Prohibition Pig

Waterbury is ringed by striking mountains and endless hiking; back in town, you can't throw a stone without hitting some rare quaff. The Alchemist Pub & Grill used to anchor the main drag until Tropical Storm Irene flooded downtown last summer and forced the pub to close. Fortunately, the Alchemist crew still produce their iconic Heady Topper at their cannery just up the road, where it sells out a few times a week; the only place in town to get it on tap is at Prohibition Pig, the airy smoked meat and booze place with an impressive tap list, hearty BBQ, and apothecary-like bar.

Across the street, the subterranean Blackback Pub & Flyshop harbors an eclectic collection of fishing ephemera (it's the owner's hobby) as well as a tap list that casts both near and very far. One recent night found five Hill Farmstead beers, Lawson's Finest Liquids Chinooker'd IPA, Petrus Aged Pale, and Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett all on tap. For something more bracing, hit the impressive assortment of single-malt Scotch.

Prohibition Pig

23 S. Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676 (map)
802-244-4120; prohibitionpig.com

Blackback Pub & Flyshop

1 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT 05676 (map)
802-244-4120; blackbackpub.com

Central: Three Penny Taproom

Inside the Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, you could spend an entire weekend sampling from the 24 taps, and another few days supping from rare bottles (Tilquin Oude Gueze and multiple brews from Cantillon among them). The best-kept secret, though, is the food from chef Matthew Bilodeau; all of it is thoughtfully executed to pair with the beer. Pilsner sweet corn fritters with a Hopfenstark Helles, or pork sausages with a Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens? Um, yeah, that'll work.

Three Penny Taproom

108 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 (map)
802-223-8277; threepennytaproom.com

Upper Valley: The Worthy Burger

Everyone within 100 miles is still buzzing about this spot, which opened recently inside an old freight house in sleepy South Royalton. The kitchen sources local grass-fed beef for succulent, cheap burgers that practically melt beneath house-made kimchi and pickles. The L-shaped bar fills up for a list curated by co-owner Dave Brodrick (he who also owns NYC's Blind Tiger). It might be Brodrick who hands you a glass of Zero Gravity Saison, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, or Hill Farmstead Everett. For non-tipplers, the house kombucha—in flavors such as ginger and lemon balm-lavender—is zesty and addictive.

The Worthy Burger

56 Rainbow Street, South Royalton, VT 05068 (map)
802-763-2575; worthyburger.com/

South: Whetstone Station Pub & Brewery

[Photo: Whetstone Station Pub.]

The only place to sit right now at this pub-in-progress is on the deck, but that's not a hardship: with a stunning view of the Connecticut River and a Schneider Aventinus in hand, winter seems a million miles away. This three-month-old place is still finishing up its nanobrewery, but the 14 taps here are eagerly dispensing Monk's Cafe Belgian Sour Ale or Green Flash Hop Head Red. (Or pour some Pinkus Munster Alt from the bottle).

Whetstone Station Pub & Brewery

36 Bridge Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301 (map)
802-490-2354; whetstonestation.com

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Behind the Scenes at Bell's Brewery, Galesburg, MI

[Photos: Liz Clayton]

Before Michigan became a mitten-shaped beer paradise, the Kalamazoo Brewing Company, founded by brewer Larry Bell, began slowly brewing handcrafted beer in a soup kettle. In 1985, the playing field was considerably different—and the company, now known simply as Bell's, has grown from their roots as a local downtown brewer to a widely admired company whose staple and seasonal beers are distributed in 18 states (sadly, not mine.)

Having long since outgrown the downtown Kalamazoo facility (which still houses a beer store and the Eccentric Cafe brew pub) and their second brewing facility in nearby Comstock, the company expanded their brewing capacity again earlier this year, with the addition of a 200-barrel production brewery in also-nearby Galesburg. The capacious new space accommodates the brewery's special needs like increased capacity for dry-hopping, good news for any fans of their magically bright Two-Hearted Ale.

The space was also designed for speed, reduced physical stress on the workers, and environmental sustainability—as well as simply totally rad antiquities, like reclaimed cypress open-top fermentation tanks from the old Stroh's brewery in Detroit, which will be rebuilt for a new life of experimental brews.

Whether you wait all winter for Oberon, or you wait all summer for Hopslam, a trip to the new Bell's brewery—they aren't offering tours to the public quite yet, but plan to as soon as they're all unpacked—is both enticing and inspiring. Click through the slideshow above to enjoy a little walk through this space created by one of the true Midwestern beer pioneers.

About the author: Liz Clayton drinks, photographs and writes about beverages all over the world, though she pretends to live in Brooklyn, New York. She is currently compiling photographs of the best coffee in the world to be published by Presspop later this year.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Where to Drink Beer Outdoors in Queens, NY

[Photographs: Chris Lehault]

After tackling Brooklyn and Manhattan, Chris Lehault and I chose Queens as our third and final borough* in our multi-week quest to map out the best outdoor spots to drink craft beer in NYC.

Summer days may be waning, but there's still plenty of excellent weather ahead to embrace while you enjoy a few pints outdoors—in fact, this might be the perfect time to head to a beer garden.

Here are our favorite spots to enjoy good beer outdoors in Queens. Got more to add to the list? Let us know!

*Astute readers will recognize that there are, in fact, five NYC boroughs. If you know of good spots in Staten Island or the Bronx with craft beer and an outdoor space, help a brother out and let us know in the comments.

View Where to Drink Beer Outdoors in Queens in a larger map.

About the Author: Jonathan Moxey is a Harlem-based homebrewer, BJCP certified beer judge, and Cicerone Certified Beer Server. He hosts private beer tastings for Tapped Craft Beer Events.

[Photographs: Mike Reis]

There are two types of vacationers in this world: the tourist and the experience junkie. I'm an experience junkie. I don't tend to go to a new city to see the sights, I go there to expose myself to the experiences unique to a given area—to feel something rather than to see something. And as a Serious Eater and a beer geek, I feel my way around most towns mouth first.

On a trip that began in the birthplace of my personal interest in beer (Rome) and ended in the birthplace of my favorite category of beer (lambic), I expected to drink a lot of beer. Let's just say my expectations were met.

My first beer of the journey was at the Roman classic pie house, Pizzeria Da Baffetto. It was a Nastro Azzuro, Peroni's "higher-end" lager that comes in a green bottle. Predictably, it was skunked. Unpredictably, it was warm. Either way, it was gross. But empowered with a full belly, the beer tourism began with nowhere to go but up.

Cantillon Gueuze on Cask

My first stop was at the bar responsible for igniting my interest in beer: Trastevere's Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà. I was immediately drawn to their vintage beer menu, which boasted rarities such as Drie Fonteinen's Millennium Gueuze and Cantillon's Pinot d'Aunis. I was disappointed to learn that these were not available due to the fact that the bar's sister location, the equally excellent Bir e Fud, housed the bottles and was closed for the summer. I sought respite in a pint (yes, a pint) of hand-pulled Cantillon Gueuze. The cask presentation mellowed its acidity, allowing some of the more nuanced qualities of the beer to shine. It was excellent.

And while I drank several other great beers in Italy, the time in Belgium that followed was decadent enough to make Gambrinus jealous.

Van Steenberge Tripel de Garre

The house beer at Bruges' Staminee de Garre, Van Steenberge's tripel deserves its status as an underground classic. Sweet for the style, the beer's formidable 11.5% ABV is well hidden, and its creamy head and pinpoint carbonation helps it go down easy. The beer pairs nicely with the included bowl of young gouda, with a peppery yeast character and a touch of bitterness to help cut the richness of the cheese.

2010 Rochefort 8

At the original Moeder Lambic in Brussels, Belgium, there are dozens (hundreds?) of great beers to choose from. So why would I choose Rochefort 8, a beer commonly available in at least two dozen stores near my home in the San Francisco Bay Area? First of all, it's one of my favorite beers of all time. If you haven't had it in a while, it is 100% worthy of a revisit. Second of all, Moeder Lambic carries the beer in a very rare 750ml format, which alters the manner in which the beer ages (due to the diminished contact with potentially damaging air in the headspace and increasing exposure to active yeast). The beer was incredible. Notes of smoke, cocoa, dates and bread were contained within a medium-bodied, highly-carbonated force of a beer that showed very little of its 9+% ABV.

Fresh Orval

Orval is known for its intense carbonation, unusually (among the Trappists, at least) hoppy flavor, and signature Brettanomyces-tinged finish. It's a gateway beer for many and a beer bar staple from coast to coast. Being in Belgium allowed for a unique opportunity to try the beer fresh. I've never seen the beer less than 6 months old on shelves stateside, but I easily found bottles as fresh as two months old in Belgium. Drunk in this state, the beer takes on an entirely different quality. Much more hop driven, classic noble hop spiciness dominates, and the Brettanomyces exists as merely a drying twinge at the back of your tongue. Fresh, the wild yeast hasn't had much time to develop.

Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus on Cask

While it might be cheap to include two beers from the geek-favorite Brasserie Cantillon, it would be impossible not to include the pour of Rose de Gambrinus I had from the cask at Moeder Lambic Fontainas among my favorite sips of the trip. Unlike the aforementioned Gueuze in Rome, the benefit of the cask presentation here lay in the beer's necessary freshness. Absolutely packed with ripe raspberry flavor, this is by far the best Rose de Gambrinus I've had. With just a touch of yeasty funk, this beer was all about the fruit flavor. Cantillon's signature lactic acidity served only to amplify the lush, natural aromatics, standing in stark contrast to the Lindeman's Framboise that so defines the Lambic category to many Americans.

I'm pretty certain I'll always remember these beery experiences. Have you sipped beer in Europe lately? Or have you had other favorite moments of beer-related tourism? Share your stories in the comments section below.