Known for its traditional Irish pubs, Boston has recently become a haven for beer nerds, a self-described group for whom one kind of lager or stout is not enough. The journey to find the next great craft beer can occupy an entire weekend (or a few hours at work stalking a bar’s Twitter feed), and there are plenty of destinations from which to choose. Today’s beer bars are an eclectic group offering everything from hopped-up, West Coast IPAs to rare Belgian and German brews. And local brewers from the Bay State and New England are represented all over town. The bars themselves range from dark, subterranean hideouts to pizza restaurants, but the common thread is an emphasis on tap and bottle lists.
Here are the things to look for in a good beer bar: selection and rotation, ambience, service (bartenders aren’t just pouring your brew, they also need to be able to talk about it), food (Buffalo wings are not good enough), and pricing. Other issues inevitably crop up, of course, but this a good place to start. I’ve limited my selections to the metro Boston area.
Comments
Excellent piece.
Partly because I agree on The Publick House and several others.
The only comment I would make is that the two Bukowski's are very different bars.
Typical Globe review, 9 out of 10 places have no street parking and therefore appeal only to Globe reportes who live in either Cambridge or Allston.
If you look at the full list and Honorable Mentions, you'll see Brookline, South Boston, Downtown Crossing, Beacon Hill, Somerville. Yeah, mostly urban, but that's the nature of hardcore beer bars. But hardly just Cambridge and Allston. http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2012/12/04/honorable-mention- bars-and-restaurants-with-good-beer-selections/GhRYY4oL3BUcOkBOtVD84K/story.html
Seems like you'd have to spend an awful lot of time in Cambridge and Allston to do this list.
take Sunset off there (its got the beer but the environs crowd and food are terrible) and that's one damn good list