The “Love Handles” department in Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® is devoted to great beer bars. Here are the three beer bars that we explored in Issue 15 (October/November 2016).
Side Project Cellar (St. Louis, Missouri)
Pedigreed craft-beer bar with an inborn advantage—exclusive beer from one of the highest-rated craft brewers in the world
What it is: Side Project Cellar is not really a taproom because they serve more guest beer than their own, and it’s not really a brewpub since they don’t have a kitchen. So let’s just call it the best craft-beer bar with a built-in house label beer in the world. As the home base of sorts for Side Project Brewing (Ratebeer’s 8th best brewer in the world), it’s one of the only places to grab to-go bottles of Side Project Bière Du Pays (CB&B rated 100) among others. In addition to Side Project beer, the Cellar stocks a selection of beers (draft and bottles) from brewer friends from around the world.
Why it’s great: The on-site bottle list full of coveted Side Project beers sets a high bar; buying bottles of Fuzzy, Balaton, or Derivation from the bar never gets old. More than that, their draft system is set up for three different temperatures to make sure that everything is served perfectly. Their cellar is packed with a deep selection of Belgian beers, but they aren’t sour-beer elitists. There’s usually a cask of English-style pub ale brewed by St. Louis locals, The Civil Life, on a hand-pulled beer engine, too. That celebration of great beer, regardless of style and embracing diversity, is what makes it such a great place to drink beer.—Jamie Bogner
Hours: 3 p.m.–10 p.m., Tuesday–Thursday; 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Friday & Saturday
Address: 7373 Marietta Ave., Maplewood, MO
Independent Ale House (Rapid City, South Dakota)
An oasis of international craft beers and unique, handcrafted pizza in the heart of the Black Hills
What it is: The Independent Ale House’s beer offerings are just as eclectic as its crowd, where you’ll find bankers chatting with hipsters, and cowboys chatting with yuppies. The biggest thing that brings them together, of course, is the diverse offering of craft beer.
Why it’s great: The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is the relaxed atmosphere. Start with a craft beer poured from one of the forty taps, or select from more than 145 bottles from the cellar. Even wine enthusiasts won’t feel left out, with twenty-six varieties to choose from. The beers originate from all over the world and range from easy-drinking session brews to wild sours to beers you can only find in the Heartland. Not sure where to start? The exceptionally educated staff can make suggestions and are always happy to answer questions and talk beer with you.
Once you catch a whiff of the handcrafted pizzas baking in the oven, you’ll know you’ve found the place to settle in for the night. While you can surely find some of your favorites on the menu, I suggest getting outside your comfort zone and going for one of their more interesting combinations. My favorite, which you can order off-menu, is the jalapeño popper.—Libby Murphy
Hours: 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sunday–Thursday; 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Friday & Saturday
Address: 625 St. Joseph Street, Rapid City, SD
Tria Taproom (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
A cool-yet-cozy space with perfect execution and genteel servers—and more Hill Farmstead beers than anywhere else in the region
What it is: When the first of what is now four Tria locations opened in 2004, it placed itself on the leading edge of Philadelphia’s wine-bar scene. Highlighting a fermented triad of wine, beer, and cheese, it made a name for itself through its professionally trained servers, high-quality food and beverage, and enthusiasm for educating the public about the products it served. A few years ago, the company put its perfectionist approach to work at Tria Taproom, a beer-focused bar that pours two dozen beers, twelve wines, two ciders, and two sodas on draught only. The light food menu includes cheeses, snacks, flatbreads, and salads.
Why it’s great: Perfect execution, cool-yet-cozy spaces, and genteel servers—who could ask for more? An example of the taproom’s decorum: there are no distracting tap handles to identify the beers, just sleek silver-and-black knobs. When you want to choose a drink, your server hands you a tablet full of detailed descriptions of the rare finds that only Tria and a few select bars are able to obtain. Every beer is served in proper glassware or a Teku, and you may find more Hill Farmstead beers here than anywhere else in the region. —Tara Nurin
Hours: Daily, 12:00 p.m. to late night; Sundays brunch 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Address: 2005 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
PHOTO: COURTESY TRIA TAPROOM