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 10 (December 2015/January 2016).
Romans’ Pub (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
This old school import and craft-beer pub kicked out Miller brands in 1996 and hasn’t looked back since.
WHAT IT IS: Romans’ Pub (pictured above) is a thirty-seven-year-old pub in Milwaukee’s Bayview ’hood with a comfortable neighborhood vibe and an outrageously good tap list that’s a result of two decades of selling import and craft beer.
WHY IT’S GREAT: Mike Romans was done with “macro” beer before the millennial generation was out of middle school. After the big boys tried to pressure him into larger orders way back in ’96, he told them to take a hike, loaded up on European imports and a case full of budding American “microbreweries,” and never looked back. As draft became popular, he added taps and now counts thirty filled with a finely curated array of the best beer available in the state.
As a barkeep, Romans is jovial, opinionated, gregarious, and welcoming. He’ll regale with tales of craft-beer history for hours if you’ll listen, and you’ll surely hear of how he was the first bar to tap 3 Floyds in the state of Wisconsin, among other classics. The Bourbon County Brand Stout posters on his walls date from two branding changes ago, giving you some idea of how long he’s been doing this, and his cellar list has some real finds, such as a bottle of that aforementioned BCBS Rare that can be yours if you’re willing to part with $225 to drink it on site. My budget was more modest, but the pints I enjoyed of Surly Wet and Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale were still delicious.—Jamie Bogner
Hours: 5 p.m.–close Tuesday–Friday, 7p.m.–close Saturday, closed Sunday & Monday
Address: 3475 S. Kinnickinnick Ave., Milwaukee, WI
Foersters Feine Biere (Berlin, Germany)
Dedicated to Germany’s finest traditional and unusual beers
WHAT IT IS: Choosy beer sommelier Sven Foerster is the proprietor of this warm and welcoming kneipe—a neighborhood pub. Most patrons stick with a favored pils—the elegant bitterish Moritz Fiege—while others are more adventurous, dabbling in the selection of more than sixty beers from across Germany. Foerster emphasizes the sort of traditional beers that are rarely found outside their local habitats—altbier from Düsseldorf, kölsch from Cologne, kellerbier and rauchbier from Franconia—as well as local Berlin micros and German-brewed takes on international styles such as IPA and imperial stout. Food is simple but tasty, with a few variations on sausage and potato salad.
WHY IT’S GREAT: It’s true that thirsty travelers in Berlin ought to visit vibrant eastern neighborhoods such as Kreuzberg, Neukolln, and Prenzlauer Berg, where they can absorb the trendier side of the local craft scene. Afterward, they could be forgiven for wondering whether they came all this way just to drink IPAs from San Diego and Copenhagen. Foersters offers the antidote: a breadth of smartly chosen traditional German brewers such as Schlenkerla, Uerige, and Schneider, and more obscure gems such as soft, nutty Hummler Kellerbier or sharp, herbal-bitter Keesmann Herren Pils. The pub is barely a year old, but wooden panels, antlers, and steinkrugs on the walls help set an old-fashioned tone. —Joe Stange
Hours: 3 p.m.–midnight, Monday–Friday; 4 p.m.–midnight, Saturday; closed Sundays
Address: Bornstrasse 20, Berlin, Germany
Meddlesome Moth (Dallas, Texas)
An ideal gastro pub that hits that perfect nexus between beer geek and foodie
WHAT IT IS: Meddlesome Moth is the ideal gastro pub with forty tap handles, an extensive bottle list, and delicious food. Only the highest quality brewers make the list with their best offerings, rare styles, and specially brewed selections, while local purveyors’ goods fill the menu with hearty yet finessed options. Try vintage hanger steak, tandoori lamb skewer (yes, tasty meat on a stick!), or mussels cooked with Spanish chorizo and charred tomato.
WHY IT’S GREAT: Situated in the Trinity Design District in Dallas, the Moth, as everyone calls it, is a hub for real beer people who want to drink in a seriously focused pub with classy décor, friendly beer tenders, and new Texan friends. I stopped in for Sunday brunch (go early) and started with To Ol Nordic By Nature, a potent yet balanced IPA with sea-buckthorn and juniper, the perfect brunch beer given its citrus smack and hops finish. Up next, Brooklyn Wild Horse Porter, a mash-up from Bluejacket, New Belgium, and The Brooklyn Brewery, was funky black and finished smooth. Then a rather obscure style of German sour, Destihl Adambier, completed the day with nice caramel and smoky malt to balance the tang. Accompanied by short-rib hash with potatoes, peppers, and perfect eggs, the experience was more than memorable.—Sara Dumford
Hours: 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 11 a.m. –2 am Friday–Saturday; 10 a.m. –10 p.m. Sunday
Address: 1621 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, TX