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 14 (August/September 2016).
Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern (Portland, Oregon)
Celebrating craft beer and the Midwest ... in Portland, Oregon
WHAT IT IS: Walk into northeast Portland’s Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern on any given night and you’ll find an eclectic mix of neighborhood folk, beer lovers, beer-industry employees, tourists, Packers fans, and Midwest transplants. This crafty beer bar, disguised as a Packers’ bar, sports an even more eclectic beer list—there’s something for absolutely everyone here.
WHY IT’S GREAT: “We try to keep a good spread of beers on our ten taps,” Saraveza Owner Sarah Pederson says. “Always our house beer Wisco—an easy-drinking beer made by Breakside Brewing—an IPA or two or three, a lager, a sour, a cider, a malt-forward beer, a Belgian, and then a few taps for experimental, classics, seasonals, or whatever Clark is feeling.” Clark Prather, formerly of legendary Portland beer bar Belmont Station, is the beer buyer at Saraveza. He’s responsible not just for the tap list, but also for the tavern’s selection of bottles and cans that can be opened on-site—about 250 different varieties.
Tyler Auton leads Saraveza’s kitchen, which features Midwest-style pasties, pickles of all sorts, a selection of house meats, and house-baked breads and desserts. Don’t miss the Bellavitano New Glarus Raspberry Tart Cheese on the Meat & Cheese SchmorgasBoard ... or the monthly Free Bacon Night (second Monday of the month). — Emily Hutto
Hours: 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Monday–Sunday
Address: 1004 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, OR
Teresa’s Next Door (Wayne, Pennsylvania)
A homey Belgian-inspired tavern with rich trappings
WHAT IT IS: Located next to Teresa’s Café, a superb restaurant with a strong drinks program of its own, Teresa’s Next Door (or TND) can claim credit for bringing craft beer to the elegant Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia back in 2007. TND has always associated itself with Belgian beers and doesn’t disappoint now by keeping a steady supply of imports such as draught Petrus and Klokke Roeland. On a recent Wednesday, the taps also poured Allagash White, Chimay White, and five obscure ciders side by side with three IPAs on hand-pulled casks. Pair the drinks with one of eight styles of mussels or eight kinds of tacos.
WHY IT’S GREAT: TND has always brought the Main Line’s craft-loving community together. Once surrounded primarily by somewhat snooty alternatives, TND extends a warm and comfortable greeting to those who prefer a quirky family-produced glass of wine or craft beer to a $1,000 designer bottle. Beer lovers (and visiting Belgian publicans) appreciate the shelving that covers the span of the back bar, weighted with hundreds of glasses in dozens of styles. Ordering an Orval? You’ll probably sip it out of an Orval-branded glass. What’s more, your well-trained bartender will likely pour it with a perfect head and serve it to you at the perfect temperature. —Tara Nurin
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–1 a.m. Sunday–Saturday
Address: 124—126 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, PA
Falling Rock Tap House (Denver, Colorado)
Don’t expect doting bartenders or hand-holding in this mecca for craft-beer lovers.
WHAT IT IS: Falling Rock Tap House (pictured at top) is one of the best-known beer bars in America. It is a destination of choice for craft-beer tourists in Colorado with a consistently great draught list featuring the best brewers in Colorado, the United States, and the world. This groundbreaking pub in Denver has played a part in putting many now-famous breweries on the map.
WHY IT’S GREAT: Let’s get this out of the way first—you don’t go to Falling Rock for the service. The staff know their beer, but they’re not going to walk you through a handful of tasters until you find the perfect one. They’re not going to answer the phone and tell you how many more minutes the exclusive keg they just tapped will be pouring. If you really piss them off, they might throw something at you.
What really makes Falling Rock great is the history and tradition of extraordinary beer, their coveted ability to land kegs that few others in the country can, a refined and immaculately curated beer list that includes beers such as Rock Star Blend (a special sour blend from New Belgium served only by Falling Rock and Star Bar), fast turnover of the taps that guarantees your beer is as fresh as can be, and a bottle list with beers such as Firestone Walker PNC that you will find nowhere else in the state. If you haven’t been, you must go. It’s that simple. — Jamie Bogner
Hours: 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Monday–Sunday
Address: 1919 Blake St., Denver, CO
