Hip hops: these cool bars don't just serve craft beer, they make it.
The craft-beer revolution is nothing new – in fact, the move towards transforming beer from a mass-produced commodity into an artisanal, flavourful experience started in the 1970s. Now, the world's insatiable thirst for all things craft has sparked a wave of cool and current drinking dens that take beer so seriously that bar teams are making it on-site, better able to control its production and quality, while allowing bar hawks to get up close and personal with the process. Here, 50 Best highlights the best of them.
Mujeres Brew House, San Diego
@mujeresbrewhouse
Often dubbed the 'capital of craft beer' – in particular, West Coast-style IPAs – it's hardly surprising that San Diego is home to a slew of stellar bars with their own breweries. Chief among them is Mujeres Brew House, a female-owned and operated watering hole in the vibrant Barrio Logan neighbourhood that's fizzing with attitude. With a background in marketing and real estate, local powerhouse Carmen Favela opened the bar following the success of her craft-beer club for women and has since created a cultural hub that combines great beer – brewed on-site – with local art and a powerful sense of community.
Line, Athens
@line.athens
Ranked No.6 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2024 list, Line in Athens, Greece, comes courtesy of cocktail royalty Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis (The Clumsies), as well as Dimitris Dafopoulos (Three Cents), and specialises in making bread, 'wine' and beer, the latter on which they collaborate with a local microbrewery. Fresh from the back-of-house stainless-steel tanks is a signature lager, West Coast-style IPA and tropical ale, all of which can be mopped up by comfort food with a twist (such as the signature chicken bucket, patatas bravas and seaweed bun).
The Taproom, Bristol
@wiperandtruetaproom
Some people look for views of the sea, mountains or city when they're drinking. Those who come to The Taproom at the Old Market in the city of Bristol in the U.K. aren't those people. Instead, they soak up views of the monolithic, gleaming silver fermentation vessels behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall within the frankly enormous, 500-person venue. In addition to brewery tours, yoga sessions, pottery workshops and live music, the raison d'être is a raft of cracking beer by independent local producer Wiper and True that's brewed metres from your seat. Imaginative recipes are made using innovative technology – from CO2 capture to dealcoholisation – while reducing their environmental impact. The flagship drink is the superbly-balanced Kaleidoscope pale-ale combining citrus refreshment with tropical haze.
Brus, Copenhagen
@bruscph
This brewery, bar and eatery – secreted-away in a former factory in the Nørrebro area of Copenhagen, Demark – is achingly cool with exposed pipes, regular DJs and experimental food. The To Øl brewery, founded by two local guys who went to school across the road, fuels an ever-changing 20-plus craft-beer menu that includes everything from hazy IPAs to organic pilsners and session lagers, as well as creative cocktails on-tap (Rhubarb Crush, anyone?). Behind the industrial sit-at bar and open kitchen is the brewery itself where you can partake in hour-long tours to learn what goes into the making of the beer.
Level 33, Singapore
@level33_sg
Billed as the world's highest microbrewery at 149 metres, Level 33 at the top of the Marina Bay Financial Centre in Singapore has views to rival those of Marina Bay Sands (the iconic resort characterised by a ship-inspired skyway crowning its three soaring towers). All beer, from the crisp blond lager to the velvety stout and the bold IPA, is brewed on-site by resident brewmaster Gabriel Garica using certified-organic malt and hops to serve pure, fresh flavours. The brut – a fusion of beer and champagne made using the same process to create the latter – is particularly fun. The 30-minute brewery tour, which takes in the custom-made tanks and tasting experience, is worth splashing out on, as is a menu infused with beer-brewing elements (spent grain in the pasta included).
Nya Carnegie Bryggeriet, Stockholm
@nyacarnegiebryggeriet
Now this is a bright idea: a brewery-meets-bar inside a historic lightbulb factory in the heart of Hammarby Sjöstad – an award-winning eco district – in Stockholm, Sweden. A collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and Carlsberg, beers produced from the venue – which sits on the waterfront with an outdoor terrace – lean seasonal (Summer Session IPA, Spring Glow rice lager) and experimental brews (Peach Lassi IPA, Beeramisu pastry stout), with drinks complemented by light bites designed to bring out the textures and flavour of the beers. Guided tours of the brewery are also up for grabs.
Sound + Fury Brewery and Kitchen, New York
@soundandfurybrewing
Spead across 6,000-sq-ft and comprising a seven-barrel brewhouse, scratch kitchen and cocktail bar, Sound + Fury in Brooklyn, New York, has discerning hipsters flocking in droves. The rotating roster of in-house beers – served up against a backdrop of wood panelling, sports screens and pendant lighting – includes the likes of a German-style smoked lager, sour ale with sea salt, Japanese-inspired rice lager and white-nitro coffee stout, among others. Brick-oven wings and pizzas for brunch and dinner wrap things up rather nicely.
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