If you’ve been following my post, you know I’ve been attempting to visit as many places as possible on the All About Beer Magazine’s “Growler List.”  This is a list of 125 best places in the world to have a beer.  It was published in May of 2008.  There are a couple of other lists out there — 150 Top Bars by both All About Beer, Washington Magazine, and Draft Magazine.

I kind of set this list as my “benchmark” and have been working through it as best I can.  I’m not debating the merits of the list … I’m just using it as a stepping stone.  I’ve got a list of places I’ve been building I should publish.  However, this post is about my current status on completing this list.  So, let’s get to it!

Total (actual) places visited: 24.  Quickly listing them (with their associated list number):

1) GABF (Denver, CO)
2) Grand Place (Brussels, Belgium)
5) Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany)
7) Abbaye de Notre-Dame d’Orval (Orval, Belgium)
11) Hofbrauhaus (Munich, German)
14) The Market Porter (Stoney Street, London, England)
15) Cat’s Eye Pub, Inner Harbor (Baltimore, MD)
26) French Quarter* (New Orleans, LA)
30) The Olde Mitre Tavern, Ely Court, Hatton Garden (London, England)
39) The Flying Saucer (Ft Worth, TX)
48) The Blue Tusk (Syracuse, NY)
51) The White Horse Pub, Parsons Green (London, England)
57) Andechs Monastery (Andechs, Germany)
66) Delerium Cafe (Brussels, Belgium)
80) Le Bier Circus (Brussels, Belgium)
82) Irseer Klosterbrauerei (Irsee, German)
91) Dogfish Head Ale House (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
92) Belgo Central (London, England)
97) Clark’s Ale House (Syracuse, NY)
103) Kelly’s Caribbean Bar (Key West, FL)
104) Rose & Crown Pub (Epcot Center, FL)
110) The Gingerman (Austin, TX)
114) The Dubliner (Washington, DC)
121) Old Ebbitt Grill (Washington, DC)

Places I’ve substituted for items on the list that I consider experiential listings.  In my opinion, you have to enjoy the venue to enjoy the brew … so I think this is a fair substitution: 5

16) Substituting Camden Yards for Fenway Park
– Drinking Clipper City Brews behind home plate in Camden Yards … awesome!
19) Substituting Highland Games for Horse Racing
– Drinking Stouts in the Beer Tent at the Glengarry Highland Games in Ontario listening to the Grade 1 North American Champions improv … fantastic!
22) German Bundesliga Fussball over NASCAR
– Drinking a sweet Pilsner watching 1FCK am Betze! Prima!
31) NFL Game (Cowboys/Redskins) instead of NASCAR (again)
44) NFL Europe Tailgating in Frankfurt over SEC Tailgating
– I’m a Big 12 fan … so, I’ll take the tailgating in Frankfurt! Sweet!

Substituting for a place no longer open: 1

123) Tim Schafer’s is closed I understand.  Substituting In De Vrede (Westvleteren, Belgium)

That gives me a total of 30 “visited.” I plan on visiting the following 8 sites in the next three months:

9) Monk’s Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)
12) The Brickskeller (now Bier Baron) (Washington, DC)
25) World Beer Festival (Raleigh, NC)
33) The Wynkoop Brewery (Denver, CO)
42) SandLot Brewery, Coors Field (Denver, CO)
45) Selin’s Grove Brewing (Selinsgrove, PA)
54) Falling Rock Tap House (Denver, CO)
71) Brewer’s Art (Baltimore, MD)
76) City Tavern (Philadelphia, PA)

So, my target on the list is 37 “places” by the end of May. Wish me luck!

Beer Mentor