Cleveland

Cleveland has it all. No, seriously. Look beyond your hangups—and everybody else’s—about the great debate as to whether or not the city does indeed rock, and you’ll find a city full of generations of immigrants, artists, lefty weirdos and blue-collar laborers. There’s stunning prewar architecture downtown, boulevards of old-money mansions and reclaimed industrial warehouses. The city loves to eat. It eats well. And for two decades now, it’s been ground zero in the fight against fizzy macro swill. Walk the streets, drive the neighborhoods and see how far that fight has stretched. These are the best beer destinations in Cleveland, as chosen by the BeerFly users on BeerAdvocate.com.

The Cuyahoga River bisects Cleveland and empties out into Lake Erie. Cleveland’s brewing heritage lies on the river’s west side at the Great Lakes Brewing Company’s west side brewpub, where two decades of brewing tradition are poured a pint at a time. The medals on the wall don’t lie—this place has been winning new craft-beer converts for a long, long time. Even better, they’re still innovating. The surrounding neighborhood is also rich in history: John D. Rockefeller’s old law offices were upstairs from Great Lakes, and across the street, you’ll find the West Side Market, a bazaar that’s been in business for 170 years now. Make a side trip to nearby Zubal Books, a former Twinkie factory that now puts Powell’s in Portland to shame.

Cleveland’s next great keg-bound export, Buckeye Brewing, lies a few miles out of town, in the suburb of Lakewood. Buckeye Beer Engine combines some pretty serious house-label brews with one of the city’s strongest guest-tap lineups; their collective weight shifts the center of Cleveland’s beer culture far outside the urban core. Stretch your legs, and you’ll be rewarded: Lakewood has a critical mass of vibrant cafes, nightlife spots and crunchy emporiums along Detroit and Madison avenues. The one most deserving of your beer-crazed attention is Melt Bar and Grilled, a specialty sandwich shop with a bottled selection that might best be described as “wonderfully obscene.”

Rocky River Brewing Company
Rocky River’s out-of-the-way location keeps this brewpub under the radar, but its quirky brews are well worth the trip to the western suburbs. The small tap list turns over quickly; count yourself lucky if you catch Oompa Loompa Chocolate Stout in stock.

Willoughby Brewing Co.
The bulk of Willoughby’s ales tilt toward established old-school styles, though their bolder styles are the real draw. Try a pint of One Hopper Warrior IPA and a mega-snifter of Romanov Russian Imperial Stout.

Great Lakes Brewing Company
The old man of Cleveland’s brewing scene inspired a generation of Lakes Region brewers. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is an institution unto itself, while Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout is a modern classic.

Fat Head’s Brewery and Saloon
With three dozen taps in play, including several A-list guests, the temptation to wander can be great. Don’t get distracted, though. You’re here for the Head Hunter IPA. And the Pack-A-Wallop SPA. And the wings. Oh boy. This place could be trouble.

Buckeye Beer Engine & Burgers
Twenty-seven taps and two dedicated pump engines make for Cleveland’s most serious draft lineup. Buckeye’s house brews—led by Mammoth Stout and Hippie IPA—are huge locally, and are deserving of wider notoriety.

Brew Keeper [closed]
Big beers reign supreme at the Brew Keeper, an eclectic brewpub and brew-on-premise spot buried in Cleveland’s western suburbs. Divine Intervention is the headliner, but don’t sleep on the absurd (endearingly so) White Storm Imperial Cream Ale.

Der Braumeister
A well-worn German haunt with 10 taps, several dozen more in the bottle and giant platters of meat. What is not to like?

Melt Bar and Grilled
Crazy sandwiches and a bank of coolers that’s expanding like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man—which is to say, relentlessly.

Winking Lizard Tavern
The Lizard is an unassuming place—ribs, televisions, modest storefront. And then the beer menu hits the table. And the staff’s passion for great crafts and imports starts bubbling up. BeerAdvocate.com is full of stories about visitors getting unexpectedly floored by a trip to the Lizard. Why not add yourself to that good company?

McNulty’s Bier Markt
The Bier Markt lays claim to the best selection of Belgians in that yawning stretch of land between Brooklyn and Chicago. That will take some, er, research to verify. We can say for certain that the Bier Markt is Cleveland’s most celebrated beer bar, with 18 solid Belgian taps and dozens more worthy selections in the bottle to wash down all those pomme frites.

La Cave Du Vin
Hundreds of beers served in proper glassware in a great little basement haunt. And bottles to-go on top of it. No hard sell here.

Cornerstone Brewing Company
Solid house beers complement a nice pub menu in this suburban brewpub.

Cleveland ChopHouse and Brewery [closed]
An upscale brewhouse and steakhouse in the Warehouse District. As with most ChopHouse outposts, thirsty beer advocates are best served by lingering on the rotating seasonal side of the tap list.

The Brew Kettle Taproom and Smokehouse
Part brew-on-premise, part brewpub, part barbecue joint, the Brew Kettle sucks ’em in with its barbecued spaghetti, and keeps ’em in their stools with two dozen house brews and peerless guest taps. ■