Best craft beer bar Boston

Not really going to Gingerman for anything but the tap list. Too bad about your sliders but they have great beer in an area that has none to speak of

 

Has gingerman ever had Trillium?

 

I've only had the pretzel at Gingerman, which was good. It's by far the most extensive and (at least to me) the best tap list in an area where you'd be lucky to find a Lagunitas IPA at most places. The fact that you can do flights is also a huge plus.

 

Saus always has NSB Whirlpool cans, and they have a sneaky-good (but short) taplist.

 

I'd add Kinsale to this list as well. I've always enjoyed that place, nice and cozy and never seems to be packed. Solid little tap list there as well.

 

If you are in the North End you are also close to Charlestown, and Brewer's Fork is a very strong option for great pizza, Trillium, Night Shift, Jacks Abby, and a whole bunch of other good beers. Blackmoor is also just across the Charlestown bridge from North End and has a promising (albeit old) tap list, although it did receive a kinda devastating review from the Globe a few weeks ago that made it sound like you should have low expectations for service.

 

Except for lack of crowds, any reason to go to Kinsale in a Gingerman world? My recollection of the place is that it has a nice taplist compared to the Guiness - Sam - Stella "Irish" bar package but that most of the taplist was still allocated to widely-distributed beers rather than local/regions ones.

 

Ginger Man's taplist is really long but leans very far from local.

Row 34 right now has stuff from Trillium, Jack's Abby, Oxbow, Allagash, Medusa, Beer'd, Kent Falls, and Stoneface on tap. That's probably a little over a (very walk-friendly) mile depending on where you are in the North End.

There are other good options in here (Meadhall, Lulu's, either Five Horses location) but those seem further than you wanted to go.

 

Tip Tap Room is 10min from North End with higher quality beers albeit not as many as the Gingerman. I've rarely seen anything exciting on Gingerman beer list. They do a great job of stocking a shit ton of slightly better than mediocre craft beer and I guess that is good enough for the area. I mean how many Anderson Valley beers does one really need?

 

Kinsale had one of the best tap lists 10 years ago but obviously no longer does. That said, it has a great location, good prices for the area and is excellent for watching sports. The addition of a second bar in the back improved the place as well. But no, if I had one night in Boston I would go to Gingerman or Tip Tap first.

 

I haven't been to Gingerman yet, but from what I've read, no I would not go to Kinsale over Gingerman.

But I think it can be mentioned alongside Saus (I'd go to Gingerman over Saus as well), and is a decent option. I haven't been in a few years, but I think saying, "My recollection of the place is that it has a nice taplist compared to the Guiness - Sam - Stella "Irish" bar package but that most of the taplist was still allocated to widely-distributed beers rather than local/regions ones..." is selling it a bit short.

They run their annual KBS event, with multiple Founders taps. That aside, I want to say I drank a local Czech Pils (maybe Fresh Cut?) there, and I also recall ordering a Pretty Things Magnifico there. I believe I've had Kiwi Rising at their sister location, The Asgard, in Central Square.

Again, nothing crazy, but I recall it being decent. Not a place I'd actively seek out, and I haven't been there since maybe 2013 when I just missed out on KBS late Saturday afternoon and had a Founders Oatmeal Stout (nitro).

This entire post makes me realize I need to be more proactive about getting my ass over to Gingerman. Living in Somerville I just never feel the need/I'm too lazy to make it into Boston proper.

 

What's good close to the bunker hill area? Coming into town tomorrow for a few days. Looking for local hops taps.

 

Kinsale was great last KBS. They had CBS on for at least a day, had multiple pours

 

I was at Kinsale last night but only drank Jack's Abbey house lager. I didn't even look at the beer list. I went more for the 25 Cent wings offered during NFL games. I live and work about 4 blocks from both places and go to Gingerman regularly too. I also went right after Saturday's Copenhagen beer festival and promptly turned around and left as it was a zoo in there. I think both places have plenty to offer but Gingerman has a much more extensive draft list. No harm done going to either or both.

 

The Brewers Fork is nearby. Can't recommend it basee on personal experience, but I've read that they have a local taplist.

 

Great base spot. You are within ten minute über ride (or a very doable T ride) of Night Shift/Bone Up, Lord Hobo, CBC, MeadHall, Mystic. Inman Square in Cambridge has Bukowskis and the Hops Test Kitchen too. And you can get anywhere in the city very easily from there too.

 

Assembly Row is also right there (two T stops from Community College) with Slumbrew's tent, the Tony C's sports bar and the RiverBar which ususallly has good stuff on tap.

Aeronaut also very close by über to Bunker Hill.

 

I'll be heading to town in April. There are tons of spots listed here that look great, thanks for that.

Is there any point in taking the train to Portland for the day to check out Allagash? Boston seems like it has more than enough to drink for 4 days, but I've always been curious about their small batch stuff.

 

If you're already here for four days and the entire trip is around beer then it may be worth a day trip and a dinner. There are a bunch of excellent breweries in Portland and the city itself is fairly walkable (Allagash is a bit out of the way, but the samples are free and they offer an interesting tour). Bissell Brothers recently moved their brewery to an area near the train station. Allagash is in the same industrial complex as a few other breweries, most notably Foundation and Austin St. And there are a number of excellent beer bars and restaurants in the downtown/old port area. There are some great and informative threads on visting Portland buried in this forum and I encourage you to check those out for guidance.