Boston Bar Scene

Can't believe no one ever responded to this thread.

I don't frequent them as much as I used to, but that's more a function of more options overall (with all the new breweries) rather than a lack of a desire to go to beer bars.

Most good beer bars have a wide variety of solid local options, sometimes I've skipped going to the brewery for a specific beer because it was on tap up the street from me.

And specific bars like Five Horses is where I go to get my Trillium fix if I'm not heading to their beer garden.

In the last month for example I've been to Nightshift, Remnant, Lamplighter, Idle Hands, Winter Hill and Down the Road. But I've also been to Olde Magoun's multiple times, Redbones, and Five Horses.

Granted this was all Oktoberfest related, so this might not be representative of the entire year.

 

Don't get to bars too much anymore either, as more drinking is done in people's homes. Some drop off is also due to going to breweries, specifically Aeronaut's Allston beer garden and Lamplighter.

Lulu's would probably be my first thought if looking to go someplace specifically to drink good beers. I've been there a few times in the past year and they always have a stellar tap list.

For me, the bigger game changer has been the number of good restaurants that have good beer lists. I mean, is Row 34 foremost a beer bar or a seafood restaurant? Makes it unnecessary to seek out the place with 40 taps when you can get some pretty great beers at the majority of nice restaurants.

 

Agreed. Its been ages since I went to a pure bar for drinks. We go to breweries (or more recently, beer gardens) and restaurants. I am too old to stand around at a crowded bar when I can sit at a restaurant's bar area. I do, however, make it a point to check out beer bars in other cities when I travel.

 

The irony, at least what I've found, is that the beer bars are LESS crowded than breweries or beer gardens.

People who are younger aren't going to beer bars (for the most part), and people who are older aren't going to bars.

Especially considering I go out late afternoon/early evening. So if younger people are into craft beer, they may be going out later. Although I find beer bars are pretty dead later at night, as are breweries.

The breweries and beer gardens in Boston tend to be packed with lines more often than not, especially during peak times (which is late afternoon/early evening on weekends).

 

I suppose that makes sense; I should probably venture out more. What are some good spots in Boston, south end or back bay?

 

Stayed in the South End last weekend and walked to Bukowski's and Five Horses Tavern. Great beer lists at both. Also met a group at Champions in a hotel right there to watch the Patriots game. Surprisingly decent list there too, but not my style place.

 

As has been mentioned already Five Horses has an amazing list, but I hate that location because it's so small.

Five Horses, in addition to their Davis location, also runs Worden Hall in Southie. That's my favorite of the three in terms of atmosphere. All three have great tap lists though.

Also in Boston is Stoddard's, which I only mention because I've been there recently. There's also JM Curley, The Tip Tap Room, and Ginger Man, but I've only been to each of those once. These are all in Boston proper.

Other than Five Horses, I'm not too well versed in the South End/Back Bay.

No problem!

Maybe I'm the only one who goes to bars anymore...

The latter in my opinion.

 

My biggest issue is that the price points at many craft beer bars are reaching the point of absurdity. Pricing at places like Lord Hobo, Ginger Man, Tip Tap, and 5 Horses can reach levels that make me pissed off to be a beer drinker and I end up one-and-done. Now, many brewery taprooms are also charging prices that I think are insulting given the margins involved under the guise of “fair competition” with the aforementioned beer bars. This leads me to drink more at dive bars and sports bars with a few decent taps, and places like LuLu’s that are craft but charge fair prices. But more than anything, I think people hang out with friends at home and share local stuff, with a 12er of All Day IPA or some other national craft beer on the fridge as backup. Good/great beer is not hard to come by and I think bars around Boston have generally done a poor job of making it fun to drink for extended periods at a fair price, so people just don’t do it anymore. The days of Cheers like places are over and I, for one, am pissed about it.

 

Allston is definitely one of the cheaper places to drink craft beer. Of course, some of that could simply be a function of location. The other places you mentioned are in Someville, Boston, and Cambridge. I can get a much better deal on rent in Allston/Brighton than those other places.

That being said, I only go out to bars/breweries once a week, so the price doesn't matter as much to me.

If I was going out multiple times a week, that would be quite expensive.

 

100% agree with this.

I go to Stoddard's 95% of the time I head out after work or even if I'm in the city on the weekend. Great rotating tap list that has something for everyone - not 80% IPA and 20% other. Prices are best around. Always some featured cans/bottles too. I was in there last week and they had $5 Ayinger Celebrators and Rochefort 8s. Always $4 Gansett cans, etc.

 

I agree that Tip Tap and other places like it charge a lot for the privilege of great choices. I travel a lot for work and mostly don't think about pricing, since it is an expense. It hits pretty hard when a double digit $ IPA or Wild Ale hits the personal account though. Maybe the pricing is based on degree of enjoyment i.e do I enjoy that $12 DDH IPA three times more than the Bud Light? Maybe. Back to the OP question. In other cities, I tend to check out both bars and breweries. In the Boston area, mostly breweries.

 

Stoddard's is also to be commended for having had at least one option on cask, sometimes more, every time I've been there. Not so easy to find, even in a beer-enthused town.

 

Not just finding cask...but finding a place that knows how to manage one.

Nothing more depressing than seeing a cask of an imported English ale, paying $10 for it, and then taking that first sip and it's oxidized and/or flat as hell.

 

True, yet I still always take the chance if I haven't already experienced a cask fiasco at a bar. Alas. I may just be a sucker for quixotic efforts.

 

NERAX bro, NERAX.

The best "cask fiasco" there is.

 

I think "Cask Fiasco" would make an excellent NERAX t-shirt!

 

Haha, I meant cask fiasco as a failure the likes of which the good people at NERAX would never tolerate. Best fest. And alas, I moved out of the city last year so hitting up NERAX and NERAX North will be a lot more problematic from now on.

 

Is there going to be a NERAX North this year?