In search of... best beer selection
Taco Mac and Summits Wayside Tavern brought lots of great beer to Atlanta before most people knew beer was cool. And counting the number of tap handles and bottles at the multiple Mac and Summits locations yields Guinness World Records-like selections. But following the example of the Brick Store Pub, there’s a new wave of bars offering more intimate, curated ways to enjoy beer. Here are five to check out.
Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur, 404-687-0990, www.brickstorepub.com
Thousands of beer geeks on sites such as beeradvocate.com and ratebeer.com can’t be wrong: Brick Store Pub is one of the best beer bars in the world, with the Belgian bar upstairs, a growing cellar collection downstairs and an abiding dedication to American craft beer.
The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, 404-223-0393, www.theporterbeerbar.com The place many geeks first pegged as a Brick Store knockoff has grown into a serious contender, offering a long, thoughtful beer list that changes often enough to keep things exciting, plus ongoing tasting events and fun tap takeovers.
The Fred, Taco Mac at The Prado
5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 404-941-1503. www.thefredbar.com
Named after Taco Mac beverage director Fred Crudder, this small speakeasy-style bar has 20 well-chosen draft beers and twice that in the bottle, but the tasting parties and selections from Crudder’s stash make it special.
Young Augustine’s
327 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 404-681-3344, www.youngaugustines.com
A newbie on the beer bar scene, this saintly pub scores with a boutique selection of some 30 craft and import beers on draft and beer education and tasting nights.
The Bookhouse Pub
736 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, 404-254-1176, www.thebookhousepub.com
The solid draft and bottle list is bolstered by an atmosphere that feels like a hipster beer-drinker’s shrine, with a cozy main bar area and a terraced secret beer garden in back.
