The 14 Best USA Craft Beer Bars.*

*That we've visited.  

Alright, keep your shirts on.  We know there's a bewildering number of mind-numbingly awesome Craft bars there are out there, and we're aware of how many more there are for us to visit.  And it is our QUEST to get to every single one of them - (oh hey, do us a solid and add your suggestions to the comment section, will you?).  In the meantime, it's time to celebrate some great locals.  Check out these terrific Craft Stops:

Mark, Jimmy and Squigs land in a place that is REDOLENT with Craft Beer. Are they in Colorado? California? Vermont? Perhaps a megapolis of millions of people? Play through to find one of the newest (and most enjoyable) Craft Beer stops in this Land of Suds and Honey. Cheers!

First, one of our most recent stops, in Midtown Manhattan; Beer Culture. Just next to the Hirshfeld Theatre in the Broadway District, this new watering hole is also a bottle shop.


Winner of Best Beer Bar in NY in 2013? Check. Long Island City? Check. Amazing owners? You've gotta meet the folks at Alewife NYC.  


The Guys make another pass through SoCal and stop by the Blue Palms, a renowned craft beer bar right on the Hollywood walk of fame. Owner Brian Lenzo takes time for a chat, and gives us his favorite Bud story. Thanks to 'Stat Boy' Jeff Scot Carey on the camera.

We happened to stop in to this spot in Hollywood a few years ago, and even though it's weathered some storms it's still going strong: The Blue Palms Brewhouse.


Mark and Jimmy make a stop off at this iconic East Village haunt, owned by none other than Jimmy Pots and Pans himself, Jimmy Carbone. Jimmy's #43 features more than just great local foods, craft beer and other craft beverages; this is a place that is truly a cornerstone of its community.

No NYC Craft Beer Bar experience is complete without a visit to Jimmy's. And if you're very lucky, you'll get to hang out with owner Jimmy Carbone, (or Jimmy Pots & Pans), a legend in the NYC Craft Community. Come home to Jimmy's.


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HOPCAT. The Midwestern Craft Beer Mecca in Grand Rapids, MI. We didn't shoot video here, but dammit, we visited. And we came away very, very happy.  By the way, HopCat is opening a new location in Downtown Detroit this year, and we hear it's going to be massive.  Beer hear!


The Guys make a stop-off at this Brooklyn haven that somehow looks both like a dorm room at a Beer Appreciation school and a fantastic Local. Join Jimmy and Mark as they discover the beery details at Pacific Standard. Cheers!

Pacific Standard, on 4th Ave in Brooklyn.  We're pretty sure that this is what the dorm rooms at Beer Appreciation College look like.


The Guys make a stop in Lee, Massachusetts, where life is easy and the beer is AMAZING, thanks to this Craft Liquid Destination. If you're anywhere near Western Mass and you love Craft Beer, hard-to-find Bourbons and other surprises, this place is a MUST. Enjoy!

Tucked away in the Berkshire region of Western Mass, MOE's Tavern is the bar you always dreamt about. No seriously, it is.


Squigs, Mark, and Jimmy take the short (and free) ferry ride to Adobe Blues on Staten Island, one of the oldest Craft Beer bars in all of NYC. Great food, extensive beer offerings, live music, and... a FLIP? Enjoy!

Adobe Blues - This may be the best reason to ride the Staten Island Ferry.  Over, and over, and over. You'll 'flip' for this place...


The Guys make a stop in Lancaster, PA at The Fridge, a craft beer bottle shop and flatbread pizza cafe that will simply make you happy to be alive. Join Owners Kevin Brown and James Futty as they talk art, craft, pizza and beer. Enjoy!

Pizza and great Craft in Amish Country?  Yup. We've seen rare beers at The Fridge in Lancaster, PA, that we have a hard time finding in a city of 8 million people! 


Mark, Jimmy and Squigs stop by this tremendous find in NYC's East Village, where you can find one of the most rare & interesting beer lists in all of this Great City. Woohoo!

Truly not to be missed, Proletariat is a tiny (and we mean tiny) place in the East Village of NYC that sports some of the rarest worldwide Craft we've ever seen. A bucket list bar.


Mark and Jimmy find a real reason to celebrate in Midtown Manhattan with the arrival of The Pony Bar, an oasis of American Craft Beer on 45th and 10th. Owner Dan McLaughlin's inviting space features 20 draft lines of beer and two cask ales that are always rotating, providing for new taste experiences every time you come in the door. Add to that the Pony All American Club, their Brewery Tours, a solid kitchen menu and a great staff, and you've got a place that's sure to be in New York for a long, long time. If you're within a hundred mile radius, saddle up and head over to The Pony. Cheers!

Ah, the Pony Bar Hell's Kitchen on 45th and 10th Ave in Midtown Manhattan; the bar that helped turn the Craft Beer wave in this part of NYC into a Tsunami.  We were there at the beginning.


Just 20 steps from the front entrance to the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis sits this gem of a local. Literally surrounded by the theatre, (they are also about 40 steps from the stage door!)

This place in Minneapolis was Craft long before it was cool: Mackenzie, the Bar Next Door to the Theatre is the place you've always wanted in your neighborhood.


The Guys make another stop in Portland, Maine, where folks are VERY serious about their craft brews. This is a Third Place of the finest order. The Great Lost Bear features 65 different taps, a focus on Maine microbrews, and a cribbage board. (Okay, there are a few other things to enjoy as well.)

Ever been to Portland, Maine?  Once you've seen our episode featuring The Great Lost Bear, you'll be looking to book your ticket.


And lastly, in memoriam: The Collins Bar, which sadly is long gone now, reduced to a hole in the ground on 8th Avenue NYC that's on its way to becoming a tall shiny expensive set of apartments. We fondly remember discovering flavors of Craft here that we never knew existed.  Still one of our favorites, and deserving of the memory.  And as you can see, also one of the first places we ever shot.

That's how our list starts.  What's on yours?