Roeg's Pick for 2013: Best Tap House

Although any bar with taps could be considered a tap house, I prefer to think of it as a place that features the beers of a particular brewery.  This is to cover some great places that I’ve been to recently that don’t brew on the premises (like a brewpub) but showcase what a brewery has to offer.  It also is a tip of the hat to breweries who want to provide beer at their facilities straight to the customer.  This allows the breweries to try new beers, and offer special tastes to their fans.

Gold: Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA – On our San Diego trip, we stopped by the Lost Abbey (http://www.lostabbey.com/) tasting room on February 18^th.  Lost Abbey has become synonymous with fine brews for years, and the ability to sample all their offerings for $1 each was a bargain that even Jenn could enjoy. I tried their Judgment Day and their Lost and Found on draft, and got a bottle of their Mayan Apocalypse (their Judgment Day beer brewed with chilies) to go. With a friendly staff and a great vibe, this is a place I could hang out for an afternoon.

Silver: Green Flash, San Diego, CA – On February 20^th, we stopped by the Green Flash tasting room (http://www.greenflashbrew.com/). This facility was new and humongous, over 4000 sq. ft. The staff was great, allowing kids in with their folks and having a food truck parked outside for patrons with the munchies. I took the opportunity to try ALL of their Anniversary beers, since they were all available on draft. With Jenn driving, I was able to sample a cool dozen, and even got to show Jess what was going on inside.  The facility was opposite of Lost Abbey, looking to support a large party rather than providing a local pub feel, but both were outstanding.

Bronze: Spring House Taproom, Lancaster, PA – I got a chance to go back to Spring House (http://springhousebeer.com/) on September 23^rd, and had the benefit to watch MNF on this trip.  They had close to 10 taps, and their sampler included them all.  It was pumpkin season, so I started out with their Braaaiins Pumpkin Ale, a well crafted beer at 7.1% ABV that was their homage to the walking dead.  I also tried their Kerplunk Imperial Chocolate Stout, which was tasty, and a bottle of the Astounding She-Monster Mango IPA to bring back with me for this weekend’s football games.  There are other brewpubs and beer bars that are worth visiting in the area, but this by far my favorite.

Honorable Mention: Sheffield Tap, Sheffield, UK - We stopped by the Sheffield Tap (http://www.sheffieldtap.com/) on March 26^th, a Thornbridge pub right at the train station.  Their food menu is limited, but they offer almost twenty of their beers, all on cask.  Its only honorable mention since we stopped by only once, and after an evening of drinking around Sheffield.  On this trip I drank an oak aged St. Petersburg RIS that weighed in at 9% ABV (atypical for English beers), not the best choice at the end of the evening on an empty stomach, but my friend Ross made sure I got off at my train stop on the way back to the hotel. - 6327/15116

"A cask of ale can work more miracles than a church full of saints." – Anonymous