I’m not ragging on Kieran’s or Brit’s, but I have to respectfully disagree with Citysearch – neither have the “best beer selection in the Twin Cities.” I’m not sure that either would make the top ten, and McCoy’s, The Lodge and Plums probably wouldn’t either.
So, that being said, what are your top ten beer spots in the Twin Cities.
Citysearch users suck overall. I think it’s a joke when establishments have a Citysearch window cling in their entryway as if it is something to be proud of or something. It’s a joke.
It’s just as bad as CityPages. You have to think about who reads those things and who’s voting. Surdyk’s wins best liquor store every year cause it’s the best they know because they don’t leave the Uptown, downtown, and Nordeast area. Same can be said about all the other winners. Not that they aren’t great places but there could be a place that is without a doubt 100x better (say a place that gave away free craft beer) just outside those areas and it still wouldn’t win because the majority of those voting aren’t aware of much outside the previously mentioned areas.
I was just at Bull Dog in NE and was pleasantly surprised at the beer selection, I had a couple of sasian duponts and St barnimus, and many others I did not have a chance to try. I will defiantly return
At least the Happy Gnome and the Bulldog made the list. Brit’s #1 though? I don’t think so. Are McCoy’s house brews any good?
McCoy’s house brews are okay… Certainly not better than anything at any of the Minnesota brewpubs. I
McCoy’s is pretty bad. They truck their beer in from KC and sell more Miller Lite then their own beer. They sponsor one of the beer fests (maybe it’s the City Pages Beer Fest) but they don’t actually attend the fest which is strange. Just a slightly more upscale happy hour stop for the younger black business suit types. Paying $17.99 for pork tenderloin and getting 6-7 silver dollar sized slices of pork that was really undercooked and a single ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes wasn’t that great either (as they were out of all the beef on the menu).
McCoy’s was right next to me last year at City Pages. I thought their Brown ale was quite tasty
Ben,
Didn’t Mnbeer just win an award in the city pages? :p
Wait that was Brew52. Damn all these Minnesota beer websites.
ben, it isn’t the outer ring suburbs pages.
Scott – we won in 2006.
I guess these reader driven polls need really be taken with a grain of salt. City Pages readers voted Best BBQ is Famous Dave’s and Best Restaurant in St. Paul is Buffalo Wild Wings?! HA!
I think that the main fault is that the voters do not have an adequate understanding of what a “best beer selection” is……and that definition that they do have does not include diversity, dedication to craft and local beers, and a thoroughly independent point of view in crafting the beerlist. Instead, they vote for the places where they drink, if they have a few “good” beers.
does one really need to justification for the bars and or pubs you frequent, or the beers you drink?
you do “need to justification” if you’re electing the “best selection”, …then it becomes more than merely about your personal taste.
ah, but it does. I think the wine boutique I frequent is amazing and offers the “best selection.” But, they only sell wines from Italy and if I was only allowed to drink wine from Italy until the day I die, I would be a very content man. But, I also know that some people like wines with kangaroos on the labels, wines from Burgandy and wines from that area north of my adopted home town of San Francisco, and these people may, go into Biondivino one day at my urging and be appalled that the selection doesn’t adhere to their personal taste,