Best Beer Selection

With its eight Belgian-only taps upstairs, 21 mostly domestic taps downstairs, 300 bottles on the main list, 900 in the upstairs "cellar," and thousands more aging in a bank vault underneath the pub, the 16-year-old institution set the bar for Decatur's beer culture and continues to raise it. less...

The Porter Beer Bar has truly come into its own. The charming Little Five Points establishment has spent five years developing its now-formidable position as a world-class bar. There's the handsome cellar in the back where the walls are lined with more than 300 vintage and rare aging beers. It's a cozy, private, rentable space with a gorgeous wooden table that seats 25. The Porter's tap and bottle selection pushes boundaries with new-to-Georgia selections such as Chicago's Local Option and Italy's Birrificio di Como. Be sure to ask if they've got anything special on - the Porter's draft list is the most distinctive and surprising in town. less...

You know about the Brick Store Pub, sure. Perhaps you've heard tell of its Belgian bar, itself alone an embarrassment of riches fleshed out with more than 100 bottles of Trappist ales, lambics, and quadruppels. Or maybe you read something about the beer cellar just across the hallway from that upstairs bar, a cozy room fronted with a huge wooden door and containing more than 700 vintage and impossible-to-find brews, ranging from $5-$80 per reasonably sized bottle, and as much as $300 should you want to throw down on a 6-liter monstrosity for the table. Or perhaps you've read one of the many national media mentions of this legendary place that's celebrating 15 years of slinging the very best beers the world has to offer. In fact, it's known all over the world, and you're one of the lucky few who could have it as your Cheers. So, why haven't you? less...

125 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-687-0990. www.brickstorepub.com. Atlanta is lucky to enjoy many great local beers and restaurants featuring a wide variety of brews. But nothing compares to the amazing experience at the BRICK STORE PUB in Decatur. The atmosphere of the pub, its large selection of beer from all over the world, and the thorough knowledge of all the employees make the Brick Store stand out. Filled with the smell of delicious beer, the pub is welcoming to everyone, from the connoisseur to the novice. Nowhere else can one enjoy as many Belgian varieties. Whether it's a local beer from Georgia, a microbrew from Colorado, or a traditional Belgian or German ale, the staff is always willing to help people choose something that fits their taste. But be warned: The selection is limited to what many (including this writer) consider to be higher-quality beer, so no Bud, Miller or Coors. less...

A great place for intense conversation and incredible libations — or vice versa — the BRICK STORE PUB has been a Decatur institution for the past decade. Former Athens denizens Dave Blanchard, Mike Gallagher and Tom Moore have created a cozy sippin’ nook for true beer connoisseurs. Constructed for unobtrusive communication, the Store features a welcome escape from the sports-bar mentality of multiple TVs, raging jukeboxes, flat domestic beers and noisy, macho posturing. Here, the beer is the star, the customer is king and the attentive staff knows the pub’s brew list well. Intown, out-of-town and international beers are among the choices from more than 15 drafts and well in excess of 65 extraordinary bottled beers. If you like it strong, head upstairs to the delightful Belgian Beer Bar. less...

125 Court Square 404-687-0990 http://www.brickstorepub.com A great place for intense conversation and incredible libations - or vice versa - the BRICK STORE PUB has been a Decatur institution for the past decade. Former Athens denizens Dave Blanchard, Mike Gallagher and Tom Moore have created a cozy sippin' nook for true beer connoisseurs. Constructed for unobtrusive communication, the Store features a welcome escape from the sports-bar mentality of multiple TVs, raging jukeboxes, flat domestic beers and noisy, macho posturing. Here, the beer is the star, the customer is king and the attentive staff knows the pub's brew list well. Intown, out-of-town and international beers are among the choices from more than 15 drafts and well in excess of 65 extraordinary bottled beers. If you like it strong, head upstairs to the delightful Belgian Beer Bar. less...

Fried food at bars is a given, but vegetables? That’s the BRICK STORE PUB for ya. Its food menu offers both expected pub fare like brats, burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, and hearty, comforting dishes like pierogi primavera covered in seasonal veggies, and the volcano, a bread bowl bursting with Brunswick stew. You’ll need the sustenance to look over a beer selection so large that it’s housed in a binder. Forget about Buds or Millers — the downstairs bar stocks 17 international, regional and local drafts, plus more than 60 bottled varieties, including English ales, pale ales and German hefeweizens. There’s also a Belgian bar upstairs with eight rotating drafts and more than 100 options. On the rare occasion your table may agree on a single beer, the reserve list offers a few 5-liter personal kegs. What a centerpiece. less...

Decatur’s Brick Store Pub has long been a favorite haunt for beer lovers, but the local spot stepped it up earlier this year with its BELGIAN BEER BAR. At first glance, the pub may look exactly the same to infrequent visitors, but a walk up the stairs reveals a magical beer enclave to the left. Decorated with dark woods and dim lights, the Belgian Beer Bar fills up as fast as the clientele scans over the multipage beer menu. Several coolers hold an intimidating number of bottled brews, but the staff knows beer like sommeliers know wine.
125 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-687-0990.

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The beer list at Decatur’s BRICK STORE PUB is so extensive that you have to download a PDF file to view it online. The outstanding pub offers no less than 215 beers — 188 in bottles and 27 draught. A recently finished upstairs Belgian bar, with potent brews on tap like Delirium Tremens and Biere de Boucanier, is cozy and inviting. Don’t be intimidated by the vast selection. The menu’s beer descriptions are humorous and approachable, and the service is so friendly, no one will look you askance if you simply order a bottle of Sweetwater 420.
125 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-687-0990.

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