Press

A beer bar can take many forms. It can be a center of craft where tourists dip a toe in the local scene, a way station where regulars encounter beers from across the country, or a port where tipplers welcome rare imports. It can be a gastropub with an impeccably curated tap list that pairs with finger foods, a bottle shop that offers the best on draft and in cans, or an ale-obsessed emporium lined with hundreds of handles.

A great beer shop does not have endless choice. The ones that stand out, according to the beer pros from around the country who we spoke to for this list, are the shops that pay attention to having a diverse selection, offer proper cooler space and keep an eye on freshness dates.

Even with a pleasant mountain breeze swirling through the foothills of the Smokies, Zack Roskop had to close his doors and windows once 3:30 struck. The game of the millennium was in town.