City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (515) 287-1970

Address: 200 SW 2nd St.

Description: When you first walk into this rambling shack covered with all variety of junk and memorabilia, you are greeted by a staggering number of beer taps behind the bar, everything from American bocks and pilsners to German wheat beer, Belgian ale, and Barleywine beer, which has a complex, heavy flavor. There’s also a 4-page (!) beer menu that may take you awhile to get through—there must be over 100 beers listed on it, including many microbrews (you can also ask the bartender for a recommendation). The “Jimmy Carter Happy Hour” every Thurs honors a 1979 law that led to the explosion of craft brewers, and local homebrewers have offered their product to be sampled here. There are also beer flights with a selection of beers based on type or country of origin, and beer cocktails that mix together different kinds of beer. They even find room for a menu with classic bar food like burgers, onion rings, and fish tacos. This is a favorite watering hole for local cyclists, who can get a little rowdy at times, but it’s just the place if you’re looking for a beer-soaked blowout.