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What to order at a craft beer bar when you don't know where to start. Navigate tap lists, understand beer styles, and order with confidence every time.
The short answer
6 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
A craft beer tap list with forty options is either the best part of the night or the most paralysing, and which one comes down to how you read it. The good news is that ordering well is a social skill, not a memory test. Here is a practical system for any craft beer bar, even if the only beer you can reliably name is a Guinness.
Most tap lists give you more information than you know how to use. Each entry typically includes the brewery name, the beer name, the style (IPA, Stout, Pale Ale, Saison, etc.), the ABV (alcohol by volume), and occasionally the IBU (international bitterness units). The style and ABV are the only two numbers that matter for making a first decision. Everything else is context.
Check the ABV before anything else, because it sets the pace of the whole night. A 4.5 percent session ale lets you order three and stay sharp for the table. A 9 percent double IPA is a single slow pour to nurse while everyone talks. Read the number first, then chase the flavor.
Every serious craft bar pours free or cheap tasters, usually two or three ounces, and the staff want you to ask. Line up three styles you cannot picture and sip across them before committing to a full pour. It is the fastest way to learn your own palate, and it turns ordering into a conversation instead of a guess.
Order the nearest brewery's beer before you reach for a famous name. Local kegs travel a few miles instead of a few thousand, so they land fresher and tell you what the city actually drinks. Ask the bartender which tap was kegged this week. That first local pour is how you read the room.
The IPA is the loudest beer on most lists, built on hops that throw grapefruit, pine, and citrus peel. West Coast versions run bitter and dry near 6 to 7 percent, while hazy New England ones drink soft and juicy. Order it with something salty like fries or aged cheese and the bitterness reads as refreshing instead of sharp.
Stout and porter sit at the dark, roasted end of the list, pouring espresso, cocoa, and toasted bread. A dry Irish stout near 4 percent drinks light enough for a full evening, while an imperial stout past 9 percent is dessert in a glass. Save it for late, pair it with chocolate or a cheese board, and let it slow the night down.
Saison is the wild card, a dry Belgian farmhouse ale that fizzes with pepper, citrus, and a touch of barnyard funk. Most land between 5 and 7 percent and finish crisp rather than sweet. It is the most food-friendly beer on any list, cutting through roast chicken, olives, or anything off the grill. Order it first when you plan to eat.
How we picked
The only wrong order at a good craft beer bar is the order you make without any information. Ask questions, use tasters, and let the bartender guide you. The people staffing serious craft beer bars genuinely enjoy this conversation. Once you know what you like, our guide on how to taste craft beer properly takes you to the next level, covering glassware, appearance, aroma, and finish. The people who run these bars are there because they love beer, and your curiosity is an invitation for them to talk about something they care about. Start local, keep the ABV sensible until you know what you're dealing with, and let yourself be surprised. The best beer you have ever had is probably something you won't recognize the name of until you have already ordered it.
Last reviewed 2026-06-14 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.