Video #295, Our coolest bar yet? The Colorado Governor's Mansion.

This summer, The Happy Hour Guys had the good fortune to sit down with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in Aspen; they drank a beer or two and covered quite a few interesting subjects. During that interview, Governor Hickenlooper mentioned the special additions he and his team had made to the Boettcher Mansion (which is the Governor's residence) in Denver - and he invited us to stop by sometime. As luck would have it, Mark and Jimmy made it to Denver for the 2014 edition of the Great American Beer Festival, and well, they took him up on the opportunity. Click play for a look at what may be THHG's coolest bar yet!

Enjoy!

Video #293: Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor - An Overview.

More coolness: As we continue to improve the great coverage you've come to expect from us, we go heavily in depth on one great bar:

In the heart of NYC's Greenwich Village (26 W. 8th Street) lies a Craft Beer gem: Arts & Crafts Beer Parlor. Click play to see just what makes A&C so special, from the always rotating Craft Beer list, to the draft system, to their commitment to the spirit of 'Arts & Crafts' - this is truly a place you'll want to come back to over and over again. Here's the first in a series of 5 features on this bar; enjoy an overview of Arts & Crafts.

Cheers!

Video #292, at Beer Authority - A sit-down with Joe Donagher.

In 2012, a huge addition to the pantheon of Craft Beer bars opened in Midtown Manhattan: Beer Authority. Located directly across the street from Port Authority bus terminal, this massive space includes 3 separate floors, a roof deck, and a sincere devotion to Beer. Mark and Jimmy (with Squigs on the camera) interview owner Joe Donagher to get the 311 on this terrific bar, and his plans for the future. Cheers!

Frequent Flyer Guy finds a Bangkok Beer Oasis.

Our own Frequent Flyer Guy, Steve Smith, reports in from one of his favorite cities in the world:

Bangkok Beer Oasis:

In a city known for many pursuits besides brewing, great craft beer is on tap if you know where to look:

Bangkok, Thailand.

I love Bangkok. It is one of my favorite international destinations. For me it has nearly everything a great city should have: Great restaurants, delicious street food, friendly locals, a large international community, and of course the bustling nightlife for which it is famous. But Bangkok, like many Asian cities, is not known for a thriving craft beer scene. While I have encountered craft beer on occasion in Bangkok, it has often been disappointing. Most craft beer I have come across in Thailand is imported, which unfortunately can mean a steep price tag (due to Thailand's high tax on imports), and unreliable quality (due to improper product handling during shipping, storage, and distribution).

Mikkeller Bangkok!

Just this year, however, a brand new player emerged on the Bangkok beer scene, and has brought world-class craft beer to the city. In January, 2014, nontraditional Danish brewer Mikkeller opened just its second international beer bar in Bangkok. (Its first was opened in San Francisco in 2013.)

Located well off the beaten path on a sleepy, residential side street in Bangkok’s upscale Ekkamai neighborhood, Mikkeller Bangkok is a destination bar to be certain. It is located far away from many of the tourist and ex-pat neighborhoods like Khaosan Road and Sukhumvit, and receives zero benefit from foot traffic. Yet on my visit on a Saturday evening, the bar was full, loaded with tourists and ex-pats who managed to navigate the sois of Ekkamai for great beer. “This is the best craft beer bar in Asia,” I was told by a IPA-loving British ex-pat from Hong Kong, who said he now makes a point to visit Mikkeller every time he comes to Bangkok. And its easy to see why.

Don't waste time. Just get there.

The first things you notice when you enter Mikkeller are the taps: 30 of them. This might not be surprising in Europe or the USA, but in Asia a tap arsenal of that size is almost unheard of. And the selection is excellent. Mikkeller, being a “collaborative” brewer, features not only its own creations in its bars, but also a fantastic rotating selection of offerings from other brewers around the world. In addition to its own labels, at the time of our visit Mikkeller Bangkok offered beers from Brewfist (Italy), To Øl (Denmark), Siren (England, UK), Rogue (Oregon, USA), Boon (Belgium), and 8Wired (New Zealand) among others. Stouts, IPAs, lambics, brown ales, pilsners, porters, pales, Belgian ales, as well as ciders, meads, and craft spirits are offered... and our thirsty group sampled many. We even tried a chipotle- and coffee-infused stout, which was admittedly a bit challenging for many of our palates. By and large, however, the selections we tried were excellent and ran the gamut of varieties offered.

Yes please.

The last thing that impressed us about Mikkeller Bangkok was that the staff are sticklers about quality. We spoke with one of the managers about the issue of maintaining quality with imported beer, and he talked at length about their relationship with their importer and the standards they have for handling the product properly, to ensure quality during shipping and storage. And on our visit, we found the imports to be spot on, as if their journey around the globe had been just a short trip around the block.

Before visiting Mikkeller, I wouldn’t have considered Bangkok to be much of a destination for anyone serious about craft beer. But like in so many other cities around the world, beer drinkers in Bangkok are seeking out more options in flavor and in brewers, and Mikkeller is delivering, putting Bangkok on the craft beer map in Asia.

For more information, visit Mikkeller Bangkok's web site: http://www.mikkellerbangkok.com

Asia travelers? What Craft Beer gems have you found out there? Leave them in the comments section.

Cheers!

Video #288: We say, who could be afraid of The Jeffrey?

Been on Manhattan's Upper East Side lately? It recently became a much more Craft-y place, thanks to some folk who have a great deal of experience creating terrific places to meet, eat, and drink. The Jeffrey is the new Neighborhood Joint that starts pouring Craft Coffee at 6am, and then goes, and goes, and goes. Join Mark, Jimmy, and Squigs on a trip to this new gem!

Pils. Grimage.

PilsGrimage!  Thanks to our Michigan correspondents the Loud Guy and the Science Guy, here's a Happy Hour Guys motorcycle excursion to Northern MI, and Short's Brewing Company's original brewpub in Bellaire, MI. A true PilsGrimage indeed: People travel from all over the world to sample the bounteous brews that are only offered at this location.

Loud Guy not so loud with face covered.

Science Guy.

Lodging: SET.

We're On Approach.

Outside the BrewPub in Bellaire, MI.

Sweet Nectar!

Choices, Choices, Choices...

Roads well traveled.

And thanks to Hydroflask, we're taking some home!

Hopefully we'll see more updates from this quest. Keep 'em comin' guys. Now everyone, get out there and BEV-TOUR!

Video #286: Artsy's Craft Report - Port Chester Hall!

Hello Happy Hour Nation! Squigs scoots less than an hour north from New York City to experience the fantastic new Port Chester Hall. Take a peek inside this reclaimed train station and learn about some of what you will find here. Beer! Food! Trains!
And watch to the end for a wee travel tip for the thousands of you who schlep through Grand Central Terminal each day.