The more the merrier, right? When it comes to beer, the answer is apparently no.
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, owner of Evil Twin Brewing Company and editor of Where to Drink Beer, which recently hit shelves earlier this month, says that he's always cautious of a bar when they have more than a handful of drafts on tap.
"People have an idea that a good beer place has a ton of beers," Jarnit-Bjergsø explained. "First of all, can you fit in 100 good beers? If you have 20, then why have 80? You have to compromise somehow."
Jarnit-Bjergsø explained that he always keeps an eye out for places that have a small, curated list of craft beers because he knows that the owner can stand behind their selection. He says that it's much harder to do that when you have a laundry list of beers. This idea followed him as he was doing the research for Where to Drink Beer, and curating the venues for the book as he wanted to focus on the unique and inspiring, instead of just places with the most beers.
In addition to dispelling the myth that an extensive draft selection makes the best watering hole, Jarnit-Bjergsø explained that a good bar isn't just about the beer. When it comes to enjoying the perfect pint, the atmosphere is just as important as the beer you're drinking.
"I've been to bars with 150 taps and I don't need to do that anymore," Jarnit-Bjergsø said. "My favorite spot in the world would be Pigalle in Tokyo. It's a tiny, tiny, tiny little place, if you fit 10 people inside it’s packed. They don't have a big beer list but it’s such a cool space with great ambiance."
For more anecdotes and recommendations, beer aficionados can pick up a copy of Where to Drink Beer—a perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer. Jarnit-Bjergsø offers one of the most comprehensive, and exciting, breakdowns of the world's craft beer scene, with bars and pubs from Australia to the Middle East, Asia to South America, and everywhere in between. Hundreds of brewers, pub owners, certified beer cicerones, and educators weighed in on destinations across the globe that offer some of the best pints.
