Unlike coffee, which took me a while to acquire a taste for, I never had problem developing a liking for beer. As a teenager, even though I could not drink beer (legally), I collected beer cans from many breweries. In a clear example of hindsight being 20/20, I stupidly gave away my collection which contains many labels which no longer adorn the American landscape – duh!.

For many years, beer was largely differentiated in the United States by brand name, lager, or light lager. Happily, in the past few decades, the cornucopia of independent brewers, flavors and styles of beer has literally exploded.

Where I was essentially a light lager beer drinker for many years, I now prefer wheat beers and red ales, with one notably exception, Yuengling’s. There is no better tasting lager on the planet. Even though I have taken the brewery tour, I don’t know what it is that they do there in Pottsville, Pennsylvania to make Yuengling’s and Yuengling’s Light so grand, but they are truly works of art. So, back to the topic of brewpubs. They are not the same as traditional English pubs in the fact that brewpubs brew their own stock of beers. What are some of the factors beyond the beer itself that makes a brewpub and landmark third place? Nearly all are exactly the same as coffee shops, including:

Wood floors

Brick

Nooks and crannies

Art

Historic (or novel) feel

Free wi-fi

Variety of food and drink

Comfy, cozy chairs

At least one sofa

Pleasant/great view

Background music (though perhaps louder)

Live music or events

Pleasant and friendly staff

cultural and artistic vibe

Bicycle parking

Outdoor seating

Open late

Busy but not overrun

An independent ambiance

I would replace in-house magazines and books found in a coffee shop with flat screen televisions offering mostly sports. I would also add the following:

Drink and dining options for those under 21 year of age.

Many varieties of beer on tap.

Downtown or midtown location preferred.

Access to mass transit or particularly taxis for those who had too much to drink.

My favorite brewpubs encountered (based on all factors including great beer) are listed below in alphabetical order. Please note, all but two are in a downtown or midtown location. For urban planners, a well-placed and operated brewpub is a terrific placemaking land use and potential entertainment venue for drawing residents and visitors to your downtown or midtown areas.

On the other hand, cookie-cutter brewpubs built from a prototype design on greenfield suburban locations don’t have near the character and flavor of one’s built from scratch or which occupy an architectural gem like the Penn Brewery shown above. Here’s my list (to be expanded as I visit others):