Hi again beer fans, and happy Friday! FNBB is here for you, stop in and share a cold one with us!
If there's anything I disrespect more than lists, it's this kind of overactive hard-to-read website, but thrilllist's new list of 21 best dive bars in America leads with one of my favorites so maybe this time they're not full of shit.
The Alpine Inn Beer Garden (formerly Rosotti's) is without doubt the most downscale business in the very upscale town of Portola Valley CA. I might not describe it as a "dive", I might say "dump". Most of Portola Valley's horse barns are nicer buildings, but the Alpine Inn's original structure dates from the 1850's and it's now a historical landmark, so it will be a dump forever. A number of my friends have been regulars there ever since they were underage Stanford students.
As a subject for tonight's discussion, what qualities make a "dive"? To me the connotations include: dark, at least a little run-down, and at least a little rough. One or two screens for a ballgame but not a "sports bar" unless it's the kind where bettors hang out calling bookies. Bud and Coors, not 30 taps of craft brew. Your ideas?
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I've commented before on "faux craft" beers, and one I put in that category is "Roscoe's Hop House", which gets significant cooler space at my local supermarket (it's made by the NY brewer that also owns the Genesee brand). My friend who came over to watch football last weekend made the mistake of buying some. Yecch. I've said more than once that I'll drink almost any brew if you're buying but Roscoe's Amber failed the test. Light amber color, virtually no flavor of either malt or hop. I've drunk worse back when I was a broke student but they've got some nerve charging 5.99/6 for this.
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I need to go shopping, then I'll know what I'm drinking tonight. What are you drinking? Who's brewing?