Happy National Beer Day!

It seems that there is a “national” holiday for just about everything. Some we know about, like National Pancake Day when IHOP offers a free small stack all day long, and some we may not know about, like National Fresh Breath Day on August 6, but today, we celebrate National Beer Day!

This national holiday actually commemorates the end of Prohibition in the U.S. when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act on March 22, 1933. The law didn’t go into effect until April 7 and beer drinkers lined up outside breweries on the night of April 6.

“The U.S. brewing industry now boasts more than 3,300 breweries and importers employing 49,576 workers. Beer is ushered to 6,690 distributors employing more than 131,307 people. Another 805,350 workers staff retail outlets selling beer. The Beer Institute estimates that overall, the beer industry contributed $252.6 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014 – slightly higher than the economic impact of the video game industry.” (Forbes.com)

So, today, I am sharing my top 5 places where I like to grab a beer (that’s not directly from the brewery).

#5 – Sherlock’s/Baker Street Pub and Grill

There are a few of these around Houston, some called Sherlock’s and some called Baker Street, but they all have a very relaxed and British vibe. The very first one that I visited was on the Woodland’s Waterway on a lively Saturday evening. There’s no cover and live bands play regularly. The part I found to be the most entertaining was when I went to use the restroom (yes, seriously). The bathroom door was disguised as a bookshelf! You had to push a section, of what looked like a wall, to get in. This may not be true for all of the locations, but I’ve spent many a New Year’s and brunch at the Sherlock’s and Baker Street locations.

#4 – Niel’s Bahr

This establishment is a nerd sanctuary. There are video games, comic books, and board games, with at least one of the televisions always showing episodes of the Simpsons. It is conveniently located right behind the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is perfect for when nerds (like myself) gather for Comicpalooza. The bartenders tend to have eccentric fashion choices and are very amiable to everyone, and often the owner for which the bar gets its namesake is running around as well. It’s always an added bonus when they have food cooking out on the patio and karaoke on Wednesdays is a blast. Many a fun night has been had with friends and celebrities alike.

#3 – Molly’s Pub

There are more than a few pubs that go by this name and I have been to at least five of them in or around the Houston area. My most frequent visits have been to the Molly’s Pub on Westheimer, where I gather with fellow geeks for Pub Trivia and the bartenders know me by name. We have celebrated birthdays and holidays here and they let you bring in whatever food you like since there is no food menu other than frozen pizza. Frequently, representatives from Guinness or other beer companies come in and give away free samples of new brews along with fun merchandise. As they say in Cheers! “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name!”

#2 – Brick House Tavern + Tap

This chain has quickly risen to the top of my favorite places to enjoy a beer. With an expansive selection of craft beers and exceptional happy hour specials, I have frequented this establishment on a fairly regular basis. It helps that for the past year and a half, it has been less than 10 minutes away from where I work. As a result, many people from my office are often found there; we’ve even had holiday parties and going away celebrations there. The food is amazing, offering duck wings and fried zucchini curls, and it’s a nice place to retreat to in the winter with a fireplace inside and a fire pit out on the patio.

A Brickhouse location just off of 290 in Houston (that sadly is no longer in operation) is also the location of my first date with my now husband.

#1 – Alamo Drafthouse

What is more perfect than being able to grab a local, craft beer? Grabbing one while catching the latest motion picture at the movie theater! Alamo Drafthouse combines three of my favorite activities into one fantastic experience: watching movies, eating great food, and having a quality drink. They feature a late-night menu and special interactive screenings of old classics. Exclusive offers are presented to Victory Rewards Members, which include free advanced screenings of select movies, usually with extra behind-the-scenes features, buy-one-get-one specials, and even special pricing on menu items. I’ve met some awesome people at the bar and seen many great movies. Plus, the reserved seating and zero-tolerance cell phone policy make this the number-one place to see a film… and grab a beer