Brewhaus

BEST BARTENDER 617 E. Washington St., 525-6399 Brewhaus owner Mike Parkes, a perennial favorite in the best bartender category, seems to have trained his bar staff well. This count boiled down to a contest about which Brewhaus bartender would get the most votes and collectively the crew raced far ahead of the nearest competition, so we just decided to give the prize to the entire staff. Now headed by Nate Short with Keith Voegele acknowledged as senior barkeep, the other Brewhaus bartenders include Andrew Denton, Owen Irwin and Michael Miller. Their secret to success appears to be no secret at all. A consistent crew who know the esteemed craft of serving drinks well involves knowing your product and how to present it along with lending a listening ear to the plight of paying patrons.

BEST BEER SELECTION 617 E. Washington St., 525-6399 Could the fact the Brewhaus carries between 200 to 300 beers on hand at any given time give it the advantage in beer selection? Maybe it’s the paper lists that folks use to actually see all the beers offered, then check them off after consumption (it’s a long-term plan). Customers who dare play stump-the-bar in locating a variety of beer here most often lose. The knowledgeable staff, experienced not only in tasting, but armed with the facts and figures of production, manufacturing, location and distribution of one of the world’s great resources, also add to the appeal of the selection. Look for small modern breweries like Left Hand from Colorado, Schlafly’s out of St. Louis or ancient brews such as Spaten from Germany and Samuel Smith of England alongside a draft pumpkin ale, unique fruit beer, common Miller or Bud and classics like Schlitz, Stag and Pabst. Drink responsibly and with variety.

BEST SERVER Kate Catalano and Patty Sullivan, Brewhaus 617 E. Washington St., 525-6399 Kate Catalano returns to claim her Best Server crown from 2009, but fellow Brewhaus server Patty Sullivan received nearly the same amount of votes so we elected to make the two equally best. What makes a good server in a bar? According to a random sampling of those who wait patiently for their drinks, it involves much more than just timely and accurate serving. Patrons claim Kate and Patty consistently show good humor, remember preferences, relate interpersonally and treat them with respect.

Hmmmm. Sounds more like a friend than a server. Perhaps longevity is a key to good service as Patty worked nearly every Thursday night since the Brewhaus opened 16 years ago while Kate has walked the well-worn floors at least a couple nights a week for nearly five years. Whatever the reason, don’t forget to tip well and often. That makes for the best servers.

BEST BAR FOR SPORTS Buffalo Wild Wings 4420 W. Wabash Ave., 546-9453 We’re not talking actual sports games in the bar just those on TV and readers must have gotten that message by choosing Buffalo Wild Wings as the best bar for sports. The restaurant and bar includes 5 really big screens and 40 plenty big screens making available around 10 different sports shows simultaneously on a total of 45 TVs. And as they are wont to say at BWW, “they can curb your appetite” for almost any sports show you’re after by encouraging you, the valued customer, to check out the in-house sports program listing, look for the game you want, then let the nice folks there dial it in. The only problem here is avoiding confusion from watching too many things at the same time. Hey that’s what the beer and wings are for, to put your mind and belly at ease while observing the wonderful world of sports all at once.

BEST PICKUP BAR Floyd’s Thirst Parlor 210 S. Fifth St. 522-2020 Perhaps it’s the cool-colored neon lights snaking around the bar ceiling or maybe the largest collection of Mike Manning paintings in the Western world that make Floyd’s the best place for a pickup. Then again it could be the extensive beer selection, fine bar staff and cool tunes on the jukebox along with the cozy corners and dark booths positioned here and there around the club. On third thought there’s that recently remodeled upstairs with games and nooks allowing for a mingling of the minds and other things, perfect for finding that special someone in need of a pickup. Whatever the reason, IT readers preferred Floyd’s Thirst Parlor for playing pickup and that’s all the reason we need. A final thought – it might just be the pleasing personality of bar manager Morris Cooper behind all this wickedly wonderful and practically pernicious picking up, in fact that must be it.

BEST WINE SELECTION Corkscrew Wine Emporium 2613 Chatham Rd., 787-1990 Friar Tuck Beverage 2930 Constitution Dr., 698-1116 We honestly intended this category to address wine selections at a restaurant, but readers decided it was all about the wine store and went with a tie between the Corkscrew and Friar Tuck’s. The Corkscrew concentrates entirely on that friendly fermented juice of the vine with a wide selection of wines from around the world and frequent wine tastings to further familiarize yourself with their exquisite and extensive offerings. Friar Tuck’s carries many, many varieties of wines and also offers other alcoholic refreshments as well, possibly disturbing the delicate sensibilities of avid wine connoisseurs, but not likely to stop anyone really interested in finding a particular wine of choice. Both stores are fully stocked with plenty of vino to go around and come equipped with a staff ready and willing to help choose the best wine for you.