World of Beer , 3252 W 7th St, FW, 817- 708-7021.
In my group of friends, the fact that I’m not a creature of habit makes me a rarity, although Last Call would be pretty damn boring with only one bar to write about for 52 weeks a year. “Week 41: Ponytailed dude vaping Dragonpassionberry Musky Surprise clued me in on how the moon landing was ‘fake news.’ I mention the movie Wag the Dog. Man says dogs are a conspiracy to stop us from traveling abroad and engaging with foreigners. I reply that Foreigner’s classic ballad, I Want to Know What Love Is, came out in 1984. He thinks that is Orwellian. Five stars. Going back tomorrow.”
Truthfully, it’s much easier just to go to new places by myself versus trying to wrangle anyone to leave a place where their ass is already contoured to the barstool. Sometimes meeting up with friends at their home base works in my favor, as in the case at World of Beer. I was there last in 2015 for a birthday party. This time, I popped in to meet the same birthday boy and now wonder why I don’t go there more often.
World of Beer became my buddy’s regular haunt because he digs the vibe and can walk from his Monticello home. When I think of a traditional neighborhood bar, VIP’s better fits the category, because WOB is clean, smoke-free, and next door to a cycling studio. Also, it is part of a craft brew-heavy chain, and those almost always fail to attract the loveable Henry Chinaski-type characters.
Our server, Ryan, was the perfect balance of attentive and informative, and he handled four people’s orders and questions with cheerfulness and expedience. I was in the mood to try some new brews on the summer menu, and he handled my abstruse queries –– “Will this Karbach Radler punch me in the face with lemon ginger?” –– with aplomb. When the evening was over, our crew remarked that we downed some excellent and unexpected beers thanks to Ryan’s recommendations, like Cedar Creek’s Tighty Whities session white IPA.
Though the on-tap menu switches daily (our copies were still warm from the printer), I’d recommend a few to check off your list: For a super refreshing July-in-Texas beer, check out New Belgium’s Juicy Watermelon. It may conjure up thoughts of a fruit margarita, but the actual presentation is only lightly flavored by a bit of watermelon and lime. If you want to sample something unique, the Lakewood Grand Allowance is a barley wine that manages to be full-bodied without being overpowering and has a lovely honeyed finish. Coming in at 12.8-percent ABV, that snifter demands to be taken down slow. For fans of gose (pronounced go-zuh, apparently), Community’s Silly Gose is about half the salt flavor of Martin House’s ubiquitous The Salty Lady but with tangerine and apricot to make an excellent tart and bright sour wheat ale.
We arrived at 6pm, which is prime happy hour on a Friday night, but almost 75 percent of the tables were available. Over the course of the evening, the place did get busier but never felt crowded. It occurs to me, however, that the room is massive in terms of square footage on both the inside and outdoor areas. The patio is pooch friendly, which means I will be back with my four-leggers in tow –– hopefully before a year and a half passes this time.
Perhaps a closer reading of Bukowski is in order. Being a fan of both Bukowski and World of Beer, I have trouble imagining WoB being Henry Chinaski’s kind of place. Hank Moody’s, sure. Good review, though.
You may have misread that sentence Richard, as it seems you agree with me. I can’t imagine that character anywhere near WOB, which is not a bad thing. The word “loveable” was made with tongue planted firmly in cheek. And yes, I am a fan of WOB after that visit. I will be back.