Mmmmmm Beer...

North Carolina is starting to really make a name for itself in the beer world. North Carolina is home to many famous breweries making it easy for local bars and restaurants to provide quality craft beer on tap all the time. Within five miles of each other, many of the these places are located... Yea you guessed it downtown. Breweries such as Natty Greene's Pub and Bar located on W. Jones Street and Boylan Bridge Brewpub located on S. Boylan Avenue are both breweries that brew all of their beer in house and offer a hearty menu as well.

Natty Greene's opened its second location here in downtown Raleigh about two years ago after a successful start in downtown Greensboro. Natty Greene's has at least 12 craft beers on tap to choose from including the very popular Buck Shot Amber Ale. What I noticed about the brews at Natty Greene's is that they don't over do it on the hops. Some breweries have a hard time making it amateur friendly and the beer will be quite bitter. Natty Greene's has a smooth taste to all of their beers and creates the perfect combination for all types of beer drinkers. Not to mention the homemade potato chips and Ranch dressing make a perfect addition to any beer choice. http://www.nattygreenes.com/content/natty-greenes-pub-brewing-co-raleigh

Boylan Bridge Brewpub began about three years ago by owner Andrew Leager who originally brewed beer for a hobby. When he decided a Brewpub would make a great addition to downtown Raleigh he built the brewery and Restaurant above his wood shop, which is still located beneath the restaurant. Boylan Bridge always has eight hand crafted beers on tap all the time. You can't always be guaranteed your beer of choice will be on tap because with only eight taps the brews are switched out frequently. Employee Sarah Wilkinson says, "The Endless Summer Ale is almost always on tap as it is the most popular beer. The Endless Summer is the lightest beer we have on the menu and is ordered often by new craft beer drinkers."

Though the Summer Ale is their lightest beer on tap it still has no comparison to a watered down bud light, it is full of taste and has a hint of bitterness. My personal favorite is one of their seasonal brews, the Trainspotter Scottish Ale. The Scottish Ale has the perfect mixture of Carmel malt creating a memorable after taste making you anxious for another sip. Any choice of beer goes perfectly with their famous hand battered onion rings. You can enjoy all of these beers by ordering a flight which is a sample of all eight beers and absorb all the different tastes while enjoying the best out door seating in Raleigh.http://www.boylanbridge.com/index.shtml

If you are looking for a wide variety of beer selections and not strictly house brews, you might want to check out the newly opened Tyler's Restaurant and Taproom located in Seaboard Station. With more beer than you can even count, you are bound to find a favorite craft beer here. They are constantly putting new brews on tap and make it a priority to have the best beer they can find. They also have quality, mouth watering burgers that you have no choice but to eat it all.http://www.tylerstaproom.com/