Independence Tap

Their FretKnot Fridays are great. FretKnot is a very welcoming open mic held the 2nd Friday of every month. And I have seen some great musicians here from your standard singer/guitar player to full bands to even beat boxers. The beer selection is great as well and very reasonably priced. The reason I am giving it only 3 starts is location - it's pretty far for this East Lakeview girl, especially if I am carting instruments and amps. But it is not far from a Blue Line stop as well as free parking in the parking lot behind the bar and fairly decent availability for street parking.

This is my new local having moved to the area last summer.  It's not fancy, you won't get food here, but you will get a really good local, with great beer choices and a fun place to hang out after a long day at work and grab a drink or two.  Wednesdays through Fridays, Jeff is tending bar, and he's excellent. Very entertaining, knows his beer, and makes a mean mixed drink.  Can't comment on its history, but I go in weekly and I've never seen any problems, other than the cheapies on open mike nights who drink nothing but water and don't tip. Really people??

I can't speak for the weekend crowd, but Independence Tap is seriously underused during the week and could use your love and patronage.  It is a no frills neighborhood bar with a pleasantly divey atmosphere but five star booze; ideal for quality conversation lubricated by quality spirits.

George boasts an excellent selection of bourbons and ryes, well over 20 I'd wager, and his tap roster is a veritable All Star lineup in the world of craft brews.  My love of rye whiskey has been spilling into beer, and so I am loving the O'Fallon Hemp Hop Rye.  It  is delicious, and, at $3 a pint, felonious.  Check it out.