In an informal "bragging rights" contest, I'm going to appeal to the readers
he

I'm looking for the neighborhood in North America with the highest
concentration of different taps in a short distance--say, staggering or
pubcrawling distance.

Distance/size: Call it 1/4 mile by 1/2 mile or thereabouts, not six miles
of one roadway or "Manhattan".

We are looking for the biggest reasonably consistent *variety of drafts*.
Quality or diversity is not the issue, only quantity. Duplication of
popular drafts (Guinness, Miller, Bass, etc.) permitted between
establishments, but don't count towards the final total. Brewpubs or micro
outlets/"tied houses" count as well. We don't happen to be looking for
bottles or retail outlets, but if someone can make a convincing case that
the bar with 50 taps and 550 bottles impacts the whole neighborhood, I'm
willing to listen.

My assumption is that the winner will be a neighborhood that hosts both: 1)
one of the big taphouses of the nation and 2) a hell of a lot of competition
surrounding it.

Opening nomination: Fells Point, Baltimore. Home to Max's Taphouse
(averages 65 or so drafts at any given moment, plus two beer engines), two
"brewpub" outlets serving eight to 12 exclusive beers each (Wharf Rat and
DuClaw Brewing), and several bars with 10-25 taps each. A fair guess--to be
confirmed with a clipboard later this week--is that the neighborhood is
pouring around 125 different beers on tap at any given moment, and that
number *could* be as high as 150.

Another possibility: The 7th St. NW/MCI Center neighborhood of Washington,
DC, home to RFD Washington (the tap version of the Brickskeller, 50+ taps),
District Chop House brewpub, Gordon Biersch brewpub, and a variety of other
bars--though I doubt the total would extend well over 100, depending on how
one defines "the neighborhood".

The knowledgeable beer geeks I have spoken to seem to think that the winner
will either be Fells Point or some neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.


Nominations?