Beer Bars – La Cave Du Vin in Cleveland Heights, Ohio

If I were to open a bar and call it “La Cave”, this is pretty much exactly what I would want it to look like.  To enter, one must walk into an entryway, descend a staircase, and enter a nearly unmarked door.  The inside is dimly lit, with dark, unfinished ceilings, exposed heating ducts, brick walls, and a few select Christmas lights to give it some highlights.  The horseshoe bar is flanked by racks of wine bottles and a four-door beer cooler.  There are small sets of round tables and chairs illuminated by candlelight.  Jazz plays lightly over the overhead, while Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory projects on the wall. 8pm on a Monday night and I’m the only customer in the place.

The bottle selection is pretty nice, with a handful of decent vintages, but there are only six lonely draft handles.  Bottles include regional choices like Southern Tier, New Holland, Victory, Jolly Pumpkin, Brew Kettle, Fat Heads, and Founders.  Nice west coast options like Ballast Point, Stone, Lagunitas, Mission, The Bruery, Green Flash, and 21st Amendment.  Also some imports like Mikkeller, Famtome, Trappist de Rochefort, Lindemans, and Delirium.  I asked the friendly bartender for a local recommendation, and I ended up with Brew Kettle’s White Rajah India Pale Ale (which coincidentally ended up being exactly what I wanted).

I ended up at this place because of DRAFT Magazine’s “Top 100 Beer Bars in America” list, and I’m not sure I agree.  This is a great little establishment, but top 100 in America?  I think you need more than six handles to be considered in the upper echelon in the country.  But my review is about the bar and not the list, so I am certainly rating it favorably.  You might just want to temper your expectations.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd.

Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106
216-932-6411
http://www.lacaveduvin.com/

-Matt