The Session- Stumbling Home

My first dive into The Session.  This weeks Session deals with the local watering hole.  It was brought to you by Two Parts Rye.

I have been fortunate enough to have a few "local" watering holes.  I have my way-home-from-work bars and pubs, the right around the corner pubs and I have my go back to the hometown pubs.  Each have their own mystique, and I treat them as such.

When I moved 150 miles to a city where I knew few people, one of the last things on my list was to find my local bar.  The one where I can go in, know some people and have a good drink.  I was lucky enough to find one.  Mike McGovern's Pub is a small irish pub, with tons of character.  Not the crazy people character, but the family character.

The beer selection is okay.  In our neighborhood, there are many more places that give you better beer.  The 6 taps have common irish pub beers (Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, Boddingtons and 2 rotating taps).  The bottle list is ok, with american macros (Bud, Miller), import macros (LaBatt Blue, Molson, Murphys, Magners) and a few micros (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Leinekugels).  I go with Duvel while there, and love that an Irish bar has a tulip glass to go with it.  If I am there for a while, Yuengling it is; there on a hot day, Warsteiner.  Always a beer that I enjoy and drink.

What makes up for it is the friendship.  Many of the people who go to McGovern's live within a few blocks.  The owner will be there with a friendly smile, and offer you a seat.  After a few trips, half the people in the bar know your name.  There is the real estate agent/beer guy at the stadiums guy, the couple who always offer Saturday boat rides, the first guy I met you lived 10 miles from me at home, the crazy guy who is always up for a game of Jenga, the italian couple who can always keep the conversation going, an Enginerd (her term for geeky engineer), an 80+ year old man in a suit (because he just likes to get out), and so many more personalities that blend together.

The bar treats itself like family, and what is better than that?  Need a dog watcher, got one.  Need somewhere to go on a holiday if it is too far to go home, McGoverns will be open with people there for you (or they invite you over).  The people make the bar turn, and enjoyable.  I can't imagine having a better watering hole, two blocks from my house.