I’m writing this from Beercade on its opening night (Fri, Apr 13). I arrived a little before 4:30 and place is already busy. The first thing you see when you walk in is the arcade games. I would say there are approximately 17 video games and 4 pinball games.
Now, on to the important part, the beer. They have 25 taps, and according to their site, the only one that will not be rotating is the PBR tap. Some are common, if you frequent craft beer bars, and some are notable: Boulevard Tank 7, Great Divide 18th Anniversary Wood-Aged Double IPA, Squatters IPA, and Hacker-Pschorr Munich Dark.
When I first arrived, I was greeted by Jenny, the Boulevard representative and their wholesale sales person. They turned me onto a new creation the wholesale sales guy (sorry, forgot his name) came up with, the “7 and Stout.” It’s half Boulevard Dry Stout, and half Boulevard Tank 7. Very tasty, and a nice change from the standard black and tan.
I would say the gamers outnumber the beer drinkers right now, but even the gamers are drinking quality craft beer. Even as I write this, the diversity of the crowd is changing. I see different age groups, couples, and professionals that just got done with work.
The custom signage behind the bar is cool. There are different ones for each category: draft beer, vodkas, bourbons, rums, etc. Each have their own arcade game artwork.
Overall, I’m liking this place more and more as I sit here. They make no excuses for what they are…an arcade with a bar. I think they will do well, and they are a great addition to the fantastic businesses Benson has been serving up the last year.
