Wednesday 29th of December 2010 02:04:16 PM

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Over the last two years, the Cary Public House (known to regulars as the "Cary Pub") has totally transformed itself in terms of bottle and draft selection... but also in terms of its beer culture. The first time I stepped into the Pub, the only beer on draft worth drinking was Bell's Brown. Now a year and a half later on draft: Two Hearted, Domaine DuPage, Harpoon IPA, Blanche de Bruxelles, Robert the Bruce, and yes... still Bell's Brown.

Sherm, the manager, is a true beer lover, always introducing patrons to whatever new beer has come into the bar. The Pub hosts beer tastings about every month or so, which is a cheap way to try out a selection of new beers. However, if you're already a beer fan, these might not always be new to you.

Their bottle selection feels like a friend's beer fridge-- there's always some random gem that can be found in there. The beer menu signs around the bar show what's new and what's on sale (always great values). Also, there are about a half dozen Belgian selections in bottles like Chimay Blue, Hopus, Maredsous, Orval, and Kwak-- all served in proper glassware.

They're currently revamping their kitchen to try to play catch-up with the progress they've made with their beer selection. The corned beef sandwich is excellent, with big chunks of corned beef-- not shaved, and served on rye with horseradish. The fries are also really good here, and Sherm will whip up some good Belgian-style dipping sauces if you ask him.

All in all, Cary Pub is a great value with a nice selection of beer. The transformation from a dive bar to a beer bar in such a short time has definitely impressed me. And I'm not the only one... it seems like I see more and more beer fans each time I go in (more people ordering Alpha King instead of Moscow Mules).