The average college kid can’t name more than a few dozen kinds of beer. If it’s cheap, they’ll drink it, and there’s no room in the pocketbook to be picky. How many beers have you tried in your lifetime? Maybe 50? Maybe 100?
How about 564?
World of Beers opened today, November 1, in the Columbus Brewery District, with just that many varieties of brew. With this, the Florida-based chain marked its first jump out-of-state, and its 16th location. Another 10 locations are planned, and one sip of the atmosphere will show you exactly what is so attractive about this place.
Soon the menu will include wines and cigars, but for now it just has its massive selection of beers. Fanatics rejoice; there are over 500 bottled varieties from all over the world representing dozens of countries, and another few dozen on tap. The menu changes regularly, so it’s hard to pin down an exact menu, but that just means more for the choosing. It’s a little overwhelming at first to be presented such a large menu, but beer novices rejoice – there’s a cheat sheet to explain it all. At long last you’ll find what the difference is between a porter, a lager, and a pilsner.
The beers are a little pricey, at $5.00 to $7.00 each, but if the sheer variety doesn’t make that up for you, the higher alcohol contents will. Most of the beers range in content from 5 to 8 percent, as high as 12 percent in some. It’s worth the extra price. What’s more interesting, when you order a beer the barristas will periodically come back with beer shots allowing you to sample other options similar to the ones you’ve tried and enjoyed. It makes the daunting experience of picking a beer very approachable. Relax – just try what tastes good.
The beer concept is great, unfortunately, the place does not make its own food. Instead, neighboring restaurants bring in menus and allow you to order take out food. This is a nice way to patronize more than one business, but at the same time it gets a little pricey, something you should keep in mind. Service is outstanding, especially when the place has such an unusual concept and new patrons require a degree of patience. I won’t be surprised if World of Beers has a profitable future with this style.
Overall though, this is an outstanding concept, not only in that it’s a great opportunity for new beer drinkers to sample a huge selection, but it’s also a chance for veteran beer snobs to sample the local and international microbrews on the ever-changing menu. It’s a nightspot that’s definitely worth a sampling.
Recommendations
- There is a loyalty card club with some hefty rewards for trying more varieties of beer. If you’re a beer snob, safe to say you’ll want to sign up.
- Ladies’ nights offer half-off drinks one day a week. With prices like these, it’s worth an investment.
- Keep in mind World of Beers does not make its own food, instead it relies on nearby restaurants to serve hungry customers.
Another Food Critic 
