hzoi

  I went down to Mainz today and discovered it's changed into just a cafe.  Bummer.

  If your assumption is that "craft beer" and "IPA" are interchangeable terms, then I have good news: they aren't.   Small craft breweries in the US are experimenting and bringing back German regional specialties that have all but died out in Germany.  And while I'll grant you that Rauchbier is better in Bamberg than anyplace I've tried it in the US, at least American breweries appreciate are pushing to bring Rauchbier to a wider audience.   And, oh by the way, there are German craft breweries out there, as younger brewers push the envelope.   Either way, while you're free to express your opinion on things, I came here to ask where I can find different beers, not for your opinion on them.  It's like asking someone in the street directions to the airport and getting a grumbling lecture on how everyone should take the train more.  Yeah, thanks for that, but that's not what I asked, and you're not being helpful.   For everyone other than @hasenpfad1, thanks very much for your help!

  It's a good one.  Been there for a work lunch but definitely need to go back for a non-working dinner.   Definitely need to get to Naiv - thanks!

While I love German beer, I also miss some of the more experimental brews that smaller US breweries produce.  In May, I took a trip to Riga and stopped in to Alus Celle, a cool beer store/bar with more craft emphasis, and I remembered what I was missing.   I know and love Maruhn down in Pfungstadt, which has a great selection, but even there the emphasis is on more traditional beers.  I've heard of Die Berotek but haven't gotten there yet.   Would love to hear recommendations for (or against) other places around the area, especially if I am missing something around Wiesbaden (where we live) or Mainz.   Thanks!

Saw this a little late.  We currently live just outside Bierstadt and are quite happy.  We used to live in the Westend, and while we didn't have any issues, the neighborhood was not the nicest - regularly had to side-step dog waste in the streets when walking downtown, and in fact the area has now been designated as a weapons-free zone to handle crime.   Where did you end up choosing?