Review: Sergio's World Beers

And despite considering myself a semi-knowledgeable enthusiast, and while I've tried to pay frequent visits to most of the beer titans around town, I'd always heard of — but never visited — the near mythical Shelbyville institution Sergio's World Beers. An out-of-county jaunt just never materialized, and I was always left wondering about the place that I'd heard had such distinctive charm and hundreds of hard-to-find brews.

So when I heard that Sergio's was moving into Butchertown, I was determined to make a pilgrimage as soon as the doors opened. After hearing conflicting messages about whether or not the new location was operational, I decided to check it out on a recent Wednesday afternoon.

First, a disclaimer: Sergio's is technically open, but it's still, as I was told when I called ahead, a “work in progress.” As stated on its website (sergiosworldbeers.com), they are frank about catering to beer connoisseurs and are they're trying to build an educated clientele and not an army of curious sidewalk drop-ins.

So I was a bit nervous. What exactly was I stepping into here? My fears were allayed, however, when I opened the front door of the bare brick storefront — the building has no signage whatsoever — and found about a dozen jovial folks enjoying beer in a welcoming setting.

The joint is small; an L-shaped bar with a couple tables in the front area, with a hallway leading to a large back room with booths and a big-screen TV. And there's beer everywhere — taps and bottles and refrigerated coolers all over the place. A beer list was available but overwhelming, so we took owner Sergio Ribenboim's advice and took a look around at the taps and in the coolers to make our selections. My buddy picked a bottle of Buffalo Bill Brewery Blueberry Stout ($4), while I went with the Duchesse de Bourgogne on draft ($6.50), a Flemish red-style ale that instantly shot near the top of my personal beer list. I even managed to sneak another one in before leaving.

Sergio's also has a ton of food on the menu: Mexican dishes, pub food, salads and pasta. For my meal, I snagged Sergio's Special Steak Burrito ($11) topped with queso, which was delicious and filling. My fellow bar hopper ordered a chicken fajita burrito ($12), which he also seemed to enjoy.

All in all, our visit was top notch. I don't know of any place I've ever been with such impeccable choices in beer, not to mention such tasty grub. Sergio never doted, but he was ever-present if you needed another drink or had a question.

So what does one make of the somewhat cryptic nature of the website and publicity? I see it not as a means to keep people away, but a way to draw in like-minded people who have the same passion for drinking high-quality beer in peace. And who can argue with that?

But it's cash only, so hit the ATM before you go.