Finding a spot at the end of the day to sit and reflect—or in my world, more commonly known as having a beer—is always an adventure when you’re in a new town.

I’m not so much a drinker as I am a purveyor of drinking culture. Maybe it’s because I spent many years tending bar in my college years, but for me, it always starts with finding a good drinking establishment.

An interesting exterior is a must. New construction? Absolutely not. In fact, age is an attraction here—the older, the better, in my estimation.

Once inside, it’s the funk and the kitsch that separate a good bar from a truly great one. This place had both in spades—from years of utter disregard for the woodwork to sawdust and peanut shells scattered across the floor.

I’m pretty much “one and done,” as they say in the bar business, but that was more than enough time to capture a moment, appreciate the atmosphere, and add to the ongoing story of these timeless gathering places.