Welcome!
Some people collect autographs, some collect antiques, others collect stamps. My hobby is a little different, I collect bars. This site represents my collection, documenting each bar I visit.
This is not a review site, there's plenty of those already. Most posts in this bar diary are slice-of-life recaps of the half hour or so I spent having a beer. I hope you enjoy browsing through my collection!
--ScooterJA Few Random Favorites
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Finn’s Food & Spirits
(Downtown, Hannibal, MO) Scooter’s 1873rd bar, first visited in 2026. I really needed a good coffee and had been unable to find one in downtown Springfield. Hannibal was the city…
Latest Posts
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#1348: Ernie’s Boondock
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1348th bar, first visited in 2019. This is an odd duck in that it is a new-build dive bar. That’s really hard to do, you... -
#1347: Exile Brewing Company
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1347th bar, first visited in 2019. We walked down here from Carl’s, and despite having had breakfast just 2 hours earlier, we were hungry again and... -
#1346: Carl’s Place
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Sherman Hill, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1346th bar, first visited in 2019. After breakfast we had an uber take us to what Yelp calls the best dive bar in all... -
#1345: Royal Mile
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1345th bar, first visited in 2019. This is a fantastic-looking English pub right in the heart of downtown. Along with the great interior, there is... -
#1344: El Bait Shop
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1344th bar, first visited in 2019. We returned after nearly an hour and found the place still way too crowded. Absolutely no way of getting... -
#1343: Shorty’s Somewhat Fancy Bar
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1343rd bar, first visited in 2019. We tried to go to El Bait Shop next but it was wasn’t happening — far too crowded. So... -
#1342: The High Life Lounge
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1342nd bar, first visited in 2019. When we stepped in the door there were only a couple of seats at the bar but there was... -
#1341: Hessen Haus
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1341st bar, first visited in 2019. Since we foudn foot at Mullets we decided to save Iowa Taproom for tomorrow as originally planned. We checked... -
#1340: Mullets
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(McKinley School/ Columbus Park, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1340th bar, first visited in 2019. Since Exile Brewing was closed we contoinued our attempt to go to Iowa Taproom a day... -
#1339: L D’s Corner Bar
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(McKinley School/ Columbus Park, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1339th bar, first visited in 2019. Originally we had made the difficult decision of cutting this place from our itinerary. But after... -
#1338: Confluence Brewing
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Greater South Side, Des Moines, IA) Scooter’s 1338th bar, first visited in 2019. Though I’ve had some of their beer before, this is my first visit to an Iowa brewery.... -
#1337: Mugsley’s Pub
Posted on July 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Bethany, MO) Scooter’s 1337th bar, first visited in 2019. My friend Brandon and I tried to visit here over a decade ago when it was a placed called Right... -
#1336: Pizza Bar
Posted on May 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Kansas City, MO) Scooter’s 1336th bar, first visited in 2019. I had no idea until later that, while I’ve been in here before, I’d never actually had a drink... -
#1335: County Road Ice House
Posted on May 2019 | No Comments(Downtown, Kansas City, MO) Formerly Gordon Biersch Scooter’s 1335th bar, first visited in 2019. I wasn’t originally planning to even count this as a new bar since I had already... -
#1334: 3 Trails Brewing Company
Posted on May 2019 | No Comments(Independence Square, Independence, MO) Scooter’s 1334th bar, first visited in 2019. This brewery in downtown Independence sits under the watchful eye of President Harry S Truman (seen outside in one... -
#1333: Apex Aleworks
Posted on May 2019 | No Comments(Independence, MO) Scooter’s 1333rd bar, first visited in 2019. A newcomer to the area but the first brewery in Independence, Apex Aleworks is the result of an existing home brew... -
#1332: New Axiom Brewing Company
Posted on May 2019 | No Comments(Lee’s Summit, MO) Scooter’s 1332nd bar, first visited in 2019. This had been open for quite a while but I hadn’t been yet due to the distance. Finally got a... -
#1331: Side Pockets
Posted on April 2019 | No Comments(Kansas City, MO) Scooter’s 1331st bar, first visited in 2019. Gigantic strip mall sports bar. Mostly centered on pool but also has darts, several video games, cornhole tournaments, and lots... -
#1330: 1840 Brewing Company
Posted on April 2019 | No Comments(Bay View, Milwaukee, WI) Scooter’s 1330th bar, first visited in 2019. I had never heard of this place, but it came recommended by an Internet Stranger who had been here... -
#1329: Third Space Brewing
Posted on April 2019 | No Comments(Menomonee River Valley, Milwaukee, WI) Scooter’s 1329th bar, first visited in 2019. I wasn’t originally planning to come here, but when fate handed me one of their stickers and then... -
#1328: Sobelman’s
Posted on April 2019 | No Comments(Menomonee River Valley, Milwaukee, WI) Scooter’s 1328th bar, first visited in 2019. We had decided well in advance that our next bar after Holler House was going to be a...
