The Shanty is a bar near downtown
Tucson,
Arizona. It
resides on the northeast corner of 4th Ave, and 9th St.
Often, the Shanty is forgotten about due to its proximity
to
Maloney's, but it deserves recognition due to its
relaxed atmosphere and wide selection of
beer.
It requires noting that the Shanty is not your typical bar
on the scene of 4th Ave. Typically, bars along 4th cater
to the party types. Malony's, North, the Surly Wench, they
all cater to those who wish to get drunk and dance with as
many random people as possible. The Shanty is more of a
traditional Cheers-style bar. It sports five billiards
tables, and a foosball table. Giant paintings of naked
women adorn the walls, the bar is fully stocked, and the
bar staff knowledgable about everything they serve
.
The atmosphere is slightly peculiar. It is not darkly lit,
rather it is illuminated by an excess of lighting. The
tables are not wooden, but copper-topped. The Shanty
definately lacks the sullen atmosphere that most bars
sport. However, when you enter through the well-guarded
front door (sporting two doormen rather than the
traditional single doorman.) You can feel the tradition
behind the Shanty. You know you're entering into something
with a richer tradition than you could hope to imagine.
The Shanty is Arizona's oldest continuously licensed bar.
(So says their menu) and was established in 1937.
The following is the preface to The Shanty's beer list
.
----------------------------------------------------
"We feel that everything an individual does should be
some sort of learning experience. This list is one of the
most complete representations of the brewer's art in the
Western United States. Moreover, it is the largest
selection available in Arizona. We will, whenever
possible, build our selection as other beers become
available, so please ask about beers not appearing on this
list.
Most of our imported specialties are brewed to be consumed
at a higher temperature - but we have discovered that
people prefer their beer to be more chilled than perhaps
the Brewmaster intended. If you would enjoy an unchilled
bottle - please ask. We hope these beers are as
pleasurable for you to taste as they are for us to serve.
------------------------------------------------------
While it is a fairly standard preface to be presented by
any bar, the beer list itself is rather impressive.
Thirty-three countries are represented, most with more
than one brewery, or more than one county presented. It is
common practice among students at the UA to attempt to create a checklist with this
beer list, attempting to traverse the entire selection
before graduation. This can make for a rather stress-free
time during finals of one's senior year. It should be
noted however, that this list will quickly become outdated
due to the Shanty's desire to keep a full, updated list (
Consequently, their menu changes weekly.)