For some, the butchertown area off Story Ave. and Washington Streets is nothing more than a mix of industry and beautiful brick sidewalks showcasing historic shotgun houses. In this day, you can find fun times at Vernon Lanes or good eats at the Blind Pig between Story and Washington. For the past two years, there has been one more local find lurking in the back alleys of butchertown: Sergio's World Beers.
Sergio, a fun-loving Shelbyvillian who originates from Brazil, knows too many languages for me to remember. He along with his son Eric, Cory, Alex, and Rafael often run Sergio's World Beers. Unmarked and sitting just before the intersection of Story and Frankfort with flags in the windows, Sergio's bar is one-of-a-kind. The interior could very well be the innards of a 1970's hot dog shop, rollerdome dining area, or retro cafeteria. Instead it's a bar... of sorts. His house is shotgun-style and there are just fridges lining the walls with beers from all around the world. While Sergio will readily admit (and you can tell from his tap list) that he favors Belgium and American brews, he has Russian, Asian, Central American, and beers from all other parts of the world. It's truly a unique experience to enter Sergio's World Beers!
He claims to have over 1,000 beers, but I'm sure that number surpasses 1,100. He keeps a rotating list of the 80-or-so beers he keeps on tap, which always includes chimay.
My top beer picks include: recommended winter ales, chimay, valdieu (his birthday beer), and hopslam (also on tap). Beers in the bottle run at around 4.50 and on top at around 7.50. Pricey? Yes. You can put away beer and food for 20 dollars quite easily and more on a bigger night.
Sergio's also offers something special: a large food menu. This is more than just your average bar food, as Sergio used to run a Mexican restaurant down in Shelbyville. He has seviche, soups, mexican food, cheesesteaks, gyros, and several other fun and obscure offerings on the menu. I highly recommend the guacamole and the mexican pizza, which is a fried tortilla with beans, beef and cheese. It's done perfectly everytime. Skip the cheese dip!
When I enter the bar, I always sit one of two places: at the bar with a handfull of people or in the back in the corner table with a larger group. One word to the wise is that on slow evenings you'll have to literally screw in the lightbulb above your table to provide litting for your friends. I guess it keeps the costs down ;)
When you enter for the first time, don't hesitate to ask Sergio for a brief tour or explanation of the location of the fridges with beverages from different regions in them. He can be very informative on locale and taste via his website, but in person I think it's rare that he would fail to recommend a specific beer (save bud light).
All-in-all, Sergios is a worthwhile visit because - frankly - where else can you find the quaint ambience, bizarre mix of food and beverage and gentile bargoers that Sergio's has to offer?
