The Gateway City’s first love may be baseball, but we have a serious passion for soccer, too. No matter where you are tomorrow in St. Louis, there’s a place for you to settle in with some tasty brews, get rowdy with fellow soccer fans, and cheer on your favorite team. The World Cup kicks off tomorrow at 3 p.m., and we’ve got 13 spots for you to get your game on.
1. Amsterdam Tavern: There’s a reason this Tower Grove staple made our list of Best Places to Watch the Big Game. Amsterdam Tavern isn’t your run-of-the-mill sports bar; in fact, it’s dedicated to soccer. Sure to be packed, patrons here know their way around the game. Get your fix inside at its new beer garden, and don’t forget to grab some grub at The Dam, located next door.
2. The Moolah: No ticket needed for this special screening at The Moolah. Select games will be shown on the big screen; all matches are shown in Mini Moolah lounge – and it’s all free. Grab a beer and claim your couch in the name of your team.
3. Meshuggah Café: The upstairs loft of this unassuming, bookish joint makes way for screenings of World Cup matches. Food and drink specials are available, and while coffee may be its forte, don’t forget the selection of brews, too.
4. Barrister’s: This Clayton spot has long been a haunt for soccer fans. The game starts at 3 p.m. and Barrister’s happy hour starts at 4 p.m. – perfect timing to start preemptively celebrating or mourning.
5. International Tap House: Everyone wins when new beer is on tap. All four iTap locations are celebrating the World Cup in style with two new brews to mark the occasion: 2nd Shift Brewing’s iBallz, a bi-selected IPA, and 4 Hands Brewing’s WC ’14 Ale, an APA whose recipe was created by iTap’s homebrew winner Patrick Strohmayer.
6. The Biergarten at Anheuser Busch: Even the big boys are feeling World Cup fever. AB hosts a viewing party at its Biergarden to celebration the opening match between Croatia and Brazil Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m., featuring a 16-foot screen and Brazilian cultural performances.
7. Llywelyn’s Pub: Host your own match party at any of Llywelyn’s six locations, or just take advantage of the match-themed drink specials. Select brews from the countries playing that that match are $2 off. Talk about fan rewards.
8. The Scottish Arms: This rustic pub should be your choice if you want to enjoy some bloody good Scottish eats while watching the games. A lovely outdoor seating area is the perfect place for an evening viewing party with good scotch and barbecue specials.
9. Tigín Irish Pub: In a gambling mood? Play the $1 million bracket challenge and see if you can predict the outcome of all matches for cash prizes downtown at Tigín, an officially designated U.S. Soccer Bar.
10. The Dubliner: What better place to watch Europe’s favorite sport (and the rest of the world’s for that matter) than a proper European gastropub? It’s even running a fantasy football (and by that we mean soccer) league as the Cup plays on. That’s dedication.
This article appears in June 2014.