Tucked down under the often-busy streets of Cleveland, La Cave Du Vin is located on the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard. The entrance and environment literally seem like you are making your way down to an actual cave. The atmosphere is dark and dank, but oddly enough, has a very homey feel. Four coolers full of beer and a handful of tables fill one side while a bar, and a rowdier crowd can often be found on the other. La Cave Du Vin has been rated in the “Top 25 Best Beer Bars” on Ratebeer.com and has also made several appearances over the years in Draft Magazine’s “America’s 100 Best Beer Bars.” The draught list typically features six unique drafts that sometimes escape other craft-beer bars throughout Northeast Ohio. Though the bar does not offer a full- fledged menu, it does offer a few treats that complement their impressive arsenal of beers. I ordered up the Beer Board, a selection of full-flavored and smoked cheeses, spicy whole-grain mustard, salumi (salted meat), dried fruit, carne de membrillo and crackers. Formyfirstbeer,Istartedwithsomethinga little light from the draft — Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche, a 4.5% Berliner Weisse fermented with peaches. The beer is a perfect solution for the hot, humid days of Ohio summer; Festina Peche will please anyone who enjoys a refreshing beer after a long day at work or simply just out on the town. As the Beer Board made its way to our table, I headed toward round two with another draft offering: Troegs Perpetual Imperial Pale Ale. Yes, you heard that right. Perpetual is an Imperial Pale Ale, not an India Pale Ale. The fantastic brewery known for classics such as Nugget Nectar and Mad Elf has created a dry- hopped imperial pale ale for all the hopheads out there. So what is the verdict? This fella still tastes like an IPA — not that this is a bad thing, as this brew is pretty damn good. The word on the street is this once-seasonal beer will finally be available year-round. My next selection from the draught, though well-crafted, was a bit of a misstep. While I am normally an admirer of Southern Tier’s array of beers, their Creme Brulee Stout is just a little too much. This 9.6% imperial milk stout takes sweetness to a whole new level, and not really in a satisfying way. The flavorful stout has the taste down pat, as this beer creates the illusion that you are drinking a creme brulee. My problem, however, is that I honestly couldn’t savor more than a small sample of this (let alone a whole 22-ounce bomber full, which the brew is traditionally distributed in). To bring things to a close, I scanned the plethora of beer found in the coolers. La Cave Du Vin gives other beer stores a run for their money, thanks to a wide range of often hard- to-find beers. I wanted to go with something new, yet a familiar taste, so I grabbed a bottle of Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA. To say I was highly anticipating this beer is a drastic understatement. While I have never been a huge fan of the original Ruination, I respect Greg Koch and the rest of the Stone brewers for their work during the past decade and a half. This year marked the 10th anniversary of their famed India pale ale, so Koch decided to kick things up a notch. Clocking in at 10.9 %, the crew doubled it up and used five pounds of hops per barrel, making for one hell of a hop bomb. Well worth the hype, in my opinion, Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA is a swift kick to the palette and is something truly special. If there is one downside to the La Cave Du Vin, it would clearly be their hours of operation. While the beer and wine bar is open till 2 a.m. every day of the week, the establishment doesn’t open its doors until 6 p.m. on Monday, 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Nonetheless, that should by no means hold you back from this must-frequent beer haven.