Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.
Written by Ken Carman
I dedicate this column to Drew Patterson who introduced me to Sergio’s. That’s Drew with the beard, watching a beer being poured. Drew passed on May 17th. He will be missed more than he, or even his wife Vickie, ever imagined.
A Review: Sergio’s World Beers
1605 Story Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 618-2337
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This is the front door to Sergios in Louisville, KY. However, Drew and I entered through the back door. At Sergios “formality” is replaced by a passion for beer. Drew knew this and told me about the “secret” entrance.
As you will see, Sergio’s is a small, intimate multi-tap bar. It’s unlike any I have visited and I have been from 99 in Hudson, Mass., to California Brew Haus in Rochester, NY, to Broadway Brewhouse in Nashville to Brews Brothers in Pensacola. I have never seen anything like Sergios. The taps are everywhere and close by. The bottles: the same. You are, literally, living on a house of beer.
Drew Patterson held just one of the over 1,200 bottles of beer Sergio’s offers.
They also have 41 taps.
Sergio likes every beer to have its own glass, Whoa to the Bartender who puts Chimay in a Bud glass. Not that folks would come to Sergios for Bud, in fact I’d be surprised if he even carries it.
Drew held open one of the coolers door for me to take a picture. There are plenty of coolers and beer is, literally, everywhere.
Drew held up a news story on Sergio’s so I could take a picture. Sergio’s used to be in Shelbyville, KY but moved to Louisville because the regulations required him to sell too much food in ratio to beer to make a decent profit. This doesn’t mean the food is lacking by any means. They specialize in Mexican and Greek foods. Their cheese steaks are the rave around town, or “the bomb” as one patron said. Drew and I shared an order of chili wantons and beef nachos. The wantons were flash/crisp fried with mozzarella and peppers. What else? “It’s a secret,” Eric, the bartender, said. The beef nachos: sour cream, cheese, hamburger.
Eric described Sergio as “a Brazilian born beer geek.” I am botch this, but I believe told me Sergio’s full name is “Sergio Ribenboim.” If that’s wrong, Sergio, blame my terrible script, or three glasses of high octane beer. Could be either. Could be both.
 I hope some day to stop by and interview Sergio himself. When I visited with Drew he was in Belgium encouraging Belgium brewers to export even more of their fine beers to America and also introducing both customers and suppliers to the wonders of Belgian brew. This was, by no means, his first trip. I really don’t feel like I can do Sergio’s justice without interviewing a man so dedicated to bringing good beer to Louisville.
I will visit again.