World's best bar crawls

5. Portland, Oregon

What's on tap: An endless variety of handcrafted beers that will give you an appreciation of the art of brewing—or at least something to talk about between slugs.

Why it's worth a shot: Portland has more microbreweries per capita than any city in the United States, and brewpubs (bars that make beer on-site) are essential to the local way of life. Think of Paris café culture with less attitude—assuming you don't try to order a Bud Lite.

Booze route: Start out with a homemade pretzel and a glass of award-winning Mirror Pond Pale Ale at the Deschutes Brewery & Public House, which occupies a former auto-body shop on N.W. 11th Avenue in the Pearl District. (Manly men will appreciate the chainsaw art and abundant Scottish plaids.) You can light up a cigar in the detention room at McMenamins Kennedy School on N.E. 33rd Avenue, a converted 1915 elementary school, and catch live music acts in the old gym. But if you want to hang with local beer geeks—who'd consider those places too mainstream—head to Hopworks Urban Brewery on SE Powell Powell Boulevard, an "eco-brewpub" where the organic beers have more of the West Coast's trademark hoppy bite. Green Dragon, in the same trendy Southeast neighborhood, keeps nearly 20 beers on tap. Chances are you haven't heard of more than one or two of them, but the bartenders will be happy to explain the difference between a brown ale and a chocolate stout.

Hangover cure: The baristas at Coffeehouse Northwest on West Burnside Boulevard treat every espresso they make as if it were a work of art, but it's worth the wait. For a quicker fix, head to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, in the über-hip Ace Hotel—no need to fix your bedhead.

Deschutes Brewery & Public House
Tel: 503 296 4906

McMenamins Kennedy School
Tel: 888 249 3983

Hopworks Urban Brewery
Tel: 503 232 4677

Green Dragon
Tel: 503 517 0606

Coffeehouse Northwest
Tel: 503 248 2133

6. Shanghai

What's on tap: A toast to the city's riotous 1930s heyday in the French Concession's throwback bars.

Tim Labarge / Hopworks Urban Brewery At Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Ore., enjoy an endless variety of handcrafted beers that will give you an appreciation of the art of brewing—or at least something to talk about between slugs.

Why it's worth a shot:
Pre-Communist Shanghai was a heady cocktail of showgirls, gangsters, opium fiends, and exiled aristocrats. Today, a surprising number of historic buildings in the old French Concession, the former nightlife hub, have been reborn as watering holes that offer a look at how the city once partied (well, with the exception of the opium fiends).

Booze route: Segue from afternoon tea to gin and tonics at the Ruijin Hotel, a renovated 1920s estate of a British newspaper owner where the bar is modeled on a Silk Route caravansary. Then hit Mansion Hotel, the one-time residence of a sybaritic Shanghai mob boss—his private stage, where he once had Peking Opera stars perform, still sits in the lobby. But now the party centers on the rooftop bar and its (ahem) killer views of the French Concession. Your last stop is Cotton's, an expat favorite housed in a 1927 villa. The labyrinthine mansion has plenty of nooks and crannies. Order up a spicy Chairman Mao shot (the recipe's a secret) and conk out in front of one of four fireplaces with your new best friend.

Hangover cure: Banish the aftereffects of that Chairman Mao with several rounds of dim sum at Bao Luo, a locals' joint known for its crab and pork meatballs.

Ruijin Hotel
Tel: 86 21 6472 5222

Mansion Hotel
Tel: 86 21 5403 9888

Cotton's
Tel: 86 21 6433 7995

Bao Luo
Tel: 86 21 5403 7239

7. Athens

What's on tap: A nightlife tradition where dancing on the tables is encouraged.

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Why it's worth a shot: Athenians love their nightclubs, but the traditional music venues known as bouzoukia are where they really let their hair down. The cramped, smoky venues of yore have evolved into posh cabarets where Greece's biggest pop stars perform, but some customs die hard: By the end of the show, most of the audience members are dancing on their chairs or onstage.

Booze route: Warm up with some afternoon rebetika (blues with origins in Asia Minor) at Stoa Athanaton, a bouzoukia in the Central Market. See the early show so you can avoid the crowds, then take a short walk south to the rejuvenated bar district of Psirri, which is packed with spots for mezes (appetizers) and drinks. For the night's main event, book a table with bottle service at Rex or Romeo, two of the big-time bouzoukia. Look sharp, and don't worry about showing up until around midnight. Then let the mix of jangly ballads, dance music, and booze cast its spell. Once upon a time, the audience would have shown its appreciation for good music by hurling plates on the floor. These days, you're expected to buy carnations and throw them onstage.

Hangover cure: Hit up a gyro joint or (the more fashionable option) a crêpe stand before stumbling back to your hotel.

Stoa Athanaton
Tel: 30 210 321 4362

Rex
Tel: 30 210 381 4591

Romeo
Tel: 30 210 894 5345

8. Oxford, England

What's on tap: Collegiate binge-drinking made classy by historical context.

Why it's worth a shot: Home to Britain's oldest university, Oxford is a bastion of archaic rituals—including, of course, getting soused (see post-exam celebration at right). Just thinking about the stories that live within the city's centuries-old drinking establishments—born long before the likes of Thomas Hardy and Graham Greene became regulars—is enough to make your head spin. (If anyone asks, you can say that's what did it.)

Booze route: A ride on a gondola-like punt boat along the River Cherwell, drink in hand, is a time-honored Oxford tradition. After polishing off the Pimm's and lemonade you brought aboard, moor your boat for a pint outside the Victoria Arms on Mill Lane, a prime day-drinking spot. Zigzag back to the boathouse and then head to The Bear on Alfred Street, a 13th-century tavern with Bilbo Baggins proportions and a famous necktie collection. There are plenty of options for your next stop(s): The Turf, a popular biergarten where a young Bill Clinton famously "did not inhale"; the tradition-minded Rose & Crown, which fines cell phone users; The Crown Inn, where Shakespeare once seduced the proprietress; or the Eagle and Child, where C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien once lurked in the shadowy nooks. Most pubs close around 11 p.m. For after-hours fun, try to sneak into a college "bop," or party, where a student ID is generally not required. Follow posted flyers, and don't enter through main gates, which are guarded by porters. Remember: Your drunkenness will be more convincing than your bad English accent.

Hangover cure: Before you pass out, stumble to the kebab vans that line St. Giles or St. Aldate's streets to coat your stomach with a chip butty, a baguette filled with cheesy french fries.

Victoria Arms
Tel: 44 1865 241 382

The Bear
Tel: 44 1865 728 164

The Turf
Tel: 44 1865 243 235

Rose & Crown
Tel: 44 1865 510 551

The Crown
Tel: 44 1865 256 047

Eagle and Child
Tel: 44 1865 302 925

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