Bar Review: Criterion

I've followed Ben Fletcher's moves pretty closely ever since he helped open up Surf Club in 2011.  Now a co-owner of Criterion (opened 2014), Ben has held fast to his own vision of good beer and the results are coming in.  Often characterized as "weird, hoppy, and flavored", his buying selections at first were a little too weird for me.  Because it is easy to disguise bad or mediocre craft beer with a high ABV, a small pour (8-10oz), and a selected fruit (or chocolate, or coffee), those buyers that tend to want to try the newest can sometimes fall prey to stuff that just doesn't come off the back of the palate with any actual intensity.  But now a full year out from opening, Ben and the bar seem to have found their stride, and the drafts mix a great variety of international, local, and seasonal, with price ranges from $3-$10 for every sized wallet.  Being across the street from the Bakery, I always look forward to the next thing that Ben puts up on the big chalkboard, because I'm sure it's going to be something worth talking about.