Recently, I toured my neighbor’s custom built home. He has a room many will envy –he calls it “The Tap Room.” 

Mitch Metzman, of Rockville, Maryland, enjoys hosting friends for gatherings and to watch sports. When he built his new house, builders suggested he include a wine cellar. Metzman considered the idea, but then realized that wine isn’t his favorite beverage–he likes beer, especially craft beers.
So instead, Metzman proposed creating a welcoming space resembling the old-world warmth of an English tap room. He selected fine woods like Spanish cedar, commissioned a soapstone bar with two built-in taps and installed flagstone floors with radiant heat. He designed a two-story high fireplace with a flat screen television and embellished the flagstone floor with “The Tap Room” in copper.

The Tap Room is an inviting space and the focal point of his house. “Everyone heads there when they arrive. It has an irresistible pull,” he says. Metzman regularly rotates the beers he serves on tap. He’s got some favorites but likes everything from his local Dogfish Head to Sam Adams.

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