DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Boston's Bistro and Pub is worthy.

The North Dayton pub that specializes in craft beer has won the title of "Most Arrogant Bar in America."

Boston's received the honor from Stone Brewing Co. of San Diego County, Calif. It sold more Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale from Nov. 3-9 than 46 other national competitors during a brewery-sponsored challenge.

Boston's sold more than 18 half-barrels of the aggressively malted and hopped ale, whose slogan is "You're Not Worthy."

"They equated that to about 2,634 pints of Arrogant Bastard," said pub owner David Boston, 52, of Clayton.

Boston was notified on Nov. 22 of his pub's victory by phone from Greg Koch, chairman and CEO of Stone Brewing.

"I said, 'Hi, this is David Boston. So I won, right?' And he goes, 'You really are an arrogant bastard.' "

Who finished second?

"Actually, I didn't care," Boston said.

Perhaps Koch had a point.

Boston's will receive a plaque designating it the Most Arrogant Bar in America, plus bragging rights for one year. "I'm excited by just being able to utilize that title," Boston said.

Boston's Bistro and Pub opened on Dec. 2, 2004 at 7500 N. Main St. A favorite of area beer lovers, it was forced in July 2004 to move from its downtown location after 23 years.

Boston's has 12 beer taps and two beer engines for cask-conditioned ales. It hosts monthly beer tastings and also offers tastes of the beers on tap.

However, choices were few during Stone's "Most Arrogant Bar in America" Challenge. "We took every single tap off and all we had was Arrogant Bastard," said head bartender Mark Zimmerman, 26, of Englewood.

Boston said they won the title in arrogant fashion, "by telling people they were going to drink what we told them to drink."

Arrogant Bastard is an American strong ale with a "distinctive sweet, malty, bitter flavor," Boston said. "You don't forget it very quickly. It's a wonderful beer."

Pints of Arrogant Bastard Ale sold for $2 each. Growlers, 64 oz. jugs of beer to go, were filled for $7.

Patrons came from as far away as Indiana and Kentucky to support Boston's effort.

"They all found out that we were trying to beat everybody in Ohio and the nation, and they came out and supported us pretty well," Zimmerman said.

Boston plans to have various Stone ales rotating on tap throughout his pub's reign.

"It feels good to have something to brag about," he said. "It's all about the beer. It's all about putting a different kind of beer in front of everybody's face and letting them get it past their lips, and letting them enjoy it enough to re-order it or re-order something like it."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.