Locals and visitors mingle in this family-run brewery housed in a former firehouse. Specialising in craft beer and farm-to-table dining, the bar pours an inventive line-up of ales such as New Belgium Heavy Watermelon and dishes up high-end pub grub including Maryland crab soup and oyster po'boys.

A long-standing Baltimore favourite, this old-school pub sits on the cobbled waterfront in the historic neighbourhood of Fell's Point. There's a choice of more than two dozen international draught beers, and you can tap your toes to live music seven nights a week.

Tucked in a basement in the artsy Mount Vernon neighbourhood, this tiny bar packs a punch when it comes to cocktails. Whether you order the Motorcycle Diaries (rum, Byrrh, cucumber and lime) or brave a Miriam No 2 (tequila, vermouth and Cynar), be sure to soak up the booze with Chesapeake dumplings or Korean hot wings.

Live musicians belting out rock, pop and hip-hop tunes draw partygoers to the dancefloor here. It's a mix of piano bar and nightclub, with drinks aplenty and crowd-pleasing hits that typically have the audience dancing, singing and swinging their arms in the air in no time.

Smart lounge seating, DJs spinning chart hits and an extensive Champagne and vodka menu draw a well-dressed crowd to this large upscale club. There's an outdoor seating area for cooling off and VIP tables if you're on a special night out.

Local and visiting bands play regularly at this lively spot near Penn Station. You can expect to hear anything from reggae to hip hop to house. Come on a Friday for 1980s dance party night or on the first Sunday of the month for Drag-A-Mania, a drag queen contest.

Ottobar features smaller-scale bands ranging from indie rock to hip hop and folk. Head downstairs to the snug basement, which has an intimate stage area and a surprisingly spacious dance floor area. If you're not really digging the band that's on, you can retreat upstairs to the ground floor bar for a couple of drinks before the next set.

Downtown, the Rams Head is a major nightspot, accommodating up to 1,600 people, offering great seafood and several sleek bars with daily drink specials. It's mainly a rock venue, with medium-sized touring bands and no small number of tribute acts (Journey, Led Zeppelin) that you can let your hair down to.

The 8x10 hosts up-and-coming local talent. It's been a city fixture since the early 1980s, and the stomping ground for many local bands that went onto bigger and better things. You can buy flash drives of the very show you just watched should you be so impressed. Beer and cocktails are discounted early in the evening.