Bikes And Booze: The Best Way To Cruise Through Town

The New York Times paid homage this week to coolest new way to explore Amsterdam: the "beer bike," a "pub on wheels" powered by pedals. The beer bike is said to have been invented in the Netherlands in '90s.

The boozy bike contraption is picking up speed both in Amsterdam and internationally; the BierBike and Cycle Pub have been sold to vendors in Germany and Budapest, as well as U.S. cities such as Portland, Ore., Madison, Wis., Denver, Santa Monica, Calif., and more. And yes, it's super easy to get on board a bike and grab a beer.

Check out our favorite pedal/booze bikes in the U.S., and hop on:

PedalPub: Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Chicago, and St. Petersburg, Fla.

The "bike with a barrel," a Dutch-made bike, can hold up to 16 people on board. While Chicago's PedalPub routes take you through the historic parts of the Windy City, it's the Twin Cities Pedalpub that allows you to drink and bike. (Minnesota laws allow passengers to drink while riding, while Illinois laws allow you only to drink on private property — so hang out on the driveway for a bit.)

Milwaukee Pedal Tavern: Milwaukee

While you can't drink on the 16-person bike, the Pedal Tavern is the easiest way to bar crawl in the city. Pick from three routes that drop you off at your favorite Milwaukee watering holes, like O'Lydia's — and yes, there are drink specials just for Pedal Tavern riders.

Pedal Party: Houston 

Yes, you can drink wine and beer aboard the Pedal Party. Ride through midtown Houston, or take it through Washington Avenue for a pub crawl.