An oasis in the Nevada desert

There's a great deal of snobbery in certain circles about American beer, mainly because the high-profile brands sold over here - Budweiser, Coors - are a cross between liquid polystyrene and dishwater.

Over in the States, however, there's a growing market for real ale, with most cities now boasting a wide range of microbreweries alongside more established brewers.

As for the traditional pub atmosphere, I can't think of a friendlier establishment than the Aces & Ales bar, which I visited during a recent stay in downtown Las Vegas with my good friends Nic and Bobbie Farey.

As well as a wide range of excellent domestic and imported beers, the personal service from bartenders Kimberley and Lindsay (pictured above) should be video'd as training manuals for some of the scowling British barkeeps I've encountered over the years.

My only problem is that much as I'd love to make this 24-7 oasis my "local", the 10,000-mile roup trip is a bit of a handicap. Soon as someone perfects the Star Trek transporter, though, count me in.