The first time I visited San Francisco was to cross paths with a traveling friend and crash a wedding. Although that weekend was loads of fun and produced many great stories, I left a lot to be explored. A convenient, inexpensive plane ticket recently convinced me it was time to pack my rucksack and head back across country to pick up where I left off. I was itching to break my normal routine, and a friend’s birthday was the perfect excuse.
For me, getting to know a city includes getting to know the local beer scene. I visited at an interesting time. Not only had San Francisco Beer Week just finished, it was also the tail-end of Strong Beer Month. Many of the local craft breweries had limited release beers to try. The trouble was there are too many craft breweries in San Francisco to effectively visit in a long weekend. I had to prioritize. One of my favorite ways to explore a city is to acquaint myself with its neighborhoods. Since I wanted to visit brewpubs scattered across town, I mapped out my weekend based on location.
The Mission
On this trip, I was surprised by how fabulous foods seem to exist everywhere in San Francisco and not very expensively. Because I was staying in the Mission, it’s not surprising that I did much of my eating and drinking there. Upon arrival, my host welcomed me to the city with rye saison and sausages at Rosamunde. Other favorite meals of the weekend include the south Indian food (and tasty cocktails) at Dosa and a particularly delicious meal at Mission Chinese.
Just down the street from Mission Chinese is Southpaw BBQ, which serves up southern BBQ, whiskey and beer. I stopped in for a night cap. Although tempted by their impressive whiskey list, my curiosity for their 3 unique house beers won out. They incorporated interesting ingredients to spice up some solid styles. Although the adjuncts didn’t necessary work as well as I hoped, the beers were enjoyable. I’m interested to see how the brewery develops. Memorable beers of this session include:
- Farmer’s Daughter Smoked Ginger saison – The smokiness of this saison was faint compared to most smoky beers and the ginger was refreshing. Though initially my favorite, the ginger became increasingly prominent as the beer warmed, overwhelming the saison characteristics.
- Mighty Quinn Chocolate Habernero Belgian Strong – A subtle chocolate from cocoa nibs came through the smooth, but boozy, strong ale body. The habernero didn’t add the spice that I expected but more of a pepper flavor that that I had trouble detecting under the bigness of the beer.
Haight-Ashbury
My motivation for spending an afternoon shopping on Haight was to end up at Magnolia, a British-style brewpub which impressed me during my first trip to San Francisco. Window shopping and people watching, however, left me critical of the bland conservativeness of DC fashion and a bit self-conscious of how my own wardrobe has come to accommodate it. Over a flight of cask ales (and 2 draft specialties recommended by the server), I vowed to more playfully pay homage to my punk-fashion roots. Memorable beers of this session include:
- Magnolia’s Tillie Union Ale – I ordered this golden ale because the use of rice in the grain bill seemed out of character for Magnolia. The body was light and, although the flavor was a bit thin, it was slightly bitter rather than bland. It was also refreshingly effervescent. Although not a beer I would typically gravitate towards, I thought it was well made for its style. I could imagine enjoying it in a muggy DC summer.
- Magnolia’s Blue Bell Bitter on cask – I love a good cask ale, so I particularly enjoyed this sessionable ESB. It had both a toasty, caramel nose and flavor with a floral-ness up front and a balanced bitter finish. The cask conditioning really augmented the full English character of this beer.
- Magnolia’s McLeans Wee Heavy – Although a bit more alcohol on the nose than I like, this wee heavy had an enjoyable toasted malt body with a touch of caramel and some dark fruit flavors. It was my favorite of the strong beers I tried on the trip.
Golden Gate Park/Inner Sunset
I had planned for a leisurely afternoon swing dancing in the park but, at the invitation of a friend, I found myself instead at the California Academy of Sciences for a morning of education. In addition to the penguin feeding, I toured the human genone labs, learned to prepare for an earthquake should one occur during my stay, and admired more critters than I can name (sea dragons, flashlight fish, Costa Rican butterflies, and the many frogs being my favorites). Afterward, we met friends for brunch (and a flight) at Social Kitchen and Brewery. Memorable beers of this session include:
- Double Midnight Lager – This dark lager not only looked like a stout, it had a roasted aroma. However, the roasted flavor dissipated into a lager-like finish that didn’t quite mesh with the initial boldness. It created an interesting juxtaposition of style that fascinated me but didn’t work for me.
- Tripelpagne – This light-bodied, bubbly tripel isn’t everyone’s taste, but the brewers achieved exactly what I presume they sought. Despite the unusual body, the more traditional tripel flavors came through. I was dubious but found it was pleasantly refreshing.
Hunter’s Point (AKA out of the way)
At the request of a friend, I took a detour into an industrial area to check out Speakeasy‘s new brewery tap room. It’s a dark, cozy atmosphere with small nooks that’s meant to resemble a speakeasy. The brewery is in the basement, and tours are offered when they open at 4 p.m. I was pleased with how much Speakeasy seems to have grown since I first tried their beers 4 years ago. Memorable beers of this session include:
- Payback Smoked Porter – This limited edition porter was released for beer week. I tried it on draft. Although the cherry-wood smoke flavor was dominant and lingering, it was balanced with toasted, coffee and a bit of caramel character. Overall, this was a well-made smoked porter.
- Green Death Malt Liquor – This was another limited release for beer week, which paid homage to the old Rainier Ale recipe. I’ve never had much interest in the definition or history of malt liquor, but I did some research to better appreciate this beer. Apparently, Speakeasy used 30 percent flaked corn in the grain bill, stuck with the older Cluster hops variety, and pitched a California ale yeast. The result was a very drinkable, hoppier version of what I anticipated when I order it.
Financial District
After spending a sunny Monday afternoon in the Presidio, including a little beach time, I opted to cross town to hit two breweries in the Financial District. I stopped at 21st Amendment before the after-work rush so I had time to leisurely enjoy a flight and chat with the bartender. I tried three of the special beers they released for Strong Beer Month, including the barleywine that they’re beginning to can and distribute. Given the interest these 8-oz cans are receiving within the beer scene, I was eager to try the product. Memorable beers of this session include:
- 21st Amendment’s Lower DeBoom Barleywine – This was my favorite of the 3 barleywines I had that weekend. It’s a thinner American-style barleywine with a smooth caramel body and mouthfeel. Nice citrus and floral hop notes complement the maltiness.
- 21st Amendment’s Pippo’s Imperial Porter on cask – This porter contained caramel and coffee characteristics. Cocoa nibs lent a bit of cocoa on the nose and a chocolate finish. The body was smooth but a tad more watery than I expected, even for an American porter. At 8.6 percent, the booziness was nicely controlled.
By the time I got to Thirsty Bear, a party of financiers had taken over the top floor so the happy hour crush crowded the main floor. With a little craftiness, a friend and I were able to find a table overlooking the brewery. The 10-beer flight was an ambitious end to a long weekend of sampling, but it offered a few beers that caught my imagination. The most memorable include:
- Thirsty Bear’s Black Sea Common – More than any other on the trip, this cross-style beer piqued my curiosity as a brewer. I enjoyed the combination of a lighter common-ale body with the darker, richer flavors of a porter-like grain bill. They used a sourdough mash, which I suspect helped to balance the beer. A bit of saltiness added extra character. As a result, the beer had a satisfying mouthfeel and rich flavor but finished cleanly and wasn’t heavy on the stomach like some oyster stouts.
- Thirsty Bear’s Broadsword Wee Heavy – This wee heavy caught my attention more as a whisky drinker than a beer drinker. The peat-smoked malt lent an Islay-like smokiness that overwhelmed the ale characteristics but was unmistakably Scottish. There are worse criticisms than saying a Scotch ale tastes too much like Scotch, though.
Despite my best effort, a long weekend wasn’t enough time to see it all, eat it all, drink it all, or enjoy it all. But a wishlist full of things left undone, and a well-loved network of local friends, provides good incentive to return soon.
