While those places are fine and worthy, if you want to try craft beer in San Francisco, you have to go to Toronado. Only place outside of the brewery (that I know of) that you can get Pliny the Elder draft. That would be enough reason but the rest of their tap list is equally impressive.
-- Charles On Sep 27, 2014 7:24 PM, "Danese Cooper" <[email protected]> wrote: > Okay Tim :-) I guess I have to rise to this occasion. > > Madhu, when exactly are you in SF? I can arrange a tour for you of Anchor > Steam Brewery (the original craft beer renaissance mecca in North America). > I happen to know their primary brand ambassador, Bob Brewer (his real name) > who is retiring this year after 30 years (so this is a limited time offer). > Bob is entertaining and incredibly knowledgeable about craft beers and > spirits around the world (Anchor is also a distillery of award winning Gin, > Genever and Sour Mash Whiskey). > > Brew pubs in SF (and Oakland) are also pretty great (although you're > correct that there are currently more of them in Portland :-). Stephen > O'Grady would rush in to say *real* Portland (as in Portland, ME) is the > craft beer heart of America :-). Magnolia is pretty great, though. > > And then there are cocktails. > > Absinthe (mentioned earlier as a brunch and late night pick for food) is > generally acknowledged as the place that revitalized the American cocktail > bar) and their other place, Comstock (in North Beach)...but these days > their cocktails aren't as interesting as places like Bourbon and Branch > (and their much groovier new place, Tradition) in the Tenderloin, adjacent > to the theatre district. Alembic in the Haight is interesting. We also like > Beretta on Valencia and 23rd in the Mission, especially after 10:30pm (its > just too busy before that) but you have to ask for their "special" cocktail > menu. They do serve food until 1:00am, which is pretty rare. > > I wouldn't be a good booster if I didn't call out the Interval Bar at Fort > Mason. It's a schlep, but its run by serious protogeeks and their cocktails > are divine (and you can learn about their LongNow Foundation projects, > including building a 10,000 year clock and supervising the de-extinction of > the Passenger Pigeon and the Wooly Mammoth...yes, really). > > And if you really want Portland brews, there is a Rouge Brewery outlet > tucked away in North Beach... > > <3 D > > On Sat, Sep 27, 2014 at 10:37 AM, Tim Bray <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Ahem. While there are fine beers in California, head north to Portland, > > Seattle, and Vancouver for more and better. Portland is regarded as > > America’s craft-beer capital. Enjoy joining the debate as to whether the > > Pacific-Northwest approach of ever-more-heroically-hopped IPAs is > glorious > > or an abuse of the brewmaster’s art. To have an educated opinion you’ll > > have to try LOTS of different beers. > > > > On Sat, Sep 27, 2014 at 1:05 AM, Thejaswi Udupa < > [email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > A lot of people have covered the "food" aspect of your request, so I > > shall > > > talk about the drinks :) > > > > > > California is pretty much the craft beer capital of the world, and > almost > > > every place has a wide variety of brews on tap. A lot of great IPAs and > > > DIPAs. Even the bottled ones are great. Lagunitas is my staple when I'm > > > there, widely available and never disappointing. > > > > > > Some of my favourite places for beer include - > > > > > > - OG (Original Gravity) in San Jose downtown > > > - Magnolia at Haight and Masonic in San Francisco. One of the few > places > > > that regularly has gruit ale on tap. There's also a very nice rare > > records > > > and books store right opposite. > > > - Good Karma in San Jose downtown. It's a vegan cafe, and probably the > > last > > > place you'd expect great beer. But they always have one of the best > > > selections on tap anywhere in the Bay Area. > > > > > > If you like the buzz of places with big crowds and much beer, try > places > > > like Tied House, Steins (both Mountain View), Rock Bottom (Campbell), > > > Faultline (Sunnyvale), 21st Amendment (San Francisco). Gordon Biersch > and > > > BJ's are also crowded, but exude a lot of big-chain vibes. > > > > > > Sunnyvale also has an excellent meadery, neatly hidden in an old > > industrial > > > area. Rabbit's Foot. Apart from some excellent mead, he also has a few > > > honey-flavoured beer on tap. > > > > > > Of course, do visit a Napa winery too. I wouldn't suggest > winery-hopping > > as > > > some people do. Just pick one, and spend a lot of time there. Skip > Robert > > > Mondavi and the likes as they are likely to be overflowing with > tourists. > > > Try O'Brien Estate. > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > - Tim Bray (If you’d like to send me a private message, see > > https://keybase.io/timbray) > > >
