San Francisco Beers

[mobrien]

Hi everyone,

Well post 500 for me, and I thought I'd make it a memorable one!

So I'm in San Francisco, CA doing a course for a month, and since I am here I have to try the beers!

Give the jet lag, the first two days I took easy:

Day 1.
Anchor Steam beer - bottled, drunk at a local cafe.
This is the local "big" brewery - I'm going to try and get onto the brewery tour late rin the month. The locals say this is a good beer, but the luke warm bottle I tried was less than spectacular. Will try it again when I see it on tap.

Day 2.
Peroni - Italian "premium" beer - bottle, drunk at an italian cafe.
We spent the day on hired bikes and rode over the golden gate bridge. For lunch stopped at an itialian place at Saucalito, and when in Italy, do as the italians do! This was a great, cold, easy drinking beer. I easily drank a few. Nothng spectacular, but nice after the long ride.

Day 3.
Venue: The city Tavern, Union Street, Cow Hollow
My first serious day of beers. Started the course, and after moved down to this Tavern, just around the courner from my accomodation. ABout 10 different beers on tap, nice place great service.

Wilmer Hefeweizen
http://www.widmer.com/
This was a great cloudy beer with citrus overtones. Hardly any head, but I didn't care. Really awesome easy drinking beer - I'll be having a few more of these! Tonight I left it at 2, as there were more beers to try!

Tavern Tail Pale Ale
This was the house beer, brewed by "a local brewery for us" - unfortunatley the waitress didn't know which one, but is going to find out and let me know next time. Nice head that stayed, and a malty backbone that lasted the whole beer. Good balance, and I could easily have drunk more - but there were still mroe beers to try!

Full Sail Amber Ale
http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/
Wasn't that fussed on this one - a good colour, but it seemed "wrong" somehow - maybe the hops, I"m not sure. I wasn't racing back for another.

Trumer Pilsner
http://www.trumer-international.com/
This was the last beer of the night, but my second favourite. The honey aroma was wonderful and the clear crisp beer just beckoned. The honey aftertaste lasted until the end, and I'll definitley be having more of this over here!

So thats installment one - I'll try and add more as my trip progresses. Also will add some photos too if I get them!

Matt

 

[Stuster]

Great stuff, Matt. Sounds like a great beer work trip.

 

[bconnery]

Trumer Pilsner
http://www.trumer-international.com/
This was the last beer of the night, but my second favourite. The honey aroma was wonderful and the clear crisp beer just beckoned. The honey aftertaste lasted until the end, and I'll definitley be having more of this over here!

You won't have to just dig into it over there. This fine pilsner is widely available right here in Aus in bigger places like Dan Murphy's etc.

 

[kook]

You won't have to just dig into it over there. This fine pilsner is widely available right here in Aus in bigger places like Dan Murphy's etc.

Peroni and Anchor Steam are available in Australia too.

 

[Doc]

Hey Matt,

We have to hook up. I've been up here since Saturday.

Day 1. Up to the Sonoma Valley.
- Lagunitas was closed
- Bear Republic was open and even caught up with a fellow TBN listener. Had a sample of all their beers, but still went away loving Racer 5 (which I've had on a previous trip).
- On to Russian River for dinner and beers. Had previously communicated with Vinnie but he was in Denver at the AHA conference. Just happend to still be there when he got in from Denver and had swung past to check on the beers. Got the personalised tour, including listening to a metal station on the radio that was playing to the beers in the barrel aging cooler. He gifted me a bottle of Supplication (which is last years vintage and unavailable). Got some piccies (still on the camera).

Day 2.
- 21st Ammendment for dinner. Tried all the beers. Watermelon wheat was off tap because of the baseball game the day before had cleaned them out. Have had a message from Shaun that it should be on tomorrow arvo so will be meeting him for a tasting.

Day 3.
- Gordon Biersch for dinner. Awesome beers. The Marzen, Hefe and Schwarzbier were all fantastic.
- Thirsty Bear on the walk back to the hotel. Had the new seasonal beer the breweries are doing. Last year it was with the Summit hop, this year it is Bravo. Great hoppy IPA.

Tomorrow Day 4.
- Anchor tour, then back to the 21A to meet Shaun and get some watermelon wheat, then probably the Toronado for dinner.

Beers,
Doc

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Hey Matt,

We have to hook up. I've been up here since Saturday.

Day 1. Up to the Sonoma Valley.
- Lagunitas was closed
- Bear Republic was open and even caught up with a fellow TBN listener. Had a sample of all their beers, but still went away loving Racer 5 (which I've had on a previous trip).
- On to Russian River for dinner and beers. Had previously communicated with Vinnie but he was in Denver at the AHA conference. Just happend to still be there when he got in from Denver and had swung past to check on the beers. Got the personalised tour, including listening to a metal station on the radio that was playing to the beers in the barrel aging cooler. He gifted me a bottle of Supplication (which is last years vintage and unavailable). Got some piccies (still on the camera).

Day 2.
- 21st Ammendment for dinner. Tried all the beers. Watermelon wheat was off tap because of the baseball game the day before had cleaned them out. Have had a message from Shaun that it should be on tomorrow arvo so will be meeting him for a tasting.

Day 3.
- Gordon Biersch for dinner. Awesome beers. The Marzen, Hefe and Schwarzbier were all fantastic.
- Thirsty Bear on the walk back to the hotel. Had the new seasonal beer the breweries are doing. Last year it was with the Summit hop, this year it is Bravo. Great hoppy IPA.

Tomorrow Day 4.
- Anchor tour, then back to the 21A to meet Shaun and get some watermelon wheat, then probably the Toronado for dinner.

Beers,
Doc

Sounds awesome Doc. As expected you have done your homework.
Have a beer for me :beer: .

C&B
TDA

 

[Doc]

Sounds awesome Doc. As expected you have done your homework.
Have a beer for me :beer: .

C&B
TDA

Oh, if you insist I'll go crack the growler of Pliny the Elder as my night cap (11:40pm here).

Beers,
Doc

 

[als_world]

Doc, where are you staying - Market St/Union Sq area ?

 

[kook]

So envious Doc Some serious world-class breweries there producing a few of the best beers the US has to offer.

Vinnie is a really friendly guy. I chatted with him briefly at Cantillon during the open brewing day. What did you think of the tasting "Wheel"? I've never visited a brewpub with so many beers available at once of such a high calibre.

If you get a chance, visit a bottle shop and seek out some Alesmith beers. I'm not sure if you've tried any before, but it's worth it! Any Hair of the Dog beer is worth seeking out too. They have them on tap sometimes at Toronado.

 

[ant]

mobrien,

I know it's not technically a San Fran place, but you can also check out the Rogue Ale joint (on Union) to try their range. That being said, Doc is on the money with the Toronado as a place to taste EVERYTHING, and Russian River and Bear Republic are great Sonoma breweries! Very jealous.

...and to Doc - VERY jealous. It's only 7 in the morning, but the prospect of a growler of Pliny has me craving a beer

 

[Doc]

Hey Al, Ant, Kook,

Yep staying just off Union Sq.
I've had Alesmith before (last trip to the US was to San Diego), but am hoping to get to City Beer link here that has the biggest range of bottle beers that you can also buy in 1 unit increments, and even taste in the store.

You are right Kook. Vinnie is a really nice guy. I've talked to him on TBN, and then chatted on email, and then finally caught up with him at his brewery and got the personalised tour, even when his wife was ringing him telling him to get home because his dinner was ready. I have pics of the tasting wheel and will post hopefully Wed (Oz time) after I go and buy a Flash Card reader as it seems my old Canon isn't compatible with Fista (bloody corporate SOE).

I don't want to hijack Matt's thread anymore so will start the traditional Doc's tour of XXXX thread tonight.

Doc

 

[Duff]

Doc,

Can you take a piccy and show us what the colour and clarity of Pliny the Elder is like. Interested to see how it stacks up against the HB version.

Cheers.

 

[Trent]

Wow
Sounds like the both of you guys are having agreat trip, I hope ya's can catch up for a few beers.

Matt
I would try and get yer hands on a pint of Pliny the Elder for a crazy IIPA, and I have heard they occasioanlly do a Pliny the Younger IIIPA (yes, thats 3 I's) as a seasonal (Russian River from memory). Also, try and get a pint of PranQster from North Coast Brewing Co, it is a belgian dubbel style beer that is also very good.
You guys have inspired me to get around to finishing off my trent in Canada thread, so that way I can start my next one in 6 weeks, off to Canada and the states for 2 short weeks.
Have a great time, Matt, please keep us updated, and I look forward to reading Docs thread on his travels.
All the best
Trent

 

[WildaYeast]

Hi All,

Been almost 10-yrs since I left the States and even longer since I lived the Bay area. I can tell from the thread that lots of developments on the beer front have happened in that time. Heaps of names I don't recognise -- the selection is one of the few things I miss.

Others with more recent experience might disagree, but Red Tail Ale from the Mendocino Brewing Company raises very fond memories for me. The only beer that I would swear has psychedelic properties when consumed to excess (I was at a wedding in Mendocino, but I swear it was the beer...). The brewery is in Hopland, North of SF, but inland and not as far as Mendocino.

Hey Doc -- If you like art, stop by the Weinstein Gallery on Union Square. It is my brother-in-laws. He owns it and most of the other galleries in SF with nice ($$) art. His name is Rowland -- say Hi from me if you go by there and see him.

Cheers, Brian

 

[Trent]

Oh
2 things I forgot. If you have a sweet tooth, and dont mind peanut butter, get you hands on as many packets of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups that you can carry. Peanut butter (really light and fluffy) coated in chocolate. may not sound good, but they are the best chocolate bar in the world (IMO).
And you should be able to get Stone brews up in that area too. Try yourself a bottle of Arrogant *******, its not as OTT as it sounds, but is well worth a try, as is their Ruination IPA. The Stone Imperial Russian Stout came out a month back, and you will probably be able to still find a bottle, and their 07 edition of their Vertical Epic series comes out on 07/07/07. They are usually belgian style ales, and really strong. And at $3.95 a 640mL bottle, ya cant afford to pass up the chance. Got from here http://www.stonebrew.com/about_us/distributors/index.html the Northern Cal distributors, that supply San Francisco / Marin / Napa / Sonoma / Solano counties

Its called Morris Distributing

707-769-7294

And they supply Arrogant ******* Ale, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone IPA (Bottles & Draft) Stone Ruination IPA (Bottles Only) and Special Releases.

As mentioned before, alesmith is really good, as is the red Tail Ale. A mate of mine swears by Eye of the Hawk from mendocino brewing. Hell, just walk into a good Whole Foods supermarket and they will have as many beers as you can drink in a month.

And if you are feeling homesick, go to Trader Joes, they will usually have Coopers Sparkling at $5.99 a six pack, or sometimes James Squire Amber or IPA at $4.99 a six pack. But I doubt you will wanna lower yaself :lol:
All the best
Trent
PS Sorry my 2 things turned into a few things.

 

[mobrien]

Wow - I didn't expect all these replies, and I wish I had checked here earlier today, I could have tried to meet up with you Doc!

After the course finished today, my wife decided we needed to go shopping in Union square for Levis - they were a really good price (like $19 US each!) so she stocked up. I didn't get anything (I'm here for a month, while she is only here for 2 weeks, so I have plenty of time) and so as a "consolation" I suggested there was a really nice little brewpub "just a couple of blocks" down the road that has good meals and desserts. Try 8 or so, but hey, who's counting.

So around 6:00 we rock into 21st Amendment on game day (how the heck was I supposed to know - who has a game on a Tuesday night?!).

Excellent service, excellent beer - I couldn't ask for more.

I got nearly all the way through the beer menu - one to go for next time (the porter). Thats the problem with "tasting" each beer in pint glasses. I'm still to effected to give a proper review, but my pick was the 21A IPA - excellent beer. All were great though - and the good news is we'll be going back, because my wife loved it - she drank a full beer (a first in a long time - the Hefe) and enjoyed the dessert. We even braved public transport on the way back.

Excellent place - totally deserving of all the reviews both here and on TBN.

Unfortunatley watermelon wheat was out - but should be back Friday I am told.

Doc we should defintely catch up - when and where - do you have a phone number over here? I do... will PM you.

Oh, and feel free to hijack this thread - I gave it a deliberate title so anyone could add their opinion.

M

 

[Doc]

Matt, we missed each other by a few minutes at the 21A. I was there with a mate and a fellow Aussie (ESB Sydney member) that was on the Anchor tour until 5:50 ish.
Shaun turned up late with his son and was pre-occupied, so I didn't bother him with another beer geek asking why the Watermelon Wheat was now not avail until Friday (he had emailed me earlier in the day).

PM me and we can catch up this week.

Doc

 

[Doc]

As per an earlier post here are the piccies to go with the earlier dialog.
The piccies of the convertible mustang we cruised up the valley in are on my mates camera. Should have the piccies in the next day or so.

Day 1. Up to the Sonoma Valley.

Russian River from the outside


Russian River Beer Board (bad shot. If I leaned any further back on the beer stool ....)


The RR tasting board. Two extra beers were on the side. Lap Dance and Santification (100% Brett fermented).


Me with Vinnie in the Barrel Room with some Death Metal playing loud exciting the yeast to #$(*, plus the bottle of Supplication he gifted me.


Finally back at the motel with a few extras I picked up from the local store.


Doc

 

[Doc]

This afternoon I toured the Anchor Brewery.


The kettle, mash tun and lauter tun are spectacular.
The Mash Tun and the Lauter Grant.


The open fermenter coolships.


The hop room.


The grant during re-circ.


Fritz working hard in his office, which is right next to the big copper mash tun.


The bar you visit at the beginning and the end of the tour. Any ESB Sydney members spot a familiar face ?


And finally what we are guessing is Fritz's mode of transport.


Beers,
Doc

 

[Doc]

Tonight I checked out City Beer.


I had heard it wasn't huge, but I wasn't expecting something quite this small. Craig and his wife were very friendly to a stranger though, and after downing a Green Flash IIPA off tap, I made off with the following.


Looked rather conspicuous getting back into the hotel with the beers in this box


And this is how you keep the chilled when you have already overloaded the barfridge.


Doc