There are many different things I think of when San Francisco is mentioned and I was very excited when I found out I was scheduled for a work trip to the bay area. I kept trying to figure out how I could make it to all of the breweries I had heard of (or drank beer from) but had never visited. I also wanted to see Candlestick Park, Alcatraz Prison, Jack’s Cannery, and many other famous places in the area. What I found once I arrived was that my schedule was set from morning through the evening nearly every night. This posed an issue for what I wanted to do, but I decided I didn’t care if I had to lie, cheat, or steal (well maybe not steal) I was going to a few of the places on my list.
On the flight out I realized that day was going to be my best (and in one case my only) chance to have a beer at the breweries on my list. Once I arrived I immediately headed to The Rare Barrel Brewing across the bay in Berkley to enjoy some of the sour beers I had heard so much about. I was not disappointed in their offerings. My first beer was their barrel aged apricot sour called Map of the Sun. This sour blew my face off! There was so much tartness yet you still could taste the fruit in the beer. I wanted to order another but I only had so much time and I really liked the looks of the other five beers on the list. Another standout sour was Impossibly Soul, a 7.2% tart and sweet cherry beer aged in oak barrels. While all of the sours I had were outstanding the cherries in this one hit home with me. Tart, sweet, vinegar, fruit, oak… It was so complex and delicious.
Next up on my trip was a drive north to Santa Rosa and a little brewery named Russian River. I have had many Russian River offerings over the years and I can’t explain how excited I was to walk through those doors for the first time. It was hard for me not to immediately order a Pliny the Elder as my first beer, but since I have had it on tap before I chose to go a different route. I went with the Simcoe Pale Ale called Row 2, Hill 56 as my first beer. This was a fun and hoppy 5.8% beer that wasn’t exactly what I expected. It was a bit earthier than what I thought it would be, but the hops were there in the back end and it was a very solid pale ale.
My final stop of the day was going to be close to my hotel and was going to include dinner. I had heard about Marin Brewing from people in the area and was advised to stop in for a beer and food. With it being walking distance from my hotel it was kind of a no brainer. I walked in and sat down at the bar and immediately ordered a flight of the board. Anyone that has read my articles before knows this is my go to move at a new brewery without a massive tap list. There were nine beers on tap and I was walking so I figured what better way to end my night. My favorite beer in the flight was the Chocolate Air Porter. The mouth feel was a bit lighter than many of the porters I have had in the past but that allowed the chocolate to come through in a very enjoyable way. The color was dark brown and very opaque but it drank like a much lighter beer than an 8% porter.
Having been my first trip to the west coast I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. As you can tell I was pleasantly surprised by how great everything was and how comfortable I felt. There is a very laid back vibe in this area and people are quick to help you find great places to eat and drink. While online reviews are great and I use them quite a bit to plan my trips there is nothing like word of mouth from the local community to help you find a new favorite place. I hope on your next trip west you will visit one or two of these breweries, and Jack’s Cannery, and share any other places you have found while traveling. I did hope to stop in at Lagunitas while there but that place was so busy on a Sunday night I couldn’t find a parking spot. While I would have loved to stop in, I was not disappointed in the least during my trip. Keep drinking great beer and talking about it, I know I will.
