Day 245, September 2 / Brekle’s Brown

Day 245 / September 2, 2011

Brekle’s Brown

Anchor Brewing Company  / 
San Francisco, CA

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

I got lucky at the airport!

I had a 3 pm flight out of SFO Friday, so I figured that would give me enough time for lunch and a beer at the airport. I did some online recon and really lucked out - there were Gordon Biersch and Anchor Steam restaurants and bars very close to my gate.

After I got through the insanely long (but quick moving) security line, I headed for Anchor Steam.  I figured I could go to Gordon Biersch back home, and who knows where the beer is actually made.

I got the last seat at the bar and tried to read the tap handles.  Looked like Anchor Steam, Porter, Summer and Liberty Ale.  Porter was going to be the choice, until the bartender told me they had brown ale too.  Could this be the elusive Brekle's Brown?  Yes, indeed it was!

What makes this beer elusive?  I had read about it online earlier this year, but unfortunately it wasn’t going to be distributed outside of the local San Francisco area.  A guy at Lefty O'Douls was singing its praises, but said that it was only available on tap in a few bars, and that most bars had already sold out.

The story of Anchor Brewery begins shortly after gold was discovered in nearby Sutter’s Mill. That’s when German brewer “Gottlieb Brekle arrived in San Francisco with his wife Marie and infant son Frederick.” In 1854, Brekle applied for U.S. citizenship and 1871 bought an old beer-and-billiards saloon near Russian Hill. That location became “a little San Francisco brewery on Pacific, between Larkin and Hyde,” and 25-years later was known as Anchor Brewery.

Brekle’s Brown was brewed this year to pay tribute to Gottleib Brekle, who was brewmaster from 1871 to 1888.  It is an all-malt, single (citra) hop brown ale.  It was very good, tasting something like an English bitter with a crisp finish.

And so ends the San Francisco Beer Run!

Day 244, September 1 / Prohibition Ale

Day 244 / September 1, 2011

Prohibition Ale

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers  / 
San Francisco, CA

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

Schmoozing can be exhausting...

Thursday was the last night of my conference in San Francisco, with 2 cocktail parties to attend – one up the hill from my hotel and the other down the hill..  I tell ya, walking around the city, eating and drinking on the vendor's dime can really wear you out!  (Wah...)

I anticipated the high probability that neither one of these receptions would have a beer that met the requirements of my San Francisco Beer Run.  I tried to find a pub on the way to the first reception, but the only ones I came across were a couple fancy hotel bars.  I did find one corner bar, but the only local beer that had was Anchor Steam (had that already).

The only thing close to a craft beer at the first reception was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (from Chico, California, 3 hours north of San Francisco).  I had scoped out a bar on the walk to the convention center that looked like it may have a couple local beers, so I stopped in there with a co-worker between receptions. 

Sure enough, they had another beer from Speakeasy, Prohibition American Style Amber Ale.  This was a nice reddish color, with a good balance of malt and somewhat aggressive hoppiness.

And it’s a good thing I stopped in here, because the beer selection at the secnd reception – which was actually a very good party – consisted only of Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, and Coors (the Banquet Beer).

Day 243, Aug 31 / Golden Vanilla Ale

Golden Vanilla Ale

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company / San Francisco, CA

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

A very crowded, thirsty bear...

Continuing the San Francisco Beer Run, I stopped into the Thirsty Bear Brewpub near the Moscone Convention Center after my conference ended yesterday. And so did everyone else! The place was packed!

After I elbowed my way up to the bar, I checked out the beers and ales brewed on premise. There was a pilsner, a stout, an ESB, a "Blue Moon" type orange wheat beer, and a golden vanilla ale. Well, that last one sounded interesting - I've never had that type of beer before.

The Golden Vanilla was an extremely mild (not bitter) ale, clocking in at only 15 IBUs (point of reference: Budweiser is 11 IBUs, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is 38 IBUs). The vanilla taste was present in both the smell and taste of the beer, but not overpowering or obnoxious.

Ok, I'll say it - this is a girl beer. Now some girls like a fuller, more complex beer, but not most girls. But I'd say most girls would probably enjoy this beer.

Day 242, August 30 / Gubby's Pale Ale

Gubby's Pale Ale

21st Amendment Brewing Company / San Francisco, CA

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

Gubby, Dammit!

Last night I met up with a former co-worker, and decided to track down a 21st Amendment beer in its natural environment, the 21st Amendment Brewery and Restaurant. The brewpub is located in the SOMA (south of Market) area of San Francisco, and has a cool, rustic decor. Lots of exposed beams and bricks, with large portraits of employees (brewers and wait staff) along one wall.

The food was pretty good - your standard selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers and entrees. The French onion soup was good (maybe a little too sweet), and the pot roast with mashed potatoes and root vegetables was also good (but maybe a little too fatty).

Now for the beer. The Gubby's Pale Ale was a nice copper color, with a thin head with nice lacing. It was mildly hoppy (40 IBUs), with a crisp taste. Decent beer, nothing too exceptional.

Tonight... Thirsty Bear!

Day 242, August 30 / Big Daddy IPA

Day 241, August 29, 2011

Big Daddy IPA

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers / San Francisco, CA

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

A combination Irish bar, sports bar, piano bar.... and cafeteria!

So I got to my hotel last night, unpacked, struggled with blogging on my iPad for a while, and then went down to the lobby bar to find a local beer. While they had a couple other beers from the bay area, the only San Francisco beer they had was Anchor Steam - for 8 bucks a bottle. Pass. So I headed out to find a bar... and that wasn't too difficult.

Across the street was Lefty O'Doul's - there were people heading in, and music coming out... looked good to me. TV’s were playing the Giants / Cubs game. Irish decor was on the walls. In the front window, a dude was playing piano and taking requests. And along the wall across from the bar is what can only be described as a cafeteria line. Apparently, Lefty's claim to fame is their roasted and carved meats - roast beef, turkey, ham, corned beef -- served until 12 midnight. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to sample it, but I am here for 3 more nights!

Local beers on tap were Anchor Steam, Anchor Liberty Ale and Anchor Porter, plus Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA. I figured I'd save the other 2 Anchor beers for "safety beers", so at the bartender's recommendation, I got a Big Daddy. Good choice! This was a good, fresh IPA, but not an overly hoppy one. In contrast, my second beer was a Deschutes Inversion IPA, which was just a little hopper, but still not as hoppy as the 21st Amendment IPA. I'd say that this is a "sessionable" IPA - I have seen this on the shelves back home in Virginia, and it will be on my "go to" list next year.

While I was sipping my Deschutes IPA, I struck up a conversation with a guy who sat down next to me. As soon as he sat down, the bartender gave him a shot of some dark liquor, and a small glass of beer. Being a curious person, I asked him what the liquor was. He went on to explain the virtues of Frenet , a bitter, herbal, aromatic spirit, made from about 75 different ingredients. It's generally served as a digestive aid after a meal, but is said to also alleviate menstrual discomfort, hangovers and baby colic. The bartender poured me a small sample - whoa! Apparently, San Francisco accounts for 25% of the US consumption of Fernet. I'll give it a try while I'm out here and left you know if it cured my cramps.