What Are You Drinking? San Francisco Edition

One of the highlights of my trips over the past year has been trying all the local beers that I can’t get anywhere in Chicago.  San Francisco has been the one I have been looking forward to the most with all the breweries and west coast varieties of beer that they are famous for.  Here are a few of my favorites from this trip:

Black Hammer Brewing: Short Skirt/Lager Jacket Vienna Lager (5.9% ABV) 

My first stop before heading to Oracle Park with our White Sox crew was to Black Hammer Brewing.  Like most breweries on the west coast, there were several IPA’s to choose from, however, I was looking for something different and less hoppy to start the night.  The name and the description of this beer was very appealing to me.  Featuring a crisp, malty flavor, this was a great beer for before the game.  Additionally, with the weather being a bit cooler and only a high in the 60’s this beer was a very good, toasty beer for the conditions. If you’re ever in San Fran, check out this brewery.  

Mad River Brewing: Historic State Park IPA (6.6% ABV)

While Oracle Park may not have had as extensive  of a beer list as our home base on the South Side, they still did have plenty of good options to choose from.  Historic State Park was the first beer that I had in the ballpark on Friday night and I would definitely say this would be my go to beer at Giants games.  I enjoyed this beer with its  citrus and tropical notes while discussing beer with Eno Sarris and Janice during Friday night’s game.  (You know it’s a great beer when Eno agrees on how good it is)

Cellarmaker Brewing Company: 100% Good Hazy IPA (8.1% ABV)

Saturday’s pregame adventure brought us to the Public House, which is connected to Oracle Park and is a great pregame option with an extensive food and beer list.  Additionally, you can order beers to go and bring them with you into the park!  Adam and I both ordered this hazy, juicy, IPA and it was by far the best choice from their beer list.  With a higher ABV, they served it to us in a 10 ounce glass, which was for the better.  The name speaks for itself, as it is loaded with juicy flavors that make this literally 100 percent good!! 

Anchor Steam Beer (4.9% ABV)

While this beer is very well known nationally and can be found locally, something about having a fresh Anchor Steam Beer in San Francisco hits differently.  I couldn’t go to San Francisco and not have several of these throughout the weekend.  This thick, malty, beer with all of its history definitely tastes better when drinking it right down the street from where it is brewed.  This is a mandatory beer to have while in San Francisco.  

Golden Road Brewing: Ride On 10 Hop Hazy IPA (7.5% ABV)

Another beer that I discovered while perusing the Giants craft beer selection, Ride On is a new beer brewed by Golden Road in honor of their ten year anniversary.  I couldn’t believe it when I saw a beer brewed with ten different types of hops in the ballpark and had to try this one immediately. The juiciness of Ride On was phenomenal for all 19.2 ounces.  It was a perfect beer for a day game by the bay.

Note: Do not consume more than one or two of these during a day game if you are planning to be out later in the day/night.  They are hoppy and delicious, but definitely a bit potent at 7.5% for day drinking.  

I enjoyed the entire trip out west with a phenomenal group from White Sox Twitter.  Thanks to everyone that was along for the trip with the three game sweep.  I look forward to an eventual return to the Bay Area to try even more of the west coast beers that I missed on this trip.

Cheers!

–Brew Hand Luke

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