2017-12-18 02:01:23
When it comes to drinking in San Francisco, your options are plentiful. From hip haunts offering adventurous craft cocktails to rows of taps pouring carefully curated microbrews to just a simple, straight-forward happy hour, there’s something for every taste and every budget within the city’s 49 square miles. But if you want a taste of something local, here are a few places to find beer and spirits made in San Francisco. BEER 21st AMENDMENT BREWERY A veteran of the local craft beer scene, this Bay Area favorite has a brewpub in the SoMa neighborhood a couple of blocks from AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants) where you can find a rotating selection of beers like their Brew Free or Die IPA, or the 2016 Great American Beer Festival Gold-winning El Sully Mexican-style lager. THIRSTYBEAR BREWING COMPANY This certified-organic brewery (the first and only one of its kind in San Francisco) is close to The Moscone Center and the San Francisco Museum of Art (SFMOMA), which makes it a perfect stop for business or pleasure. Connoisseurs will love their Stave Series, which includes a handful of barrel-aged selections. They also offer a full menu of traditional Spanish tapas. BEACH CHALET RESTAURANT & BREWERY With views of Ocean Beach and the Pacific, it’s hard to beat the location. Here you’ll find a full menu of fresh breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options complemented by a half-dozen house-crafted beers. The light, crisp V.F.W. Golden Ale is a staple, but if you’re having trouble choosing, go ahead and order the sampler set, which provides four-ounce tastes of each Beach Chalet brew. SPIRITS DISTILLERY 209 The local distiller’s flagship bottle is Gin 209, which uses botanicals from across the former British Empire (including juniper, cardamom, coriander and bergamot orange peel, among others) to create its unique flavor. SF VODKA Housed in a former maximum-security prison on Treasure Island, SF Vodka’s small batches eschew the traditional potato or grain base in favor of ingredients like corn, grapes and sugar cane for surprisingly smooth results. ST. GEORGE’S SPIRITS Among the most successful local distillers are the makers of Hangar One, who took experience fermenting fruit brandy and applied it to their line of infused vodkas, which are now available in 47 states. ANCHOR DISTILLING One of the Bay Area’s first micro-distilleries, Anchor uses copper pot stills to produce a line of three whiskeys and two gins. Try a taste of their signature Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey, which is made using 19th-century techniques. You can also check out their sister location in Potrero Hill, Anchor Brewing, which is the maker of Anchor Steam, one of the original San Francisco beers.
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