The beer!
Note:
I have used the following terms:
Taproom is a brewery outlet (NOT brewery) selling only their own beers.
Brewery is a working brewery with an attached taproom.
Bar is a pub in the traditional sense, selling beers from multiple brewers – even if they do describe themselves as ‘taprooms’.
Date: 20/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Black Hammer (Brewery)**** 544 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107
- Black Hammer – Cloud Chamber 6.0% NEIPA [4.25]
- Black Hammer – Cuddle Puddle (can) 6.0% NEIPA [4.0]
Solid, no-frills brewery taproom. Friendly staff.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Bartlett (Bartlett Hall) (Brewery)*** 242 O’Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
- Bartlett – Sheltering Tree 7.5% WCIPA [3.75]
Up-market venue serving posh food with proper napkins and cutlery. Beer seemed to be a ‘legacy’ arm of the business.
Also tried at home (supermarket beer):
- Revision – Planet Lovetron (can) 6.5% NEIPA [4.0]
Date: 21/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
The Hop Grenade (Bar)***** 2151 Salvio St Suite J, Concord, CA 94520
- Parliament – 7 & Citra 7.8% AIPA [4.25]
- Faction – The Penske File 5.8% WCIPA [4.0]
- Brix Factory – Fog Attack 5.7% NEIPA [4.25]
My favourite bar in Concord, by far. Always a great tap list, these guys know about beer! Also the HQ for the (usually) twice-weekly ‘The Brewing Network‘ podcast.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Side Gate (Brewery)**** 1822 Grant St, Concord, CA 94520
- Side Gate – Arr Narr Mate 6.9% NEIPA [4.0]
OK beer and a lovely beer garden hosting bands at weekends. Catering supplied by varying food truck parked up outside.
Date: 22/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Broderick Roadhouse (Bar)** 1548 Bonanza St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Barebottle – Mighty Mosaic 7.4% NEIPA [4.25]
More of an eatery than a bar, but a decent tap list anyway.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
ØL Beercafe (Bar/Bottleshop)***** 1541 Giammona Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Parliament – Prism 6.6% NEIPA [4.25]
- Fort George – 3-Way IPA (2024) 7.0% AIPA [4.25]
What a gem! The place is done out like an authentic Belgian beer bar. Great draft list. Quiet when we got there (at opening, 3pm), but can imagine there’s a great atmosphere when there’s a few in. Well worth finding.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Rotator (Bar)**** 1415 Pine St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Fieldwork – Becky the Duck 6.9% NEIPA [4.25]
- Ghost Town – Forbidden 6.4% NEIPA [4.25]
At first glance, this looks like a typical American brewery, but it’s just a great bar situated in an industrial unit.
Date: 23/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Five Suns (Brewery)*** 626 Main St, Martinez, CA 94553
- Five Suns – The Way 6.7% NEIPA [3.75]
Great little brewery in a quiet setting.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Del Cielo (Brewery)*** 701 Escobar St A, Martinez, CA 94553
- Del Cielo – Hazy & Lost 6.8% NEIPA [4.0]
- Del Cielo – Orange You Delicious 7.0% NEIPA [3.75]
- Del Cielo – Mental Haze 5.5% NEIPA [4.0]
Pleasant enough bar space. Very busy on our visit.
Date: 24/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Hops & Scotch (Bar)*** 7001 Sunne Ln #100, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
- Moonraker – Thick Juicy Layer 6.6% NEIPA [4.5]
- Maui – Coconut Hiwa 6.0% Porter [3.25]
- Ghost Town – Vine Breaker 7.0% AIPA [3.5]
- New Glory – Loud Mouth 7.0% NEIPA [3.75]
- Fremont – Up Stream 7.3% NEIPA [3.75]
- Pure Project – Gone Wanderin‘ 6.7% NEIPA [4.0]
- Fieldwork – Space Maze 7.0% NEIPA [4.0]
50 beers on tap. Good service, but can be expensive, especially if you try the tasting flights, which can be $5 each for a 5oz pour, making the flight around $25.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Temescal (Brewery)*** 4115 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
- Temescal – Hazy 6.5% Hazy pale [3.5]
Vibrant beer garden with great atmosphere. On our visit it featured a craft fair with vendors showing off hand-made goods, which attracted an eclectic mix of locals. Sadly average beer.
Date: 25/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Dokkaebier (Brewery)** 420 3rd St a, Oakland, CA 94607
- Dokkaebier – Kimchi Sour 6.6% Ginger sour [2.5]
Korean style beers. Core range only. The ginger sour I had was overpowering and destroyed my taste buds for several hours!
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Oakland United (Brewery)** 262 2nd St, Oakland, CA 94607
- Oakland United – Bayshore Fog 6.7% Hazy pale [3.5]
Ordinary but pleasant enough.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Cellarmaker House of Pizza (Taproom)***** 300 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94607
- Cellarmaker X Other Half (collab) – Double Dough Extra Broccoli Stuffed Crust 7.0% NEIPA [4.25]
- Cellarmaker X Other Half (collab) – All Citra Everything Bagel 8.5% DNEIPA [4.5]
Not cheap, but when the beer’s this good, who cares?
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Original Pattern (Brewery)*** 292 4th St, Oakland, CA 94607
- Original Pattern – Not Velvet, But Cashmere 6.2% NEIPA [4.0]
A great street-corner brewery, nice covered pavement drinking area, vey friendly locals.
Date: 26/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Epidemic (Brewery)**** 150 Mason Cir J, Concord, CA 94520
- Epidemic – Summer Skullfest 7.3% NEIPA [3.75]
- Epidemic – Abomination 8.0% DNEIPA [3.75]
Vibrant brewery, always busy when I’ve visited. Mexican food truck provides catering weekends/evenings.
Date: 27/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Toronado (Bar)***** 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117
- GOAL. (Get Out And Live) – Uba Haze 6.7% Japanese potato sour [3.75]
Possibly THE most authentic bar in San Francisco, situated on Haight. No airs, no frills, CASH ONLY! No cash? No problem – there is an ATM at the end of the bar. A classic.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Zeigeist (Bar)**** 199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Humble Sea – Socks & Sandals 6.6% NEIPA [4.0]
Another classic rock bar. Dark and dingy inside, the beer garden occupied by all (it seems) of San Francisco’s cigarette (and dope) smokers!
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Standard Deviant (Brewery)**** 280 14th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Standard Deviant – Hazy IPA, Brah? 6.8% Hazy IPA [4.0]
Great brewery, Japanese food truck outside.
Date: 28/08/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Black Hammer (Brewery – 2nd visit)**** 544 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107
- Black Hammer – Cloud Chamber 6.0% NEIPA [4.25]
- Black Hammer – Cuddle Puddle (can) 6.0% NEIPA [4.0]
Not sure how we ended up back here, but a nice second visit anyways!
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Liquid Gold (Bar)***** 1040 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109
- Alvarado Street – Sausage Sizzle 8.2% DNEIPA [5.0]
- There Does Not Exist – Feathers, Bone Chimes & Eternal Rest 11.0% American Strong Ale [4.5]
WOW – just WOW! A fair walk to find this place and mega-expensive, but worth every penny. A real beer connoisseur’s paradise! The first beer I awarded a 5 for on Untappd for about two years.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Otherwise (Brewery)** 1402 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
- Otherwise – IFLS (I Fucking Love Science) 6.5% Hazy pale [3.0]
A brewery with a small, homely taproom. All beers are GF.