Time for happy hour? San Franciscans love their drinks, as anyone can tell from the number of breweries and wineries in the city. Below, we’ve compiled a list of essential places to go for any beer or wine fanatic living in or visiting San Francisco.
Anchor Public Taps
Potrero Hill
Anchor Brewing, America’s first and oldest craft brewery, is currently located in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood and is not to be missed by anyone with even a casual interest in beer. Visit the beer garden to try some of its brews, both historic and new. For the full experience, take a tour of the brewery right across the street from Public Taps and get a taste of Anchor’s rich history.
Cellarmaker Brewing Company
SoMa
Above all else, Cellarmaker features small batches of experimental beers. You can find Cellarmaker on tap in several SF bars, but this company prides itself on staying local, so be sure to take your beer-loving friends from out of town along for a drink here. Cellarmaker’s beers are typically hoppy, but the taplist is inclusive of a variety of tastes.
Barebottle Brewing Company
Bernal Heights
Kids and dogs are welcome in this airy, indoor space at Barebottle. This company strives to make its beer offerings democratic by asking the public to vote for their favorite among finalists. Barebottle tends to be quite experimental, so if you have any interest in going non-traditional, try beers that are guava-infused, stouts blended with chai spices, or sparkling honey ale here at Barebottle. While enjoying your beer, pair it with some food from the food trucks outside.
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Dogpatch
Enjoy Speakeasy’s beautiful decor as you sip on traditional or unique beers from its rotating taps. It’s best known for its “Big Daddy IPA,” but the lineup is sure to have a little something for a variety of tastes. Opt for a tour, and you can get the full history behind Speakeasy’s Prohibition-themed space, and how the company got its start as a small, unlicensed secret warehouse.
Barrel Head Brewhouse
NoPa
Barrel Head is truly a one-stop shop. It features eight house-brewed beers on tap, but also rotating micro-brews, a menu of brunch or dinner food, a full cocktail bar, a build-your-own-Manhattan bar, signature “brewtails” (beer cocktails), and the option to get a flight (only $7 during “Hoppy Hour”). Come by and try the seasonal rotation of house brews, which feature IPAs, Kolsches, and sours.
San Francisco residents’ options are truly limitless when it comes to alcohol. If you’re looking to explore even more breweries, bars, and beer stores, check out this list for beers and this list for wines to see what’s available right in your backyard.