Just as Sketchfest is wrapping up, another multi-venue tribute to diversion is just getting started. That’s right, today marks the beginning of SF Beer Week, a February festival that celebrates craft beer and the interesting cast of characters behind the rapidly growing industry.
“San Francisco is a really important beer town because craft beer as it is today started in San Francisco, with the purchase of Anchor Brewing by Fritz-Maytag in 1965,” said Brian Stechschulte, Executive Director of The San Francisco Brewer’s Guild, which puts on the festival along with Brews on the Bay.
“Anchor Steam is known as America’s only indigenous beer style, and they also made the first modern IPA, which is Liberty Ale. They also made the first American Porter and the first American Barleywine. The whole craft beer industry grew out of San Francisco. It’s widely considered that San Francisco is the birthplace of craft beer.”
With a pedigree like that, we’re bound to throw a pretty good party.
With over 700 events occurring between February 6th and February 15th, it can be quite unwieldy navigating through the full schedule, although it does allow you to build your own itinerary online. So, in an effort to keep interested readers never far from a cold one, we’ve compiled a roundup of some notable events happening in the neighborhoods we cover. Cheers!
Lower Haight
Noc Noc
February 8th, 1pm -10pm
Sour beers seem to have hit the beer scene pretty hard in the past few years. However, sours' unique flavor can be quite the acquired taste. Whether you’re a connoisseur or just curious, swing by Noc Noc and try a collection of beers by two of the country’s most respected producers of sours.
Danny Coyle’s
February 10th, 7:30pm – 10pm
Swing by everyone’s favorite neighborhood Irish bar and meet the brewers from Anchor Brewing as they serve five different Anchor beers on tap, including two very rare selections, the OBA and the Brotherhood Steam. If you think you know a thing or two about beer, bring a team and compete in a beer trivia tournament where the grand prize is a 10-person VIP tour of the brewery.
Also, don’t miss The Barleywine Festival, which is happening at Toronado on February 14th.
Upper Haight
Alembic
February 7th
5pm – 10pm
Chef Ted Fleury will be pairing British-inspired dishes with some of Magnolia’s across the pond-style ales. This will be a fitting combo, as Magnolia is known for its award-winning English-style beers.
Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery
February 10th
11am – 10pm
Join the folks over at Magnolia for a full day of, you guessed it, oysters and beer. You may not be aware, but Magnolia's Oysterhead Stout is actually brewed using four bushels of whole Hog Island oysters. They will also feature a guest Oyster Stout from Hen House Brewing. Enjoy your libations with oysters in every form. Just remember, some say they’re aphrodisiacs (some say that about beer, too).
Hayes Valley
Fig and Thistle
February 9th
4pm – 10pm
Swing by this cozy little nook just off Gough Street and drink some strong beer in the name of a desperate soul. Flights of IPAs will be served, along with selections from the late Charles Bukowski. For a more authentic experience, make sure you leave without saying goodbye to anyone and walk the streets, disgruntled by existence.
Two Sisters Bar and Books
February 14th
12pm – 10pm
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone at Two Sisters, which will be pairing various beers from Firestone Walker Brewing Company with assorted cheeses. Each flight will come with a beer, a cheese, and—gasp—a glass of wine. $15 each, or try all three for $40.
The Castro
Dante’s Table
February 8th
11am – 5pm
Probably the best Beer Week deal we’ve seen. For $25, you get unlimited pints of Holy Craft’s Magnum Opus (a Belgian Style Golden Ale). Cocktails will also be discounted, and you can enjoy unlimited appetizers from Dante’s Table’s new seasonal menu.
Inner Sunset
Social Kitchen and Brewery
February 9th
4pm – 10pm
If you like Belgians, this might be for you. Social Kitchen will be premiering three barrel-aged brews, a Belgian Wheat, a Belgian Golden, and another Belgian with blackberries brewed inside it. They are also bringing back their Ghost on a Hill, which is a strong Belgian dark aged in a Heaven Hill bourbon barrel for five months. Did we mention there’ll be Belgian beer? There will be. Lots of it.
Divisadero
Mini Bar, Fly Bar, 4505 Burgers & BBQ, Bar Crudo, Mojo, Madrone
February 10th
5:30pm – 10pm
Get your crawl on with this new event hosted by San Francisco’s own Fort Point Beer Company. Hit each of the participating bars and grab a stamp for each beer you drink. When you’re through, stumble over to San Franpsycho to collect a prize.
Bi Rite Market
February 8th
1pm – 3pm
Enjoy Magnolia’s Promised Land IPA, Smokestack Imperial Stout, and the much lighter Kalifornia Kolsch right in the store as you nibble on a collection of cheeses curated by Bi Rite’s top cheesemonger Zach Berg. The event is free, so if you're around on Sunday, there’s no reason not to stop by.
4505 Burgers and BBQ
February 13th
5:30pm – 10pm
Experience this very special collaboration with two things that seem to go together at every turn: pork and beer. Join the guys over at 4505 as they smoke a whole hog served with mustard aged in barrels of Anchor Steam’s Old Potrero whiskey. On top of that, Anchor will be there serving a selection of very special beers, including the OBA, Flying Cloud Stout and Brotherhood Steam.
