Santa Cruz's own Humble Sea Brewing Co. docks at Pier 39, with a spacious taproom set to open its doors in July. Taking a historic plunge into the San Francisco beer scene, Humble Sea's latest venture will anchor itself in the space once occupied by the Wines of California Wine Bar, filling the 80-seat venue with a frothy mix of craft beer and coastal charisma. Humble Sea announced with a splash on their Instagram account, prompting beer enthusiasts to keep tabs on @humblesea.sf for forthcoming details, exclaiming, "Oh SHIIITTTTTTTTT, fam! Big news brewing: we’re spreading our luvvv for beer to the iconic streets of SAN FRANCISCO! 🌉✨."
According to SFGATE, the expansion reflects Humble Sea's unyielding wave of growth as it follows the addition of their fourth taproom in Alameda Point just last year, coupled with existing joints on the Pacifica and Santa Cruz Wharf, and not forgetting the mainstay flagship in Santa Cruz. However, their Felton location closed its doors back in August 2023. Still, repossession of the Pier 39 spot hints at the brewery's long-cherished ambition to storm into San Francisco, an ambition crafted amidst a tempest of upheavals in the Bay Area's brewing community.
The company, which boasts a backstory of beginning in a family backyard, eyes its arrival at Pier 39 with a collaboration in the hops. Lee DeGraw, the marketing director, told SFGATE that the company plans to team up with a still-undetermined restaurant to marry their crafted pints with scrumptious bites. A patio adjunct to the forthcoming site brews the promise of alfresco drinking and dining experiences amidst one of the city's most frequented tourist destinations.
This beer brouhaha burgeons at a time when San Francisco's fizzy fermenting scene seems to have lost some of its effervescence. Last July, Anchor Brewing's century-long operation was shut down, and New Belgium closed its expansive taproom earlier in February 2023. Also, local favorite Cellarmaker transferred production to the East Bay, gobbling up Rare Barrel in 2022 as the industry adapts and overflows with an ale storm of change.
