With the introduced closures of twenty first Modification Brewery and Steins Beer Backyard earlier this 12 months — and ongoing struggles for the craft beer business reported nationwide — it was nice that this month’s brewery day journey featured three San Francisco and Pacifica breweries which have not too long ago been reborn or resurrected.
Rockaway Seashore Brewery
Rockaway Seashore Brewing is in Pacifica, proper subsequent to the now-closed iconic Sea Bowl (scheduled for demolition). For a time, it was Pacifica Brewing, however constructing house owners David Sezto and Daniel Cronin reopened it in Could as Rockaway Seashore, named for the seashore throughout the freeway. Maybe one of the best choice they made was hiring Arne Johnson to brew the beer. Johnson was a longtime brewer at Most important Brewing and later Moylan’s, successful quite a few awards domestically and nationally.
The spacious inside gives views of the Pacific Ocean, however it’s the out of doors beer backyard within the again that units it aside, that includes a big coated picnic space and an open-air backyard with grass and extra tables. On one aspect sits a big stage the place they supply dwell music now and again. The menu consists of a number of appetizers, together with burgers, sandwiches and seafood dishes. There’s a full bar providing wine and cocktails.
Johnson is simply getting began, and there have been 4 of his beers on faucet once I visited, with a number of extra within the tanks and prepared shortly. Look forward to finding eight or 9 home beers at any given time. I used to be particularly taken with Infinite Summer season, Too, a California model of an English summer time ale, which was very refreshing, however could also be gone quickly. His Pineapple Specific West Coast IPA had nice tropical aromas and flavors, and the Brooks Creek Cherry Ale had only a trace of tart cherries. Rounding out the lineup was a kölsch, an amber, a saison and a golden Belgian sturdy, with two lagers nearly able to go, a helles and a German-style pilsner.
Particulars: Open 3-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays at 4627 CA-1, Pacifica; rockawaybrewery.com
Fifty Vara
Fifty Vara is within the Sundown neighborhood of San Francisco, and was the placement of the Sundown Reservoir Brewing Co. Proprietor Brian Reccow reopened it as Fifty Vara in March this 12 months. The title comes from an outdated Spanish unit of size, a vara, used within the early days of San Francisco, when it was nonetheless generally known as Yerba Buena. The “50 Vara District” was an space of downtown outlined by land parceled into 50-vara squares.
Reccow is a veteran of the Bay Space beer scene, having began at Lake Tahoe Brewing in 1991. A local of Southern California, he attended St. Mary’s School and by no means left. He’s labored at quite a few breweries, together with Thirsty Bear, the Seashore Chalet and his personal Reccow Brewing, brewing draft-only beer in San Francisco.
The inside is spacious but cozy, with lush crops and heat wood furniture. There’s an upstairs balcony and a separate room with its personal bar, ideally suited for personal events or trying over the jungle of progress beneath. Downstairs, quite a few tables and bench seating await.
The brewery is tucked within the again nook, however you may watch brewer John Taylor making its beer behind glass partitions. It retains round six beers out there always, plus a few visitor beers. Its two bestsellers are Vara Lager, a refreshingly gentle lager, and Westglow Pilsner, an ideal, very clear pils. As well as, Westline WC IPA is a strong West Coast IPA.
The menu is various, with foremost dishes like pasta, pork chops, steak and sandwiches. There’s additionally a separate weekend brunch menu, served weekends 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Particulars: Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays at 1735 Noriega St., San Francisco; fiftyvarasf.com
Magnolia Brewing reopens
Magnolia Brewing was initially based in 1997 by Dave McLean, now a co-owner of Admiral Malting on Alameda. They promote barley to native breweries, together with Magnolia. New Belgium Brewing purchased the brewery and operated it for a time, however later closed the placement. A bunch of traders, together with Fifty Vara proprietor Brian Reccow, not too long ago reopened it. Fifty Vara brewer John Taylor can also be brewing the beer at Magnolia. Whereas the meals menu and beer lineup are nonetheless being labored out, the pioneering craft brewpub has reopened and is price a go to.
Particulars: Open noon-midnight Mondays-Thursdays, noon-1 a.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays at 1398 Haight St., San Francisco; magnoliabrewing.com
