Food & Beer Culture

Sourdough bread and Steam Beer stem from the same era, the Gold Rush of 1849. The crusty, slightly tangy bread pairs with the bready, dry California Common like a second voice. Both are a piece of city history you can eat and drink.

Down at the harbor, around Fisherman's Wharf, cioppino is on the menu, a stew of fish and seafood in tomato broth. According to popular lore, Italian fishermen brought it over. Dungeness crab is often part of it, its sweet meat never overpowered by a dry Steam Beer.

Here the beer acts like a squeeze of lemon on fish: it cleanses the palate and lifts the sweetness of the crab. The carbonation cuts through the butter's richness, while the caramel note picks up the toasted flavors of the crust.

In the Mission District, locals eat the Mission burrito, a tortilla the size of a forearm, stuffed with rice, beans, and meat. It's heavy and spicy, and an IPA with citrus aroma provides the counterpoint. The bitterness cools the heat without masking it.

The city's beer culture includes brewpubs with their own kitchens, such as 21st Amendment, and Oracle Park baseball stadium, where garlic fries are eaten with beer. For many locals, heading to a game is as much a part of the year as the fog.

Beer is mostly served in the 473-milliliter pint, and in brewery taprooms also in small tasting glasses. Those who are driving stick to water or non-alcoholic beer, because that too is part of a culture that takes enjoyment seriously.