The story of beer in San Francisco is as old as the city itself. San Francisco had its first commercial brewery by 1847, two years before the gold rush, and went on to reign as the major brewing center in the American West through the nineteenth century. From the 1930s to the early 1950s, iconic San Francisco-based breweries Lucky and Acme owned the statewide California market. In the 1960s, Fritz Maytag transformed San Francisco's tiny and primitive Anchor Brewing into America's first craft brewery. Now, well into its fourth generation of craft breweries, San Francisco has seen more new breweries open in the second decade of the twenty-first century than were opened in the entire previous century, proving that tech is not San Francisco's only booming industry. Join local author and beer enthusiast Bill Yenne as he explores San Francisco's rich tapestry of beers and breweries that have made it a brewing capital in the West.

The sweeping illustrated story of America’s oldest and most iconic craft brewery, featuring a history of American brewing traditions and homebrew recipes for Anchor’s top brews including Anchor Steam and California Lager “A tale of worldly curiosity, brilliance, persistence, and a thirst to succeed . . . If you ever wondered why beer drinkers get passionate about good beer, read this book.”—Charlie Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Co. is one of America’s oldest breweries, with an extraordinary heritage rooted in the California Gold Rush. Undaunted and resilient, it has survived earthquakes, fires, insolvency, and Prohibition. In 1965, when mass-produced, mass-marketed beer completely dominated the American brewing landscape, Fritz Maytag rescued the nation’s smallest brewery and its unique Anchor Steam Beer from the brink of bankruptcy. Focusing on tradition, quality, and flavor, Maytag transformed Anchor Brewing, igniting a revolution that paved the way for today’s craft beer movement. Anchor brewery historian David Burkhart tells the story of America’s first craft brewery in this compellingly definitive insider’s guide. With three hundred images—most shown for the first time—and original homebrew recipes for four of Anchor’s iconic brews (Anchor Steam, Anchor California Lager, Anchor Porter, and Liberty Ale), The Anchor Brewing Story is a book for beer drinkers, homebrewers, pro brewers, entrepreneurs, San Francisco–philes, and anyone who loves a good comeback tale.

Designed for locals and tourists alike, this pocket-sized guide offers snapshots of 75 of the best craft breweries in Northern California. While similar guides offer just the bare facts or the author’s own opinions of breweries, in the Half-Pint Guide, the brewers speak directly to the readers. Each entry not only provides the basic information about a brewery, but also lets the brewer talk about which of their beers they like the best, their biggest challenges, and some of their funniest or most surprising stories. It’s like pulling up a stool and chatting with the brewer across the bar. The breweries featured are spread across Northern California so that wherever you are, you can find a local craft beer. The book includes maps to guide you on a brewery tour. The breweries were selected with the assistance of the brewers (and their fans).

The story of beer in San Francisco is as old as the city itself. San Francisco had its first commercial brewery by 1847, two years before the gold rush, and went on to reign as the major brewing center in the American West through the nineteenth century. From the 1930s to the early 1950s, iconic San Francisco-based breweries Lucky and Acme owned the statewide California market. In the 1960s, Fritz Maytag transformed San Francisco's tiny and primitive Anchor Brewing into America's first craft brewery. Now, well into its fourth generation of craft breweries, San Francisco has seen more new breweries open in the second decade of the twenty-first century than were opened in the entire previous century, proving that tech is not San Francisco's only booming industry. Join local author and beer enthusiast Bill Yenne as he explores San Francisco's rich tapestry of beers and breweries that have made it a brewing capital in the West.

The definitive guide to the region's 161 breweries and brewpubs. Each brewery profile includes types of beer brewed at each site, special features, available tours, and the author's pick of the best beer to try. Covers the Central Coast area around Santa Cruz north to the border of Oregon, including San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento.