Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

WineCountryBEER

 
 

Location

You can find them on the south side of Howard Street in the SOMA district of San Francisco. They are close to the Moscone Center and the SF Museum of Modern Art.

Tours: Call ahead for more information.

Address: 661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 707-769-4495

Go To: Thirsty Bear Brewing Web Site


The brewery equipment is visible behind the bar. One thing you will notice:  the cleanliness is impressive.



 

Thirsty Bear Brewing is among the best options for local craft beer tasting in downtown San Francisco. It is the only option if you prefer to drink all organic. It also emphasizes a long list of practices and policies utilized to make the business as green as possible.

Hand-crafted, certified organic beer is their niche and they hold it well. Attorney-turned-brewer and restaurateur Ron Silberstein is the proprietor. He has created one heck of a popular place, where complex, layered tastes rule.

The Beers

Brew master Brenden Dobel keeps about nine Thirsty Bear beers on draft. Seven are standards and two are rotating seasonals. You know they are fresh because you can see the brewhouse right behind the bar. They open a special cask conditioned ale each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.



ABOVE: You can see all nine beers of the day served in a sampler. The sheet they are sitting on has their names and helps you keep them organized.

 

Some beers to look for

Howard Street IPA -- light citrus nose and complex malt/citrus flavor. Great balance. Very drinkable; food friendly.

Polar Bear Lager -- Really, really clean and well-made. A beautiful golden Czech pilsner with just enough zip.

Meyer ESB -- Beautifully crafted with all the nice English malt and lively hops that makes this style so popular. They serve it on nitrogen so it is extra creamy.

Seasonals & Specialties -- Winter months bring out fuller flavors like the Wee Heavy Scottish Ale, an aged Bearly Legal Barley Wine. and a strong Belgian Winter Warmer.

The Restaurant

They claim that they were the first brewpub in the country to offer a Spanish cuisine menu. They also claim to use many authentic Spanish ingredients. What we can definitely say is, they do a great job with tapas.

The menu is widely varied with many vegetable, meat and fish tapas; salads; flatbreads and more. Like their beers, the food ingredients also emphasize organic, sustainable and socially responsible.

Such a varied food menu demands an equally broad beer menu. The Thirsty Bear does not disappoint. Try the pilsner with the Monterey Bay sardines or escalivada terrine. Try the IPA with the paella or the bocadillos. Experiment and find a combo that is delightful for you.

 

Thirst quenching in downtown SF

Thirsty Bear is easy to find and is in easy walking distance from the Moscone Center and the busy Market Street business district.

The Brown Bear Ale was kickin and growlin. That means it is mighty good. Lots of toasty malt, but not too sweet. Good hop bitterness for balance.

The exterior of Thirsty Bear Brewing Co. as seen in Google Maps street view.