Bay Area Thread

[stupac2]

Assume this was a typo.

Can you name anyone better? Ft Port? Anchor? Does Almanac even count? And I'm not sure I actually think those places are better. (And I don't think CQ is particularly good, it's just that the city has fuckall for breweries.)

Also, this "East Bay vs. SF" debate is pretty dumb. There are a lot of pluses and a lot of minuses with both and I wouldn't fault anyone for preferring either, though having a strong preference seems pretty nonsensical.

I mean, I think the city has worse breweries (as a whole), better bars (but not by a lot), is mostly easier to get around without a car and way better food options. Depending on how you weight those things you might prefer one to the other, but saying that one is WAY ******* BETTER is dumb.

 

[tosh1]

Can you name anyone better? Ft Port? Anchor? Does Almanac even count? And I'm not sure I actually think those places are better. (And I don't think CQ is particularly good, it's just that the city has fuckall for breweries.)

I mean, I think the city has worse breweries (as a whole), better bars (but not by a lot), is mostly easier to get around without a car and way better food options. Depending on how you weight those things you might prefer one to the other, but saying that one is WAY ******* BETTER is dumb.

When did CQ move to SF? I guess that is what confused me. Last I checked they were still in San Leandro.

 

[AndresR]

The Bay Area is still Just starting to turn the corner in a mature beer culture/market. It has a loooong way to go still. And you Fuckers are here arguing over the scraps.

 

[rrryanc]

When did CQ move to SF? I guess that is what confused me. Last I checked they were still in San Leandro.

I think he was suggesting that were CQ to move to SF, they'd instantly be the 2nd best brewery. Frankly, the beers I've had from them have been just downright terrible, so I'm not sure I'd agree. I'd put 21st Amendment (do they count?) and Speakeasy well ahead myself, but the fight for 2nd place is indeed quite pathetic.

 

[pen15clubmember]

The bottle list mostly. A couple of years ago they got wise about what they had - used to be, if you got lucky, you could get early batch RR or others for current pricing.

Also, even 5 years ago, there were only a few games in town and so the T got a lot more special stuff. Now, their list seems a lot more pedestrian compared to the competition.

Also it was admittedly stale board-wise for as long as I'd been going (2009), but those days are over. CoA just has a stick up his butt about that place and City Beer (I think someone got their fee fees hurt at one of them) and his impotent crusade against them is...admirable?

I enjoy East Bay and am there often now...it's good to have options all over and weird to harbor such ill will towards entire cities. The only area of the Bay I don't care for it South Bay, but ****, it wouldn't hurt me or anyone else if there were more good beer bars and breweries down there.
"Hey, I'm visiting SF..."
"**** SF, go to Oakland!"

edit: I see matedog covered the taplist situation upthread. They also post it on social media everyday now, too.

 

[drgarage1]

Bare Bottle is solidly second-best in SF. And it's better than everything East Bay besides Fieldwork.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Look I totally get hating on the T. But how can you turn around and praise Beer Rev? It's basically Toronado East.

Decor and cleanliness while close, I'll give edge to BR [but not willing to argue about it]. Tap list, staff, bottles, outside space? BR wins in all of those areas. It's really not even close IMO.

 

[drgarage1]

Decor and cleanliness while close, I'll give edge to BR [but not willing to argue about it]. Tap list, staff, bottles, outside space? BR wins in all of those areas. It's really not even close IMO.

When was the last time you checked the Toronado taplist?

 

[rrryanc]

Decor and cleanliness while close, I'll give edge to BR [but not willing to argue about it]. Tap list, staff, bottles, outside space? BR wins in all of those areas. It's really not even close IMO.

What drgarage said RE: taplist, Toronado has actually gotten much better over the last couple of years. And any current bottles Beer Rev stocks are trumped by Cable Car being on the list at basically all times now.

It's not a particularly nice outdoor area but it does exist, and will grant you the staff are better at BR, but still they're basically the same bar on different sides of the bay at this point.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Also it was admittedly stale board-wise for as long as I'd been going (2009), but those days are over. CoA just has a stick up his butt about that place and City Beer (I think someone got their fee fees hurt at one of them) and his impotent crusade against them is...admirable?

I enjoy East Bay and am there often now...it's good to have options all over and weird to harbor such ill will towards entire cities. The only area of the Bay I don't care for it South Bay, but ****, it wouldn't hurt me or anyone else if there were more good beer bars and breweries down there.
"Hey, I'm visiting SF..."
"**** SF, go to Oakland!"

edit: I see matedog covered the taplist situation upthread. They also post it on social media everyday now, too.

You're right, I do tend to **** on Toronado at every opportunity. I **** on City Beer's windowsill IPAs, but other than that I'm fine with the place.

I keep seeing make comments about pre/post fraggle Beer Rev. As someone who used to work down the street from Beer Rev and would visit often during the "fraggle days" and probably pop in now about once a month, I can't say I agree with the post fraggle hate. Did I like Fraggle and enjoy him being there? Absolutely. That's a negative for sure. Outside of that though, what is worse?

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

What drgarage said RE: taplist, Toronado has actually gotten much better over the last couple of years. And any current bottles Beer Rev stocks are trumped by Cable Car being on the list at basically all times now.

It's not a particularly nice outdoor area but it does exist, and will grant you the staff are better at BR, but still they're basically the same bar on different sides of the bay at this point.

So you love Cable Car at a $60 [still that price?]? Thus it defeats every other option. Interesting argument.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

When was the last time you checked the Toronado taplist?

I follow them on social media, so pretty frequently. Rarely do they have anything I couldn't get on a walk home from Bart in Berkely up Shattuck outside of Bling Pig.


This is making you guys JO to Toronado?

 

[stupac2]

You're right, I do tend to **** on Toronado at every opportunity. I **** on City Beer's windowsill IPAs, but other than that I'm fine with the place.

I keep seeing make comments about pre/post fraggle Beer Rev. As someone who used to work down the street from Beer Rev and would visit often during the "fraggle days" and probably pop in now about once a month, I can't say I agree with the post fraggle hate. Did I like Fraggle and enjoy him being there? Absolutely. That's a negative for sure. Outside of that though, what is worse?

Yeah, I'm wondering if you've been Toronado recently and if they've been to Beer Rev recently.

Although, Ryan, is Cable Car still $60? Based on the last batch I had that's a lulzy price.

Bare Bottle is solidly second-best in SF. And it's better than everything East Bay besides Fieldwork.

Are they new? Don't think I've had anything by them (or have heard of them before).

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

Yeah, I'm wondering if you've been Toronado recently and if they've been to Beer Rev recently.

Fair, it's been a while since I've been there (2 yrs?). Based on last tap list I posted, I'm not rushing over any time soon though.

 

[coldstorage]

That toro list has plenty for me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[matedog]

I follow them on social media, so pretty frequently. Rarely do they have anything I couldn't get on a walk home from Bart in Berkely up Shattuck outside of Bling Pig.


This is making you guys JO to Toronado?

I'm too dumb to know how to embed their recent taplists, but the general quality is better than BR by a slim margin, I'd say (https://www.instagram.com/beerrevolution/). There's more mediocre stuff at BR.

Also, I think Cable Car is $80 these days.

 

[pen15clubmember]

Fair, it's been a while since I've been there (2 yrs?). Based on last tap list I posted, I'm not rushing over any time soon though.

Yeah, and there's nothing at Beer Rev that makes it worth crossing the Bay Bridge for, either. I like the place, but it's dumb to tell someone who is in SF to BART or whatever over to Oakland rather than go to Beer Rev. Honestly, City Beer will often have just as many interesting beers as Beer Rev or Toronado even with way less taps. Quality over quantity. Hell, I like Good Hop, but it's East Bay's City Beer...just doesn't make sense to pass one place to get to the other.

 

[NAD1983]

That toro list has plenty for me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I see at least 10 beers on that board that tickle my pickle ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[stupac2]

There's more mediocre stuff at BR.

Well, yeah, there's twice as many taps...

Also, I think Cable Car is $80 these days.

Jesus look at Mr Ryan Moneybags over there, dropping $80 on an okay AWA and bragging about it!

Yeah, and there's nothing at Beer Rev that makes it worth crossing the Bay Bridge for, either. I like the place, but it's dumb to tell someone who is in SF to BART or whatever over to Oakland rather than go to Beer Rev. Honestly, City Beer will often have just as many interesting beers as Beer Rev or Toronado even with way less taps. Quality over quantity. Hell, I like Good Hop, but it's East Bay's City Beer...just doesn't make sense to pass one place to get to the other.

The way people in the city and peninsula act you'd think the east bay were the ******* moon.

 

[rrryanc]

Jesus look at Mr Ryan Moneybags over there, dropping $80 on an okay AWA and bragging about it!

I like Cable Car, this last batch has been getting better. Plus, it's only like 1% of my mortgage, so not exactly breaking the bank to spend every so often, and usually shared with friends.

My real point is that everything else on the bottle lists you can basically just go buy at any given beer store. Why bother paying the bar price to drink at some ****** spot. At least Cable Car is something I can't get elsewhere.

The way people in the city and peninsula act you'd think the east bay were the ******* moon.

Berkeley might as well be. Hour and a half each way taking public transportation and often nearly the same if driving? I can make it to Sante and halfway back for that.

 

[drgarage1]

Fair, it's been a while since I've been there (2 yrs?). Based on last tap list I posted, I'm not rushing over any time soon though.

But it utterly contradicts you saying the tap list is much worse than Beer Rev. That's wrong on its face.

 

[CommanderofAwesome]

But it utterly contradicts you saying the tap list is much worse than Beer Rev. That's wrong on its face.

No it doesn't, that is a worse tap list than the avg Beer Rev list. Most of the beers on tap at Toronado I can get at a burger chain in Berkeley. I can't say the same for Beer Rev. And if you like bigger beers (stouts, BWs, BA beers) Beer Rev crushes Toronado.

 

[archagon]

Toronado's griminess serves as a filter for some really weird and interesting people. Few things are more enjoyable for me in the City than grabbing a beer during happy hour and listening to the bustle around me. It's like a weird clubhouse with a very begrudging open door policy.

Also, I feel very spoiled for being able to just walk in a few times a year and try Beat, 25th, and a variety of other 'tion vintages for 6 bucks each. The events are on point, IMO.

Pro pairing tip: Slice House way down Haight! 15m walk or a quick bus ride away.

 

[stupac2]

My real point is that everything else on the bottle lists you can basically just go buy at any given beer store. Why bother paying the bar price to drink at some ****** spot. At least Cable Car is something I can't get elsewhere.

I guess, depends on how you factor in Alvarado St, some other places that only get pseudo-distribution and I don't think Toronado has (but City Beer tends to, if you can stomach supporting them). I'm also not sure who out there gets Moonraker, but Beer Rev does regularly. Anyway it hardly matters.

Berkeley might as well be. Hour and a half each way taking public transportation and often nearly the same if driving? I can make it to Sante and halfway back for that.

I was more making fun of you guys for never coming to my place. We had to be opening a ******* Loerik to get anyone over here.

 

[drgarage1]

I guess, depends on how you factor in Alvarado St, some other places that only get pseudo-distribution and I don't think Toronado has (but City Beer tends to, if you can stomach supporting them). I'm also not sure who out there gets Moonraker, but Beer Rev does regularly. Anyway it hardly matters.

I was more making fun of you guys for never coming to my place. We had to be opening a ******* Loerik to get anyone over here.

Toronado is the most reliable spot for Alvarado cans in SF.

 

[chemman141]

Ok WTF can we talk about something that kinda actually matters? Like this.
https://russianriverbrewing.com/

 

[rrryanc]

I was more making fun of you guys for never coming to my place. We had to be opening a ******* Loerik to get anyone over here.

That's your fault for being born on Mothers Day. Definitely couldn't miss that this year...

 

[coldstorage]

What's the difference between old and new Toronado?

I guess well covered by the above posts, only thing I might tweak is to point out that some of the issues are because of a much more popular beer scene more so than a dip on the part of Toro IMO. Meaning that in the 00s less people gave a **** and profiteering shitlords weren't really a thing.

I mean, if you have any nice cellar bottles in 2017 what else can you do now but price them to stick around...? or worse yet, release them for an event that people line up for and make every ones day miserable.... or worse than that, offer em to your cool friends only so they can drink them in public and make everyone else jealous. Its a lose lose lose paradigm now.

One thing that is interesting here is people who are dinging T are saying that there is a lack of "special" beers there which isn't even something I want at a bar 99% of the time. I have love in my heart for chocolate vanilla bean rocket mud but those are bottle share puddles.... 4oz ea between half a dozen guys while listening to records at the crib. If I am at a bar I want tasty pints of crushable beer for slurping spilling and yelling. So the lack of pastry stout on the board ain't even on my scorecard.

 

[stupac2]

That's your fault for being born on Mothers Day. Definitely couldn't miss that this year...

That was hardly the first time. I'm completely serious when I say that people in SF/peninsula think the east bay is the moon, I can't get them out here.

 

[AptosBeerDrinker]

Ahh yes. The ol' SF/Peninsula vs East Bay debate, conducted by a bunch of people who moved here 10 years ago.