Craft beer in San Francisco
Where american craft beer started
Anchor Brewing's continuous operation since 1896 (with a brief 1960s near-death) makes San Francisco the historical anchor of American craft beer. Fritz Maytag's purchase of Anchor in 1965 and his subsequent revival of the brewery is widely considered the founding moment of the modern American craft beer movement. Today, the city's craft scene spans Anchor's revival under new ownership, Cellarmaker's hop-forward focus, and Fort Point's accessible lagers.
Breweries Tracked
2
Specialty
California Common (Steam beer), historical styles
Hub Neighborhood
Potrero Hill / Mission / Dogpatch
How San Francisco shaped American craft beer
Anchor Steam — California Common — is the only beer style genuinely native to America. Anchor's Liberty Ale, brewed in 1975 to commemorate Paul Revere's ride, was effectively the first American IPA, predating the West Coast IPA boom by decades. The brewery's 2023 closure shocked the industry; its 2024 revival has become a story about preserving American beer history. Cellarmaker, founded in 2013, represents the modern wave.
Where to visit in San Francisco
Tasting Room HighlightsAnchor Brewing's reopened Potrero Hill brewery (currently in restoration), Cellarmaker's House of Pizza in the Mission, Fort Point's Russian Hill flagship, Toronado on Lower Haight for the deepest craft beer bar in the city.
Common date code formats from San Francisco breweries
MM/DD/YY
2 breweries