Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
STEAM BREWING
Blowing off steam took on new meaning during the Gold Rush when entrepreneurs trying
to keep up with the demand for drink started brewing beer at higher temperatures. The
result was an amber color, rich, malted flavor and such powerful effervescence that when
a keg was tapped a mist would rise like steam. San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company
has made its signature Anchor Steam amber ale this way since 1896, using copper dis-
tilling equipment.
Beer
In California, which claims almost 400 craft breweries (more than any other US state),
beer geeks fuss over their triple Belgians and debate relative hoppiness levels. You won't
get attitude for ordering beer with fancy food here, and many sommeliers are happy to
suggest beer pairings with your five-star meal.
Any self-respecting California city has at least one brewery or brewpub of note, serving
quality small-batch brews you won't find elsewhere. The well-established craft beer
scenes in San Diego and on the North Coast are remarkably robust, but you're just as likely
to find memorable microbrews on the Central Coast, especially around Santa Cruz and
Santa Barbara, and in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California's craft breweries are increasingly canning craft beer to make it cheaper, more
ecofriendly and more widely distributable across California. There's nothing as satisfying
as popping the tab of a cold one back at your campsite after a hot California day at the
beach or on a hiking trail.
