This San Francisco brewery is named after the amendment to the United States Constitution that repealed a previous amendment (the 18th), which had prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol and was in place from 1920-1933.
21st Amendment Brewing is known for being ahead of the craft brewing curve when it comes to the can trend. The cans that contain the beer are as well-known as the beer itself, artistic and full of historic references surrounding the topic of prohibition and U.S. history on the whole. The cans – made by a Portland, Oregon company called TBD, include renderings of Americana such as the Statue of Liberty, FDR, astronauts, signers of the Constitution and various other bits of U.S. history. These cans stand out. I recall being impressed by them some years back when I received a shipment in the mail as part of a beer-of-the-month club membership a friend had gotten me. But the product goes far beyond the packaging and theme. 21st Amendment makes good beer. It adds fruity quirks – watermelon and grapefruit among them – to its brews, and everything from lights to porters and delicious IPAs as well.
The setting is rustic and inviting, with a large rectangular bar on the main level and an upper indoor balcony that overlooks the main level. The upper balcony is a slick set-up with multiple screens for watching sports. AT&T Park is just a few blocks away. The Saturday afternoon crowd was a mish-mash of age, gender and background, feeling welcoming across the board.
My favorite beer was the Blah Blah IPA, which had been released just a week prior to my visit and was recommended by the friendly bartender just a minute or so after I sat down. I was more than impressed by the quality of this one and I’ve had my fair share of IPAs.
If you are in the Bay Area and you enjoy a good beer and brewery experience 21st Amendment is a must.
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