Elizabeth Street Brewery

Elizabeth Street Brewery – brewery
Noe Valley
Official Site | Twitter
House microbrew: free!
Open on the occasional Saturday afternoon
MUNI: 24, 35, 48.

So Elizabeth Street Brewery isn’t what one would normally expect of a brewpub or a bar.  It’s also not what you’d expect of a random basement in residential Noe Valley, which ESB also is.  You see, Richard and Allie Brewer-Hay (I know, right?) like beer.  So they decided to start making their own.  A few years and an episode of While You Were Out later, they’ve developed a regular brewing schedule and attracted a small but loyal following.  Eventually, Richard plans to open a brewpub on Noe Valley’s main drag, 24th Street.  But in the meantime, Elizabeth Street Brewery operates at their home, and every so often the doors are opened for tasting.

It’s a bit hidden away, in a very nondescript house on the corner.  This is by design, as they not only live there with their two kids, but they also received a bit of a talking to, though eventually a blessing, from the SFPD, likely spurred by some annoying yuppie neighbor (which are not unheard of in Noe Valley).  It is for this reason I’ve left ESB’s address off of this post- it’s essentially a speakeasy for the time being.  You can check in on their website or follow their Twitter feed to see when they’re opening up- generally Saturday afternoons from about noon to 3pm, especially in July and August.

Once you do find it, you’ll find a very friendly group of beer drinkers enjoying sunshine in the backyard, or a custom-made bar room in the basement, courtesy While You Were Out.  Upon entering the side door, Richard greeted us with a hearty handshake and a taster glass of his Daddy’s Chocolate Milk, and we sat down in the backyard with about a dozen other beer enthusiasts.  If you’ve been to a neighbor’s picnic, then you have a pretty good idea of what Elizabeth Street Brewery is like (the fun neighbors who brew their own beer and give it to you for free, not the ones who complain every time you play Rock Band).  There is a cozy barroom downstairs, which I got to poke my head into (this is also where the tip jar is).  You can take a look at it on their Flickr photostream.  Richard is generally milling about, refilling glasses (quite efficiently, I must add) and talking beer with fellow connoisseurs and colleagues.  Unsurprisingly, he’s also a member of several beer clubs, and he’ll pour some of their offerings for you, as well.  Did I mention there was a tip jar on the bar downstairs?

That’s about all there is to say.  It’s certainly a different bar/brewpub experience than most, but it’s a lot of fun.  Oh, and I guarantee that if you get the chance to visit, you’ll have the opportunity to use what is without a doubt the nicest, cleanest bar bathroom in San Francisco.