So, say you live in the Bay Area and have family visiting from out of state. And as much as you try avoiding it, inevitably part of the itinerary for their visit involves fighting through a sea of fanny packs and bad hats in one of San Francisco’s many price-gouging tourist traps.
One of the activities we booked for my in-laws’ recent visit was a catamaran cruise on the bay. Sounds great, except that the cruise embarked from Pier 39. We left early to be on the safe side, as traffic getting in to the City can be a nightmare. However, we got there fairly quickly, which meant we had some time to kill before getting on the boat. Great, nothing more fun than wandering the ubiquitous tchotchke shops and chain restaurants. (“Look, honey, a Bubba Gumps, just like the movie!”) One can only look at so many “I Left My ♥ In San Francisco” shirts and Cable Car key chains before one starts to go a bit bonkers.
But as we review the directory to locate the boat dock, I see an oasis — Beer 39. I cannot believe my eyes. And best of all, the family humors me and we stop in for a drink and a snack before we set sail.
Beer 39 is a nice blend of tasting bar (they offer several flights, each with a different theme) and paraphernalia shop, selling all sorts of beer-related what-not from shirts to bar ware to games. Granted, this is not the end-all, be-all of beer destinations, especially in this city. But it was a very nice surprise, and for a tasting room smack in the middle of one of the biggest tourist spots on Earth, they do a great job of appealing to a lot of tastes.
I settled in with a Big Daddy IPA from San Francisco’s own Speakeasy, and some calamari. Both hit the spot, and set a nice tone for what was to be a very enjoyable day. If entertaining guests requires a visit to Pier 39, this is a required stop, for your sanity if nothing else.