There are many, many, many, many reasons why it’s great to be a beer lover in the Bay Area. (Did I mention Sierra Nevada is opening a tap house in Berkeley?)
One of the best is that Mikkeller decided to open its first bar outside of Denmark in our very own City By The Bay.
Mikkeller has become a big star in the international brewing community in a relatively short time. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø began brewing beer with a friend in his kitchen in Copenhagen not even a decade ago. His background as a math and physics teacher gave him a natural curiosity to experiment with different ingredients and techniques.
They eventually began entering their brews in local competitions, and as their awards grew, so did their reputation. Mikkeller’s first international splash came with Beer Geek Breakfast, a stout brewed with French-pressed coffee. It’s success resulted in an American distribution deal in 2006, and Mikkeller was on its way. Today they distribute to more than 40 countries.
What makes Mikkeller unique is their fascination with individual ingredients and how they change a beer’s character. The Single Hop IPA series uses the same base recipe brewed in different batches with different individual hop varieties. Their Yeast Series uses the same methodology; only different yeast strains are used to ferment each batch of the same beer.
Mikkeller is a “gyspy-brewer” or a “phantom brewery,” meaning they don’t actually run their own brewery. They collaborate with brewers around the world and use their facilities, which has led to collaborations with breweries from San Diego to Maryland to Australia, to even China.
Mikkeller Bar SF opened in August, and judging by the crowd on a recent Saturday night, they’ve done it right. We managed to find the last two seats at a very large bar in a warm brick-walled industrial space, buzzing with the energy of many happy patrons.
The biggest challenge for me was to make one selection from the 42 taps. My mid-40’s eyes had a bit of trouble with the extensive list in the somewhat dimly lit space, so after a very quick scan I settled on their own Mosaic Imperial IPA, a single-hop brew made with Mosaic hops.
It was delightful, hoppy and balanced, with just enough prickly carbonation, served at just the right temperature. Mikkeller brags about their tap system. “Our custom ‘on the fly’ gas blending system is one of only 4 in the world and allows us precise control over every beer in all conditions.” Of course, all beers are served in style-appropriate glassware.
We’d had dinner earlier that evening, so we skipped the food menu. We saw many satisfied diners, though, quickly polishing off house-made sausages, cheese plates, snacks and sandwiches, served on metal cafeteria trays.
If Mikkeller Bar SF is any indication, our friends from Denmark are serious about beer — how to serve it and how to enjoy it. All of us Bay Area beer geeks are better off for their arrival.
Sounds like a great place to visit and a wonderful beer to try, Dean!
Thanks, Bobbi. Yes, I’d very much recommend a stop. With such a wide selection you’re bound to find something to suit you. And the staff is very knowledgeable, if you tell them what you like (or don’t like), they’ll recommend something great!
I love that beer is what makes it worth it to pay so much to live in SF! Looks like a great place, you’ll have to come to Denver sometime. We’ve got more breweries than Starbucks. Ok not really, but we do have a lot. 😉
Thanks Marianne, great to hear from you here! I’m telling you, the Bay Area beer scene is exploding so fast I can’t keep up. Seems like there’s a new place opening almost daily. Craziness.
Haven’t been to Denver yet, but it’s on my bucket list. I could spend weeks hitting all the places there. One year I’d love to go to the Great American Beer Festival. Maybe someday…
Oh yeah the GABF is a big deal here. It sells out super quick so if you ever plan to go, get on those tickets asap. My husband went 2 years ago and said it was a lot of fun!
I *must* attend a “Beer Geek” breakfast before I die… which could be soon if I do a lot of breakfast beer drinking. But hey – anything once, right? It actually sounds like a lot of fun.
I love those old brick buildings for bars… and 42 taps? I don’t blame you for hanging out there. So much to try.
As always, Dean – interesting stuff for a beer lover. Thanks!
Thanks, Gary. I hear you. If I have a beer breakfast, I can pretty much write off the rest of the day. Ain’t nothin’ gettin’ done.
Hey Dean,
I know as much about beer as I know about sports cars (so, well, nothing 😉 ).
In fact, I think that the last beer I consumed had clamato juice in it, which I imagine is probably one of the worst things I could do to a beer, right? (Except for spill it, maybe).
Forgiving my beer faux pas, do you have any Canadian brews to recommend?
Thanks for the comment, Kim! Yes, please don’t do the clamato thing again. That’s a crime against brewing!
Alas, my knowledge of the Canadian beer scene is pretty limited. Many years ago I visited Yaletown Brewing in Vancouver and thought it was quite good. In general, if you stick to pilseners, hefeweizens, blonde ales, fruit beers, you’ll be fine. Most brewpubs list their beers from lightest to darkest, so if you stick to the first few beers on the menu, you should have a good experience. Any quality establishment will be happy to recommend something.
Have fun researching! And if you find something you like, please let me know!