Just because we can’t go to bars or breweries right now doesn’t mean we have to shelter ourselves from the best local beers available. In fact, one of the few bright spots amid this crisis has been Bay Area craft breweries finding creative ways to get their beer into our hands. Whether that’s by curbside pickup or home delivery, brewers are helping us turn our living rooms into taprooms. And for that, we thank them.
As we continue to adapt to these unprecedented times, let’s stay indoors while supporting independent businesses by ordering from one of these still-operating beer joints. Each brewery requires that you place your order a few hours in advance through its website or over the phone, then select pickup or delivery based on the services offered.
Happy Netflix and beer-ing.
San Francisco and Peninsula
Sunset Reservoir
One of the finest breweries supplying the Outer Sunset, this spot stands out for its incredible tap selection (Outside Lands Kolsch, $12 per liter, is one of my favorites). But it’s not just the beer you can pick up or get delivered — they also offer batched cocktails, dinner and brunch options. That’s right: You can get the sweetly satisfying taste of Sunset Reservoir’s summer beer while also benefiting from the collaborations it does with other eateries. Recently, they’ve featured a “whiskey, wine and wing Wednesday,” fish tacos and margaritas, and brunch from Devil’s Teeth.
Barebottle Brewing Co.
With locations in San Francisco (Bernal Heights) and Santa Clara, this taproom offers beer straight from the tap for pickup. Or, for a $15 flat shipping fee, it’ll ship anywhere throughout California. This beer spot is notable for its variety of fresh and experimental concoctions, like the Socola Imperial Chocolate Truffle Stout. Barebottle also specializes in coffee and house-made soda (the hibiscus, lemon, and ginger–infused Koga Kola should help you get through the long day.) Note: Your purchase must total at least $50 for door-to-door delivery services in San Francisco. But let’s be honest, you’ll have weeks to drink whatever delicious beverages you get, so you might as well go for the gold. They’re also offering virtual beer tastings, so add that to your Zoom to-do list.
Standard Deviant Brewing
Available for in-person pickup on 14th and Mission only, this is a spot where you can take your daily walk to before returning home to enjoy a flagship Galaxy IPA or hard seltzer and binge-watch Tiger King on Netflix. Standard Deviant serves only crowlers (32-ounce cans)—not for the fainthearted. Also, they run a program for our healthcare workers — if you buy a beer for someone in healthcare, they will match it and give away their beer to that person. The brewery is only open from just 3 p.m. to 5 p.m, so plan ahead for this one.
Camino Brewing
You can get a solid IPA a lot of places these days. But finding a bold, well-rounded, satisfying stout made with high-quality coffee is harder. If you’re looking for that kick of caffeine in your beer while “working from home” for the next couple months, check out the Cafe con Leche stout from Camino. Though this brewery is open for delivery and in-person pickup, it’s located down in San Jose, so not your best bet unless you’re down below the Peninsula. (I see you, South Bay.)
Woods Beer & Wine Co.
Arguably my favorite brewery in the entire Bay Area, this purveyor of fine cervezas has four pickup and delivery spots scattered throughout San Francisco (Mission, Treasure Island, Outer Sunset, Russian Hill) and one in Oakland. Be sure to preorder for some of the best-tasting and most inventive beers you’ll find in Northern California. My personal favorites are Woods’ limited-edition “cookie beers.” They sell out quickly, but a drunken little birdie told me you can still get the Peppermint Chocolate Saison and Peanut Butter Cream Ale if you act fast. As you can imagine, they pair hella well with your freshest oven-baked cookies.
East Bay
East Brother
For my folks in the Richmond area, go ahead and place an order for delivery ($5 fee) or curbside pickup from East Brother, one of my favorite new breweries on the East Bay brewing scene. Though smaller and somewhat limited in its offerings, they are solid and consistent, especially for more traditional beer drinkers. My go-to is the Red Lager, a medium-bodied brew that is just the right mix of sweet and strong.
Armistice Brewing
Another Richmond-based beer slinger, this spot is only for those willing to drive out for pickup. Armistice is open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., giving you plenty of time to put in an order online for its appropriately named Distantly Social Hazy IPA.
Novel Brewing Co.
Inspired by the married owners’ love of literature, Novel Brewing in South Berkeley is the perfect place to pick up some crowlers before going home to curl into the pages of your favorite novel. You can add spicy peanut snacks ($5), beef jerky ($5), or, my favorite, a box of goldfish crackers ($1) to your order of Lexicon, a barrel-aged saison beer. For you non–UC Berkeley English major nerds, that’s a fancy word that means “I read a lot of books and have a better vocabulary than yours.” But don’t worry, Novel’s beer is just as good, if not better, than its dictionary skills. Click the link and see your options.
Fieldwork Brewery
Heralded as one of the best breweries in the Bay Area, Fieldwork is a must-have for any local beer lover. Their Hazy IPA is among the best you can find along the Pacific Coast — in my well-seasoned beer tasting opinion. They are offering curbside pickup or delivery to anyone with their radius, including Berkeley, Corte Madera, Monterey, Sacramento, San Mateo, and San Ramon. What more do you need from one of the Bay Area’s most popular beer sellers?
Temescal Brewing
My wife’s favorite brewery on this list (because their cans have cool designs), you can’t claim to know the East Bay Area beer scene if you haven’t tried Temescal. Besides having a solid marketing strategy, the beer from here far surpasses the simple geometric 1980s designs on its products. Since these beers are available for mail delivery ($20 per 24-can case, anywhere within California), you don’t have to live on Oakland’s famed Telegraph Avenue to savor this area’s best flavors. If you haven’t tried Temescal before, I recommend starting with its attention-getting Split Nelson Hazy IPA. In addition, 10% of all beer proceeds and 50% of all gift card proceeds will be donated to the Temescal Brewing Staff Relief Fund, directly supporting those staff experiencing a loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
