Friday Five
Let the summer of safe and socially distanced outdoor drinking continue — and let it last until we get a vaccine. In our continued quest to help you find ways to entertain yourself amid the pandemic, we’ve covered our favorite wineries that are open in the Peninsula and now it’s time to crack open a cold beer.
If you’re getting tired of San Francisco’s foggy “summer” and want to actually enjoy your beer in actual sunshine, jump in the car and head down to one of our favorite gastropubs and breweries with your quaranteam. You may want to wait until the smoke and fires clear, though — all the positive thoughts channeled toward that happening sooner rather than later. Every small businesses on this list has worked hard to implement safety protocols by masking up and staying socially distanced with people outside of your household.
Wursthall, San Mateo
If you’ve been wanting to visit internet food guru Kenji López Alt’s bierhaus since it first opened in 2018, but would never find yourself in downtown San Mateo otherwise, this is your chance. Whether you’re coming to try Kenji’s Korean fried chicken sandwich or a pour from the extensive beer menu, you’re bound to have a good time in the makeshift outdoor biergarten. As expected, Wursthall’s beer library offers European pilsners and saisons, but also includes local IPAs and ales. For the vegetarians who probably won’t be enjoying the bratwurst as much, not to worry — solid nonmeat options, like Impossible Food burger and Daily Driver pretzels, are available.
Das Brew, Fremont
This small industrial brewery has recently started doing a pop-up patio, where diners can “SIP” (sip in person) with a bite anytime from Wednesday to Saturday. Owned and operated by German couple Jan and Priscilla Schutze, Das Brew specializes in German-style beers with an American finish and recently expanded into brewing ales as well. Jan has been brewing beers for 25 years now, with some recipes passed down from his grandmother. Notable beers include the Mean Monkey, a hefeweizen with notes of bananas and cloves, and the Revealing Red Ale, an Irish red ale with subtle caramel notes. If you’re into stouts, don’t miss the Triple Blitz Black, a strong black IPA with coffee and chocolate undertones.
Camino Brewing Company, San Jose
Upon returning from an arduous 1,900-mile cycling pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago trail across Spain, Nathan Poulos and Allen Korenstein were inspired to accomplish another ambitious feat: open a microbrewery and taproom in San Jose. In 2018, they fulfilled this dream and opened the doors to Camino Brewing Company. This microbrewery has now opened its outdoor patio for beers and bites, open from Thursday to Sunday.
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For stout fans, don’t miss the Cafe Con Leche, a coffee milk stout that features different single-origin offerings from Chromatic Coffee Roasters. But if you’re feeling more like IPAs, try out their aptly named “Life is Hard” West Coast Double IPA and Livin’ Ain’t Easy for the unfiltered session. As for the bites, the duo Barya Kitchen and Mollie’s Catering are hanging out on-site, offering modern Filipino dishes like lumpia, oxtail birria tacos, and cheesecake flan.
Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Half Moon Bay
Located by the Pillar Point Harbor, this low-key gastropub offers great coastal views from their spacious patio. This is probably the only brewery on the list that may not come with the guaranteed South Bay sunshine (Karl is a frequent HMB visitor) but if that’s the case, sitting by the cozy fire pits will definitely warm you up. As for the drinks, the brewery offers 10 of their own handcrafted beers on tap all year round, with favorites including a solid Amber Ale and the Full Swing IPA. If you’re a stout drinker, be sure to try the Calf-eine Coffee Milk Stout. Keep in mind that you have to purchase a meal in addition to a drink here, but really — how can you not order a Dungeness crab roll and a heaping plate of calamari when you’re so close to the water? If you’re just about ready to jump in your car, don’t forget to review the brewery’s guidelines here first.
Hapa’s Brewing Company, San Jose
Another San Jose favorite, this craft brewery was started by two hapa (mixed-race in Hawaiian) Bay Area natives, Derek Tam and Brian Edwards. Prior to shelter-in-place, Hapa’s taproom on Lincoln Avenue would usually be filled with people playing board games, shuffleboard, and cornhole, with the occasional live music. But till then, you can now come enjoy a pour at Hapa’s outdoor patio and a bite from different food trucks each day like Chick n Bros. For the IPA lovers, try the Hungry Dog for a classic West Coast IPA and the Butterfly Wings for a New England style IPA. The Little Angel, a porter brewed with caramel and chocolate malts, is also worth a try.
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