I'm going to be in the Bay area for a week and am looking for regional beer recommendations. I live in Boston and the favorite things I've found in my part of the world are, first and foremost, Hill Farmstead. After them, Sixpoint, especially Resin. Anything dank, resinous, weedy, piney, but with a malt sweetness that balances the bitterness instead of being a big ol' spike in the back of the tongue with no relief, like many IPAs. What should I be looking for while I'm there? It doesn't need to be hard to get. Sixpoint is my "I can find it almost anywhere, but it's a damned good beer" beer. What's the Northern California equivalent?
DIPA: RR Pliny, Drakes Denogganizer IPA: SpeakEasy Bid Daddy, Porter: Anchor Porter Stout: North Coast Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout There are SO many good things here in the Bay Area.
Man I wish I could agree with this, but outside of RR sours/IPA and FSW everything, nor cal is pretty standard for beer IMO. Speakeasy, really? LOL they're pretty bad IMO. Anchor is fine, but bland, North Coast again nothing special. They're are better/more interesting breweries in the NorCal region IMO.
I thought the OP was looking just for Bay Area brews. I stretched it a bit withsome Nor Cal stuff. What would you suggest?
He's looking for harder to find beers than Anchor and North Coast. For DIPAs, I think you will like Deschutes Chaisin' Freshies & Firestone Walker Double Jack.
So I'm also going to be out in the Bay Area - also from Boston - for a week. Will be staying in the East Bay primarily. Any tips on brew pubs for sampling the local flavor? (can always jump on BART for a trip to The City)
For DIPAs, I would go Cellarmaker's new DIPA, Pliny, or maybe something from Knee Deep. If you just want a great IPA check out Faction's new Winter IPA. For something a bit more readily available, you can't go wrong with anything from Drake's.
Triple Rock in Berkeley. If you can visit the Drakes brewery, you'll get things not found anywhere else. Beer Revolution in Oakland. If you've got a good Belgian beer bar back home, then the Trappist in Oakland might not be that special, but it's really good. We like Moylans in Novato for food and beer. Hop Craic was on tap in the last 2 weeks. Also in Novato is Baeltane, very new, very small.
Lagunitas might have what you are looking for, such as Brown Shugga, Little Sumpin Sumpin, or Sucks (32 oz. bottles only).
