Breweries around San Fran / San Jose Area

Lots of threads on this...but I'll at least start you out with:

Cellarmaker
Fieldwork
Russian River
Sante Adairius

 

In the immediate area, Fieldwork and Cellarmaker would be quality choices.

But, if you can make the drive, SARA is the best brewery I've been too. Not just in terms of beer but the atmosphere too. It's a great place and they'd likely have a couple bottles for you to take home. For my taste, saisons are what they do best, but their stouts and IPAs are also excellent. You'd pass through Santa Cruz on the way down which has a nice lunch place called "Zachary's". It has a warm, old world atmosphere. And, of course, very tasty food for a bargain price (it was ~$10 for a delicious, plate-sized turkey sandwich + a side). I'd go their (and to SARA) every day if I lived nearby.

Another brewery that would take some driving, but has become my favorite along with SARA, is Mad Fritz. It's up in St. Helena (Napa). The recent batch of "The Ringdove and the Hunter" is the best dark beer I've had. If you like (unconventional) beers that focus on balance and depth you should drop by. Just be sure to communicate with the brewery ahead of time. They aren't always open since it's a small operation. Also, you'd want plenty of time for the tasting, since their beers really open up after some time to warm and breathe. Bottles would certainly be available.

If you're at all interested in a more "fine dining" experience, but still not too expensive, then Iyasare would be a place to go. It's located in NW Berkeley and serves great Japanese food. Though only go if you like seafood, and in particular, raw seafood. Their "ocean umami" sea urchin dish was the best meal I've had in NorCal.

 

None of the breweries in San Jose are consistently good — that being said, Hermitage, Santa Clara Valley, and yes, even Strike, all have decent Imperial Stouts. You’ll have to go to elsewhere for NEIPAs though. (south to Alvarado Street in Monterey or Humble Sea and Sante Adairus in Santa Cruz, or north to Fieldwork in Berkeley or the lesser, but closer, taproom in San Mateo.)

 

Faction in Alameda is one of the best breweries in the Bay Area. Its also next to St George's spirits. Its a great 1-2 combo. Hit st George's first.

Faction usually has some great stouts ans porters on. And the view is amazing.

 

I should state the best NE IPAs in NorCal are from Moonraker, but you're unlikely to find them in the Bay Area as they get very sparse distro. They do show up in beer bars but maybe once every 3 months. But if you could make the 3 hour drive to Auburn... it's definitely worth it for that style. They do weekly cans too.

For stouts in the Bay, I think Cellarmaker makes the best, but depending on when you go, they could have 0 - 3 options. (Right now they have a Bourbon Barrel Aged one). They also make killer hoppy beers (my favorite out of any brewery out there), but I wouldn't call them NE-style. They do West Coast, WC/NE fusion, and unfiltered fruity (not adjuncts, but somehow they really brew to get the fruity qualities out of the hops).

 

Indeed. Starting to hit peak laziness with these requests.