Haven't seen a thread for Harmonic yet so I'll start. One of about a dozen breweries in SF that appeared during a brewery boom of sorts in 2015-16. I stopped by again this weekend and was reminded why this is my favorite among those (and second favorite in SF, behind Cellarmaker.) It's a very comfortable place to visit. The building (and logo on the side) blends into the area so well though that you might miss it unless you're looking for it. Street parking is plentiful...one of the few parts of SF where this is true. The interior, although somewhat brewery-generic, has very good feng-shui. Beer names usually give you a hint of the style. They are very welcoming and when I left the bartender thanked me for checking the place out. Most of their beers are ~5-8%. Everything is served in 13 oz tulips for $5-7 (you can also get tasters.) Their standards are closer to 5%, seasonals (including IPAs) 6-7% and the sours/experimentals are around to 8%. This time I tried their 2015 The Season...that vintage was 8% and made with holiday spices and served on Nitro. Aging probably wasn't necessary but it did round out some of the spices and the stout base held up. I also tried the Nocino Dub Side, a 7.7% Dubbel Rye-Barrel aged on green walnuts. This one was fantastic. It was just strong enough to hold up to the barrel aging but light enough to not be overpowering, and the walnuts cut through any remaining harshness. This was a great beer to savor because you want to, not because you have to. Their focus is on well-made beers that are flavorful, but not strong enough to knock you out...so maybe similar to Temescal but not quite as understated. (I do like what I've had from Harmonic better, so far.) I read in an article that their goal is for their beers to make people to be ready for another one about 3/4 the way into their first. They've also started canning, and the cans are among the simplest but best looking. They have a black matte finish and if you look closely, you'll see the map of the area. Then they just have a sticker showing what beer it is. I picked up a couple cans...Out on the Tiles (7% Mosaic IPA -- just canned that day), The Bramble (7.5% Kettle Sour), and 2017 The Season (6% Holiday Stout -- different each year...this one is lighter and made with chocolate). So far I tried the Out on the Tiles and it did not disappoint. It was very crisp and clean, like you were biting into a thick grapefruit rind. They only fill 1L growlers.
