Mike's Journal

Craft beer glasses lined up at a Bay Area brewery taproom
The Bay Area Craft Beer Boom: A Local's Map
The Bay Area has shaped American craft beer for over a century, from Anchor's Potrero Hill brewhouse to today's thriving taproom scene spanning San Francisco, the East Bay, and beyond. Read more...
Iced tub of beers ready for an office happy hour — planning how much to order
Planning Office Happy Hour: How Much to Order
A practical guide for Bay Area offices on how much beer, wine, and spirits to order for a company happy hour, with quick-reference estimates by headcount and tips on when... Read more...
Stacked stainless kegs at a brewery — illustrating half barrel and sixtel keg sizes
Half Barrel vs. Sixtel: Which Keg Size Do You Need?
Half barrel or sixtel? We break down keg volumes, servings, weights, and the best uses for each size — so you order the right keg the first time. Read more...
Staff stocking beverages at Mike's Beverages and Liquors, 5084 Mission St, San Francisco
CO2 and Nitrogen Tank Refills in San Francisco (2026)
Mike's Beverages and Liquors at 5084 Mission Street, San Francisco carries CO2 and nitrogen (N₂) refills for kegerators, draft beer systems, nitro cold brew taps, and wine dispensers. If you... Read more...
Tequila bottles and agave — blanco, reposado, and añejo lineup
How to Choose a Tequila: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo
Blanco, reposado, and añejo tequila differ mainly by how long they've been aged in oak. Here's a plain guide to each category, what they taste like, and which to buy... Read more...
Dimly lit historic bar interior with warm lighting, bottles lining the shelves
SF's Oldest Bars: Where Locals Still Drink
From North Beach to the Inner Sunset, here is a neighborhood guide to the historic bars that have been serving San Francisco since the 1800s — and are still worth... Read more...
Cold brew coffee served in cups — non-alcoholic on tap for Bay Area teams
Kombucha & Cold Brew on Tap for Bay Area Teams
Kombucha and cold brew on tap are popular Bay Area office perks. Here's how draft systems work, whether cases or kegs make more sense for your team, and how Mike's... Read more...
Assorted craft beer glasses showing different styles from pale lager to dark stout
Beer Styles, Demystified: IPA to Lager
A plain-English guide to the main beer styles — IPA, lager, stout, wheat, and sour — with local Bay Area picks and tips from Mike's Liquors on Mission St. in... Read more...
Cold brew coffee on tap, poured for a San Francisco office break room
Cold Brew & Non-Alcoholic Kegs for SF Offices
Yes — you can put cold brew coffee, tea, and kombucha on tap in an office break room. Mike's delivers and installs non-alcoholic kegs across San Francisco. Read more...
Taking a delivery order at Mike's in San Francisco for East Bay and South Bay runs
East Bay & South Bay Alcohol Delivery Schedule
Mike's delivers alcohol to the East Bay on Tuesdays and the Peninsula and South Bay on Wednesdays, plus same-day San Francisco delivery. Recurring accounts welcome. Read more...
Craft beer bottles on a counter, available for delivery in San Francisco from Mike's
Craft Beer Delivery in San Francisco (2026)
Get craft beer delivered in San Francisco — local and national brews in cans, bottles, and kegs, same-day for SF orders by 9 a.m. From Mike's, since 1959. Read more...
Spirits shelves at a San Francisco liquor store, available for delivery from Mike's
Liquor Delivery in San Francisco (2026 Guide)
Get liquor delivered in San Francisco — whiskey, tequila, vodka, gin and rum, same-day for SF orders by 9 a.m. From Mike's, 590+ spirits, family-run since 1959. Read more...
Wine and whiskey gift set ready to send in San Francisco
Wine & Whiskey Gift Delivery in San Francisco
Send a wine or whiskey gift in San Francisco — curated gift sets and premium bottles delivered same-day (SF by 9 a.m.) to the recipient, with a note. Read more...
Taking a delivery order by phone at Mike's in San Francisco
Best Alcohol Delivery Options for SF Events
The main ways to get alcohol delivered for a San Francisco event — neighborhood shop, big-box chain, national app, or keg service — and how to choose the right one. Read more...
Rows of wine bottles on shelves — buy wine by the case in San Francisco from Mike's
How to Buy Wine by the Case in San Francisco
Buy wine by the case in San Francisco — build a mixed 12-bottle case and get it delivered same-day (SF orders by 9 a.m.) or pick it up free at... Read more...
Wine bottles on display, available for delivery from Mike's in San Francisco
Wine Delivery in San Francisco (2026 Guide)
How to get wine delivered in San Francisco — same-day for SF orders by 9 a.m., 180+ wines, mixed cases, and gifts, from a family-run shop since 1959. Read more...
Draft beer tap handles at a bar showing multiple beer lines
Kegerator Setup & Troubleshooting: Fix Foamy Pours
A foamy pour almost always comes down to one of four things: temperature, CO2 pressure, beer line specs, or dirty lines. Here's how to diagnose and fix each one. Read more...
Mission Street in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood
A Toast to the Excelsior: Mike's Since 1959
Mike's Liquors has been a fixture on Mission Street in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood since 1959. Here's the neighborhood's story — and ours. Read more...
Neighborhood beverage store storefront — buy or rent a keg in San Francisco
How to Buy or Rent a Keg in San Francisco (2026)
Where to buy or rent a keg in San Francisco — keg sizes, how much beer each pours, kegerator vs tap options, deposits, and same-day SF delivery. Read more...
Cocktails and a beer lined up on a bar for a party
Mixed Drinks and Beer: Office Party Keg Options
How to cover beer drinkers and cocktail drinkers at one office party — a beer keg, canned cocktails, wine, and a non-alcoholic option. Read more...
Beverage delivery to a San Francisco business
Startup Keg Sourcing and Delivery in SF
How a San Francisco startup should source kegs — local supplier, standing account, the whole setup delivered, and the team covered. Read more...
Draft beer being poured from a tap into a glass
Office Keg Tracking and Draft Troubleshooting
The two skills an in-house office tap needs: tracking how much beer is left, and fixing foamy, flat, or cloudy pours. Read more...
A variety of craft beer cans used to plan an event beverage lineup
Keg Demand Forecasting for Offices & Events
One formula to plan the right number of kegs for any office tap or event, with worked examples and the non-alcoholic side covered. Read more...
CO2 and nitrogen tanks that keep an office keg pouring
How to Prevent Office Keg Beer Shortages
A simple system to keep your office tap from running dry — par levels, consumption tracking, standing deliveries, and a backup keg. Read more...
Friends gathered with beers at a large office party
How Many Kegs for a 100-Person Office Party?
The quick math on how many kegs a 100-person office party needs — keg sizes, serving counts, and how Mike's delivers them across San Francisco. Read more...
Coworkers raising glasses together at an office happy hour
How to Pick a Keg for Your Office Party
A step-by-step guide to choosing the right keg size, style, coupler, and gas for an office party — with serving math and a mixed beer-and-non-alcoholic lineup so everyone's covered. Read more...
Coffee and tea station in a startup office break room
Stocking a Startup Break Room: a Buyer's Checklist
A practical buyer's checklist for stocking a San Francisco office break room with beer, kombucha, cold brew, and kegs — with Bay Area delivery from Mike's Liquors. Read more...
A glass of nitro cold brew coffee showing a creamy cascading pour
Cold Brew vs. Nitro Cold Brew: What's the Difference
Cold brew is slow-steeped coffee; nitro cold brew is the same base charged with nitrogen for a creamy, cascading pour. Here's how they differ — and how to get both... Read more...
Stainless steel kegs lined up — matching the right coupler to your keg
Keg Coupler Types Explained: A, D, S & U
Not all kegs use the same tap fitting. This guide explains the four main keg coupler types—D, S, A, and U—and which beers call for each system, so your next... Read more...
The Mike's Beverages & Liquors storefront at 5084 Mission Street in San Francisco, with staff out front
Liquor on Mission Street: A Short Neighborhood History
Mission Street has always had a drink waiting for you. A short history of liquor on SF's most working-class commercial corridor — from 1880s saloons to Mike's Liquors, here since... Read more...
Effervescent pour of draft kombucha
Kombucha 101: What's in Your Glass
A plain-language guide to kombucha: what SCOBY fermentation actually does, what to know about alcohol and caffeine levels, and why draft kombucha has caught on at Bay Area offices and... Read more...
Row of beer taps on a kegerator — an office tap setup
The New SF Office Perk: a Kegerator in the Break Room
Why San Francisco offices are putting kegerators in the break room — and how Mike's Liquors sets up Bay Area teams with draft beer, kombucha, and cold brew. Read more...
How Many Beers Are in a Keg? Sizes & Servings
How Many Beers Are in a Keg? Sizes & Servings
A clear guide to keg sizes and how many beers each one pours — half barrel, quarter barrel, sixtel, and 50L — from San Francisco's keg headquarters. Read more...