If there's one region that can claim credit for reviving American craft beer, it's the Bay Area. From a San Francisco steam-beer house that refused to close, to neighborhood taprooms stretching from the Presidio to Walnut Creek, Bay Area craft beer represents one of the deepest regional brewing traditions in the country. At Mike's Liquors, we've had a front-row seat on Mission Street for over 65 years — here's our neighborhood-by-neighborhood take on how the boom happened.
Where It All Started: Anchor Brewing, Potrero Hill
The story of Bay Area craft beer begins in 1896, when a small San Francisco brewery started producing steam beer — a California-born style fermented at warmer temperatures than traditional lagers, a necessity in the days before mechanical refrigeration. For decades, Anchor survived on a shoestring. In 1965, Fritz Maytag purchased the struggling brewery and spent the next several decades reviving it, making Anchor one of the earliest and most influential examples of modern American craft brewing.
Anchor's Potrero Hill brewhouse became a pilgrimage site for anyone who wanted to make interesting beer in the United States. Its success directly inspired a generation of brewers nationwide. After 127 years of continuous operation, Anchor Brewing closed in 2023. In 2024, Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya purchased the brand and its assets with the stated intention of restarting production in San Francisco — a reminder of how much the brewery still means to this city.
The East Bay Builds Its Own Tradition
While San Francisco was tending the flame, the East Bay was building a scene of its own.
Drake's Brewing got its start in 1989 in San Leandro — then operating as Lind Brewing, named for founder Roger Lind, who honed his craft at Triple Rock in Berkeley. Drake's has spent decades making hop-forward ales from its East Bay base, later adding taproom space in Oakland at a location known as Drake's Dealership.
Calicraft Brewing, founded in 2012 by Blaine Landberg — a UC Berkeley alum who started brewing in his dorm room — put Walnut Creek on the Bay Area craft beer map. With a taproom off Mitchell Drive in Walnut Creek and ongoing expansion across the region, Calicraft has become a Contra Costa County institution.
The New Wave: Farm-to-Barrel and the Waterfront
The 2010s brought a new generation of Bay Area breweries that cared as much about sourcing as about hops.
Almanac Beer Company, founded in 2010 by Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan, built its name on small-batch farm-to-table beers — seasonal ales made with California-grown fruit, grains, and herbs, often aged in wine barrels. The brewery is now based in Alameda, where it operates a taproom and production facility.
Fort Point Beer Company launched in 2014, founded by brothers Tyler and Justin Catalana. Their brewhouse sits inside a former Army motor pool building in the Presidio near Crissy Field — one of the more memorable settings in Bay Area brewing. Fort Point's clean, accessible lineup of lagers and ales has made it one of the most widely recognized SF craft brands in the market today.
What This Means for Your Fridge (and Your Keg)
The Bay Area craft beer boom has been good for everyone who likes to drink well. The variety today — IPAs, lagers, farmhouse ales, barrel-aged stouts — would have been unimaginable to someone shopping for beer in San Francisco in 1970.
At Mike's Liquors, we've watched that shift from our spot on Mission Street the whole way through. We carry a rotating selection of local and regional craft beers; browse our beer collection to see what's in. If you need volume — a keg for a party, a home tap setup, or a corporate account — take a look at our full keg lineup. We stock Bay Area draft options and deliver across San Francisco, the East Bay, and the South Bay.
If you're setting up a draft system at home or at the office, our equipment and services page is a good place to start. And as always, if you want a recommendation across the counter, stop by on Mission Street — that's what we're here for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Bay Area considered important in American craft beer history?
Anchor Brewing's revival by Fritz Maytag in 1965 is widely credited as a foundational moment in the American craft beer movement. Anchor showed that small, independent breweries could survive — and thrive — making full-flavored, quality beer at a time when the national market was dominated by light, mass-produced lagers. That example inspired brewers across the country.
Can I get Bay Area craft beer on tap delivered in San Francisco?
Yes. Mike's Liquors stocks kegs from Bay Area breweries and delivers within San Francisco for orders placed by 9 AM (same-day delivery). East Bay deliveries run on Tuesdays, South Bay on Wednesdays. A flat $8 delivery fee applies with a $125 order minimum. See our keg options to get started.
What Bay Area breweries can I find at Mike's Liquors?
We carry a rotating selection of local craft beers from breweries across the Bay Area, including Fort Point and others. Stock changes seasonally — browse our beer collection online or come into the store on Mission Street to see what's currently cold and available.