Cole Turns 30, with a Little Help from Anchor Steam Brewery

{The venerable Anchor Steam label.}

The day before Cole turned 30 (thereby becoming obsolete, according to some), we both took the day off work to tour the one and only brewery in San Francisco, Anchor Steam.  We'd been passing the building and inhaling the sweet smell of hops during our trips to Potrero Hill but had never been able to get in on a tour.  Turns out you have to reserve a spot weeks in advance.  Once I heard that my baby wanted to celebrate her birthday with some beer and history, I got on the horn and wrangled us a couple of spots.

{The brewery's Art Deco stylings.}

Even six weeks in advance, all I could get was a ten a.m. tour.  Competition is evidently fierce for this free, two-hour tour.

{Original sign in tasting room.}

The tour was REALLY good (and not just because our guide encouraged us to try all eight of Anchor Steam's offerings).  Because I recommend that any visitor to San Francisco take this tour (whether you're a beer-swiller or not), I won't recite all of the fun historical facts I learned.  Let's just say that Anchor Steam as a beer has survived a lot of trials and tribulations from its start in the late 1800s by two German immigrants to its present day status.  The brewery is even expanding to a warehouse next door but has no plans to leave the city, which I think is cool.

{A brewer hard at work monitoring some vats.  I dig his onesie.}

{Our tour guide, Joe, who did a dang good job quenching our collective thirst.}

{The Humming Ale, so named because as of 2009, the brewery is humming along.}

{Some of the vintage signs displayed in the tasting room.}

{Lush.}

{This was me really just playing with my camera.  Dark ale atop an original keg.}

{Collection of vintage Anchor Steam bottles lining the bar.}

After bidding Anchor Steam farewell, we headed up to Russian Hill to eat at Swan's Oyster Depot, which is Cole's favorite restaurant in the city.  We sat at its long marble counter and she had another Anchor Steam and a selection of oysters.  I had a delicious dungeness crab cocktail.  

We spent the rest of the day basking in the unseasonably beautiful weather (sun and 65 degrees!), reading in a coffee shop, baking/eating cake, and opening presents.  Yay for birthdays!