Brewery Feature: 21st Ammendment!

For those of you that don't know, the United States Constitution's 21st Amendment was written in 1933 to reverse the 18th Amendment which mandated prohibition. Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan founded 21st Amendment Brewery in 2000 and thought it would be appropriate to name their brewery after what legally allowed beer to once again become a part of our lives...seems fitting enough to me! One of their goals when opening 21st Amendment was to revive the once thriving brewing community and figured that since the pre-prohibition number of breweries was more than quadruple the current number of  San Francisco's breweries, there was more than enough room for a new one.

Their Brewpub at night...located 2 blocks North of Giants Park.

Sure enough, they were right and are now one of the largest of the 12 breweries/brewpubs in San Fran, and most definitely my favorite, for three simple reasons. First off all, their beers are awesome. They are constantly brewing balanced yet interesting beers, which is no easy task. They have a small yet eclectic range of beers that span from the emerging "style" of the American Bitter/Session Ale to the good ol' American staple...the IPA and have even tried their hand at the not so easily brewed Belgian styles. Secondly, they offer their beers at very affordable prices and in cans; which is not only better for the beer, but the environment as well. Not to mention, over the years, they have transformed their can's artwork into something unbelievably epic; those little aluminum cylinders are amazing. Full of detail, great color schemes and content, and frankly puts the majority of beer labels to shame!

Sixers right of their Hell or High Watermelon Wheat wight off the canning line!

Finally; I happen to really appreciate their business style and motto of being original. They offer solid, affordable, and easily attainable beers to everyone within their distribution range, which happens to be quite expansive. And as far as I can tell, they aren't looking to put out the next "hyped" beer, they are simply brewing great beer for the fun and enjoyment, and that's what it's all about! At this point, I have had every one of their canned offerings, and honestly enjoyed them equally in their own way. I have yet to pick a favorite, but here are a few that I have been enjoying!

Their flagship beer: Brew Free or Die is a solid IPA that has a unique herbal/citrus quality to it, always available and I must say rather easy drinking for an IPA.

Their newest addition to the canned line-up: Hop Crisis is a Double IPA aged on Oak Spirals which gives it a very dry and unique flavor with awesome hop qualities but very well balanced for the abv.

What I would consider a "concept beer": Monk's Blood looks and tastes like what is implied in the name. A rich strong Belgian ale that is fruity, spiced, and in the right light is actually a deep cranberry color.

I look forward to my next visit to San Fran, whenever that may be, because I have yet to visit the brewery and see it for myself. In the mean time, I will continue to enjoy their brews, and if you happen to live in one of the 15 states that they have distribution in, I recommend you do the same!