History, Strategy, and Beer: The 21st Amendment
Cheers to the 21st Amendment! This piece of legislation allows approximately 65% of Americans to partake in a beverage that they enjoy.
The History
In 1919, the 18th Amendment was passed and the time period known as Prohibition began, which made it illegal to manufacture, distribute or sell alchohol. BOO!
Gangsters, such as Al Capone, saw this as a golden opportunity and started creating underground operations to produce and sell alcohol. For nearly the next ten years, bootleggers secretly manufactured alcohol (moonshine, whiskey, beer, etc) and shipped it to speakeasys which provided clandestine places for thirsty Americans to consume their favorite beverages illegally.
Finally, after years of outrage and protest, the government came to its senses in 1933 and passed the 21st Ammendment which ended Prohibition. And all of America rejoiced and celebrated!
The Strategy
Fast forward to the year 2000 in San Francisco (city review). The craft beer scene is starting to boom and two young entrepreneurs are researching names for their new brewery. Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan wanted their brewery to be a community meeting place where patrons could swap ideas, tell stories, and create memories.
They chose the name 21st Amendment Brewery in memory of the legislature that ended Prohibition and allowed members of the community to once again come together at a local watering hole to exchange pleasant conversation and enjoy freshly brewed craft beer. Of course, it was a catchy name too.
Fast forward again to 2017. 21st Amendment Brewery had been extremely successful and wanted to expand their distribution footprint so more Americans could enjoy their beer. So they decided to sign a strategic deal with Brooklyn Brewery (NY) and Funkwerks Brewery (CO).
This deal allowed these three partners to capitalize on each of their existing distribution chains. With this agreement in place, their beer now reaches 38 out of 50 states. They are also able to utilize each other’s sales departments which expands the variety of service offerings for clients and has potential for exponential growth for all three breweries. A true partnership. Genius move!
The Beer – 21st Amendment Brew Review
I’ve had 21st Amendment beers out of cans for years, but thought it would be really cool to see what their fresh beer tasted like out of the tap. Located a couple blocks from AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants), I was surprised to find that their San Francisco location is more of a brew pub with a full food menu versus the traditional brewery setup. The food is really good though. I would suggest Sully’s Cheese Curds or their Totchos (tater tot nachos!!!).
They still do some small batch brewing at this site, but the majority of the production, canning and distribution happens in San Leandro, CA (across the bay from San Francisco). If you’re interested in the traditional brewery tour experience, then the San Leandro site would be a better option.
Drinking Tourist Fun Fact: 21st Amendment’s San Leandro plant is housed in a former Kellogg’s Cereal factory.
I had already tried their Hell or High Watermelon (4.9%) Wheat Beer and Monks Blood (8.3%) pseudo-Trappist beer out of the can. While they are both delicious, I wanted to order a flight of brews that I hadn’t tasted yet. Here are the reviews of the beers I tried (which are surprisingly served in muffin tins):
Baby Horse (9.5%) – My favorite. Strong Belgian quad, but it is a bit sweet for this kind of beer. Full bodied and makes your taste buds sing all the way down. High ABV so beware!
Watermelon Funk (6.7%) – Sour with a very strong watermelon flavor. Very tart, but refreshing.
Cafe Nation (6.6%) – Unique Coffee Belgian. Upfront taste is like a true belgian brew, but quickly strong espresso and dark chocolate notes come rushing. Medium-bodied and very drinkable if you like the coffee flavor.
Golden Sunshine (4%) – Collaboration brew with Cigar City Brewery (Tampa). Sour beer. Very floral, ligh bodied, and tart. Hints of orange. Not really my style, but solid if you like sours.
Blah Blah Blah (8%) – Double IPA. Not as overpoweringly hoppy as I expected for a double IPA, especially from the West Coast. Dangerously drinkable with high ABV.
Overall, good beer selection and quality craft brews. No surprises there. Worth visiting as long as you know it is more a restaurant than a brewery.
Pub Hours:
Monday – Saturday
11:30 am to 12:00 am
Sunday
10:00 am to 12:00 am
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