An amber lager brewed with lager yeast at warm ale temperatures, fermented in wide shallow open vessels. San Francisco's native beer style, invented during the Gold Rush.

California Common, popularly called steam beer, originated in San Francisco in the 1850s when Gold Rush brewers fermented lager yeast at the only temperatures available without ice, on wide shallow rooftops cooled by Pacific fog. Anchor Brewing on Mariposa Street, founded 1896 by Ernst Baruth, registered Steam Beer as a trademark and preserved the style for over a century. Anchor ceased production in July 2023; Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya bought the brand in 2024 and a relaunch is in the works but the Potrero Hill brewery has not resumed brewing. SF craft brewers including Fort Point and Magnolia still pour the canonical California Common style.

3 editor picks for California Common (Anchor Steam) in San Francisco, ranked by editorial score. All San Francisco signature dishes · California Common (Anchor Steam) across every city.

Cellarmaker House of Pizza ★ 4.8

$$BreweryBernal Heights

Cellarmaker House of Pizza on Mission Street pours the SF craft brewery's tap list alongside Detroit-style pies with caramelized cheese crust.

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Fort Point Beer Company ★ 4.6

$$Brewery

Fort Point Beer Company in San Francisco is the Presidio-born brewery with a Valencia Street beer hall, a strong KSA Kolsch and a sharp west-coast pilsner.

TipOrder the KSA Kolsch on draught; the wood-fired pizza kitchen runs from 17:00 nightly.

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Magnolia Brewing ★ 4.4

$$Brewery

Magnolia Brewing in San Francisco is the Haight-Ashbury brewpub since 1997, with a British-leaning ale lineup and the city's longest-running cask programme.

TipThe Smokestack Lightning porter on cask is the order; ask at the bar about real-ale Thursdays.

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Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

California Common (Anchor Steam) makes more sense with someone from San Francisco explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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