ultraclay dot com: SF: Rogue Public House

This post is backdated to back when I was in San Francisco in early January.

When I found out that Rogue had a pub, I knew I had to go check it out.

The pub is in a corner of North Beach a few blocks away from the bigger tourist attractions of Beat bookshops and Italian restaurants. The space is pretty big, with a smaller second room used for game nights and parties. The vibe was very laidback, I didn't run into any hardcore beer geeks eager to sneer at anyone's beer choice. Despite being owned by an out of town brewery, the place had a decided neighborhood feel. In fact, while I was there, I ran into a former co-worker who had just moved to San Francisco. He and his roommate had been getting settled in and decided to go to the local for a round or two.

I sat at the bar on a quiet Sunday afternoon, while everyone else watched the game, I delved into the tome that listed all the Rogue Ales available. They have 44 taps, pouring mostly Rogue ales, but also nearly a dozen guest brews. I stuck with the Rogues myself, but I appreciated the option.

The beer I tasted after the jump...

Here's what I tasted:

Imperial Pilsner: Strong, despite its light color. This was the first I had and it gave me a pretty major buzz on its own. It was like a light, strong IPA.

Younger Special Bitter: Rogue's take on the ESB. Amber in color with a deep, rich flavor. I bought a bottle of this one to take home.

Honey Orange Wheat: Rogue's take on Blue Moon apparently. A little too light for me. Tons of citrus, with what tasted like coconut to me. Very light bodied.

Chipotle Ale: The bartender warned me about this when I asked about it. I just had a taste. That was more than enough. I applaud experimentation in brewing, but this was just not my thing. I'm not a fan of rausch (smoked) beers, the flavor reminds me of lox, which is just not what I want to taste when I have a pint. The Chipotle had that same unpleasant smokiness, but with a chemically flavor attached to it, presumably the pepper. Abhorrent.

I also had a few of the Stouts, the Imperial Chocolate Stout being one of my favorites with its malty richness.

Before I left town, I took a couple friends there for a round or two. It was a good escape from the conference scene.

Rogue Ales Public House 673 Union Street, San Francisco
415-362-7880