SFist Reprint

Staggering Through Fog

A weekly shot (or four) in the dark at finding the bar in the Bay area that slings the best hooch. By barrespondent, Andrew.

Winter is not the time for light beer. Nothing further sinks your night of fighting for parking or fighting with that guy for the last seat on the 22 Fillmore than some crystal clear lightweight waiting for you at the bar. When the temperature falls outside, the brew being poured inside should get darker and darker.

Now we all know that the Irish and Scottish produce some of the best dark beers in the world, but if you need something with flavor, something with so much character that you feel like it's drinking you, then Germany is the place to go. German's have more types of beer than they know what to do with, so finding just the right one to match the temperature and relative humidity outside can be pretty daunting, but also a whole lot of fun.

Suppenkuche, in Hayes Valley, is primarily a somewhat fancy-pants restaurant with most people there to dine on various types of schnitzels, grubens, wursts and speitzels. And while those all look and sound delicious, the 'bier' is what makes this place. Just about everything they have on tap here is out of this world. Bring several friends and sip off each others if you can. Personal recommendations include the Salvator Bock, the Weltenberger Helles and the Kostritzer Dunkle. Or, if Belgian beers are more your speed, they pour some of the best Leffe blonde I've ever seen. It seems no matter what you order here, it's top shelf.

However, the service at Suppenkuche is, unfortunately, very German. Expect about five minutes of annoyed pissing and moaning before the host hurries you to the bar or your table and commands you to stay out of the way. When we came it was about 10:30pm, and since they close at 11 (a disgrace to everything European), the man behind the podium was incredibly reluctant to let us in for just a drink. He commanded us to stand at the bar and 'make it quick'. Luckily, bar stools opened up rather quickly and we were able to sit while we made fun of our austere host.

That said, try not to let the disgruntled service put you off of a beer experience that is second to none. Suppenkuche is worth any hassle to get in just for the pure science of finding the perfect winter beer. But if fooling yourself into thinking it's summer by ordering round after round of Coronas is your thing, I guess that's alright too.

Liver... Out!!!