Liquid Gold pulls tap on local beers

Beer enthusiasts in San Francisco have a new watering hole in town.

Fusing decor that celebrates The City’s rich beer heritage with a selection of beers largely from Bay Area breweries, Liquid Gold opened its doors in Nob Hill on Saturday, October 25.

What was once Rejoyce Bookstore has been transformed into a new taproom and bottle shop featuring 30 beers on tap. Owner Tim Lee, a born-and-raised San Franciscan, said he geared Liquid Gold to cater to fellow beer heads like himself:

“I wanted to teach people about the breweries here in The City and around the Bay Area. … With the decor I wanted to give people an educational experience, learn a little bit about The City’s history and also learn about The City’s beers today.”

Local beers from brewers like Calicraft, San Francisco Brewing Co., Pine Street, Baeltane,Henhouse, Fort Point and Magnolia make up a majority of the taps. Other taps feature outer Bay brewers, like Track 7 and Dust Bowl from Sacramento and Turlock, and craft favorites like Avery, North Coast and Firestone Walker.

In addition to their tap offerings, Liquid Gold sells an even larger assortment of bottled beer to-go and for consumption on site. Their bottle selection encompasses their local target, as well as more out-of-state options.

The ambiance of Liquid Gold is immediately set for anyone who enters, as visitors are greeted by a nineteenth century map of San Francisco, a period piece that characteristically displays The City with Mission Bay as the southern-point.

The business is the culmination of two years of planning, permit-getting and construction for Lee. A hobbyist home brewer and beer enthusiast, creating Liquid Gold was a no-brainer for Lee:

“I’ve had many different jobs. … And I had always gotten into jobs where I do that for a while, but then I would get an itch, like it’s time to move on. I always had thoughts of having my own business, so once I had the opportunity to do so I went with it.”

Though the bar does not serve food, they teamed up with next door Chinese restaurant, Golden Horse, to offer patrons small bites like spicy chicken wings and salt and pepper tofu. Food can be ordered at the bar and is delivered from next door.

Liquid Gold’s tap list and bottle selection are on a rotating basis, and education-driven events are on the horizon for the bar, Lee said:

“This place is definitely a space for education. … In time we’ll have meet the brewers’ events and more education focused events.”

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