Beer Trends from 21st Amendment's Shaun O’Sullivan

As we prepare to launch BeerSmarts, we've been meeting lots of cool brewers and beermakers across the country. I've found that beer is a very complex and interesting beverage and goes well with all sorts of food (my newest favorite is beer and a nice selection of cheese). We've recently had a chance to interview Shaun O'Sullivan, the owner of San Francisco's hot brew pub, 21st Amendment, located at 563 2nd Street between Bryant & Brannan.

After working as a legal assistant in his early career, O'Sullivan "traded his suits for rubber boots" and started a career in the beer industry, cutting his teeth at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley. He realized his dream of opening up a place that was comfortable, accessible for everybody, nice staff, and good food, when he opened 21st Amendment in SF's South of Market location in August 2000. Its 5-year anniversary is next month so keep an eye out for anniversay parties.

O'Sullivan brews a variety of beers from traditional microbrews such as a blonde pale ale, and IPA, to a very unusual, but delighfully refreshing Watermelon Wheat. While you can find some of his beers in a few outlets across town, you best bet is to get it at the brewery either over dinner (the food is great) or you can even purchase a 64 oz "growler" to go or buy a keg for your next party.

Here are some highlights of our interview:

SC: What are some of the trends you’re noticing in beer drinking –customers, types of beers that are popular, etc?
SO: Something I noticed from the get-go was that our customers, the people interested in microbrew beers have a discerning palate and are more interested in the flavors vs. mass-produced beer. We have training-wheel beers for people who are trying microbrews for the first time, that are blonde beers, more BCM ( “bud coors miller beer”). Then they put their toe in a little deeper – watermelon wheat, and then try a pale ale, and ramp up to IPA.

SC: Have you noticed regional differences in brewing styles?
SO: I always have and I think it’s becoming a little bit blurry in terms of regional differences. There was the West Coast IPA – higher in alcohol, more malt and way more bitter and way more aromatic. Especially in Washington and Oregon and Northern CA. The East coast– probably because of its proximity to England – had a style that was malty and not so bitter; a little more comparable to British beers. Now with innovative beer categories at beer festivals you start to see double IPA category and bitter beers made by breweries all over the country. It’s more and more of a melting pot. Though people still refer to west coast IPA. I still think we are producing some of the hoppier beers.

Who’s doing innovative things?
At Magnolia, Dave MacClean -- in terms of cask conditioned beers. Also, nontraditional styles of lagers and ales coming together. Brian Hunt at Moonlight Brewing Company with his “Death and taxes” beer.