California Common Beer is a unique style of beer that was popular on the West Coast prior to prohibition. This variety of beer is made with lager yeast but is fermented at ale yeast temperatures (ale yeast ferments at 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit while lager yeast ferments around 35 degrees Fahrenheit). "Steam Beer" as it was called, was originally made back in the mid 1800's by a brewery that would later be known as Anchor Brewery.
To this day Anchor Brewing is still making this style of beer and anyone who tries it will understand why. "Steam Beer" is actually a trademark of Anchor Brewing. A tour here is must if you are visiting the bay area, however, you would be wise to book a tour about 3 months out to ensure a place. The copper fermenting kettles are gorgeous and the beer samples here are very liberal. Anchor Steam Beer can be found all over the Twin Cities at many liquor stores.
The only other option for this style in the area seems to be Old Scratch Amber Lager by Flying Dog Brewery. This is a tasty brew but it does not quite compare to the original. The artwork on the label may look familiar as Ralph Steadman is responsible for all of the artwork on Flying Dog beers. Old Scratch may also be found around the Twin Cities but it can be harder to find than Anchor Steam.
You can expect California Common Beer to be slightly hoppy but well-balanced with sweet malts and it pours a beautiful amber color. It pairs well with almost any kind of food and is a great first beer for someone who has yet to get into craft beer.
Another point worth making is that California Common Beer is truly an American original and it can be assumed that this would have been a much more commonly produced beer had prohibition not halted its production. Here's to hoping that we've learned from that mistake and that the brewing of this style will live on. Cheers!
