Pacific Brewing Laboratory

Shares a space with Black Hammer. Tap room has a more sophisticated feel than most micro breweries. Had a couple beers, including Squid Ink. Both really good. Very friendly and attentive staff. Not my favorite SF brewery, but definitely worth a stop if you like good beer and are in the area.

Love Bryan’s barrel aged squid ink! You can find his beer on tap across the street from Monk’s Kettle. If you can find it, you are in for a treat!

I love these guys and their delicious, delightful, delectable beers. I love their squid ink, which tastes like a creamy, slightly stoutly black IPA. The hibiscus beer is also amazing; it is light yet flavorful, ever so slightly sour, and a beautiful pink color. Beer geniuses!

This beer is a hidden gem. seriously, some of the best beer I have ever had. The IPA is one of my favorites. Rumor has it that you will be able to buy it in restaurants soon and so I cannot wait to follow them as they become more well known.
the event its self is not to be missed, a true san francisco food experience. they guys who run it are incredibly nice and are always more than willing to take the time to chat and discuss the details of beer making. They also do a great job of bringing good food to the event as well and that is a big plus! :)

I would like to call this the quintessential SF spot.
At first glance, it may look like a private party in someone Victorian garage but Pac Brew Lab is home brewing open to the public. Donation base to support some cool cats with great beers!
Although I was sick, the generous owner told me this IPA would make me feel better and it did for the amount that I had! I was pleasantly surprise how good it was. On top of the home brews, there is food on site by local restaurants. Support yo community!
Super excited to have friends visit cuz everyone will love this spot!

I have been wanting to come to Pac Brew Lab since I read Ruggy’s review of them. I was bummed when I missed his Elite Event there. I love Craft Beers. I was happy to see on their Blog they have a Open on Select Thursdays and this was one of them.
I jumped on Bart and rolled to the Powell Street Station. I Street Hiked to Clara Street. I saw an Open Garage Door and a Large Group of people outside so I rolled in and saw that Smokin Warehouse Barbeque had a Table setup and was serving BBQ Brisket Sammichs for $ 7 dollars. I was famished so I ordered one. I got it with the Spicy sauce. It was a very Yummy Sammich the meat was really tender.
So I preceded further into the Garage and there was a Counter Area that was staffed with 2 very Beautiful Women serving beer. They had Hibiscus, Black Ipa and a Red Ale. There was also a Donation Barrel on the Counter, which I dropped some cash into. I tried the Hibiscus first and worked my way through the others. The Women were very skilled at pouring Beers.
The Garage Bar reminded me of an Old School Prohibition Speak Easy.
It had a rather Festive Atmosphere. The 3 Brews presented were excellent. The Brewers annouced around October their brews would be available in local bars.
Another cool touch was the Beers Fermenting in glass barrels, Very Cool and the Old Safe by the Garage Door.

Haibiscus saison? citra ipa? wait what!!!
I’m torn about reviewing this place because I don’t want more people to start going here yet.
The easy creole guys Jess and Grant that are here on thursdays are also fucking awesome. I’m not a strict pescetarian, but jesus-​shit is their vegan creole (green one) so tasty! Just the right about of spice and the mushrooms and spinach are great also.

I’m confused why this place doesn’t have more reviews. Two of the nicest guys on the planet invite you into their garage, give you free beer (that they made!!!), and really go out of their way to talk to you about their craft.
Bryan convinced me to try their «Squid Ink» Black IPA first even though I’m not an IPA fan. The Squid Ink is a well-​balanced IPA that even though it draws a lot of flavors from the hops doesn’t punch you in the face like many over hopped California IPAs do.
Support your local brewers and tip generously! I’m hoping to be seeing «Pac Brew Labs» on handles around the city soon!

Awesome place! Awesome guys! Awesome beers!
Thanks to Pac Brew Labs and Ruggy J. for an awesome Elite event last night at Pac Brew Labs. Also a shoutout to Josey Baker Bread and Easy Creole — thanks for providing tasty bites! These guys are truly one of a kind. When the invite said «in a garage» I thought it must be a warehouse garage or something, but no! It was a legit apartment garage in an ally street in SOMA. Wow! Complete with ‘garage couches,’ workbenches, kegs, bicycle storage, books on brewing tips, etc. These guys are the real deal beer made in the garage yumminess.
Favorite moment by far was trying the Beer Float. This was Humphry Slocombe butter and brown sugar ice cream topped with their Imperial Stout beer. Basically it was a party for my tastebuds! This could be a real hit in this city!
For now, they don’t have a license to sell beer, but expect to see their delicious brew in SF bars in about 2 months! Until then, I think I’ll have to visit one of their open garage events that they hold every other Thursday!

Happy to get my review in early, before these guys blow up.
Met the guys behind Pac Brew Labs tonight at a Unilocal event. Their «showroom» in SOMA is a super shabby chic garage, complete with rubber stoppers and tubing– this is really where the magic happens. We were honored to try three of their brews– the Squid Ink Black IPA, their Brown Ale, and their Imperial Stout. Their beers are certainly not for the faint of heart, as even the Brown packs a powerful punch. But the beers are complex and well-​balanced and overall, super delicious. We were expecting a small operation «home brew» situation, but we were mistaken. These guys are legit and are moving towards the big time.
We’ll say we knew you when.
Beers should be on tap in SF bars in about 2 months. Until then, check out their «open house» every other Thursday.
Thanks guys for a great night– can’t wait to see your stuff on tap!

Thanks, Ruggy J, for introducing me to Pac Brew Lab Wednesdays! Yet another fun SF event I never would have known about if it weren’t for Unilocal… and cool co-​workers who are in-​the-​know :)
Everything RJ said about Pac Brew Lab is absolutely true — two dudes in a garage, brewing up some effing delicious beer. It’s sounds ghetto, but once you get a taste of what they’ve made, you’ll think twice about these unassuming gents. If you are lucky enough to attend one of their evening tasting events in the garage itself, take advantage of the offerings. Double points if you get to drink out of a mason jar or a beaker. The events remind me of a high school party — I kept looking around, waiting for someone’s Mom or Dad to walk in and tell us to go home before they call the cops. But since we are all of-​age, that obviously didn’t happen. And please don’t forget to tip — just because the suds are free doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute a little dough to the community pile!
My personal fave thus far? The rye beer. Although I’m not a fan of rye itself, the Pac Brew Lab’s beer version is smooth and delicious. I’ve also heard that the hibiscus brew is also unforgettable — it sounds amazing and I have every intention of going back to give it a try.
Probably the best thing about visiting this garage in SOMA? Getting to meet the brewers themselves. Two super nice guys who obviously have a passion for making great beer and who enjoy sharing it with cool peeps in SF. What’s not to like here, folks? I imagine that as word spreads about tasty, free beer in the city, these events will get more crowded. However, that’s good news for Pac Brew Lab — hopefully they become legit soon so I can buy their beer in a local bar or in the store.

Being that I hail from what’s recently been tagged as the «Napa of beer» (San Diego), I have a deep love in my soul for craft brews. Sure, there’s a rather impressive movement here in Northern California as well, but when it comes to beer and Mexican food, I hate to break it to you San Francisco, San Diego has you beat. Buuuuuuut, with that being said, it’s operations like Pac Brew Lab that could give the ol’ Whale’s Vagina a run for its money.
Situated in what looks to be the garage of an old multi-​story Victorian abode, Pac Brew Lab is a year old project from two chaps with a fondness for home brewing. With a fledgling «warehouse» of sorts sporting a total DIY beer making contraption, these cats have managed to whip up quite the array of delicious tasting suds. They regularly invite folks over to their tasting room (which is actually just a garage wreck room) to give their latest creations a try, and last night, they had three piquant varietals to choose from: a triple black IPA, an Imperial Red Ale, and a sour hibiscus saison. All three selections were just as good as anything you’d pull off a tap at Toronado, but in this back alley garage between 5^th and 6^th in SOMA. So good! And to enjoy said beers with a super duper awesome group of people just elevated the experience to a whole other level. Whether the 30 – 40 others in attendance were friends or colleagues, I have no clue — but it was a hip scene oozing with great energy that you’ll surely want to be a part of.
In addition to beer tastings, they had the new soul food pop-​up Easy Creole on site doling out red beans and rice as well as fresh grilled paninis for party goers to soak up the booze. From what it sounds like, Easy Creole will be there each and every time the garage door is open for visitors (the entryway is literally a garage door), and with a menu chock full of comfort food for both meat eaters and vegans alike, you can bet your arse I’ve just found a new regular hang after work in SOMA.