While San Francisco proper has been on the beer map for a bit, its new suite of craft breweries is shaking things up daily. IPAs are still king, boasting a flavor profile that is something so very Californian, but sours are moving in quickly. Many brewers are moving away from the strictly hoppy stuff that has been done before and are playing around with Belgian styles, sours, and rustic farmhouse ales, which are all making their way onto the scene in full force. Laughing Monk in the city’s Bayview district is working with local community gardens to create one-off beers that connect with the neighborhood and bring urban agriculture to the forefront of their persona. Their Bayview Gold adds chamomile at the end of the boil, giving it a soft floral aroma and light pineapple citrus flavor. This fall they’ll add local pumpkin to the Imperial Belgian stout. Their neighbors next door in San Francisco’s new Urban Point area, Seven Stills Brewery & Distillery , are distilling beer into whiskey, while also brewing their own and creating a virtuous circle they call a “Beerception: A Beer Within a Beer Within a Beer”— a beer that has been aged in a whiskey barrel that was made from that same beer. The Rare Barrel in Berkeley recently took home awards for its Apropos of Nothing and Ensorcelled – both American-style sour ales, and Headlands Brewing Co. in Mill Valley won accolades for its Pt. Bonita Rustic Lager.