Unless you're a hard-core beer geek, it's likely you've never heard of the beer style known as "California Common." But it's a safe bet that you have heard of its most famous example, Anchor Steam Beer, made by one of the Bay Area's best-known breweries.

In a few short days, the second annual SF Beer Week kicks off and for 10 days it will shine a golden spotlight on Northern California's craft beer and its heritage. And that brings us back to California Common.

After the Gold Rush that began at Sutter's Mill back in 1848, San Francisco's population soared. Thousands poured into the city, most of them thirsty. As a result, dozens of breweries sprang up in the years that followed. But they all faced one glaring problem: a lack of refrigeration. Ice was prohibitively expensive and the weather simply wasn't cool enough for brewing lagers, then — as now — the darlings of the beer world.

So San Francisco brewers came up with a resourceful solution, and in the process created one of America's few original beer styles in the process. Until the recent microbrewery revolution, almost all beer styles came from much older traditions in countries such as England, Germany and Belgium.

More info

http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_14287231?nclick_check=1