When You’re Hot, You’re Hot

From 1898 to 1909, the Wunder Brewing Company was located at Greenwich and Scott Streets in San Francisco. Recently, four native San Franciscans revived the name of the noted brewery for a brewpub located on Ninth Avenue in the vicinity of Golden Gate Park. Their goal is to serve great beer with fantastic food in true San Francisco style.

Brewer John Wonder samples his product right out of the tank. Photo by Joel Williams

San Francisco’s Newest Brewery Serves Up Chili Beer

Brewer John Wonder, along with partners Carl Durham, Augustus Vastardis and Alex Frantz, moved into the former location of Eldo’s Brewery in the Sunset District in June and were able to reopen in less than a month. This was no small feat, as the brewing process alone is usually at least two weeks from grain to glass.

When I visited Wunder Brewing Company, the brewpub had seven fresh, clean beers on tap, ranging from a light American wheat beer to a full flavored Scottish ale. The Scottish ale in particular stood out as a stellar example of that style, with a rich malty flavor that comes from no less than six different kinds of malted barley. It has a delicate balance and is deceptively smooth for a beer with 7% ABV. The porter was also exceptional and had a silky finish with nice smoky and chocolate flavors.

Wunder’s most unique beer by far is the chili beer. Yes, chili beer. Wonder simply takes his Pale Ale and adds whole habanero chili peppers to it in kegs. The result is a very distinctive flavored beer that definitely has a spicy kick to it. I have had beers flavored with jalapeños before, and I found this one to be much tastier. I will say, however, that the resulting burn would probably make it difficult to have more than a pint or two—yes, that is a challenge!

The brewpub is also bringing in a lager yeast and soon plans to make a version of a San Francisco common beer; this is also known as a steam beer, but Anchor Brewing has apparently trademarked that term. The common beer will be a great complement to Wunder Brewing Company’s current lineup, and a fitting tribute to a style of beer that is representative of San Francisco’s brewing heritage.

In terms of his background, John Wonder is a veteran who was already a home brewer when he decided to go to UC Davis with the intention of pursuing a degree in science. He ended up getting a degree in Fermentation Science with an emphasis on winemaking. Wonder then went to Napa, where he pursued a winemaking career. Although he enjoyed the work, he never felt like he truly fit into the wine upper crust. He decided to turn back to brewing. Fourteen years and several brewing positions in California, Florida and Hawaii later, Wonder has returned home and is ready to start a new chapter by bringing the Wunder name back to life. Wonder had grown up with a poster for the original Wunder Brewing Company on his wall, which he liked because of the similarity to his last name. When the right space became available, Wonder and his partners bought the rights to the Wunder name and realized their dream.

The interior décor of the brewpub is dedicated to the history of San Francisco, with classic photos and artifacts celebrating the city’s past. The upstairs has been converted to an informal lounge with comfortable wicker furniture. The most striking feature of the interior, however, is the beautiful 40-foot bar that runs almost the entire length of the restaurant.