City Beer Store | SoMa, San Francisco, CA

That can of Tecate you're drinking may be sweetly ironic, but should you be ready to hop down the beer rabbit hole, City Beer Store awaits.

A recent remodel of the SoMa space has expanded it beyond its original iteration as a retail shop with a small bar, into a retail shop with a comparatively large bar.

Now, owner Craig Wathen has the space to offer an impressive collection of bottle-aged beers. Some have never been released to the public; they're so rare that the store has only a half-dozen bottles.

These special selections can only be enjoyed in the shop, but that's no hardship. Drink in, and you can get a complimentary dose of beer knowledge.

The frequently changing draught selections, showcasing unusual kegs, are nothing to sniff at either. Two favorites are Cantillon Saint Lamvinus Lambic ($10 for 7 ounces), fermented with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, and Cascade's Figaro ($10 for 7 ounces), a barrel-aged blonde sour made exclusively for the shop's fifth anniversary.

Later this year, City Beer Store will begin hosting classes. Until then, we recommend getting educated the old-fashioned way: by drinking.

City Beer Store, 1198 Folsom St., 415-503-1033 or citybeerstore.com