Finally, a Decent Use for Twitter -- S.F.-Based Web Mega-Trend Gets Its Own Beer

Joe Eskenazi

Shaun O'Sullivan, co-owner and brewmaster at the 21st Amendment, has crafted 372 gallons of his special "Spring Tweets" Twitter beer.

Twitter -- the now-ubiquitous San Francisco-based messaging system media outlets are struggling to mention as often as possible -- combines the unfortunate characteristics of enabling people to communicate more and more while saying meaningful things less and less. It may change society or it may end up being Northern California's least welcome gift to society since the word "hella."

But, apart from confirming once and for all that Gavin Newsom is handsome and popular among smitten co-eds, Twitter hasn't done much for the kind of folks who can't tell a fail whale from a whale tail -- until now. SoMa's own 21st Amendment brewery and restaurant on Monday debuted its "Spring Tweets" Ale, a tip of the cap to the many Twitter groups who have packed the bar (Incidentally, media types such as your humble narrator who ran like hell to make the event because of the Twitter announcement that "Sully" would be there -- thinking that hero pilot Chelsey Sullenberger would be hoisting pints -- instead were greeted by affable brewmaster Shaun O'Sullivan).

Joe Eskenazi

Like the 140-character "tweets," the spring ale is unfiltered -- and in brewmaster O'Sullivan's words "a little rough around the edges." Sounds Twitter-like to us!

And yet, the beer's disarmingly light initial offering is bolstered by a surprisingly strong and pleasantly hoppy aftertaste. No doubt about it, O'Sullivan's creation is more substantial than its namesake.

After all, Web trends come and go. But good beer is timeless.