Faction Brewing

Faction's patio sits on the old Alameda Naval Air Station and looks across the water at the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge. It seats several hundred people. On a clear afternoon it's a good place to sit before you cross the bridge yourself.

One thing to know: shade umbrellas aren't allowed. The patio fence borders a protected bird sanctuary, so bring a hat. Small clip-on umbrellas are fine.

Faction opened in September 2013. Owner and head brewer Rodger Davis was previously head brewer at Drake's and Triple Rock, and co-owner Claudia Pamparana runs operations after working at 21st Amendment. They don't give tours, because you can see the whole brewhouse from the warehouse walkways. Murals by Madeleine Tonzi, Lauren Asta, Kurt Caudle and Ryan David LaBonte cover the warehouse walls.

More than 20 beers pour from a 20-barrel brewhouse, and flights are available. Faction makes lagers, stouts, Belgian-style and barrel-aged beers, but the brewery calls hoppy beer 'our true specialty': pale ales and IPAs built for hop flavor, not bitterness. Their motto: 'We are bitter. Our beer is not.' It's beer only, no wine or cider, because their license covers only beer brewed on site.

Faction is closed Monday and Tuesday. There's no kitchen. Bring food, or check the food-truck calendar on their site. From the Oakland stops it's about 10 minutes through the tubes, and from Faction you're about 15 minutes from the Bay Bridge.