San Jose brewery gives locals an old-school beer of their own

First City Lager is a throwback style that pays tribute to San Jose's status as the first civic settlement in California.

Narrative Fermentations’ newest beer provides a refreshing break from the hoppy and hazy worlds of IPAs, and it’s also a proud homage to San Jose’s status as the first civic settlement in California and the state’s first capital.

First City Lager is a throwback — a crisp, light beer not entirely unlike the macrobrews that the craft brewing revolution initially countered. But like vinyl records, trucker hats and bell bottoms, beers like Hamm’s, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life are regaining popularity in bars — and craft breweries are starting to pay attention to the style.

Cache Bouren, who owns downtown San Jose bars Cash Only and Haberdasher, had been having problems keeping beers like Hamm’s in stock for his customers. He saw that Alvarado Street Brewery in Salinas had created Monterey Beer in that style and approached Jon Berkland at Narrative about producing a lager for San Jose that could be served in bars and restaurants around the South Bay.

“This is what every brewery was doing 100 years ago, and this is what every local brewery should be doing now,” Bouren said. “Hamm’s, Schlitz, Miller — they all started as these local beers. Every city had their own beer in this style, and I thought, ‘Why shouldn’t San Jose?’ ”

Of course, San Jose has plenty of breweries and beer with Narrative, Camino, Fox Tale, Clandestine and Strike — not to mention Gordon Biersch. But it hasn’t had a beer like this aimed at the local market since the days of Fredericksburg Brewing.

First City Lager looks like the kind of beer your parents or grandparents would pop open at a barbecue or to watch a ball game, it’s still a craft beer. Berkland and fellow brewer Steve Donahue both said it’s actually harder in some ways to consistently produce a good, crisp lager, where the hops and other strong flavors of IPAs and other ales can hide mistakes in those beers. First City Lager is also lighter than most craft beers, registering with an ABV of 4.8% (which could be read as “408” if you squint).

After its first tapping this week at Narrative Fermentations, First City Lager will be available at Cash Only by this weekend and should soon be at Oak & Rye in Los Gatos, Taplands in Santa Clara and other locals as production ramps up. Narrative also plans to make it available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans with a blue and gold label based on the city of San Jose flag.

CINEQUEST TACKLES AI: While the Cinequest officially opens Thursday night, the Silicon Valley film festival is hosting a pre-opening event on artificial intelligence all day Wednesday at the Hammer Theatre Center in downtown San Jose. It’s open to the public and free to attend.

It will feature keynote addresses by computer scientist and musician Ge Wang and San Jose State President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, a morning of self-organized discussions on topics related to AI, and entertainment in the form of an AI-themed short film, “Valentine,” and improv presentations by ComedySportz. There will be panel discussions on the powers and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and AI’s relationship to creativity, wrapping up with a town hall with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

You can get more information, including the schedule, and reserve seats at cinequest.org/events/cinequest-ai-day-town-hall.

WINNING VOTES:  Members of the Los Altos-based 100 Women Charitable Foundation braved pouring rain last Friday night to gather at the Sheraton Palo Alto for their annual awards presentation where they voted on grants for six organizations.

Impact Grants of $45,000 each were presented to Friends for Youth, Learning Home Volunteers and CASSY (Counseling and Support Services for Youth). Three other organizations — Live in Peace, Legal Aid of San Mateo County and Loved Twice — were given Investment Grants of $14,500 each.

Board president Jonna Mooney said the group was able to grant a record $178,500 because it increased its membership in the past year by about 15 percent to 458 members. You can find out more about the foundation and what it does at 100womenfoundation.org.