My friend Dave Keene bought the Toronado bar on lower Haight in 1989, transforming it — and much of the Bay Area’s drinkers along with it — into the premiere beer bar in the city and one of the top beer bars in the country. That’s not so much opinion as fact, confirmed by the countless tribute beers and people in the beer community who flew in from all over the country to celebrate the Toronado’s 20th anniversary on Saturday, August 11, 2007.

Even though I arrived early, the bar was already wall-to-wall.

There was slightly more elbow room in the back, where a buffet dinner was being served.

10, 20, 30: Dave Keene (center) was celebrating his 20th, flanked by Don Younger (on the left), whose bar the Horse Brass in Portland celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year, and Chris Black (on the right), whose Denver, Colorado bar, The Falling Rock, celebrated its 10th anniversary in June.

A closer shot of what 10, 20, and 30 years running a pub will do to a man.

People were so excited to be at the Toronado that many were having their picture taken with the 20th Anniversary bottles of beer brewed by Russian River Brewing.

Dave opening a ginourmous bottle of St. Feuillien.

Shaun O’Sullivan, mentally preparing for his beer dinner that was literally beginning in mere moments, and Jeff Bagby, who I promised would be in every post this weekend.