Today is Sam Calagione’s 43rd birthday. Sam is the owner and marketing genius behind Delaware’s successful Dogfish Head Brewing. Sam’s also a great guy, and a rap singer of sorts, with his duo (along with his head brewer) the Pain Relievaz. See the bottom of this post for a couple videos of him singing after hours at Pike Brewery during the Craft Brewers Conference when it was held in Seattle. Join me in wishing Sam a very happy birthday.
Sam gives the thumbs up behind his booth at the Great American Beer Festival a few years ago.
With Ken Grossman at a Life & Limb collaboration beer dinner.
Priming the Randle with fresh hops at O’Briens Pub in San Diego.
Sam at the Rare Beer Tasting at Wynkoop during GABF 2009.
Rapping at Pike Place in Seattle in 2006.
This first video is “I Got Busy with an A-B Salesgirl,” the Pain Relievaz’ first hit single.
The second video is “West Coast Poseurs,” a smackdown to the hoppy West Coast beer and brewers.
Today is Judy Ashworth’s birthday. She’s the Grand Dame of Publicans, having once owned the Lyons Brewery Depot in the East Bay, one of the earliest bars to really embrace, support and promote craft beer. Judy sold the pub in 1998 after some health troubles sidelined her, but she’s still a fixture in the Bay Area beer scene. I’ve judged with her many times and these days she’s very supportive of the homebrewing movement and she can be seen at most of the major beer events throughout the year. Join me in wishing Judy a very happy birthday.
Judy with Shaun O’Sullivan (21st Amendment) and Chris Black at his Falling Rock Taphouse during GABF week in 2007.
Out in front of The Bistro in Hayward at the Wood-Aged Beer Festival in August of 2008. From left: Jeremy Cowan, owner of He’Brew, Judy, Dave Heist, and Zak, also from He’Brew.
At the Toronado Barleywine Festival in 2008, Judy Ashworth, Matt Salie (with Big Sky Brewing) and Judy’s daughter Laurel.
Judy with Stephen Beaumont, me and Peter Hoey at the 2010 Pliny the Younger release.
Today is the 38th birthday of Jeff Bagby, who until recently was the head brewer extraordinaire at Pizza Port in Carlsbad. There, you can read the entire biography of Jeff “Extra Spicy” Bagby. I’m not sure when it was written, but it definitely needs to be updated, as it ends with the following sentence. “Jeff has his sights set on winning a GABF Brewpub of the Year award and we most definitely believe it is in his future as well.” Two years ago at GABF, Jeff won an amazing seven medals and Pizza Port Carlsbad was awarded the Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year. That means his plaid pants got to go up on stage a record eight times! You can see a retrospective of Jeff’s plaid choices over the years, too, at Jeff “Lucky Pants” Babgy Wins Big. In fact, now that he’s working on opening his own brewery, which does not yet have a name, I think perhaps he should consider “Plaid Brewing” or some variation of that idea, like “Plaid Pants Brewing” or “Lucky Plaid Brewing.” All, well some, kidding aside, Jeff is a terrific brewer and a hell of a washoes player, though I still think Dave Keene and I could beat him and Tomme again. Join me at wishing Jeff a very happy birthday.
Jeff with his girlfriend Dandelian at GABF last year. And yes, those are his lucky pants.
Greg Koch and Jeff at the Falling Rock.
Former Drake’s brewer Melissa Myers with Jeff at an event at Anchor celebrating the Toronado’s 20th anniversary.
Sam Calagione, Bruce Paton and Jeff at the Lost Abbey for a beer dinner during CBC.
Jeff at the Toronado for the annual Belgian Beer Dinner earlier this year, with owner Dave Keene wearing his “Who the F@#k is Jeff Bagby?” T-shirt.
Today would have been Bert Grant’s 84th birthday, and he is definitely missed. Bert opened the country’s first brewpub in 1982 in Yakima, Washington and was a fixture in the industry until his death in late July of 2001. Join me tonight in lifting a pint to Bert’s memory.
21st Amendment brewer and co-owner Shaun O’Sullivan turns 49 today. Shaun is one my favorite people in the industry. He’s a tireless champion for craft beer and very supportive of other brewers, such as with his fun collaboration projects. He’s one of the founders and organizers of SF Beer Week and through his brewpub puts on many special and educational events all year, not to mention his extensive travel schedule. Plus, he’s one of the few people brave enough to read the rough draft of my book, Under the Table, and even claim to like it. Now that’s a friend. I just can’t say enough good things about Sully, so I’ll stop here. Join me in wishing Shaun a very Happy Birthday.
Shaun O’Sullivan and business partner Nico Freccia in the front of their brewpub.
Shaun and me outside the Bistro after judging the Double IPA Festival.
Shaun O’Sullivan with Don Barkley of Napa Smith Brewing on the first day of SF Beer Week.
Nico with Dave Keene and Shaun at a can party at the Toronado.
Nico and Shaun in lederhosen during 21st Amendment’s Beer Bus School.
Today is the 52nd birthday of Dan Carey, the mad alchemist brewer of New Glarus Brewing. I first met Dan at Hop School in Yakima, Washington several years ago, but I’ve been enjoying his beers far longer than that. He’s a fellow lover of brewing history and a terrific person, as well as one of the industry’s finest brewers. Join me in wishing Dan a very happy birthday.
Dan and me at GABF in 2010.
Two Dans: Daniel Bradford and Dan Carey at the Rare Beer Tasting 2009 at Wynkoop.
Today is the 52nd birthday of John Martin, one of the founders of Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse in Berkeley. John, with his brother Reid, started on of the first five brewpubs in the U.S., and the only one that’s still owned by the same family that founded it. He’s active in the local beer [...]
Today is the 67th birthday of Jack McAuliffe, the father of the modern microbrewery. Jack incorporated his New Albion Brewery in October of 1976, and began producing beer the following year from his tiny brewery in Sonoma, California. His 1-barrel system suggests he may also have been the first nanobrewery, as well. I finally got [...]
Esteemed Portland beer writer Fred Eckhardt turns 86 today. Portland’s Fred Eckhardt is a living legend, especially in his home city, having pioneered writing about and defining beer styles with his early book on the subject, The Essentials of Beer Style, published in 1989. Around his birthday also the 7th annual FredFest will be held, [...]
Today is Dave Alexander’s 49th birthday. Until recently, Dave was the co-owner, along with his wife Dianne, of the world famous Brickskeller beer bar in Washington, DC. They’re sill rocking the beer world at their other beer bar: RFD. Dave’s also a crack lead guitarist who often plays with the Rolling Boil Blues Band. Join [...]
Today is the 49th birthday of Bill Covaleski, a co-founder of Victory Brewing Co., along with his childhood friend Ron Barchet. I first met Bill at the brewery doing an article on Pennsylvania breweries for the Celebrator nearly a decade ago. It’s been great seeing his brewery rack up victory after victory as they’ve grown [...]
Today is Danish brewer Anders Kissmeyer’s 56th birthday. He was a co-founder of Nørrebro Bryghus in Copenhagen. I first met Anders through corresponding with him for an article on collaboration beers I did for All About Beer magazine a couple of years ago. Then we met in person at GABF a couple of years ago [...]
Today is the Beer Chef, Bruce Paton’s 57th birthday. Bruce has been doing fantastic dinners pairing great beer and gourmet food for over ten years in the Bay Area, since 2001 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, where, until recently, he was the Executive Chef. He’s about to start working at Miss Pearl’s Jam House in [...]
Today is iconoclastic brewer Brian Hunt’s 55th birthday. Brian owns and operates Moonlight Brewing in in Sonoma County, California, as a one-man show. If you’ve never had his “Death and Taxes,” “Twist of Fate Bitter,” “Bombay by Boat,” or his fresh hop ale, alternately called “Homegrown” or “Greenbud Ale,” then you’re really missing out on [...]
Today is Robert “Mac” MacTarnahan’s birthday, one of Oregon’s most famous athletes. Mac would have been 97 today, but unfortunately he passed away in 2004. He was one of the original investors in Portland Brewing Co., which was later named MacTarnahan’s Brewing in Mac’s honor. I met Mac twice, once in Portland at an event [...]
Today is the 62nd birthday of Daniel Bradford. Daniel is the publisher of All About Beer magazine. He’s been involved in the beer world for many a year, from the early days of GABF to the Brewers Association of America, which a few years ago merged with the Association of Brewers to become the Brewers [...]
I was one of 42 beer writers who contributed to this big 960-page book telling the stories of 1,001 world-famous beers. The book is now available at Amazon.com and other fine booksellers.
