Massachusetts

Beer Birthday: Todd Alstrom

by Jay Brooks on January 10, 2012 · 0 comments

Today is the 43rd birthday of Todd Alström, co-founder of Beer Advocate. With his brother Jason, Todd has created one of the killer apps of the beer world online and the only monthly beer magazine. Though we only run into one another from time to time, we also shared a week in Bavaria on a press junket in 2007, and had a terrific fry crawl in Boston a couple of years ago. Join me in wishing Todd a very happy birthday.

Todd (at right), with brother Jason and Jaime Jurado, head brewer from Gambrinus, at the 2008 GABF.

During a trip to Bavaria in 2007, the gang of twelve plus three at the Faust Brauerei in Miltenberg, Germany. From left: Cornelius Faust, me, Lisa Morrison, Johannes Faust, Julie Bradford, Andy Crouch, Peter Reid, Horst Dornbusch, Jeannine Marois, Harry Schumacher, Tony Forder, Candice Alström, Don Russell, Jason Alström and Todd Alström.

Todd with Rhonda Kallman at the Blue Palm in L.A., after the premiere of Beer Wars.

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Beer Birthday: Jason Alstrom

by Jay Brooks on October 14, 2011 · 0 comments

in Birthdays

Today is the 40th birthday of Jason Alström, co-founder of Beer Advocate headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, but found worldwide over that series of tubes known as the interwebs. Started as a hobby, Beer Advocate has gone on to be one of the internet’s kipper apps of beer, which has successfully branched out into publishing and putting on beer festivals. Join me in wishing Jason a very happy birthday.

Jason with Jaime Jurado, Director of Brewing Operations for the Gambrinus Company, and his brother Todd at GABF in 2008.

After judging the finals for the 2009 Longshot Homebrew Competition in Boston. From left: Jason, Tony Forder (from Ale Street News), Bob, Jim Koch (founder of the Boston Beer Co.), yours truly, Julie Johnson (from All About Beer magazine), and Jason’s brother Todd Alström.

Jason, standing far left, toasting at Munich’s Hofbrauhaus.

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Beer Birthday: Will Meyers

by Jay Brooks on October 13, 2011 · 0 comments

in Birthdays

Today is the birthday of Will Meyers, brewmaster of Cambridge Brewing near Boston, Massachusetts. Will’s a great brewer and an even better human being, one of the nicest in the industry. Join me in wishing Will a very happy birthday.

Will, with Kevin and Megan, also from Cambridge Brewing, at GABF in 2009.

Accepting the award as Grand U.S. Champion from the Great British Beer Festival at GABF.

Showing off his barrel room under the brewpub during CBC last year when it was in Boston.

Will with his lovely bride Cindy Lou.

Will shortly before he began his career as a brewer.

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Beer Birthday: Dann Paquette

by Jay Brooks on August 16, 2011 · 1 comment

in Birthdays

Today is the 43rd birthday of Dann Paquette, who along with his wife Martha Holley-Paquette, founded the Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. It’s a fairly unique idea. They don’t own a brewery but they don’t contract brew either. They rent the brewery and Dann does all the work brewing the beer. Certainly other contract beers are similar, but I like that Pretty Things makes such a point of the distinction that it’s essentially beyond reproach. Oh, and did I mention he makes some of the best beers I’ve tasted? He does. From the several philosophical discussions I’ve had with Dann, I consider him a kindred spirit and only wish he and his beers were more often in California. Join me in wishing Dann a very happy birthday.

Dann with Andy Couch and Todd Alström showing off Pretty Things’ Baby Tree at the Hungry Mother, in Boston.

Dann doing his Snidely Whiplash impersonation.

Tomme Arthur, Will Meyers, Dann, Patrick Rue and Rob Tod.

Dann with his business partner and wife Martha at (I think) Beer Advocate’s Craft Beer Festival.

Note: Last three photos purloined from both Dann and Martha’s Facebook pages.

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Beer Birthday: Aaron Mateychuk

by Jay Brooks on August 4, 2011 · 0 comments

in Birthdays

Today is the birthday of Aaron Mateychuk, brewmaster of Watch City Brewing in Waltham, Massachusetts. He also blogs at What’s Doin’ at the Watch. I met Aaron during CBC week when the Craft Brewers Conference was in Boston in 2009, and we almost got together when he was in San Francisco last year, but kept crossing paths instead. Join me in wishing Aaron a very happy birthday.

Giving a tour in 2009 during the Craft Brewers Conference in Boston.

Aron with his wife Jennifer, in a Toronado t-shirt.

And at the Toronado.

Note: The last two photos purloined from Facebook.

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Moonshot Grounded

by Jay Brooks on June 25, 2011 · 3 comments

in Breweries,News,Politics & Law

Ever since the FDA absurdly went after drinks that combine alcohol and caffeine, the future of New Century Brewing’s Moonshot Beer was uncertain. Founded by Rhonda Kallman in 2001, after she left the Boston Beer Co., New Century Brewing created a craft light beer, Edison Light, along with the caffeinated Moonshot, which debuted in 2004. Kallman was at Samuel Adams at the very beginning and helped to get their business off the ground and saw it through its first 16+ years before turning to something more personal.

Unfortunately, last year the FDA bowed to the pressure of neo-prohibitionist groups, who persuaded several state attorneys general to petition the FDA to make alcoholic beverages that include caffeine illegal based almost entirely on anecdotal evidence and despite the fact that people have been combining the two on their own for decades, if not centuries. While Moonshot was essentially not one of the products that anti-alcohol groups most objected to, the way in which it was produced pulled her into the list of brands made illegal by the FDA’s misguided ruling.

Thanks to the FDA, at least in part, the Patriot Ledger in Massachusetts is reporting that “Kallman is shutting down New Century Brewing for good this month.” Kallman was also recently featured in Anat Baron’s documentary film Beer Wars to much controversy. Many craft beer purists felt she should not have been part of the film because of the novelty nature of Moonshot, so I suspect many will not mourn the passing of her company or Moonshot itself. And that’s a shame to my mind, in a world in which beer is under near constant attack, I always felt we should have been more charitable to one of our own, even if we didn’t always agree with the choices Kallman made or even like the beer itself. I’ve always been of the opinion there’s plenty of good beers to talk about without running down those we don’t care for, and that the market will ultimately decide which beers succeed and which ones fail. We certainly should have opposed the FDA more strongly than we did as an industry, at least in my opinion. But c’est la vie, it’s water under the dam at this point. So I’ll just wish Rhonda a fond farewell and the best of luck on her next endeavor.

Rhonda Kallman with Todd Alström at the Blue Palms Brewhouse in L.A., the evening of the premiere of Beer Wars.

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Beer Birthday: Jim Koch

May 27, 2011

Jim Koch, the founder of Boston Beer Co., known primarily for their Samuel Adams beers, is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. Jim was instrumental, of course, in spreading the word about craft beer, especially in the early days when Samuel Adams was often the first one to be available in many pockets of the country. [...]

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Cambridge Brewing Hinting At Bottling

April 6, 2011

Tip of the hat to Todd Alstrom from Beer Advocate , who noticed that Cambridge Brewing Co.‘s Will Meyers tweeted out a link to a short survey asking his customers a few questions about buying beer in bottles, suggesting the brewpub is considering bottling some of the their beer. Here’s the introduction to the survey. [...]

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Massachusetts Beer

February 6, 2011

Today in 1788, Massachusetts became the 6th state. Massachusetts Massachusetts Breweries 50 Back Amherst Brewing Barleycorn’s Craft Brew Barrington Brewery Berkshire Brewing Blue Hills Brewery Boston Beer Co. Boston Beer Co. (Corporate) Boston Beer Works The Brewery Exchange The Brewmaster’s Tavern Buzzards Bay Brewing (now brewing as “Just Beer”) Cambridge Brewing Cape Ann Brewing Cape [...]

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The Case Of The IPA: A Mystery Told In 12 Bottles

October 19, 2010

Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport, Massachusetts, may have abandoned their flagship lager, but their creativity is still alive and brewing. Their latest idea is all over the labels of their new India Pale Ale, it’s a serialized mystery story told over twelve different labels, with each one containing a portion of the story. Here’s how [...]

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Beer In Ads #153: Today’s Hampden Is The Finest Yet!

July 19, 2010

Monday’s ad is from 1959 and is for a brewery I’d not heard of before, Hampden Brewery of Willimansett, Massachusetts. The guy at the sparse desk is Karl H. Bissell, Sr., chairman of the board for the brewery, though at that time it was known as Hampden-Harvard Brewing. Eventually Piels bought it but the brewery [...]

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Harpoon To Can Their Beer

May 21, 2010

Another regional brewery is joining the ranks of those who are canning craft beer. Harpoon Brewery is canning two of their beers, the I.P.A. and the Summer Beer. From the press release: The Harpoon Brewery is pleased to announce that your backpack will be a little easier to carry on hiking trips this summer; introducing [...]

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Beer In Art #63: David Hatfield’s Bartender

January 31, 2010

Today’s works of art is called the Bartender, and is by a contemporary Massachusetts artist named David Hatfield. Though most of Hatfield’s paintings are landscapes, he does do the occasional portrait, such as the Bartender, though I don’t know much about the painting apart from the fact that it was sold in July of 2007. [...]

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Sticker Shocking

January 29, 2010

It appears MADD is up to their old tricks and actually this has probably been going on for some time albeit somewhat under the radar. In 1996, MADD created a youth organization of indoctrinated kids to do their dirty work for them called Youth In Action. One of their many “projects” is called Sticker Shock, [...]

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