Beer Birthday: Judy Ashworth

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Jay Brooks

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.

Dave Suurballe, Judy, Julie Nickels and Bruce Paton at Anchor Brewing for the book release party for Tom Acitelli’s “Audacity of Hops” earlier this month.

Beer Birthday: John Martin

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jay Brooks

Today is the 53rd 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. John also owns Drake’s Brewing and the Jupiter Taproom, too. He’s active in the local beer community and also with the CCBA, plus he’s a great guy with a very distinctive laugh. Join me in wishing John a very happy birthday.

Christian Kazakoff, former brewer at Triple Rock (now at Iron Springs) with John during the 2008 Firkin Fest.

John, with his brother Reid, and Triple Rock brewmaster Rodger Davs at the brewpub’s 25th anniversary.

John, me and Peter Hoey at this year’s opening gala for SF Beer Week.

John in the brewhouse with his brother 25 years before, on opening day.

Beer Birthday: Jack McAuliffe

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Jay Brooks

Today is the 68th 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 a chance to meet Jack when he was San Francisco for CBC a couple of years ago, and was privileged to spend some time with him the week after CBC when Jack visited Russian River Brewery and then the next day graciously showed us the original site of his New Albion Brewery. I’ve since been fortunate to talk with Jack on several more occasions, and it’s always a treat. Join me in wishing Jack a very happy birthday.

Me and Jack at Russian River Brewery earlier this year when they launched the new New Albion beer in bottles.

Maureen Ogle, Jack and Julie Johnson, from All About Beer magazine, during the Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco last year.

Vinnie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing, with Jack, showing us around the original site of the New Albion Brewery.

Jack and Boston Beer’s Jim Koch at their annual media brunch during GABF week two years ago.

Jack and me at Russian River Brewery.

Beer Birthday: Brian Hunt

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Jay Brooks

Today is iconoclastic brewer Brian Hunt’s 56th birthday. Brian owns and operates Moonlight Brewing in in Sonoma County, California, as almost 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 some of the most unique and wonderful beers around. Plus, Brian is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Join me in wishing Brian a very happy birthday.

Hildegard van Ostaden, Urthel’s brewster, one of only two female brewers working in Belgium, and Brian.

Brian in his hopyard, with Russian River’s old assistant brewer Travis (who recently opened his own place, Societe Brewing), and Vinnie Cilurzo.

Shaun O’Sullivan and Vinnie Cilurzo with Brian at the Bistro in Hayward, California.

Brian at the Opening Gala for SF Beer Week a couple of years back.

Beer Birthday: Christian Kazakoff

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Jay Brooks

Today is Christian Kazakoff’s 42nd birthday. Christian is the head brewer at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax, California. I’ve gotten to know Christian much better since we shared a room for a week in London several years ago to attend the Old Ale Festival at the White Horse on Parson’s Green. Besides being a terrific person, he is also a stellar brewer. Join me in wishing Christian a very happy birthday.

Christian after a sleepless night setting up before last year’s Bay Area Firkin Fest at Triple Rock.

Christian and his girlfriend Jodi, sporting serious sunglasses.

Christian at Fuller’s in London, along with Shaun O’Sullivan from 21st Amendment Brewery and our tour guide Derek Prentice.

Flying the flag a few years ago at the Celebrator Party at the end of the 2nd SF Beer Week.

In March, at the Fairfax Beerfest a few years ago.

Lagunitas To Expand Into Distilling

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Jay Brooks

After a lengthy struggle where apparently one neighbor refused to willingly let his new neighbor build on the adjacent property in a way that was approved by nearly every governmental and environmental agency, Lagunitas owner Tony Magee’s plans for the land he owns in Tomales Bay was finally approved by the California state Coastal Commission in a 7-2 vote yesterday. The property is in the unincorporated town of Marshall in western Marin County.

According to the Marin IJ, “The project, overlooking the east shore of Tomales Bay at the northwest corner of 17990 Highway 1, includes a residence, garage, brandy distillery producing about 280 gallons a year, an equipment barn, shed, hops shelter, two sheep shelters, a greenhouse, a new well, special wastewater treatment and related improvements. Three public tours for up to eight people each will be offered for four hours on Saturdays. Brandy will be offered for sale to those on tours, but no tastings will be allowed.”

“Magee and one employee plan to cultivate hops on 6 acres and English dessert grapes on 6 acres, and graze about 35 pair of lambs and ewes on 50 acres. Other livestock would include 100 chickens.” Five years ago, almost to the day, I wrote about Lagunitas planting hops on this same bit of land, in Lagunitas Plants Hops in Tomales Bay, and this was the view at that time.

So the brandy should be interesting; micro-distilling is certainly a hot trend lately. I’m sure the hops they’ll be growing will be for Lagunitas beer, but I wonder if the 6 acres of grapes will be used for the brandy? It’s seem likely, but we’ll have to wait and see. I assume it will be a while before there’s any brandy to taste.

But I think my favorite part of this story is that in the headline, the newspaper refers to Lagunitas owner Tony Magee as a “beer baron.” Lagunitas has certainly become one of the bigger small breweries, but I’m not sure they’ve ventured into “beer baron” territory. Either way, I don’t think I’ll be able to not think of Tony as a beer baron in the future. I recently did a feature profile of Magee in the latest issue of Beer Connoisseur if you want to learn about Tony and Lagunitas. If only I’d known then that he was a beer baron.

Bistro IPA Festival Winners 2013

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Jay Brooks

For the third straight year I missed the Bistro IPA Festival, even with them moving it from its usual August date to today. Happily, owner Vic Kralj was again kind enough to send me the list of the winners. Carlsbad Raceway IPA, from Pizza Port in Carlsbad, near San Diego, was chosen best in show at the 16th annual IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full list of winners is below.

1st Place: Carlsbad Raceway IPA (Pizza Port Carlsbad)
2nd Place: The Pupil (Societe Brewing)
3rd Place: Knee Deep Citra Extra Pale Ale (Knee Deep Brewing)

People’s Choice: Aroma Coma (Drake’s Brewing) [2nd year in a row]

Jennifer Talley Joins Russian River Brewing

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Jay Brooks

So yesterday my friend Maureen Ogle, author of Ambitious Brew, was in town, on vacation with her family, and we had lunch at Russian River Brewing. Before lunch, we stopped by the production brewery so Maureen could say hello to Vinnie and Natalie, and also so she could take a peek at the brewery. After the tour, I was chatting with Vinnie who told me some big news. Although it’s apparently been in the works for some time, and is not a secret, they’ve been fairly low key about spreading the news.

While we were all in D.C. at CBC, Jennifer Talley, who was with Squatter’s in Utah for eighteen years, and more recently was the brewery production manager at Redhook Brewery in Washington, was in Sonoma County searching for a place to live. That’s because as of May, she’ll be brewing with Vinnie at Russian River Brewing, and eventually will be taking over the brewery’s barrel program. She’ll start out as a shift brewer and once Kevin Robinson leaves Russian River to concentrate on his new venture, Divine Brewing, Jen will become lead brewer. As Vinnie joked with me, “she has more experience than I do.” They’re thrilled to have her, and it’s easy to see why. Jen’s been one of the more important and influential brewers in her more than two decades in the industry. She was the 2011 recipient of the BA’s Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing, is on the technical committee of the MBAA and started her brewing education at the Siebel Institue of Brewing Technology. There’s no doubt her presence will make Russian River even more of a powerhouse brewery than it already is, not to mention freeing Vinnie to concentrate on big picture concerns. Congratulations to both Russian River and Jen for the new gig. I’m certainly glad to have another stellar brewing neighbor here in Sonoma.

Jennifer and Natalie Cilurzo (middle two), both now from Russian River Brewing, along with Carol Stoudt (left) and Teri Fahrendorf (right) after a panel discussion at GABF on women in brewing in 2007.

Beer Birthday: Bill Brand

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Jay Brooks

Today would have been Bill Brand’s 75th birthday, if not for the tragic events of February 8, 2009. Bill, of course, was hit by a Muni Train that evening and passed away twelve days later, on February 20. He was a bastion of support for the local beer community for decades, and one of it’s most visible media faces. He did a staggering amount of good to help brewers throughout the Bay Area, and wrote about the beer he loved so much with an unmatched passion and zeal. His Bottoms Up blog was read by millions, the newest form of his What’s On Tap newsletter that stretched back into the early 1990s. It was my great honor to take over his column and try to continue his legacy of support for craft brewers in the Bay Area and beyond. Drink a toast to the memory and legacy of William “Bill” Brand today. Happy birthday Bill, you are most certainly missed.

Dueling laptops; Bill and me at Magnolia on February 6 for the tapping of Napa Smith Original Albion Ale by Don Barkley. Photo by Shaun O’Sullivan.

Bill toasting with a pitcher of Oakland’s new Linden Street Brewery. Photo by RRifkin.

Bill taking notes at the Monk’s Blood Dinner at 21st Amendment, February 8, 2009. Photo by Jesse Friedman of Beer & Nosh.

Drink a toast to Bill today, it’s how he would have wanted to be remembered.

Announcing The Bay Brewers Guild

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Jay Brooks

I’m pleased to announce that a number of South Bay, Silicon Valley brewers have banded together to form the Bay Brewers Guild, a new trade group for brewers located “South to Monterey, North to The Northern most point of the SF bay, East to all breweries that call the Bay their home (this can include places such as Livermore, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, etc.), and West to the Pacific Ocean.” The new guild has been brewing for some time now, but it recently became official, and they’re a 501(c)3 non-profit organization as of November 27, 2012.

In a press release announcing their formation, the guild’s stated goals are the following.

To promote the beers of the breweries in our area.
To raise awareness about the joys of drinking craft beer.
To support other non-profit organizations in our area.
To develop and run annual beer events for our community.
To spread the word about our area as having a long history in the American Craft Beer Movement that continues today.

They’re just getting started, and will be conducting monthly meetings. ALso, there’s no online presence yet, but I imagine that’s in the works. Executive Director of the new guild is Dan Satterthwaite, who’s a Siebel trained brewer who’s worked for Gordon Biersch and is currently in the process of opening his own brewery in Santa Cruz. If you’re in their geographic area and not currently a member, please contact Dan about becoming involved in the guild. Congratulations to everybody involved.

Founding Members of the Bay Brewers Guild:

Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurant, Campbell
Campbell Brewing Company, Campbell
Lost Gatos Brewing Company, Los Gatos
Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, San Jose
Firehouse Brewery, Sunnyvale
Rabbit’s Foot Meadery, Sunnyvale
Tied House Brewery Restaurant, Mountain View
The Hermitage, San Jose
Santa Cruz Ale Works, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Santa Cruz
Uncommon Brewers, Santa Cruz
Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz
Discretion Brewing Company, Capitola
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, Capitola
Boulder Creek Brewing Company, Boulder Creek
Peter B’s Brewpub, Monterey
Corralitos Brewing Company, Corralitos
Faultline Brewing Company, Cupertino
El Toro Brewing Company, Morgan Hill

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