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 and become one of Pennsylvania’s best, biggest and brightest. Join me in wishing Bill a very happy birthday.
During an event at Philly Beer Week 2009: Kite & Key co-owner Jim Kirk with Sam Calagione, Bill & Greg Koch.
Bill with a big bottle of beer.
A late night cheesesteak at Jim’s with Bill showcasing our sandwiches while James Watt and Greg Koch look on bemused.
Toasting the Brewer’s Class of ’96: Greg Koch, Mark Edelson, Bill Covaleski, Tom Kehoe, Gene Muller & Sam Calagione.
Today is Suzanne Woods’ 34th birthday. I first met her during my trip to Philadelphia for Philly Beer Week its inaugural year. She writes online as the Beer Lass and by day is the mid-atlantic salesperson for Allagash, though when I first met her she worked for Sly Fox Brewing outside of Philadelphia. Check out a great photo of her in pigtails when she was five. Join me in wishing Suzanne a very happy birthday.
With Suzanne during a visit to Sly Fox Brewing at the beginning of Philly Beer Week.
Outside the Philly Bar, Sidecar, with some colorful local characters at the bar.
Today is the 48th birthday of Mark Edelson, a co-founder and the managing partner of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, a small brewpub chain that operates 8 brewpubs in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania (and has just announced a 9th location in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania). Mark’s been a vocal and active member of the brewing community, especially around his mid-Atlantic home but also through the BA, too. Join me in wishing Mark a very happy birthday.
Toasting the Class of ’96: Greg Koch, Mark, Bill Covaleski, Tom Kehoe, Gene Muller & Sam Calagione at the “Older Bud No Weiser” event during a recent Philly Beer Week.
Carol and Ed Stoudt with Mark at the opening event for the first Philly Beer Week.
A great night For Mark during GABF week in the basement of the Falling Rock near the end of a very good evening.
Today was my 53rd birthday, and I’ve once again been overwhelmed by an embarrassment of riches from well-wishers sending me notes via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. My sincere thanks to one and all. As it’s usually me posting embarrassing photos of my friends and colleagues, for the fourth year in a row, here’s some howlers of me from over the years.
An indian birthday at my grandmother’s house. No idea what year this was. It couldn’t be later than the mid-1960s.
I can’t even believe this is me, it’s so posed. And what’s with the black baseball? Why is that the prop they chose?
At my mom’s second wedding to my stepfather in 1964, before he became a psychotic alcoholic.
Sitting on a cannon at the battlefield in Gettysburg.
An elementary school photo, where they wet my hair and combed it in a way that I never, ever did, except in this photo. It almost looks like I’m bald and it’s a comb-over.
It’s hard to tell in this early 1970s photo, but that outfit was green and purple; green jacket and tie with a purple shirt. Sheesh.
There’s many more where these came from, for a good laugh just check out the photos from the last three years at Beer Birthday: Jay Brooks, Beer Birthday: J (Yes, Embarrasing Myself This Time) and Beer Birthday Overkill, from 2009, when I posted a bunch encompassing my first 50 years on planet beer. Oh, and thanks once again to everybody for the generous birthday wishes.
Wednesday’s ad is from 1908, for a Philadelphia brewery by the name of Rieger & Gretz Brewers and Bottlers. I love the idyll setting with the well-to-do woman enjoying a beer on her estate. I can’t imagine most beer drinking was like that in 1908.
Today is my friend and fellow beer writer Lew Bryson’s 53rd birthday. You can read his writings at his website, lewbryson.com, and these days more often his blog, Seen Through a Glass. Then there’s also his Session Beer Project and his political Why the PLCB Should Be Abolished. Lew is my favorite big galoot and the brother I never had. And soon he’ll be making the pilot episode of American Beer Blogger, of which I am a proud sponsor. Join me is raising a glass and wishing Lew a very happy birthday.
Award-winning beer writer Lew with Pete Slosberg at GABF a couple of years ago.
Lew and Rick Lyke at the World Beer Festival in Durham in 2008.
Birthday boy Lew (middle) flanked by fellow Pennsylvanians Don Russell (a.k.a. Joe Sixpack) and Jack Curtin. I’m originally from Pennsylvania, too. What is it about the Commonwealth and beer writers?
Me and Lew at Triple Rock two years ago.
