Yesterday afternoon The Trappist in downtown Oakland, California, opened their doors and hearts for a memorial to honor our fallen comrade, beer writer Bill Brand. It was a gathering of the Bay Area beer community to pay our respects to Bill’s memory and tell stories of Bill’s life and how his infectious enthusiasm and passion for good beer intersected in so many of our own lives. I was honored to be asked to MC and got the ball rolling with a toast and some of my own reminiscences and then for a little over an hour, a parade of brewers, writers, and assorted friends and fans stood on a chair and told their personal stories of Bill to the assembled throng, a veritable who’s who of the Bay Area beer scene. We were also honored to have Bill’s wife, Daryl, in the audience, along with Bill’s two daughters, Amanda and Meredith. The event ended up being a fitting and moving tribute to Bill’s life and his involvement with the beer community, as we drank toast after toast with one of Bill’s favorite beers, Anchor Porter. L’Chaim, Bill. You will be missed.
Jim Koch, from Boston Beer, generously sent a wreath of beer flowers that made a terrific centerpiece. Thanks, Jim — it was appreciated by all.
A friend of Bill’s, Mike Condie, put up a display of recent articles celebrating Bill’s life in various local papers along with a couple of framed photos taken at beer events. These and a guest book signed by everyone who attended the memorial were then given to the family.
Chuck, co-owner of The Trappist (at right), served up pints of Anchor Porter, from a keg tapped especially for the event.
Steve Bruce, from the Toronado, and Jen Garris, were early arrivers and managed to secure seats.
Ed Chainey graciously donated a 3L bottle of Chimay Blue.
I started things off with a toast and a story.
The toast.
Last up was Shaun O’Sullivan, who had written a Ken Kesey-ian rant for the occasion.
Bill’s daughter Amanda, wife Daryl and Shaun O’Sullivan after the memorial.
It sounds like it was a special event. I wish I could have attended. RIP Bill.
It was a good event to remember Bill. I just now realized those flowers were a beer. Shaun’s piece was amazing.
DAMN. I had to leave early and missed Shaun’s rant.
All in all a very nice memorial.
Thanks to everyone. . .
it was an incredible outpouring (pun intended) of friendship and love and
I know Bill would have loved it. Thanks again,
Daryl
Thanks to everyone. . .
it was an incredible outpouring (pun intended) of friendship and love and
I know Bill would have loved it. Thanks again,
Daryl
Thanks everyone. Bill would have loved it.
That was a wonderful outpouring (pun intended) of beer, stories and love.
Thanks again
Daryl
Thanks for doing this Jay. I know Bill meant a lot to you and he had a lot of fans. We dedicated our Friday night at Extreme Beer Festival to him. The speaker panel raised a toast to him.
I am sure his family is honored to know how valued he was and how missed he will be.
Thanks again.
Great to see San Francisco honor a truly good guy. And if it hasn’t be posted, yet, I’d love to read Shaun’s rant.
I appreciate the report on this very much because I was disappointed that I couldn’t make it (some of us work on Sundays). I’m glad it worked out so well.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. Bill wrote our Bay Area Brews column for us at Northwest Brewing News, and he was one of my favorite people in the craft beer business — a mashugana among mashuganas! Here’s to a life well lived, one that ended far too soon.