I came across this cartoon by Bill Coleman for his strip Salty Dog beer comics that he apparently did in 2007, presumably shortly after Michael passed away, as tribute, and so I saved it to run on Michael’s birthday today. Enjoy.
Beer Birthday: Win Bassett
Today is the … gulp … 28th birthday of Win Bassett, formerly of All About Beer magazine and formerly the executive director of the North Carolina Brewers Guild. To learn more about Win, check out the interview that the Beer Wench did a few years ago. In addition to his work with beer, Basett’s also an attorney who worked as a state prosecutor. Win was a great asset to the craft beer community, both in his home state and nationally. He’s recently decided to take his life in a somewhat different direction, and has enrolled in a seminary to begin the next phase of his life. So this birthday post is also something of a fond farewell. Please join me in wishing Win a very happy birthday, and also raise a toast to wish him well in his coming endeavors.
Win, along with (counterclockwise), Jim Koch, Marty Nachel, John Holl, me, Bob Townsend and Tony Forder, judging the finals of the Samuel Adams Longshot Homebrew Competition in Boston last year.
Win at DPAC with Ken Grossman, Kim Jordan and Dale Katechis.
Win, at far right, with (from the left) Jim Koch, Daniel Bradford, Jack McAuliffe, two All About Beer folks and Rick Lyke.
Gina and Brian Grossman, Daniel Bradford and Win during Asheville Beer Week.
John Holl and Mountain Man Win. [Note: last four photos purloined from Facebook. Forgive me.]
Beer In Ads #814: It’s Your Birthday
Sunday’s ad is for Falstaff, and it’s a simple ad, from I know not when. It says only “It’s your birthday!” and shows a bottle of Falstaff being poured into a mug. It looks 1940ish or 50ish, but that’s just a guess. But since it’s my birthday, it felt like the right ad for today.
Beer Birthday Redux: Jay Brooks
Today is my 54th birthday, and even though it’s still early in the day, I’ve already 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 friends and colleagues, for the fifth year in a row, here’s some more howlers of me from over the years.
An early studio portrait.
Motorcycles: just one of my youthful indiscretions that prevented me from seeking political office later in life.
If I cut my hair short, it doesn’t look much different than this today.
This is an Easter outfit from when I was maybe nine or ten.
And this is the same outfit, which looks positively restrained in comparison to my Mother and my Grandmother’s Easter outfits.
Ready to party, look out ladies.
My first band, we were rockin’ out.
Probably from around junior high or early high school. I love the shiny shirt, straight out of That 70s Show.
The world of a teenager … circa 1977.
There’s many more where these came from, for a good laugh just check out the photos from the last four years at Beer Birthday Again: Jay Brooks, 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.
Beer Birthday: Mark Silva
Today is the 51st birthday of Mark Silva, co-founder of RealBeer.com, one of the first beer portals to establish a presence on the internet. I’ve known Mark for a lot of years in a variety of enterprises. These days, I usually run into Silva at beer events, though sadly not as often as I used to. Join me in wishing Mark a very Happy birthday.
One of my favorite photos of Don Younger also features Mark at the Falling Rock in Denver during GABF.
Mark enjoying a beer in San Diego with friend Doug DeCarlo. (Note: this photo purloined from Facebook.)
Beer Birthday: Ben Johnson
Today is also the 35th birthday of Ben Johnson, who until recently was the head brewer at Midnight Sun Brewing in Anchorage, Alaska. I met Ben during SF Beer Week a few years ago at a beer dinner at Oliveto, and have run into him a few times since then. He makes some awesome beer and is great fun to share a few pints with. These days, he’s actually brewing in Mumbai, India at Seven Islands Brewing. Join me in wishing Ben a very happy birthday.
Chaz Lakip, Gabe Fletcher and Ben at the Celebrator’s Best of the West Fest in 2009.
In a hop field.
With Growler and Ferdinand, Russian River Brewing’s brewery cats.
NOTE: Last two photos purloined from Facebook.
Happy Birthday To The Microbrewery
Today is the 36th anniversary of the day that New Albion Brewery incorporated, which happened on October 8, 1976. New Albion Brewery was the first modern microbrewery, the first small brewery to be built from scratch, mainly from scrap and discarded industrial equipment.
To me, and many others, that makes it the first modern microbrewery and its legacy should be remembered, revered and celebrated. Its founder, Jack McAuliffe, essentially shied away from the brewing community after the brewery closed in 1983, returning to his original profession as an engineer. As a result, few people — except us old-timers and historians — give McAuliffe his due. A lot of young brewers and fans don’t know his name, though that, happily, is changing.
Maureen Ogle managed to track down McAuliffe through his daughter for her book, Ambitious Brew, and in it she gives a great account of New Albion Brewery.
Jack McAuliffe back in the day.
Last year, of course, Sierra Nevada persuaded McAuliffe to come to Chico to collaborate on a beer for their 30th anniversary. Jack & Ken’s Ale, a black barley wine. At that point, more people began writing about him. Here are a few articles from last year:
- John Holl had a great piece he did for CraftBeer.com, New Albion Brewing.
- Eric Braun in the San Antonio Express-News, McAuliffe’s new home, wrote Jack McAuliffe is Namesake of Commemorative Sierra Nevada Beer.
- Greg Kitsock in the Washington Post writes The father of craft brewing comes out of retirement.
Since then, Jack has finally started to embrace his legacy. He came to the Craft Brewers Conference this past May, when it was in San Francisco. He stayed an extra week with a good friend from the old days in Sonoma. He had lunch at Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, and the next day gave owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, along with myself, a tour of the spot where the brewery had been originally located.
Below are some photos taken in 1979 and ones I took earlier this year when I toured the old site.
The side and front of the brewery in 1979.
The front in 2011
The back and side in 1979.
The same side this year, with Jack McAuliffe and Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo.
Jack showing us that the brewery used to be … right … here.
The old photos are from a lengthy article about the brewery in Brewers Digest in November 1979. They also did a shorter follow-up in 1980. Breweriana collector Jess Kidden has a page online on the New Albion Brewing, where he has scans from the original articles. He was kind enough to send me the original scans, from which I clipped out more of the photos, which you can see in the slideshow below.
I had hoped to make today an official, or at least semi-official holiday, but alas, politics got in the way. So I’ll have to resort to the old-fashioned way of just celebrating it every year and hoping that eventually enough other people begin to recognize it. Really, that’s all it takes to create a holiday. So as far as I’m concerned October 8 is the “Birthday of the Microbrewery” or perhaps more simply “Microbrewery Day.” To that I’ll raise a glass each year to Jack McAuliffe and his pioneering New Albion Brewery. Thank you, Jack. This one’s for you.
Jack and Jim Koch during GABF last week in Denver.
And finally, my most recent newspaper column was my latest attempt at commemorating October 8, and a tribute to New Albion, entitled Jack McAuliffe, craft beer pioneer, although my original title was You Don’t Know Jack.
Beer In Ads #693: The Coors Light Twins
Today is the 41st birthdays of Diane & Elaine Klimaszewski, better known as the “Coors Light Twins,” so I thought today was the day to feature a few of their ads. The first Coors Light ad is from 2003 and uses a football theme.
These last two are from the year before, 2002. The first uses the simple tagline “Here’s to the Twins.”
And the second uses the appropriate “Here’s to the Twins. Again,” though I think it’s the same photo from the first ad.
Beer Birthday: Tom Nickel
Today is Tom Nickel’s birthday, who turns the big 4-0 this year. Tom was a brewer at Oggi’s in San Diego and now owns O’Brien’s, one of the best beer bars in San Diego. Join me in wishing Tom a very happy birthday.
Tom (third from the left) at OBF with John Harris from Full Sail to his left and Tom’s former girlfriend Becky on his arm. I don’t recall who the fellow is on the far left.
Tom in the dunk tank to raise money for the brewer’s guild the night before OBF at the brewer’s dinner.
Tom with Wil Turner, from Goose Island, at a GABF brewer’s reception a few years ago.
Tom and me at GABF in 2005.
Beer Birthday Again: Jay Brooks
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.