Triple Rock Brewery‘s annual Firkin Fest is taking place this Saturday — April 9, 2011 — beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 and include a commemorative glass and your first four tastes. Additional samples are $5 each.
Summit Celebrates The Return Of Legal Beer
Summit Brewing, in St. Paul, Minnesota, commissioned a local artist, Miss Amy Jo, to create a poster celebrating the passage of the Cullen-Harrison on its effective date of April 7, 1933. Eight months before the repeal of Prohibition, the bill allowed the production of 3.2 beer in about twenty states, including Minnesota. I love the retro look of it. It will probably drive historian Bob Skilnik batty, but it’s a cool poster and it’s available for purchase at Summit’s online store.
Jean Van Roy Talks Cantillon
One of the most fun seminars at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference last week was the Barrel-Aged Sour Beers from Two Belgian’s Perspectives on Friday. It was moderated by Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing and featured two lambic brewers, Yvan de Baets, owner of Brasserie de la Senne, and Jean Van Roy, owner of Brasserie Cantillon. I missed part of Yvan’s talk, but caught all of Jean’s. I first met Jean Van Roy at Cantillon several years ago, shortly before he took over the brewery from his father, Jean Pierre, and when Yvan was still working there, too. Jean gives a great overview of Cantillon’s brewing process. Enjoy.
Yvan de Baets, Vinnie Cilurzo and Jean Van Roy.
Fritz Maytag & Ken Grossman Give Keynote At CBC 2011
Earlier today the 2011 Craft Brewers Conference began with the morning program, which ended with a keynote address by Fritz Maytag and Ken Grossman. It was more of a casual talk or reminiscence, with Maytag and Grossman talking about their early days, with both the challenges and joys of those times when their were trying to get their respective breweries off the ground. They sat opposite one another on comfy chairs and talked for just over 30 minutes finishing with a toast using the collaboration imperial stout they did together last year, Fritz & Ken’s Ale.
It was a highly entertaining talk and even quite funny in places. I’d forgotten my Flip camera, but I did manage to record the audio of the talk. The keynote is introduced by Tom McCormick, executive director of the California Small Brewers Association, and then it’s Ken and Fritz for thirty plus minutes. Enjoy.
Triple Rock’s 25th Anniversary
Monday marked the 25th anniversary of Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse’s opening in 1986. Triple Rock was the third brewpub to open in California, the fifth in the U.S., and the only one still owned and operated by the original founders — John and Reid Martin. I stopped by this afternoon to join in the celebration and partake of the special beers that brewmaster Rodger Davis whipped up for the occasion.
The Triple Rock truck was running again and parked out front.
Davis re-created Batch No. 1, the first beer Triple Rock brewed.
The first beer John and Reid brewed was a pale ale created on Christmas Day in 1985. Rodger altered the recipe slightly to account for different yeast and varied the amount of hops.
Several former Triple Rock brewers stopped by for the party, including Shaun O’Sullivan, co-founder of 21st Amendment, whose first brewing job was at Triple Rock.
AT 5:00 p.m., co-founder John Martin tapped a firkin of the Batch No. 1 that current brewmaster Rodger Davis dry-hopped and aged for a beer that was both historical and modern.
Founders, and original brewers, John and Reid Martin, with their latest brewer, Rodger Davis, toasted the first 25 years with a beer bridging the past, the present and their future.
John Martin with Shaun O’Sullivan, Reid Martin, Homer Smith (owner of the local homebrew shop, Oak Barrel, where the Martins bought all the ingredients for their first batch in 1985), and longtime beer salesman Ed Chainey.
Congratulations to John and Reid Martin. I hope to try the next anniversary beer 25 years from now.
Fairfax Brewfest This Weekend
This Saturday in the city of Fairfax, in Marin County, the 16th annual Fairfax Brewfest will take place from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Along with festival sponsor Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, at least 17 breweries will be pouring their beer. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, for unlimited samples and full details, along with how to buy advance tickets online, can be found at the festival website. See you there.
Hard Liver Barleywine Fest Winners 2011
Here are the results from the 2011 Hard Liver Barleywine Fest in held at Brouwer’s Cafe in Seattle, Washington:
- 1st Place: Old Sebastes; Anacortes Brewery
- 2nd Place: Anderson Valley Horn of the Bear ’09; Anderson Valley Brewing
- 3rd Place: Old Woody; Glacier Brewhouse
Congratulations to all the winners.
Celebrate Triple Rock’s 25th Anniversary Monday
Geez has time flown. Twenty-five plus years ago you weren’t even allowed to operate a brewpub in the State of California. Finally in 1983 that finally changed, thanks to some hard work and a lot of meetings. Shortly thereafter, the first two brewpubs in California opened, Mendocino Brewing and Buffalo Bill’s. The third opened 25 years ago come this Monday, March 14, 1986. It was started by the Martin brothers — John and Reid — who had both homebrewed in college. It originally opened under a name you may not be familiar with: Roaring Rock. Unfortunately, the folks from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who brewed Rolling Rock, thought the name was too close to their own, and so the Martins had to pick a new name. Eventually they settled on Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse.
Triple Rock when it opened in 1986.
This Monday, March 14, 2011, Triple Rock will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of opening its doors. Here’s what will be going on at the brewpub all day long:
In celebration Rodger has re-brewed “Brew #1,″ the first beer ever made in the Triple Rock system. Reid & John originally brewed it on Christmas Day 1985. On March 14th we will be pouring Brew #1 (a Pale Ale) all day for just $1.75 a pint (the original price for a pint in 1986). We will also tap a hopped-up cask version of Brew #1 at 5 pm. Kind of a “2011 hopping meets 1986 cask ale” beer. Come by and try both of them!
The kitchen will be serving some old-school items, such as our original Muffaletta sandwich. But no, you’re not going to have to go to the “window” to order your grub, like you did in ’86.
John & Reid will preside over the tapping of the cask, and maybe go for another round of arm-wresting (John lost to Reid at the Festivus celebration last Dec.) Join past & present TRB brewers, staff, and long-time regulars to toast The Rock’s 25 years of making beer!
We’ve also created a special anniversary tee-shirt that pays homage to our original name, ”Roaring Rock Brewery”. There will be just one small print run of this shirt, so you should get yours before they’re gone. But, if you are up on your trivia of the early days of Roaring Rock/Triple Rock — you just may win one!
Phil Farrel Wins 2011 Beerdrinker Of The Year
When I saw Phil Farrel during SF Beer Week I congratulated him for being nominated once again for Beer Drinker of the Year and told him I thought “it was his year.” It turns out I was right, as earlier today he emerged as the 2011 Beer Drinker of the Year.
From the press release:
In his fourth trip to the Beerdrinker of the Year finals, Cumming, GA commercial pilot Phil Farrell landed the 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year title.
More John Elway than Jim Kelly, Farrell finally won his dream title today in a 2-hour finals event held before a standing-room-only crowd at Denver, Colorado’s Wynkoop Brewing Company.
Congratulations Phil.
Saturday Toast To Don Younger
There’s at least one more worldwide toast to Portland Publican Don Younger. This one is set to take place at 5:00 p.m. YLT (your local time) on Saturday, February 26. It was organized by Phil Farrel, who you probably will recognize as “The Rubber Chicken Man.”
Phil Farrell
Phil gave me a flier about the toast during SF Beer Week, and I’ve gotten several e-mails about the toast now, so I figured I should help spread the word, too. The BA’s CraftBeer.com also mentions it in a post by Celebrator publisher Tom Dalldorf entitled A Toast To: Don Younger 1941-2011.
Don raising a pint with Jonathan and Robin Surratt during GABF in 2007. On Saturday we should all do likewise.