Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Celebrate 25th Anniversary of California’s Brewpub Law

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This Thursday, September 13, marks the 25th of anniversary of the signing of the California bill — AB 3610 — which removed the “tied house” restriction then present in California which prohibited any person or company from brewing beer and selling it directly to the public. The bill allowed beer to be sold where it was brewed, as long as the brewer also operated a restaurant at the same location. It was only the second brewpub law passed in the country at that time. The bill was written by then-state legislator Tom Bates, who is now the mayor of Berkeley.

California was home to three of the first five brewpubs in America. The second brewpub to open America (and the first in California) was the Mendocino Brewery in Hopland, California, which opened in August 1983. Mendocino Brewing has moved to a new facility in Ukiah and the Hopland location is now a bar, but the company is still going strong. The third brewpub in the U.S. was Buffalo Bill’s in Hayward, California, which opened in September 1984 and still a brewpub. And the fifth was Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California, which opened in March 1986. It’s also the only one still owned by the same people who started it.

Join the California Small Brewers Association Thursday as we drink a toast to the law that changed our beer landscape for the better.

From the press release:

On September 13th at 5:00 pm, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates will join brew pub owners to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the California law that legalized brewpubs. The bill — AB 3610, authored by then-Assemblyman Tom Bates — was soon replicated around the country, creating the national brewpub industry and introducing millions of people to good beer.

The September 13th event will include a ceremonial “bill signing” by the owners of Bay Area Brew Pubs, an honor to Mayor Tom Bates for writing the legislation, and a special beer brewed just for the occasion by Triple Rock Brewery.

“In the early 1960s, I spent time in Germany as an officer in the U.S. Army. When I got home, I realized you couldn’t get a good beer in the United States,” said Mayor Tom Bates. “When a group of entrepreneurs and beer enthusiasts approached me about changing State Law to provide a market for smaller, craft breweries, I jumped at the opportunity. Every time I travel around the country, I am amazed to see the wonderful legacy of my legislation.”

9.13

Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Brewpubs!

Triple Rock Brewery, 1920 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California
510.THE.BREW [ website ]
 

Collaboration Smackdown a Draw

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Friday night was a very special night for a beer dinner, with two of the finest craft brewers going head to head in a friendly competition where not one, but two, beers were paired with each of the four courses. A night of stories, food, skate and some truly wonderful beers, drawing beer and food lovers from all over the Bay Area. Who won? We did, that is, all of us who attended. It was terrific trying the two very different Salvation beers side-by-side and then the Collaboration Not Litigation Ale that is a blend of the two.
 

Adam Avery, the beer chef Bruce Paton and Vinnie Cilurzo raise a glass to great beer and food.

 

For more photos from the Collaboration Beer Dinner, visit the photo gallery.
 

Craft Lagerfest Winners

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Although in its fifth year, the Craft Lager Fest is a festival I have not had the opportunity to attend. But I like the idea of it, being another niche festival that highlights a particular style of beer, in this case lagers broadly. But since the majority of craft beer is undoubtedly ales, shining a spotlight on lager styles is a great idea. In fact, I have an article coming out in the next issue of American Brewer on this very subject, the rise of the small, niche festival.

The Craft Lager Festival takes place in a small town in Colorado, Manitou Springs, which is near Pikes Peak. This year they got 30 breweries from Hawaii to Boston participating. The winning breweries are listed below.
 

2007 Winners List

PILSENER

  1. Blue Paddle (New Belgium)
  2. La Plata Pilsener (Carver Brewing)
  3. Polestar Pilsener (Lefthand Brewing)

EXPORT/HELLES:

  1. Light Lager (Rock Bottom Colorado Springs)
  2. Longboard Island Lager (Kona Brewing)
  3. Session Beer (Full Sail Brewing)

BOCK:

  1. Ltd. #2 (Full Sail Brewing.)
  2. Rye Bock Lager (Lefthand Brewing)
  3. Butthead Bock (Tommyknockers)

STRONG LAGER:

  1. No 1st Place Awarded
  2. Warning Sign Eis Bock (Good Ol’ Boys Brewing COOP)
  3. Dutch (Rockyard American Grill & Brewery)

OKTOBERFEST/VIENNA/MARZEN:

  1. No 1st Place Awarded
  2. Steam Engine Lager (Steamworks Brewing)
  3. Ornery Amber (Tommyknockers)

OTHER SPECIALTY LAGER:

  1. Spring Tonic Elixir (Carver Brewing)
  2. Cerbeza Real (Carver Brewing)
  3. Hop Goblin (Il Vicino Albuquerque)

 

A Mammoth Time In Mammoth Lakes

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Earlier this month, the family and I drove the five plus hours to Mammoth Lakes, California, which is on the other side of the Sierras, near Mono Lake. It’s a bit of a trek to get there, especially with unruly toddlers in the back seat, but, in the end, well worth the trouble. If you’re a rock freak like I am, the place is just beautiful with all sort of alien landscapes with gorgeous views and places to explore. But the real reason we were in town was for the 12th annual Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza. This was my first time to this festival, but it’s won’t be my last. If you can manage to get yourself to this remote location in the seductive resort town of Mammoth Lakes, by all means go. This year there were over fifty craft brewers in attendance. But as great as the music is and as great as the beer festival is, be sure to save yourself some time to see the natural wonders that surround this wilderness area. There are parks galore with countless hiking trails, natural hot springs, volcanic remnants and, of course, Mono Lake. Beer, blues and Mother Nature. What more could you ask for of a weekend?

Arne Johnson and Shane Aldrich, both from Marin Brewing.

Brewer Chuck Silva from Green Flash Brewing.

“Crazy Dave” Heist from Hoptown Brewing.

For more photos from this year’s Mammoth Lakes Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza, visit the photo gallery.
 

Back to Portland

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With the roller coaster I’ve been on lately, I never had a chance to finish posting photos from this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival at the end of July.

So without further ado, here’s three — count ’em, three — days of fun at the Oregon Brewers Festival that even includes singing watermelons, sort of.

To see the photos from this year’s Oregon Brewer’s Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration Concludes

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After the 21st Amendment beer dinner, I hightailed it back to the Toronado where the party had kicked into high gear.

It was this kind of night, with all manner of wonderful beers, many of them — at least 22 — had been made especially for the Toronado and that evening.

Many special bottles were opened and flowing that night. What a wonderful four days filled with friends, food and the fermented.

 

For many more photos from the second half of the Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration, visit the photo gallery.
 

Funkmaster Sully Rocks the House

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In the middle of the Toronado party Saturday night, across town, a beer dinner took place at the Cathedral Hill Hotel with the beers of 21st Amendment and brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan. Bruce put on his usual excellent panoply of flavors, paired to perfection with 21st Amendment’s flavorful beers.

Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan, in great spirits after the dinner, with beer chef Bruce Paton.

For more photos from the 21st Amendment Beer Dinner, visit the photo gallery.
 

Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration Begins

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My friend Dave Keene bought the Toronado bar on lower Haight in 1989, transforming it — and much of the Bay Area’s drinkers along with it — into the premiere beer bar in the city and one of the top beer bars in the country. That’s not so much opinion as fact, confirmed by the countless tribute beers and people in the beer community who flew in from all over the country to celebrate the Toronado’s 20th anniversary this Saturday.

10, 20, 30: Dave Keene (center) was celebrating his 20th, flanked by Don Younger (on the left), whose bar the Horse Brass in Portland celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year, and Chris Black (on the right), whose Denver, Colorado bar, The Falling Rock, celebrated its 10th anniversary in June.

Inside, the Toronado was packed to the gills with well-wishers and beer fans.

For more photos from the first half of the Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration, visit the photo gallery.
 

Bistro IPA Festival 2007

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The 10th annual IPA Festival at the Bistro in Hayward took place on Saturday, August 11, 2007. There were 54 different IPAs at the festival. The weather was perfect and because of the Toronado anniversary there were a number of beer people from around the country in town who also came over to Hayward.

Outside the festival with Publican Judy Ashworth, Former San Andreas Brewing owner Bill Millar, Stone Brewery’s brewmaster Mitch Steele and Bistro owner Vic Krajl.

A lot of beer people — brewers, publicans, salesmen, etc. — were in attendance at the festival.
 

For more photos from this year’s Bistro IPA Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

Bistro’s IPA Festival Award Winners

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21st Amendment’s IPA was chosen best in show at the 10th annual IPA Festival yesterday at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full list of winners is below.