Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Triple Rock Rolls Out the Barrels

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Yesterday Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California held its second small beer festival, this one all barrel-aged beers. The first, on Sunday, was sour beers and I would have loved to have been at that one, but couldn’t miss the Lagunitas Beer Circus (and once I finish posting all the photos and videos from that beer circus, you’ll understand why, too). Happily, Triple Rock did have a few sour beers left over from Sunday, and I sampled as many as I could, in additional to the many barrels they had available. It was a great event, as I love small festivals that focus on one type of beer, allowing you to really taste the range within that category, be it a style or what have you. There can’t be too many niche festivals to my way of thinking. It’s the difference between a stadium concert (beer festival) and a show in an intimate club (niche festival). Which would you rather attend? Both have their place, but I almost always prefer the small affair.

Rodger Davis, brewmaster at Triple Rock, up on the rooftop patio with an assortment bottled barrel-aged beers.

Tom Dalldorf, Celebrator Beer News publisher, did attend the sour tasting on Sunday, and was kind enough to share a few snapshots.

Sunday at Triple Rock, tasting sour beers.

Pete Slosberg and Justin Crossley having a friendly sour discussion. Justin runs The Brewing Network, and did a great report about the opening events of SF Beer Week that includes a podcast of my opening toast at Anchor Brewer and an interview with me and Vic Krajl of The Bistro.

 

East vs. West Slam Dinner

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It was an evening of music, poetry, rapping and fun topped off with great food and beer at the “Wanna Git My Eastern Peanut Butter In Yer Western Chocolate” beer dinner, a.k.a. an East vs. West Slam with Dogfish Head and 21st Amendment. In between five courses, Sam Calagione and Shaun O’Sullivan took turns humorously dissing each others’ coast and the beers from each. I’m kicking myself that none of us recorded any of it on video. It was hilarious. A great evening of merriment.
 

Sam Calagione, dressed as a west coaster and Shaun O’Sullivan trying to look respectfully eastern.

 

For more photos from the East vs. West Slam Dinner with San Calagione and Shaun O’Sullivan, visit the photo gallery.
 

Moylan’s Whisky! Beer! Cheese! Chocolate!

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Moylan’s Monday definitely was, as they described it, “a beer and a shot kind of afternoon” at Noonan’s Bar & Grill in Larkspur, California.

Come meet Brendan Moylan and Denise Jones of Moylan’s Brewing Company for a taste of the finest. Noonan’s is the definitive destination west of the Mississippi River for the world’s most distinguished whiskeys. Over 300 whiskeys are displayed ranging from the traditional to the rare, featuring Irish, Canadian, American, Rye, Bourbon and Micro-Distilled favorites. The 80 foot bar features the craft brewed beers from Moylan’s Brewery and Marin Brewing Company, as well as an extensive wine collection. Join us as we celebrate SF Beer Week at Noonan’s with fine whiskey, spectacular Moylan’s beer, delicious cheese and delectable chocolate.

What a fun, laidback event. Considering it was a Monday afternoon, it was especially gratifying to see the bar fill up. Moylan and Jones poured beer and whisky samples, and passed around large plates filled with delicious samples of local cheeses and chocolates, all made in Marin County.

Denise and Brendan tending to us and making sure our glasses had something tasty to try in them.

Brendan Moylan two-fisting two of life’s greatest pleasures; beer and whisky.

 

Rob Tod Rocks The Trappist

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After the Double IPA Festival on Saturday, I stopped by The Trappist in Oakland to see Rob Tod from Allagash, who had flown in from Maine a few hours before. We got a call from him when he touched down while we judging at the festival. The week before, while attending a charity event and schlepping some kegs, Rob slipped on the ice and two full kegs smacked together on his hand, breaking three fingers, dislocating two, and flattening his wedding ring. He saved the ring with a pliers — now that’s love! I figured if he could endure all that and still fly in for SF Beer Week, the least I could do was drive a few miles to see him. He was in surprisingly good spirits, but that might easily have been his terrific beers showing their medicinal uses. I finally had a chance to try the collaboration beer, Fedeltá, that he made with the brewers from De Struise. After a day of Double IPAs, it was a welcome change, and quite delicious.

No two-fisted drinking for 6-8 weeks.

 

The Lagunitas Circus Comes To Town

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At the Lagunitas Beer Circus, here’s some preliminary pictures of the wildest event of SF Beer Week. More photos to follow soon.

 

A giant tent, nearly a city block long, was erected next to the Lagunitas Brewery.

Pat Mace (at right) from Lagunitas Brewery and Paul Stokeld, the owner of Santa Rosa’s Toad in the Hole Pub.

One of the beer and food areas behind the Boil Theatre stage at one end of the tent, before the circus began.

At the other end of the tent, the first musical act did a soundcheck.

Out front at the entrance, a snailmobile.

Captain Crunch (whose name mysteriously changed later in the evening to Captain Chronic) with one of the Boil Theatre performers and a bewildered-looking passerby.

Part of the brewery itself was roped off and had all manner of curiosities and oddities on display, such as this stuffed Jackalope.

 

Continue on to Freaks and Beer Geeks

 

The 9th Annual Bistro Double IPA Festival

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The 9th annual Bistro Double IPA Festival, and the first major event of SF Beer Week, got underway Saturday morning in beautiful downtown Hayward. It was a gorgeous February day, cool, not cold, but with a bright, warming sun. Owners Vic and Cynthia Kralj finally persuaded the city to let them takeover a larger portion of the street for the festival. The additional space was a wonderful addition as it made getting around and navigating to your next beer far less crowded. But even with the extra space, the Bistro was full of people by early afternoon, with somewhere between 25-50% more attendance over last year.
 

Even with considerably more space, this year’s Double IPA Festival was a well-attended affair.

Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo with Melissa Myers, the Bay Area’s best brewer without her own brewery.

 

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

Anchor’s OBA & SF Beer Week Launch

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Friday night Anchor was kind enough to host an event to officially kick-off SF Beer Week. It was a chance for all the people who made SF Beer Week to get together — the organizers, the brewers, the bar owners, the chefs and restaurant owners, the volunteers and the media. It was also an opportunity for Anchor to share their latest creation, a spectacular new beer that they debuted for the local beer community.

Available only in magnums, and very limited — only 100 cases — that will be sold only at the brewery, for $30 per bottle.

The OBA, or “Our Barrel Ale,” a nod to their Christmas beer, “Our Special Ale,” is a blended beer using three of their beers. Though not revealed, I’m guessing their Porter, Liberty Ale and Old Foghorn.

We had a pretty good turnout to enjoy Anchor’s hospitality.

They opened four cases of OBA and poured everyone there a small sample of it.

Which took some time for everyone to get a taste.

Then Fritz Maytag talked about the beer and how it came to be. Originally he was not in favor of it, but eventually saw it was a good way to use their old whisky rye barrels. Three of their beers were aged in their own used barrels for six months and then blended into the beer they dubbed Our Barrel Ale.

Then, using Anchor’s OBA, I gave a toast to officially launch SF Beer Week and we drank to a successful week of events. Here, the organizers of SF Beer Week pose with Fritz Maytag after the toast. From left: Tom Dalldorf (Celebrator Beer News), Dave McLean (Magnolia), Bruce Paton (The Beer Chef), Fritz Maytag (Anchor), Shaun O’Sullivan (2st Amendment) and me (Brookston Beer Bulletin). Behind us, from the left, is Steve Bruce from the Toronado who was there on behalf of Dave Keene, who was unable to be there, and Dean James, also from Magnolia, who took over web duties and kept the schedule updated.

This was the toast I wrote and gave:

To San Francisco, where beer flourished with the gold

To Gold, the beautiful golden color of beer

To Beer, its art and craft whose soul we celebrate

To Celebrating, the reason we’re all together

To Togetherness, the hallmark of the Beer Community

To Community, which is who made SF Beer Week

To SF Beer Week —

Raise Your Glass To the Start of SF Beer Week 2009

And so it begins …

 

Bistro Double IPA Festival Winners 2009

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Pizza Port‘s Poorman’s Double IPA was chosen best in show at the 9th annual Double IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full winner list is below.

 

 

 

Albion Don In the Temple of Beer

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Yesterday the first five events of SF Beer Week were all “Albion Don” Barkley and the recreation of the original beer that started the modern craft brew movement. New Albion’s Pale Ale, dubbed Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale was tapped every hour, on the hour, for five hours at a different location in San Francisco. Beginning at the Temple of Beer, the Toronado, Don arrived, beery scepter in hand to christen the day (and the week’s) activities.

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Don Barley, with the scepter of St. Gambrinus in hand.

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The first pints poured of Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale.

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Don’s first sip.

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By the power of St. Gambrinus, he declares that it is good.

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Less impressive than it looks, I got to hold the magical scepter while Don availed himself of the facilities.

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Next stop on the tour was Magnolia. Here Don poses with Dave McLean, owner of Magnolia and fellow SF Beer Week organizer extraordinaire.

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And again, the scepter declares that the beer is good.

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I missed the next two tappings at Monk’s Kettle and City Beer Store due to having to do some prep work for SF Beer Week, but caught up with them at 21t Amendment, where Shaun O’Sullivan was on hand to greet Don.

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And again, it was good.

SF Beer Week Coming In February 2009

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When Tom Dalldorf and I came up with the idea for Beerapalooza six years ago, our original vision was a week-long series of events celebrating all the wonderful beer here in the Bay Area, California. Unfortunately, there was just two of us, and we could never quite find the time to pull it together in a way that matched our imagination of what it should have been. Beerapalooza became static, with essentially five annual events—which were all great fun—but that was it. It started off with the Bistro’s Double IPA Festival and finished up with the annual Celebrator Anniversary Party. In between there was the cheese tasting at Rogue’s San Francisco Public House, the Beer Chef’s Beer & Chocolate Dinner and the legendary Toronado Barleywine Festival.

Then earlier this year, Philly Beer Week blew our socks off. What Tom Peters and Don Russell were able to pull off their first year was nothing short of amazing. We were envious and a little guilty that we hadn’t managed to put the same effort into to a similarly grand event here in the Bay Area. We returned from Philadelphia re-energized and committed to pulling it together.

So five of us involved in one capacity or another in the beer world formed an ad hoc committee to organize and promote the successor to Beerapalooza, which we’ve dubbed “SF Beer Week,” which will be held over ten days next year, February 6-15, 2009.

Philly Beer Week characterized their town as being “America’s Best Beer Drinking City.” Since we’re friends with the Philadelphia beer community — hell, I’m originally from Pennsylvania, having grown up just a hour west of Philly — we thought we’d have a little fun with an East Coast/West Coast smackdown and so we’re calling the Bay Area “America’s Original Craft-Beer Drinking City.” Not only are we having a bit of fun with the faux rivalry, but we think we have a pretty good claim to that title. With both Anchor Brewing and New Albion in the Bay Area, not to mention Sierra Nevada and Mendocino Brewing (started with New Albion’s eqiupment), and the fact that three of the first five brewpubs were located in the Bay Area, we feel confident of our claim to that title.

The plan is to showcase the legacy and heritage of beer in the Bay, with a goal of coordinating 100-150 events. The week will be anchored by the Bistro Double IPA Festival, the Toronado Barleywine Festival and will end with a new full-blown Bay Area Beer Festival. In between there will be beer dinners, cheese and beer pairing events, other gourmet food events savoring our world-class cuisine, meet the brewer evenings, homebrewing demonstrations, music, films and even a museum exhibition exploring the history of Bay Area brewing, from Monterey to Sacramento and beyond.

A new website went live over the weekend, in conjunction with handing out postcards announcing SF Beer Week at the Slow Food Nation convention. There’s not much there yet, but you can sign up to receive a newsletter to follow along as we add information over the coming months leading up to the 10-day celebration. Instead of just a few people doing a lot of work on SF Beer Week, we’re enlisting the help of as much of the beer community that’s willing and interested in helping. In that way, our goal is to create an event that’s not just for beer enthusiasts, but by them as well. We also hope to get the support of the wider community in the form of recognition by the City or cities and possibly the state along with support from local tourism boards.

If you’re interested in volunteering or getting involved with SF Beer Week by hosting an event, please contact us via Email. Either way, watch the SF Beer Week website or here for news about the event’s progress. And most importantly, consider showing your support for Bay Area beer by attending as many of the events as your liver and wallet will allow. There should truly be something for everyone, whether you live in northern California or have chosen SF Beer Week as the perfect time to visit us.

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