Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Bomonti Beer Factory

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There’s not a lot of beer coming from Turkey. Efes is probably the one most known to us westerners. The first brewery in Turkey was started in 1890 by two brothers from Switzerland, the Bomonti brothers. In 1902 they built a new facility in the southern part of Istanbul which still stands there today. It is situated in the Bomonti district, which of course takes it name from the factory. Beginning in 1938, it was known as the Istanbul Tekel Beer Factory. It was abandoned in 1991, and locals returned to calling it the Bomonti Beer Factory. It’s a beautiful seven-story building.

Earlier this week, Global Investment Holding along with Çelebi Holding announced their intention to turn the building in Turkey’s biggest hotel by 2009, to be operated by Marriott International and known as the Marriott Bomonti Hotel Convention Center.

Today, Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry disclosed they will reject and cancel the offer regarding the 49-year operating lease for the Bomonti Beer Factory because the price was too low. So the factory is once again available. Hopefully, someone will put it too good use. It’s a terrific looking building with great possibilities, not to mention a piece of brewing history.

Five Reasons to Keep Drinking Beer

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The Metro, San Jose’s alternative weekly might not be exactly mainstream, but when I lived in the area the years ago, it was a pretty good paper. This week’s edition features a short little column listing five recently discovered health benefits associated with drinking alcohol in moderation. These included a healthier heart, lungs, bone density, help in fighting cholesterol, and reducing the risk of a stroke.

Take a Ride on the Skunk Train

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Lagunitas Brewing is once again firing up the boiler on the Skunk Train and making a steam-powered beer run from Willits, California to the Northspur Station and back again.

The Skunk Train rumbles through the Redwoods.
 

On Saturday, September 9, beginning at 10:00 a.m., Lagunitas will be hosting a beer festival on wheels. With music by the Dog Town Ramblers aboard the train (and at the station), beer from several local brewers and barbecue from Jerome’s it’s the recipe for a perfect afternoon. Tickets are $54.20 and will benefit the Trees Foundation, which supports various nature conservation projects. As of this morning about half the available tickets had been sold, so if you want to come you should call soon for reservations. After the train gets back to the station, they’ll be an after party at the Shanachie Pub in Willits.

The Skunk line runs 40 miles from Fort Bragg on the coast to Willits on US Highway 101. Along the way, the tracks cross some 30 bridges and trestles and pass through two deep mountain tunnels. The half-way point of Northspur is popular lunch spot, giving passengers a chance to snack before continuing to Willits or heading back to Fort Bragg.

9.9

Lagunitas Skunk Train Rolling Beer Festival

Skunk Train Station, Willits, California
sponsored by:
Lagunitas Brewery, 1280 North McDowell Boulevard, Petaluma, California
707.769.4495 [ Skunk Train website ]

Bohemian Beer

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A couple of days ago, Evan Rail had an interesting travel piece in the New York Times entitled The Ultimate Beer Run in the Czech Republic. The focus is naturally more travel-oriented but Rail speaks a lot about the beer there. Happily, Garrett Oliver is on hand (via phone) to lend a hand and give the beer info some context and history.

Bohemia is the western part of what today is known as the Czech Republic.