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You are here: Home / Breweries / Jack McAuliffe Visits Russian River

Jack McAuliffe Visits Russian River

March 30, 2011 By Jay Brooks

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Quite by accident yesterday I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Jack McAuliffe, founder of New Albion Brewery. I had to meet some new friends from Argentina at Russian River Brewery (more on that later) and when I arrived, I found out that Jack was coming by to have lunch with Russian River owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. I knew Jack was still in California because at CBC last week, where I met him for the first time (more about that later, too), he’d said as much. And I knew Natalie had invited Jack to come by their brewpub, where the original New Albion sign (that I later learned Jack made himself) hung behind the bar in a prominent place, but I didn’t know any of the details.

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Vinnie and Natalie with Jack McAuliffe and his friend Pat Crisco.

Vinnie and Natalie generously invited me join them for lunch with Jack and a friend of his, Pat, who he was staying with for the week. We sat below the New Albion sign and talked, drank and ate. For an amateur beer historian, it was nothing short of remarkable. Jack told great stories about his early days in brewing — some can be retold, others perhaps not — but all of them colorful and entertaining. I knew as much of New Albion’s story as had been told, but to hear it from the man who lived it was such a treat, plus Jack added many personal details that I’d never known before which was amazing to hear. Anyway, at some point, Jack pointed up at the old sign and asked Vinnie if he’d like him to sign it. I’m not sure we all believed he’d do it, but we got out the ladder and up he climbed, sharpie between his teeth like a beer pirate.

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Jack up on the ladder signing the New Albion sign.

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Signing it up close.

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Signing the sign.

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The finished old sign, now new again with Jack McAuliffe’s signature.

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Jack and me at Russian River. What a great afternoon.

UPDATE: During Jack’s visit to Russian River, I met Peter Stetson who does social media for the town of Calistoga, and he also took some photos and captured some video of Jack signing the New Albion sign. Thanks, Peter.

Filed Under: Breweries, Just For Fun, News Tagged With: California, History, Northern California



Comments

  1. Dave H says

    March 31, 2011 at 9:39 am

    Ac/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” playing in the background of the video as Jack climbs a ladder to autograph his sign at the Russian River Brewery seems like it almost couldn’t have been an accident.

    • Jay Brooks says

      March 31, 2011 at 9:43 am

      And yet it probably was because we were all too focused on other things to think about the music.

  2. Paul Kavulak says

    March 31, 2011 at 11:13 am

    I was there during CBC and noticed the sign – we had a brief conversation about New Albion and the history it represents to us all – what a fantastic meeting for you!

  3. Bill Manley says

    March 31, 2011 at 11:51 am

    Jack’s a great guy with some great stories. I’m glad he got the chance to get up to Russian River, and I’m glad you got the chance to speak with him. Everybody involved in Craft Beer today owes Jack a debt of gratitude, and I’m happy he’s finally getting the credit he’s due.

  4. Terence says

    March 31, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    Here’s to Jack.
    Cheers to Jack!

  5. JR Richards says

    March 31, 2011 at 12:34 pm

    That is very cool. Way to document an historic moment, Jay.

  6. Douglas Getty says

    March 31, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    What a Day not to go to the Pub. I drank his Beers back in the 70’s. Wish I could hav’d thanked .

  7. The Brewer's Daughter says

    March 31, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Jay, I *love* that you were there, and preserved the moment for all of us to see. I sat at that very bar last October and told my husband Paul we had to get Jack there someday. I’m so glad he made it. And how cool that he signed the New Albion sign! So glad Vinnie and Natalie have that bit of brewing history preserved for craft brew fans everywhere to see.
    Cheers!
    Renee (Jack’s daughter)

  8. Chas Bockway says

    March 31, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Great story. That really must have been a very cool moment to witness when he signed the sign.

  9. Ron Silberstein says

    March 31, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    Wish I were there, but I suppose the next best thing is to read about it!

  10. Randy Locke says

    April 5, 2011 at 11:13 am

    How cool it was I’m sure, I still have a collection of new Albion bottles( Including a Yuletide Ale bottle), a wooden box, some never used labels and Jacks bussiness card(framed). I would of loved to see Jack again and reminis about the summer solctice party were they had made(for the party) a Red Dragon ale!

Trackbacks

  1. A living legend was in the house. | Jack Curtin's LIQUID DIET says:
    March 31, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    […] historic with the signature of the man who made it three and a half decades ago. It all made for one of the nicest beer stories of the year so far. /* Share this:FacebookEmailDiggStumbleUpon This entry was posted in Beer History, […]

  2. Life After #CBC2011, and Lotsa Links says:
    March 31, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    […] Meanwhile, my father Jack is still in California, enjoying time with friends and making some more great beer memories. Jack spent some time visiting Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo at the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, and beer writer Jay R. Brooks just happened to be there. He chronicled their afternoon in his Brookston Beer Bulletin: http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/jack-mcauliffe-visits-russian-river/. […]

  3. Great Moments at #GABF 2011 says:
    October 3, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    […] to Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing, who got Jack to the stage just in time! (The original New Albion sign today hangs proudly above the Russian River Brewing […]

  4. More Jack, Thanks to Jay! | Maureen Ogle says:
    April 11, 2012 at 11:28 am

    […] I knew Jack was planning to visit Russian River this week. Yesterday he did, and by coincidence, Jay, a master chronicler of all things beer, happened to be there, too. So he’s got photos, a video, and therefore documentation that our beloved Jack, screwed-up arm… […]

  5. FuzzyBrew | A beer tour through wine country, Part 1: A visit to Russian River says:
    December 31, 2012 at 7:01 am

    […] pub is decorated with lots of old signs and breweriana. One of the best examples is the original sign from New Albion Brewery, the first craft brewery in […]

  6. The rise, fall, and re-rise of New Albion Brewery | East Bay Beer says:
    January 17, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    […] Jack McAuliffe’s visit to Russian River, where he offered to autograph the original New Albion sign hanging behind the bar despite having one arm out of commission from a car accident. Brooks writes, “we got out the ladder and up he climbed, sharpie between his teeth like a beer pirate.” […]

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