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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Shaun O’Sullivan’s Ken Kesey Tribute To Bll Brand

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A number of people have expressed regret at not having heard Shaun O’Sullivan’s Ken Kesey-ian rant in tribute to Bill Brand at the memorial the beer community had for him on Sunday at The Trappist in Oakland.

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I did manage to capture the last third to a half of it on video, so you can at least get a feel for it by clicking on the image below. It was certainly one of the highlights of the day. Enjoy.

 
UPDATE: Justin Crossley from The Brewing Network sent me a video of Shaun’s entire rant that he took using his mobile phone. As Justin notes, the sound quality isn’t great, but at least the whole enchilada has been preserved for posterity. Thanks, Justin.

 

The Big 5-0

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Today is my 50th birthday. Usually it’s me posting embarrassing photos of my friends, so in a spirit of fair play, I put up a gallery of some less than flattering photos of me culled from the last fifty years of my life. Just click on the photo or link below. Join me in a toast to me, this time. Perhaps I’ll see you at my Hawaii 5-0 birthday party this Saturday?

Cheers!

I was only a little older than my son Porter in this picture. That’s my Mom looking on as I tinkle the ivories in an outfit Liberace must have picked out. And what’s with the haircut and those ears. Sheesh, I don’t ever remember having ears like that.

 

For many more embarrassing photos from my fifty years on the Earth, visit the photo gallery.
 

Beer Community Memorial For Bill Brand

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Yesterday afternoon The Trappist in downtown Oakland, California, opened their doors and hearts for a memorial to honor our fallen comrade, beer writer Bill Brand. It was a gathering of the Bay Area beer community to pay our respects to Bill’s memory and tell stories of Bill’s life and how his infectious enthusiasm and passion for good beer intersected in so many of our own lives. I was honored to be asked to MC and got the ball rolling with a toast and some of my own reminiscences and then for a little over an hour, a parade of brewers, writers, and assorted friends and fans stood on a chair and told their personal stories of Bill to the assembled throng, a veritable who’s who of the Bay Area beer scene. We were also honored to have Bill’s wife, Daryl, in the audience, along with Bill’s two daughters, Amanda and Meredith. The event ended up being a fitting and moving tribute to Bill’s life and his involvement with the beer community, as we drank toast after toast with one of Bill’s favorite beers, Anchor Porter. L’Chaim, Bill. You will be missed.

Jim Koch, from Boston Beer, generously sent a wreath of beer flowers that made a terrific centerpiece. Thanks, Jim — it was appreciated by all.

A friend of Bill’s, Mike Condie, put up a display of recent articles celebrating Bill’s life in various local papers along with a couple of framed photos taken at beer events. These and a guest book signed by everyone who attended the memorial were then given to the family.

Chuck, co-owner of The Trappist (at right), served up pints of Anchor Porter, from a keg tapped especially for the event.

Steve Bruce, from the Toronado, and Jen Garris, were early arrivers and managed to secure seats.

Ed Chainey graciously donated a 3L bottle of Chimay Blue.

I started things off with a toast and a story.

The toast.

Last up was Shaun O’Sullivan, who had written a Ken Kesey-ian rant for the occasion.

Bill’s daughter Amanda, wife Daryl and Shaun O’Sullivan after the memorial.

 

Beer in Art #17: Peter French’s Anchor Brewery

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In a few hours I’ll be attending a memorial for the beer community celebrating the life of fellow beer writer and friend Bill Brand at The Trappist in Oakland. Someone discovered in Bill’s archives, a column in which he discloses Anchor Porter to be his favorite beer, so today’s work of art is the entitled the Anchor Brewery, by British artist Peter French. Sadly, it’s not our Anchor Brewery, but one from England, though I’m not entirely sure which one.

 

As for which Anchor Brewery this is, perhaps one of my Brit friends knows? There was an Anchor Brewery in Southwark owned by Barclay Perkins, and another, Charrington’s Anchor Brewery on Mile End Road, both in north London. According to the book British Breweries by Lynn F. Pearson, Courage also had one in Horsleydown and Charrington had another one in Tower Hamlets. Then there was Bullard & Sons Anchor Brewery in Norwich and yet another in Hull, by Freeman, Gaskell & Sons. The name Anchor, I suspect, was quite common, s there could have been many more for all I know.

Which makes it all the more infuriating that the artist doesn’t tell us which Anchor Brewery he’s painted. C’est la vie. Still, it’s a nice watercolor and you could even buy yourself a print of it at Art.com, among others.

There’s not much more about the artist, Peter French, and even the biography at his own website is blank, though you can see a number of his other works, most of which are watercolors of buildings. You can also see a number of his architectural drawings, cityscapes and landscapes on the Artist’s Web,

 

Beer Wars Movie To Debut April 16

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Got some exciting news from Anat Baron, the director of the new documentary film Beer Wars, which is that it will premiere on April 16 in Los Angeles. Baron has invited me to the premiere and I can’t wait. She’s been working on the film for several years now, and judging from the trailer, looks to ruffle a few feathers. It also should be highly entertaining and, hopefully, influential in getting consumers to understand the importance of supporting craft brewers, not just because the beer usually tastes better, but also because it makes economic sense to support local businesses, too.

Baron’s a fan of the Bulletin, and we had lunch in Berkley last year when she was in town visiting her relatives in the Bay Area. I love the message she’s hoping to spread about small beer vs. big beer; it’s a titanic struggle, and one which many people don’t fully understand, even some who work in the industry.

 

 

Here’s how the film’s website sums up the movie.

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world.

Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America’s favorite industries.

Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs – Sam and Rhonda – battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.

This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your family’s home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the world’s opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

Cool. Beer Wars should be fun.

 

 

Beer Birthday: Stonch

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Today is the 30th birthday of Jeff Bell, whose alter ego is Stonch, one of England’s best bloggers. He also runs a pub, The Gunmakers, in Clerkenwell, a village in the heart of London. When I was in the UK late last summer, I stopped by to meet Jeff on my way back from Burton-on-Trent, slogging my way from the train station with my rollerbag in tow through the darkened streets of London, weaving this way and that until I finally made my way to his pub. It was great to finally meet him in person since we’d been corresponding for so long, and I had a fun, albeit short, visit, which I thought I’d share on the occasion of his birthday. Join me in wishing Stonch a very happy birthday.

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Jeff Bell, a.k.a. Stonch, at The Gunmakers Pub in central London.

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The pub’s centerpiece mirror opposite the bar.

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I had a wonderful Theakston’s Old Peculiar on cask, an entirely different beer from the bottled version. And Stonch had some terrific cheese to pair with it that was delicious.

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But for Jeff it was a work night, so I left him to it, and set off on the long journey to stay with one of my old best friends near Greenwich, who over ten years ago moved to London after marrying an Englishwoman, Alex.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Least Favorite Defects

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Struggling to finish three articles this week, one of which is about beer defects, I figured I’d make that the topic for my seventh Top 10 list. To me, the curious thing about defects and identifying them for judging purposes is that everyone’s palates are different to some degree. Each person’s tolerances for different flavors and aromas vary wildly, making consensus very difficult, in some cases impossible. For example, I have a very high tolerance for diacetyl. For me to get that butterscotch or buttery character it has to be very concentrated. Other people I taste with regularly are very sensitive to it, making for lively discussions whenever a beer has marked levels of diacetyl. For that matter, some people really like the buttery character of diacetyl so for them it’s not a defect at all, but a desirable quality. Certainly, it worked for Redhook ESB. And of course, there are a few styles for which low levels are acceptable and even desirable. So who’s to say at what level it’s good or bad. While there are standards that have been agreed upon somewhat, the reality is that they can only be a guideline because of the variation in people’s personal palates. So while one might be tempted to believe that all defects are equal, in my experience that’s simply not true at all. Anyway, here’s List #7:
 

Top 10 Least Favorite Defects
 

Vanilla I don’t dislike vanilla per se, just when it’s overdone. That’s a fine line to be sure, but I’m pretty sensitive to vanilla so even a little goes a long way for me. Many barrel aged beers take on that vanillan character and often times it’s too much as far as I’m concerned. The vanilla only works when it’s subtle and restrained.
Catty People who I taste with regularly can usually predict my reaction to certain beers, so averse is my initial reaction to beers with cattiness — which I generally refer to as cat piss. I can appreciate the character in well-hopped beer, but it only works for me if the balance is there. Often, this is less a defect and more the choice of a particular hop or hops that imparts this character. Too much cat, and I scat.
Cardboard Ugh, wet cardboard or paper, whether from age or oxidation, is hard to swallow. I can’t stand the smell when it’s actually wet paper, much less when it’s in my beer.
Plastic I’m pretty tolerant here, so a beer has to be very phenolic for me to pick up on it, so by the time I do, it’s probably bad. Here, I’m referring to the phenolics that comes from the water used which gives it a very plastic, artificial taste.
Vinegar I know people like vinegar on their fish and chips, but I’m not one of those people. I don’t like vinegar in anything. I don’t even like pickles to be even touching my food, that’s how much I hate vinegar. Of course, I had a traumatic incident in kindergarten involving a pickle, so my bias is probably not normal. Don’t ask me for the details if you’re planning on eating within an hour of hearing the story. It’s sort of like swimming after a meal.
Cabbage I can’t stand eating cabbage, so I’m no fan of it in my beer, either. Plus, the idea of the bacteria contamination that usually causes Dimethylsulfide (or DMS) makes me queasy just thinking about it.
Medicinal The band-aid or diaper aromas and flavor, the Chlorophenols of the phenolics family, aren’t always bad, but when they are too strong, boy they’re hard to overlook. It’s their artificial quality that I just can’t abide.
Solvent This can also be described as acetone or laquer thinner, and makes me queasy just thinking about that smell, let alone when faced with it. Finding this strongly in the nose makes it hard to even take a sip of it. I once accidentally swallowed a small amount of gasoline when I was in my early teens — which I don’t recommend. That’s what a beer that’s overly solventlike reminds me of; yuck.
Sulfur Who likes the smell of rotten eggs? Anyone? Bueller, Bueller? A sign of a serious problem of contamination, this is one of those pour-it-down-the-drain beers that usually leaves me wondering how it made it into the bottle in the first place.
Skunky While arguably not as bad as some of the more process defects, lightstruck makes the top spot for me because it’s a problem that’s so easily fixed. All it would take to remove this problem is to use a can or a brown bottle, but marketing concerns are more important for those companies that continue to use clear and green glass. You just have to shake your head at the idiocy.

 

You already know why diacetyl didn’t make my list. What makes yours?

 

Also, if you have any ideas for future Top 10 lists you’d like to see, drop me a line.
 

Beer Memorial For Bill Brand March 1

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An impromptu memorial event has been scheduled to honor and remember Bay Area beer writer Bill Brand, who passed away on February 20, after being hit by a Muni Train the evening of February 8. Though there will be a family event and undoubtedly other events from the other areas of Bill’s rich life, this one is intended to be for the beer community to celebrate Bill’s contributions and impact on the Bay Area beer family. It will take place at The Trappist, where owners Chuck and Aaron have graciously agreed to host it at their establishment. The event will begin at 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, March 1, which is an hour before The Trappist’s regular opening time. The Trappist is located at 460 8th Street in Oakland, near the 12th Street BART station.

Some details are still being worked out, but the format will likely be to provide an opportunity for everyone in the beer community who knew Bill and was effected by his tireless efforts to share their memories of Bill and hoist a pint or two to his memory. I believe Chuck and Aaron are trying to get a keg of Anchor Porter, Bill’s favorite beer for Sunday. I’ve been asked to MC and start the ball rolling and then we’ll open it up to people to take turns sharing their memories and stories of Bill with the assembled party. Think of your favorite story of Bill you’d like to share for a few minutes. Over the course of the day, I suspect an amazing portrait of Bill will emerge as more and more of us pay our respects to his memory. Please join us if you’re able.

Special thanks to Gail Ann Williams and Steve Shapiro from Beer by BART and also Mike Condie for putting this all together; and, of course to Chuck and Aaron for allowing us to use The Trappist.

Dueling laptops; Bill and me at Magnolia on February 6 for the tapping of Napa Smith Original Albion Ale by Don Barkley. Photo by Shaun O’Sullivan.

Bill toasting with a pitcher of Oakland’s Linden Street beer. Photo by RRifkin.

 

Beer In Art #16: Egyptian Woman With Lotus

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The last few works have been fairly recent and modern, so today’s work goes back pretty far into history, to the 17th Egyptian Dynasty, the New Kingdom period of time, around 1539-1425 BCE. It’s in the Brooklyn Museum, an excellent museum that I visited the last time I was in New York. The Brooklyn Museum is one of the largest Museums in the United States and is the second largest in New York State. Today’s piece is part of their world renowned Egyptian collection, considered by experts to be one of the finest in the world. The work, a stone table really, is known as Woman With Offerings, and is described as a “Fragment of a Tomb Painting with Seated Woman Holding a Lotus.” It was found in a tomb in Thebes, Egypt in an area known as the Valley of the Kings.

Click here to hear the Brooklyn Museum’s docent discuss the artwork.
 

The Brooklyn Museum’s website for this work also has the following about this tomb painting.

This fragment of wall painting from a tomb depicts a woman sitting on a green mat, inhaling the fragrance of a blue lotus. Sealed jars of beer and wine rest under a table loaded with other offerings of white and yellow loaves of bread and a dark red calf’s head. A grid of red lines that guided the draftsman in positioning the objects and proportioning the figures shows through where the paint has worn thin.

What’s important for our purposes, is the three jars below the table which more than likely contained beer, a veritable necessity when packing for the afterlife. To me, what this — and the countless others that are similar — point out is that while the Ninkasi tablet may be the most well-known, the ancient world is littered with references to beer and drinking. It was obviously a very ordinary part of daily life for ancient man, given its ubiquity in what they left behind. See, for example, an Egyptian Memorial Stone of a Syrian Soldier Drinking Beer, this one dating from the 18th Egyptian Dynasty; or this painted relief from ancient Memphis, from the 5th Dynasty, the Funerary mastaba of Ti that shows jars of beer.

For more about brewing in ancient Egypt, see Ancient Egyptian Beer, Ancient Egypt Beer Making, and Beer in Antiquity.