Today’s infographic is a local one, for the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. It ran last week in the East Bay Express, and following the chart will lead you to discover What’s Your Local Summer Beer? But the answers are all beers brewed locally, in the East Bay or San Francisco, not that that’s a bad thing.
Clici here to see the chart full size.
Back in February, during SF Beer Week, it hit me that we needed a Session Beer Festival in the Bay Area. California is already known for big, hoppy beers but I was convinced that not everybody wants an extreme beer all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hop bomb IPA or an Imperial Stout as much as the next beer geek, but not every day of the week. So I started talking it up, mentioning the idea here and there. I spoke to the San Francisco Brewers Guild, called Joe Tucker from RateBeer, and brought it up with several brewers. Everybody liked the concept.
Somehow word reached John Martin and Drake’s/Triple Rock. Their wonderful marketing director, Kelsey Williams, picked up the ball and has been running with it ever since. After discussions with all of us, she’s set a juggernaut in motion. First, at least in the Bay Area, we’ve declared that May is “Session Beer Month,” and we’re calling on all breweries, bars, restaurants and beer stores to create some sort of event to create awareness of session beers. This is the first year, obviously, so we’re not expecting too much this time around, but are looking at the long haul, hoping to create momentum so that next year Session Beer Month will be huge, or at least will grow bigger each year.
To facilitate that, she’s also created a Facebook Page and Twitter account for SessionBeerMay. Check them out; “like us” and “follow us,” and most importantly, if you’re in a position to help, please consider creating a session beer event this month. If you’re not, please consider supporting the effort by drinking session beers throughout the month. If your favorite place doesn’t have any, ask them to carry at least one session beer. Although it may spark an unwinnable debate, we’re defining “session beers” as 4.5% a.b.v. or below. We accept that sometimes a 5% beer can be considered sessionable, but for our purposes — with tongue firmly in cheek — those we’ll consider “imperial session beer” or “extreme session beers.”
On the Facebook page, Kelsey’s drafted our mission statement.
A Manifesto:
Beer lovers, we are in the midst of a revolution. We have thrown off the fetters of the fizzy yellows and clamored for change. To supplant the sameness, we sought and found the EXTREME. We now have Triple IPAs and World Wide Stouts, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperials, Belgian Quads, and all manner of High Gravity beers stuffed with fruits, spices, malts, hops. We’ve reached for the outermost precipices of beer, and succeeded.
Yet, in our noble quest for more innovation and more experimentation we have flown past many classic, well-loved, craft beer styles that may have seemed, due to their modest alcohol contents, a little too close to the weak, yellow, fizz water we’d escaped.
We have left behind these beers of import, beers perfectly suited to a long conversation at the pub, a picnic at the park, a post-hike refreshment, or a mid-summer beach trip, and beers that one can happily imbibe over the course of a few hours and leave satisfied and still standing.
We call to you beer lovers. Do not disregard a well-made, flavorful Bitter, Mild, Scottish Ale, Dry Stout, or any other Session beer because you perceive a lower alcohol content as a sign of the weak and bland. Allow us to prove that these beers are worthy of consideration. They, just like the extreme beers, have their place in our fridges and on our local taps.
We declare the month of May for Session beers. Beers that need not be analyzed, dissected, sipped, or sniffed in abundance. Delicious beers that not only enhance a good conversation but can extend it through multiple rounds.
Raise a Pint. Raise a Few. Spread the word in May; Less is most certainly more.
Amen. That’s the idea, nailed up to the electronic doors of the church of extreme beer, in the hopes of sparking a session reformation.
The next step? That’s easy: A Session Beer Festival. This year the NorCal Session Fest, will be held modestly at Drake’s Brewing in San Leandro on Saturday, May 25, 2013 from 12-4 PM. As befits session beers, the festival will benefit the East Bay Bike Coalition. Tickets to the event are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. You can buy tickets online at Brown Paper Tickets. In addition to the beer, local food trucks will be on-site with tasty food for sale. Please join us for the first beer festival celebrating session beers in the Bay Area. Let’s make this an annual event. I’ll see you there.
The Oakland Tribune is reporting that a settlement has been reached in the wrongful death suit brought by the family of beer writer and journalist William Brand, who was struck and killed by a Muni train in February of 2009. The report says that at $900,000, the “settlement is one of the largest in recent years for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.” While it’s not enough to bring Bill back, hopefully it will be of some comfort to his family that a certain amount of justice has prevailed and that they may hopefully find some peace of mind over his loss. You can read the full story by the Tribune at SF transit agency approves settlement in Muni crash that killed Oakland Tribune journalist.
Bill was a great advocate for craft beer in the Bay Area, and we’ve continued to toast his memory at both the opening and closing events for SF Beer Week each year.
Here’s to you, Bill.
Wow, this is big news. Grub Street has the exclusive news that Sierra Nevada Brewing is planning on opening a taproom on Fourth Street in Berkeley, and will be located at 2031 4th Street, by University Avenue. Someone from the brewery told them that “it will be a full-time tasting room with food, though there won’t be a full brewpub or restaurant.”
I learned the following details from Sierra Nevada. They will operate the space, which they describe as “a small unit alongside other streetside venues.” They’re looking to open later this year, assuming all permitting, licensing, construction, etc. goes smoothly (do they ever?). They anticipate serving light snacks like pretzels, so it appears the focus of the place will be more on “enjoying and learning about the beer.”
Here’s another cool video of the opening celebration from this year’s SF Beer Week. It was created by Jick Pictures and features some pretty cool animation, too. Enjoy.
Today is my 54th birthday, and even though it’s still early in the day, I’ve already been overwhelmed by an embarrassment of riches from well-wishers sending me notes via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. My sincere thanks to one and all. As it’s usually me posting embarrassing photos of friends and colleagues, for the fifth year in a row, here’s some more howlers of me from over the years.
An early studio portrait.
Motorcycles: just one of my youthful indiscretions that prevented me from seeking political office later in life.
If I cut my hair short, it doesn’t look much different than this today.
This is an Easter outfit from when I was maybe nine or ten.
And this is the same outfit, which looks positively restrained in comparison to my Mother and my Grandmother’s Easter outfits.
Ready to party, look out ladies.
My first band, we were rockin’ out.
Probably from around junior high or early high school. I love the shiny shirt, straight out of That 70s Show.
The world of a teenager … circa 1977.
There’s many more where these came from, for a good laugh just check out the photos from the last four years at Beer Birthday Again: Jay Brooks, Beer Birthday: Jay Brooks, Beer Birthday: J (Yes, Embarrasing Myself This Time) and Beer Birthday Overkill, from 2009, when I posted a bunch encompassing my first 50 years on planet beer. Oh, and thanks once again to everybody for the generous birthday wishes.
During last night’s Celebrator 25th Anniversary Party, Vic Kralj, from the Bistro, wrote a spoof of “Roll Out the Barrel” for our silver anniversary, entitled the Celebrator Silver Polka. Then he rehearsed it with regulars and friends from his beer bar, unveiling it as a special surprise for Tom Dalldorf during the party. Below is a video the evening’s performance.
And here’s the sheet music, if you want to sing along.
Afterwards, Tom was presented with a framed copy of the song.
And later he and Arlene posed with some of the culprits who perpetrated his surprise.
Videographer Steve Atkinson again was on hand at last night’s 25th Anniversary Party, the last big event in this year’s SF Beer Week. Here’s his fun video of the evening’s festivities.
The closing event for SF Beer Week was again hosted by the Celebrator Beer News, who held their 25th Anniversary Party at the Oakland Marriott Convention Center on Sunday. Over 600 people attended the festival, which had a Mardi Gras theme, and 50 breweries were pouring their beer.
The tap handle for the beer that a group of Celebrator writer’s collaborated on to celebrate our 25th anniversary at Sierra Nevada Brewing
Some festival attendees really got into the Mardi Gras spirit.
Though not everybody, as evidenced by the Beer Wench, Ashley Routson, and recent husband Angelo De lseo.
Steve Altimari, from High Water Brewing, also made a special blended beer for our 25th anniversary celebration.
The view from the Brewing Network corner.
Midway through the festival, all of the Celebrator writers in attendance got up on stage and we drank a toast to craft beer, the brewers and our industry, and I introduced publisher Tom Dalldorf.
Then Tom led us in a 25th anniversary toast.
Del Grande, Bison Brewing owner, dressed as a bison, giving high fours to anyone who would lend a paw.
Fraggle and a bemused Jen Muehlbauer.
Rich Norgrove, from Bear Republic and Brian Ford, from Auburn Alehouse, bookending a friend who’s name I can’t remember, another brain cell casualty of getting old.
Terence, from Sierra Nevada, with Natalie, from Russian River.
The long and the short of it, with Sean Paxton, Nicole Erny and some friends.
Don Gortemiller, from Pacific Coast, and Dave Heist, formerly of Hoptown, with a friend.
More buffalo hijinks toward the end of the evening.
Don Ericson and Tom Dalldorf raise a toast to our 25th anniversary. See you next year.
Just got some more great news. Steve McDaniel, co-founder of the hopefully soon to be open Oakland Brewing, and his lovely wife Justine Nguyen, had their second child last week. Justine gave birth to Chabot just after 3:00 p.m. on February 6. They also had another son, Merritt, in late 2010. I had heard rumblings about the new baby at the Double IPA Festival, but just got confirmation and the details this morning. Justine and Chabot are home and both doing great, with Merritt adjusting to having a brother. Join me in wishing the happy couple all the best on their birth of their new son. Congratulations Steve and Justine!
Particulars:
Original Gravity: 7 pounds, 9 ounces
IBUs: 20 in.
Style: Boy
Release Date: February 6, 2013
Label: Chabot Yggdrasil Duong McDaniel
Steve McDaniel and Justine Nguyen’s new son Chabot.
A sleeping Chabot Yggdrasil Duong McDaniel.