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.
Celebrator 25th Anniversary Party
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.
Another New Oakland Brewer
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.
SF Beer Week Opening Event 2013 Video
Each year, videographer Steve Atkinson has done a video of the opening celebration for SF Beer Week. There’s a lot of fun interviews, though I confess I’m slurring my words a bit in my short ramble about the beer scene 25 years ago. Enjoy.
Bistro Double IPA Winners 2013
Societe‘s The Roustabout was chosen best in show at the 13th annual Double IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full winner’s list is below.
- 1st Place: The Roustabout, Societe Brewing
- 2nd Place: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing
- 3rd Place: Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing
And for the second year, Triple IPAs were judged this year.
- 1st Place: Pliny the Younger, Russian River Brewing
- 2nd Place: Notorious Triple IPA, The Boneyard
- 3rd Place: Simtra Triple IPA, Knee Deep Brewing
And for the third straight year:
- People’s Choice Award: Kern River Citra Double IPA
Congratulations to all the winners.
Beer Birthday: Mark Silva
Today is the 51st birthday of Mark Silva, co-founder of RealBeer.com, one of the first beer portals to establish a presence on the internet. I’ve known Mark for a lot of years in a variety of enterprises. These days, I usually run into Silva at beer events, though sadly not as often as I used to. Join me in wishing Mark a very Happy birthday.
One of my favorite photos of Don Younger also features Mark at the Falling Rock in Denver during GABF.
Mark enjoying a beer in San Diego with friend Doug DeCarlo. (Note: this photo purloined from Facebook.)
Happy Birthday To The Microbrewery
Today is the 36th anniversary of the day that New Albion Brewery incorporated, which happened on October 8, 1976. New Albion Brewery was the first modern microbrewery, the first small brewery to be built from scratch, mainly from scrap and discarded industrial equipment.
To me, and many others, that makes it the first modern microbrewery and its legacy should be remembered, revered and celebrated. Its founder, Jack McAuliffe, essentially shied away from the brewing community after the brewery closed in 1983, returning to his original profession as an engineer. As a result, few people — except us old-timers and historians — give McAuliffe his due. A lot of young brewers and fans don’t know his name, though that, happily, is changing.
Maureen Ogle managed to track down McAuliffe through his daughter for her book, Ambitious Brew, and in it she gives a great account of New Albion Brewery.
Jack McAuliffe back in the day.
Last year, of course, Sierra Nevada persuaded McAuliffe to come to Chico to collaborate on a beer for their 30th anniversary. Jack & Ken’s Ale, a black barley wine. At that point, more people began writing about him. Here are a few articles from last year:
- John Holl had a great piece he did for CraftBeer.com, New Albion Brewing.
- Eric Braun in the San Antonio Express-News, McAuliffe’s new home, wrote Jack McAuliffe is Namesake of Commemorative Sierra Nevada Beer.
- Greg Kitsock in the Washington Post writes The father of craft brewing comes out of retirement.
Since then, Jack has finally started to embrace his legacy. He came to the Craft Brewers Conference this past May, when it was in San Francisco. He stayed an extra week with a good friend from the old days in Sonoma. He had lunch at Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, and the next day gave owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, along with myself, a tour of the spot where the brewery had been originally located.
Below are some photos taken in 1979 and ones I took earlier this year when I toured the old site.
The side and front of the brewery in 1979.
The front in 2011
The back and side in 1979.
The same side this year, with Jack McAuliffe and Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo.
Jack showing us that the brewery used to be … right … here.
The old photos are from a lengthy article about the brewery in Brewers Digest in November 1979. They also did a shorter follow-up in 1980. Breweriana collector Jess Kidden has a page online on the New Albion Brewing, where he has scans from the original articles. He was kind enough to send me the original scans, from which I clipped out more of the photos, which you can see in the slideshow below.
I had hoped to make today an official, or at least semi-official holiday, but alas, politics got in the way. So I’ll have to resort to the old-fashioned way of just celebrating it every year and hoping that eventually enough other people begin to recognize it. Really, that’s all it takes to create a holiday. So as far as I’m concerned October 8 is the “Birthday of the Microbrewery” or perhaps more simply “Microbrewery Day.” To that I’ll raise a glass each year to Jack McAuliffe and his pioneering New Albion Brewery. Thank you, Jack. This one’s for you.
Jack and Jim Koch during GABF last week in Denver.
And finally, my most recent newspaper column was my latest attempt at commemorating October 8, and a tribute to New Albion, entitled Jack McAuliffe, craft beer pioneer, although my original title was You Don’t Know Jack.
All Hopped Up For The Cure At Russian River
It’s October now, and that means that Russian River Brewing is once again All Hopped Up For the Cure, their annual charity benefitting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is the sixth year they’ve raised money for Sutter Breast Care Center in Santa Rosa. Last year, they donated $67,000 to the center. Their goal for this year’s efforts is $75,000. Stop by the pub this month, as they’ll be a lot going on and swag to buy to help support the cause. Here’s co-owner Natalie Cilurzo writing on the brewery’s blog about their charity drive:
We also have 3 different styles of commemorative “All Hopped Up For The Cure” shirts available for purchase at the pub and in our online gift shop! Original design on this year’s shirts is by local tattoo artist, Joe Leonard, and Matt Morgan from Farm Fresh Shirts. In addition to the beer and the shirts, we are raffling off some very cool items later in the month. The Pink Vespa, Pink Guitar, and Pink Bicycle are being delivered this week for our raffle on October 27th. Raffle tickets available and items on display at the pub all month long. I will post pictures once they show up. I have only seen the scooter in person, but the guitar and bike remain a mystery. And NEW this year is the 2013 Pin-Up Calendar also available for purchase at the pub!
This one is always personal to me, because my own mother passed away when she was only 42 — and I was just 22 — a victim of breast cancer. So please generously support Russian River’s All Hopped Up for the Cure.
Bartender Amir Bramell and co-owner Natalie Cilurzo pouring pink beer as the month-long breast cancer awareness charity drive begins at Russian River Brewery.
For a second year, they’ve brewed a special beer, Framboise for a Cure 2012, a perfectly pink beer brewed with raspberries. The beer uses Temptation as its base beer, to which 800 pounds of fresh raspberries are added, and then it’s aged for several months in Chardonnay barrels spiked with brett, lacto, and pedio. The beer is available only at the Santa Rosa brewpub (with 3 notable exceptions) on draft and in bottles throughout October (or until it runs out). 100% of the proceeds of this beer are donated to the local breast cancer charity. Bottles are $15. They will run out. BTW, it’s absolutely delicious, a near perfect blend of sour and sweet, tart fruit.
The Toronado Comes To Russian River
Last night, in the continuing and ongoing celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Toronado, a bus left San Francisco from lower Haight carrying a majority of the pub’s employees (leaving behind only a skeleton crew) along with significant others and friends of the bar. After traffic slowed their progress, two hours later sixty people emerged from the bus — now 18 cases of beer lighter — in Santa Rosa for a Toronado Anniversary Party at Russian River Brewing.
The dining section of the brewpub was set aside for the private party, while patrons could continue to sit at the bar and use the other sections of the brewery.
I even got the missus to come out and play, seen here with Brian Hunt, from Moonlight Brewing.
Toronado balloons hung throughout the place.
There were many folks at the party who came into town from all over the place; from Philadelphia, Denver, Portland, Seattle, New York and even San Diego. For instance, Jeff Bagby, looking for a location for his new San Diego brewery, and Eric Rose, from Hollister Brewing.
Our hosts Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo introduced the band, American Dog, who flew in from their native Ohio to play the party (they’re one of Toronado owner Dave Keene’s favorite bands). The last time they were here was five years ago for the Toronado’s 20th.
Natalie air-guitaring with a giant bottle of Toronado 25th Anniversary.
Raising a toast, Dave Keene (in the back) flanked by Ian Black (from the San Diego Toronado) and Jen Schwertman (from New York’s Blind Tiger).
Dave Hopwood sporting his latest for-charity dyed beard. Click here to donate for Dave.
American Dog played a great 21-song set and we said our good-byes (Mrs. J having a real job, had to get up early the next morning), leaving the assembled guests as they celebrated into the night. Thanks to Vinnie, Natalie and Dave for another wonderful evening of beer, music and camaraderie. Happy Anniversary Dave!
Bistro IPA Festival Winners 2012
For the second straight year I missed the Bistro IPA Festival, but owner Vic Kralj was kind enough to send me the list of the winners. Matt Cole’s IPA, Head Hunter, from Fat Heads in North Olmstead, Ohio, was chosen best in show at the 15th annual IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full list of winners is below.
- 1st Place: Head Hunter IPA (Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon)
- 2nd Place: Sculpin IPA (Ballast Point Brewing)
- 3rd Place: Green Horn (Triple Rock Brewery)
- People’s Choice: Aroma Coma (Drake’s Brewing)