Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Jason Chavez

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Today is the 57th birthday of Jason Chavez, who was the brewmaster at Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz for a number of years. Chavez started homebrewing while still in high school on his family’s kitchen stove. He’s a graduate of the American Brewers Guild, and had been brewing at Seabright since 1999. I believe I first met Jason many years ago at the Rock Bottom in Denver during a GABF week, but I still run into him occasionally at events. Seabright celebrated their 25th anniversary several years ago, when I spent the day at the brewery to do a story on their silver anniversary. But three years ago, he made a big change, moving closer to home to take over the Kelsey Creek Brewing Co. in Kelseyville. Join me in wishing Jason a very happy birthday.

Me and Jason at his Kelseyville Brewery in early 2020.

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Jason with Dave Heist, from HopTown Brewing, and Gene and Cindy Acevedo, from El Toro Brewing, during the Brewer’s Reception at GABF in 2002.

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Jason at the helm of the brewery when I visited him in early 2013 to wrote about Seabright’s 25th anniversary.

Here’s a great shot by Dan Coyro, from an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinnel
Jason, in the center, surrounded by Seabright folks at the 10th annual Stumptown Russian River Revival and BBQ Cook-Off.
Jason, again in the center, at GABF (Note: last two photos purloined from Seabright’s website).

Beer Birthday: Grant Johnston

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Today is the 71st birthday of Grant Johnston. Grant was the original brewer at Marin Brewing when it opened in 1989, and spent a number of years at Black Diamond Brewing in Concord, California. Grant was very influential in the early days of Bay Area brewing, and he’s an incredibly talented brewer. A few years ago he moved to the midwest, and for a time he could be found working a few days a week at the Argus Brewery in Chicago. But more recently, he’s retired and happily making bread at home. A couple of years back, I was in Belgium at the Cantillon Brewery when in walked Grant, quite by chance, so you never know when you’re going to run into him. Join me in wishing Grant a very happy birthday.

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Grant and me at GABF in 2006.

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Grant (on the right) judging the 2006 Double IPA Festival in the cellar of The Bistro, with Tom Dalldorf, Vicky, our hard-working beer steward in the middle, and the Toronado’s Dave Keene in profile on the left.

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Brendan Moylan and Grant shortly before Marin Brewing opened in 1989.

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Grant and Arne Johnston brewing his Wild Rice Ale for Marin’s 25th Anniversary.

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Grant, bottom left, among the GABF judges for the 10th anniversary of the festival in 1992.

Beer Birthday: Brendan Moylan

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Today is Brendan Moylan’s 64th birthday. Brendan owns his eponymous Moylan’s Brewing and until very recently, Marin Brewing, which he closed a few years ago. He was a very active part of both the local and beer community, and each year used to put on the Breastfest to benefit breast cancer awareness. Join me in wishing Brendan a very happy birthday.

Brendan and in me in front of Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia during Philly Beer Week in 2010.
Brendan at the Falling Rock during GABF 2007.
Brendan and his wife at the Breastfest that Marin Brewing sponsors in 2010.
GABF 2010.

Beer Birthday: Bruce Joseph

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Bruce Joseph, who’s been at Anchor Brewery for many, many years turns 69 today. There’s a big picture of him when he was very young in the stairwell at the brewery that I see every time I was there. He’s been doing the distilling for Anchor’s whiskey and gin for a long while now and played bass with the Hysters (Anchor’s big band) and used to be with the Rolling Boil Blues Band (the Celebrator beer band that was all industry musicians). When distilling and brewing operations split during the last change of ownership, Bruce remained with the distilling side, renamed Hotaling & Co. Distilling. As of today, he’s retiring and will become “Master Distiller Emeritus and distillery consultant.” If there’s a nicer person in the beer industry, I’ve yet to meet him. Join me in wishing Bruce a very happy birthday.

A self-portrait of Bruce and me at the Anchor Christmas Party in 2006.

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On stage at the Northern California Rhythm & Blues Festival several years ago.

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With Melissa Myers at the Falling Rock during GABF 2007.

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With Garrett Oliver at an industry event during GABF years ago.

The photo that used to be in Anchor’s stairwell.

Bistro Double IPA Winners 2025

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Earlier today, the 25th annual, silver anniversary, Double IPA Festival was held at the Bistro in Hayward, California. I got there early for judging again this year, and spent the morning holed up in the basement, where we judged Double IPAs for most of the morning, before choosing our top three favorites.

Judging in the basement of the Bistro.

After it being pretty wet and rainy rhis past week, we were treated to a sunny day in beautiful downtown Hayward, if a little chilly, for the festival.

The Bistro Double IPA Festival.

At 2:00 pm., owner Vic Kralj announced the winners:

Double IPAs

Me, Vic and Judy, Grand Dame Publican.

People’s Choice Awards

Double IPA: Looking for Gophers, by Faction Brewing, from Alameda, California, although in a close race this year, second place by a nose was Triple Cuff, by Wondrous Brewing, in Emeryville, California.

The judging table in the basement from the other end.

Beer Birthday: Peter Catizone

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Today is the 66th birthday of Peter Catizone, longtime brewmaster at Faultline Brewing, in Sunnyvale, California. He’s been brewing nearly thirty years in Silicon Valley. He started at Boulder Creek Brewing, where he brewed for ten years, before started at Faultline in 2003, over two decades ago. He’s been making great beer — nothing fancy — in traditional styles all that time, perfecting his craft, an unsung hero. More recently, he’s moved to brewing at Steel Bonnet Brewing in Scotts Valley. Join me in wishing Peter a very happy birthday.

Me and Peter during a visit. to the brewery in 2022.
Peter in the Faultline brewery.

Beer Birthday: Michael ‘Motor’ Kiesling 

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Today is the 59th birthday of Michael Kiesling, better known to most of us as “Motor.” While not technically in the beer industry, he’s adjacent enough in the Bay Area beer world that I felt he should have a birthday post. While by day Motor is an architect at this own firm, Architecture 21, and is almost as much of a train geek as my son, by night and/or in his free time he can be found at numerous watering holes and beer events throughout the Bay Area. I took a memorable trip to England for the Old Ale Festival at the White Horse in 2007 with Motor and a few others, and I love running into him whenever it happens. Join me in wishing Motor a very happy birthday.

Motor at the Best of the West Beer Festival in 2009 with Sarah Knopp and Jen Garris.
Motor, with Adrienne, Gabby, and Steve, at the Toronado Barley Wine Festival in 2007.
Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment, with Gabby, Justine, and Motor playing golf at the 3rd annual Sasquatch Brew Am in 2007.
Motor and Shaun O’Sullivan with a couple of Burgundian Babble Belt members at the festival at the Old Ale Festival in London in 2007.
Rodger Davis, Dave Keene, Melissa Myers, James Costa, and Motor at the Drake’s Summit Hop Festival in 2006.
The poster from Strong Beer Month in 2014. See if you can find Motor?

Beer Birthday: Scott Ungermann

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Today is the 59th birthday of Scott Ungermann, who until a couple of years ago was the Production Director at Anchor Brewing. When I first met Scott, he was the Brewmaster at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fairfield, a position he held for almost six years, plus brewing stints at other AB facilities for over thirteen years. When I was working on my Northern California Breweries book, he gave me and my son Porter a great tour of the facility and I discovered we had several mutual friends since he was a 1995 graduate of U.C. Davis. Scott’s a very passionate brewer, and I was thrilled to run into him at the annual Anchor Christmas party a few years ago, discovering that he’d joined the team at Anchor. After Anchor, he struck out on his own to do a bit of freelance brewing, but since last year is back at his alma mater teaching brewery at UC Davis. Join me in wishing Scott a very happy birthday.

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Me, Scott and Dave Burkhardt at Anchor.

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Scott showing my son Porter the brewhouse in Fairfield.

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A promotional photo from Scott’s ABI days.


Scott being interviewed in 2010 for a segment on KCRA Channel 3 NBC television in Sacramento.

Beer Birthday: Fal Allen

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Today might be the birthday of Fal Allen. I say might, because he keeps telling me that he’s not exactly sure when his birthday is — apparently the result of having hippie parents — and he had kept changing it on his Facebook page, though now he’s removed it entirely. Fal returned to his goats and to Anderson Valley Brewing several years ago, having lived in Singapore for four years, where he built and ran a craft brewery for Archipelago Brewery, a division of Asia Pacific Breweries. He blogged about his exploits there on his Brewing in Singapore blog, but since returning stateside, he’s been blogging at The Goat Rodeo, and we’re certainly happy to have him back stateside. But more recently, he’s mnoved back to his native Hawai’i and is brewong on Kauai at Napali Brewing Co. Join me today, tomorrow or perhaps the next day in wishing the ageless Fal a very happy birthday.

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Fal and me in Chico a couple of years ago.

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At the Oregon Brewers Festival.

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Also at OBF, with Daniel Bradford of All About Beer Magazine and Dave Buehler from Elysian Brewing in Seattle.

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With a bevy of brewers touring Stone Brewing during CBC in 2008, that’s Fal at the far right.

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While still GM at Anderson Valley, launching Brother David at the Toronado in San Francisco. Clockwise from left: Fal, Mark Cabrera, David Gatlin, me and Dave Keene, the beer’s namesake and Toronado owner.

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Fal during a recent hop harvest. No wonder that batch of Anderson Valley tasted so “fal-ish.”

Beer Birthday: Daniel Del Grande

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Today is the 56th birthday of Daniel Del Grande, former brewer and co-owner of Bison Brewing, which as far as I can tell is now closed. I’ve known Dan a lot of years, since shortly after he bought Berkeley’s Bison Brewery in 1997. He’d been leading the charge for organic beer and made some of the best organic beers anywhere. More recently he’s been working with Concept Clean Energy. He also teaches at the American Brewers Guild, and spoke at my SSU class, as well. Join me in wishing Dan a very happy birthday.

Dan Del Grande from Bison Brewing
Dan at the 99 Bottles of Beer Symposium at the Hearst Museum in 2009.

Sean Paxton & Daniel Del Grande
Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef, with Dan at Rodger Davis’ 40th birthday party.

George Allen, Dan Del Grande & Mark Cabrera from Bison Brewing
George Allen, Dan and Mark Cabrera at GABF 2009.

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Ralph Olson from HopUnion with Dan and Peter Hoey, when he was still with Bison Brewing, in 2006, the year Bison won a Gold medal for their Organic Farmhouse Ale.