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.
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.
On stage at the Northern California Rhythm & Blues Festival several years ago.
With Melissa Myers at the Falling Rock during GABF 2007.
With Garrett Oliver at an industry event during GABF years ago.
The photo that used to be in Anchor’s stairwell.
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.
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.
At 2:00 pm., owner Vic Kralj announced the winners:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Me, Scott and Dave Burkhardt at Anchor.
Scott showing my son Porter the brewhouse in Fairfield.
A promotional photo from Scott’s ABI days.
Scott being interviewed in 2010 for a segment on KCRA Channel 3 NBC television in Sacramento.
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.
Fal and me in Chico a couple of years ago.
At the Oregon Brewers Festival.
Also at OBF, with Daniel Bradford of All About Beer Magazine and Dave Buehler from Elysian Brewing in Seattle.
With a bevy of brewers touring Stone Brewing during CBC in 2008, that’s Fal at the far right.
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.
Fal during a recent hop harvest. No wonder that batch of Anderson Valley tasted so “fal-ish.”
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 at the 99 Bottles of Beer Symposium at the Hearst Museum in 2009.
Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef, with Dan at Rodger Davis’ 40th birthday party.
George Allen, Dan and Mark Cabrera at GABF 2009.
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.
Today is the birthday of Aron Deorsey, who for a lot of years was the brewmaster at the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant in San Francisco, along with the Park Chalet and the Lake Chalet in Oakland. I got to know Aron much better a few years back when we roomed together attending Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp for SF Beer Week. He had been making great beer at the beachside brewpub for a number of years, and is great fun to hang out with, but earlier last year he’s opened his own place, a brewpub in San Francisco called the Hop Oast Pub & Brewery. Join me in wishing Aron a very happy birthday.
Me and Aron at his Hop Oast Brewery.
Brendan Dobbel, from Thirsty Bear, Rich Higgins, from Social Kitchen, Aron and Zambo, from 21st Amendment at Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp a few years ago.
Aron and his friend Maggie at the Anchor Christmas Party in 2009.
At a Sierra Nevada beer dinner at the Chico brewery in 2010. Clockwise from Left: Rich Higgins, John Tucci, Brenden Dobbel & Aron with the 4 bottles of dessert.
Aron (in the center) at the Thirsty Bear Oktoberfest in 2002.
Today is the birthday of Denise Jones, longtime brewer in the Bay Area. A few years back, Denise had started with a new brewery, Napa Point Brewing before it closed, but brewed for long stints at Moylan’s and Third Street Aleworks, among others, before moving to Bamberg, Germany and working with Weyermann, but more recently she’s moved back stateside more recently and last I heard was living in Southern California. She’s a very talented brewer, and makes especially great stouts. Join me in wishing Denise a very happy birthday.
With Ralph Woodall of HopUnion at GABF in 2006.
Shane Aldrich and Arne Johnson, from Marin Brewing, Brendan Moylan, who owns both, and Denise, along with Jim Grbac, from Molyan’s Brewing after the award ceremonies at GABF in 2007.
Denise with Brendan Moylan and Mark Worona, from Brewers Supply Group, at Tcho Chocolate in 2012 after a chocolate beer competition during CBC (which Denise won).
With Alec Moss at the Triple Rock Firkin Fest in 2009.