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Beer Birthday: Kirby Shyer

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Today is the 67th birthday of Kirby Shyer, who founded the Zip City Brewing Co. in New York City, the only brewpub in Manhattan when it opened in November of 1991, since both New Amsterdam and Manhattan Brewing has closed earlier. He was a pioneer in the industry, especially on the East Coast because his brewpub was in such a visible place in downtown Manhattan. Unfortunately, when the bottom fell out of craft beer in 1997, the brewery closed. I met Kirby a little later when he was working for another brewery and called on me at BevMo and we later attended a Cleveland Indians baseball game, along with Tom Dalldorf, when the Craft Brewers Conference was in Cleveland in 2002.

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Kirby worked in the brewery industry for several years after Zip City closed, both for breweries and distributors. More recently, he’s left to work on a project outside beer and beverages.

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All About Beer’s archive includes a great 2017 overview of Zip City and Shyer by Tom Acitelli entitled A Brewpub’s Collapse 20 Years Ago Sounds Familiar.

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The logo and merchandising materials for Zip City, created by John Bloch Designs.
A couple of years ago, Kirby was kind enough to send me this awesome Zip City T-shirt from 1995.

Gordon Biersch Closes Original Palo Alto Brewpub

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When Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch opened the first brewpub in downtown Palo Alto in 1988, it was one of the few to focus on lagers, and one of the few to focus on fine dining, or at least a step up from the usual pub fare found at most brewpubs at the time. In 1999, two years after opening a production brewery in San Jose, the brewpubs were sold to a restaurant group which today is known as CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and includes the Rock Bottom brewpubs as well as Gordon Biersch. Dean Biersch retired and went on to open the HopMonk Taverns in Sonoma County while Dan Gordon continues to run the production brewery in San Jose.

Today, September 16, CraftWorks announced that they had closed the brewpub on Emerson Street in Palo Alto, as of the close of business on Tuesday, September 15, and apparently “apologizing for short notice.” Unfortunately, there’s no additional information, or indeed any mention at all, about the closure on their Facebook page, website or on the parent company’s corporate website, which hasn’t updated their press releases since 2011.

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The Gordon Biersch brewpub on Emerson Street in Palo Alto.

NOTE: It turns out this was just half of the story. Read the other half, Dan Gordon To Re-Open Original Gordon Biersch Brewpub.

San Francisco Gordon Biersch To Move

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The picturesque location on San Francisco’s Embarcadero of the former HillS Brothers Coffee building is home to the third Gordon Biersch brewpub, which opened originally in 1992. According to Inside Scoop SF, as of the end of April, that will no longer be the case. (And thanks to Pete S. for sending me the link.) Apparently the twenty-year lease expires April 28, and the landlord and Gordon Biersch have been unable to reach an agreement. Gordon Biersch is currently scouting for a new location nearby. So you’ve got a little over six weeks if you want to pay the brewpub one last visit.

Kelley Brothers Brewpub To Close Today

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I got an e-mail last night from a reader that the Manteca brewpub Kelley Brothers Brewing was closing and today is to be their last day. I haven’t been able to independently confirm that news, but will do so when I’m able. It’s always sad news to hear that a brewery is closing.

UPDATE 2.1: The Manteca Bulletin confirmed the closing of Kelley Brothers Brewing today, posting Last call for Kelley Brothers with the full story.

Triple Rock’s 25th Anniversary

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Monday marked the 25th anniversary of Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse’s opening in 1986. Triple Rock was the third brewpub to open in California, the fifth in the U.S., and the only one still owned and operated by the original founders — John and Reid Martin. I stopped by this afternoon to join in the celebration and partake of the special beers that brewmaster Rodger Davis whipped up for the occasion.

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The Triple Rock truck was running again and parked out front.

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Davis re-created Batch No. 1, the first beer Triple Rock brewed.

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The first beer John and Reid brewed was a pale ale created on Christmas Day in 1985. Rodger altered the recipe slightly to account for different yeast and varied the amount of hops.

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Several former Triple Rock brewers stopped by for the party, including Shaun O’Sullivan, co-founder of 21st Amendment, whose first brewing job was at Triple Rock.

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AT 5:00 p.m., co-founder John Martin tapped a firkin of the Batch No. 1 that current brewmaster Rodger Davis dry-hopped and aged for a beer that was both historical and modern.

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Founders, and original brewers, John and Reid Martin, with their latest brewer, Rodger Davis, toasted the first 25 years with a beer bridging the past, the present and their future.

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John Martin with Shaun O’Sullivan, Reid Martin, Homer Smith (owner of the local homebrew shop, Oak Barrel, where the Martins bought all the ingredients for their first batch in 1985), and longtime beer salesman Ed Chainey.

Congratulations to John and Reid Martin. I hope to try the next anniversary beer 25 years from now.

Celebrate Triple Rock’s 25th Anniversary Monday

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Geez has time flown. Twenty-five plus years ago you weren’t even allowed to operate a brewpub in the State of California. Finally in 1983 that finally changed, thanks to some hard work and a lot of meetings. Shortly thereafter, the first two brewpubs in California opened, Mendocino Brewing and Buffalo Bill’s. The third opened 25 years ago come this Monday, March 14, 1986. It was started by the Martin brothers — John and Reid — who had both homebrewed in college. It originally opened under a name you may not be familiar with: Roaring Rock. Unfortunately, the folks from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who brewed Rolling Rock, thought the name was too close to their own, and so the Martins had to pick a new name. Eventually they settled on Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse.

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Triple Rock when it opened in 1986.

This Monday, March 14, 2011, Triple Rock will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of opening its doors. Here’s what will be going on at the brewpub all day long:

In celebration Rodger has re-brewed “Brew #1,″ the first beer ever made in the Triple Rock system. Reid & John originally brewed it on Christmas Day 1985. On March 14th we will be pouring Brew #1 (a Pale Ale) all day for just $1.75 a pint (the original price for a pint in 1986). We will also tap a hopped-up cask version of Brew #1 at 5 pm. Kind of a “2011 hopping meets 1986 cask ale” beer. Come by and try both of them!

The kitchen will be serving some old-school items, such as our original Muffaletta sandwich. But no, you’re not going to have to go to the “window” to order your grub, like you did in ’86.

John & Reid will preside over the tapping of the cask, and maybe go for another round of arm-wresting (John lost to Reid at the Festivus celebration last Dec.) Join past & present TRB brewers, staff, and long-time regulars to toast The Rock’s 25 years of making beer!

We’ve also created a special anniversary tee-shirt that pays homage to our original name, ”Roaring Rock Brewery”. There will be just one small print run of this shirt, so you should get yours before they’re gone. But, if you are up on your trivia of the early days of Roaring Rock/Triple Rock — you just may win one!

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Ominous Sign For The Future of Rock Bottom’s Beer

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I’d been hearing rumors about how the merger between Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom was going, and the news wasn’t all good. I’d heard there had been few changes for Gordon Biersch brewers, but that life was getting more difficult for Rock Bottom’s brewers, who were used to having a certain amount of freedom to choose what they brewed. It probably didn’t help that Allen Corey, who had been running Gordon Biersch, became President and CEO of the newly merged company consisting of both brewpub chains, plus a third chain. One chain’s philosophy was bound to be favored over the other.

That all seems to have come to a head, as John Fosyton reports in the Oregonian, the Portland Rock Bottom’s celebrated brewer, Van Havig, has been “asked to leave” the company. Havig had been brewing for Rock Bottom for 16 years and consistently brewed some of the best beer I’ve had at any brewery. Foyston speculates that Havig may have been shown the door for publicly voicing his concerns with the direction the company had been taking since the merger, and primarily the loss of freedom for the brewers, for the first time imposing standardization. That was one of the hallmarks of Rock Bottom, their independence, and was the reason they won so many awards at GABF over the years. That they’re now apparently losing that independence can’t be a good sign for the future of the chain’s beers, if not the chain itself.

But the real loss is Havig. Van’s a terrific brewer and not having him brew for Rock Bottom makes them all the poorer. If you know about a brewing job, preferably in Oregon, drop John Foyston a note and he’ll see that Van gets it.

Gordon Biersch & Rock Bottom Merge

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Wow, this is big news in the world of brewpubs. The headline reads “Rock Bottom Restaurants and Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group Combine to Become CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, Inc.” Both Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom were two of the largest brewpub chains in the country. Their combined size, including the Old Chicago chain, will be nearly 200 locations nationwide.

Here’s the press release:

Centerbridge Capital Partners, L.P. and its related entities (“Centerbridge”), formed CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc. (“CraftWorks”) by closing on concurrent acquisitions of Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. (“Rock Bottom”) and Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc. (“Gordon Biersch”) today. The companies will operate as subsidiaries of CraftWorks and will retain their brands. The combined business becomes the nation’s leading operator and franchisor of brewery and craft beer-focused casual dining restaurants with nearly 200 owned and franchised locations across the United States. CraftWorks’ primary concepts include Old Chicago, Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch.

CraftWorks is led by Frank Day and Allen Corey. Frank Day, founder of Rock Bottom, serves as Chairman of the Board and brings over 45 years of restaurant experience to the newly formed company. Allen Corey, an original investor and 13 year CEO of Gordon Biersch, is the President and CEO of CraftWorks and brings over 18 years of restaurant experience to the position.

Regarding the formation of CraftWorks, Frank Day stated, “This merger marks a new era for both Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch and I am very excited about the growth potential that the future holds for CraftWorks.”

“Gordon Biersch, Old Chicago and Rock Bottom are differentiated casual dining concepts with strong guest loyalty, high energy atmospheres and a high quality offering of craft beer and made-from-scratch food,” stated Jason Mozingo, a Managing Director at Centerbridge. “We are excited by the prospect of partnering with the management teams to strengthen the long-term operating performance of the business and position it for growth.”

Mr. Corey said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the combined company. There is a long-standing relationship between Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch which will facilitate a smooth and efficient integration of the two businesses. With the help of our new financial sponsor, Centerbridge, we look forward to a successful future as the nation’s leading brewery and craft beer-focused casual dining restaurant operator.”

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc was formerly majority owned by Hancock Park Associates. Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. was owned by founder Frank Day and his investment group.

Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Duff & Phelps LLC (NYSE: DUF), and North Point acted as the exclusive financial advisors to Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch, respectively, in connection with this transaction. Faegre & Benson and Miller Martin acted as legal advisors to Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch, respectively.

Centerbridge was advised by Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC, also advised CraftWorks on the acquisition of Gordon Biersch. Wells Fargo and GE Capital were joint-lead arrangers for a $150 million credit facility to support the transaction.

There are no plans for re-branding or closing any units at this time.

About CraftWorks

CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc., through its three principal operating units, Old Chicago, Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom, is the nation’s leading operator and franchisor of craft beer-focused casual dining and brewery restaurants with nearly 200 owned and franchised locations across the United States. CraftWorks also operates strong regional brands, including ChopHouse and Big River and maintains intellectual property rights to the Boulder Beer, Inc. microbrewery. The company maintains dual headquarters in Chattanooga, TN and Louisville, CO. For additional information, please visit www.craftworksrestaurants.com

The new CraftWorks website gives the following information on their homepage:

CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries proudly serves the finest in craft beer and made-from-scratch creative cuisine. With nearly 200 restaurants operating under 14 different brands, we employ close to 12,000 people in serving approximately 80,000 guests each day. Our restaurants range from traditional casual dining concepts to fine dining white tablecloth establishments.

Our largest brands include Old Chicago, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants and Rock Bottom Restaurant Breweries. With over 70 of our locations featuring fresh brewed beer on-site, we are the world’s leading operator of brewery restaurants.

Our breadth across the nation ranges from the most densely populated urban centers such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington D.C. to more rural locations such as Killeen, Texas and Fargo, North Dakota. Regardless of concept or location, our guests have come to know us for unique, made-from-scratch food, craft beer and unbeatable service. Our Loyalty Programs are amongst the largest and most popular in the restaurant industry with over half a million active members enjoying such rewards as personalized Brewer Dinners, specialty merchandise and fantasy vacation trips.