Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Jim Woods

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Today is maybe the 44th birthday of Jim Woods, founder of MateVeza, an organic brewer headquartered in San Francisco. I first met Jim when we were classmates at U.C. Davis for the brewing short course before he launched his unique business. All Jim’s beers are made with Yerba Mate, a South American herb that’s similar to tea. Technically, it’s part of the holly family, but contains caffeine and the leaves are used like tea. It works surprisingly well as a spice in beer. Several years ago now, Jim opened the Cervecería de MateVeza, a small brewpub in San Francisco, right next to a corner of Dolores Park. Rebranded as Woods Beer, there are now five locations in San Francisco and Oakland.

Jim also puts on the Beerunch one morning (usually a Sunday) during SF Beer Week, the last few years at the Public House at the Giants’ stadium. Join me in wishing Jim a very happy birthday.

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Jim at the Cervecería de MateVeza in San Francisco.
Jim Woods, host of the Beerunch
Jim at his Beerunch during SF Beer Week in 2010.
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Jim and Matt Coelho at GABF 2008.
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Jim at his Beerunch in 2011.

Beer Birthday: Mike “Tasty” McDole

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Today would have been the birthday of Mike “Tasty” McDole, homebrewer extraordinaire, and one time co-host of “The Jamil Show,” or “Can You Brew It?” and also was a regular on the “Sunday Show” on The Brewing Network. Tasty would never refer to himself that way, and on Twitter he claimed to be simply a “homebrewer and a craft beer enthusiast.” But most of us who knew him would, as he also admits, “make [him] out to be much more.” And that is correct, I believe, as Tasty was one of the best. He’s a former Longshot winner, has given talks at the National Homebrew Convention and has won countless awards and had collaborated with numerous commercial breweries on beers. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago after battling cancer. Join me in raising a toast to Tasty’s memory.

Justin Crossley & Mike McDole
With Justin Crossley at the Bistro Double IPA Festival in 2010.

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With Shaun O’Sullivan at 21st Amendment in 2009.

Vic Krajl, from The Bistro, Award-Winning Homebrewer Mike McDole & Shaun O'Sullivan, from 21st Amendment
Vic Krajl, from The Bistro, Mike & Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment at GABF in 2009.

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Tasty at GABF in Denver in 2014.

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And a couple of years ago, 21st Amendment Brewery released Tasty IPA in collaboration with Mike.

Beer Birthday: Pete Slosberg

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Today is my good friend Pete Slosberg’s 75th birthday . Pete is, of course, best known for Pete’s Wicked Ales. After that he toyed with the idea of making barbecue but decided instead to make some incredible chocolates and had a small company, Cocoa Pete’s. A few years ago, I traveled to South America with Pete (where we took to calling him “El Pete“), where we both spoke and judged beer at a beer conference/competition in Argentina, the South Beer Cup, and then flew to Brazil to attend a pair of beer dinners Stephen Beaumont was hosting and for a while he was working on Mavericks, a newish line of canned session beers, along with Half Moon Bay Brewing, but is now doing some occasional consulting and doing a lot of traveling with his wife Amy looking for the next adventure … or sour beer. Join me wishing Pete a very happy birthday!

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This was taken the first time I met Pete, over twenty-five years ago at the KQED Beer and Food Festival in San Francisco, when I was more or less still a civilian. It was after I’d written my first book on beer, but before I started working as the beer buyer for BevMo.
Pete & Amy Slosberg with Shaun O'Sullivan
Pete with his wife Amy and Shaun O’Sullivan, from 21st Amendment, at one of Sean Paxton’s beer dinners during SF Beer Week several years ago.
Pete Slosberg, helping out for the day, shows off a finished bottle
Working the bottling line at Russian River Brewing, with a bottle of Consecration.
Matt Bonney, Stephen Beaumont, Sean Paxton, Pete Slosberg & Rick Sellers
Matt Bonney, from Brouwer’s, Stephen Beaumont, Sean Paxton, Pete and Rick Sellers, then from Odonata at the Bistro Double IPA Festival.
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Pete with his wife Amy and Celebrator publisher Tom Dalldorf at one of Bruce Paton’s beer dinners at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in February 2006.
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Martin Boan, who organized and ran the South Beer Cup, with Pete in Buenos Aires.
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Pete, with Edu Passarelli (owner of Melograno), Stephen Beaumont and me after a beer dinner at Edu’s place in Sao Paulo.

Beer Birthday: Dow Tunis

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Today is the 63rd birthday of Dow Tunis. I can’t remember when I first met Dow, but it was a while ago. He’s been in the beer world almost as long as me. He’s currently the Bay Area Manager for New Glory Brewing of Sacramento, but he’s worn a lot of hats over the years.  For example, he used to be the Director of Bus Development for Fieldwork Brewing, National Sales Manager for Bear Republic, CEO of Half Moon Bay Brewing, Vice-President for Business Development at Drake’s Brewing, the GM of the Bear’s Lair Pub, and the GM of the legendary 20 Tank Brewery in San Francisco. So he’s seen it all, and has managed to keep his sense of humor. He’s a great guy to share a pint with. Join me wishing Dow a very happy birthday.

Dow with Homer at the Oak Barrel.
Sandwiched between Vic from The Bistro and John Martin, from Drake’s and Triple Rock.
Again with John Martin, but a few years earlier, just a few.

Beer Birthday: Mario Celotto

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Today is the 69th birthday of Mario Celotto, who founded Humboldt Brewing Co., along with his brother Vince, after his career as a professional football player with four teams, including the Oakland Raiders the season they won the super bowl in 1981. While I normally communicated with Vince, who was at the brewery day-to-day, I met Mario on a couple of occasions, including a memorable lunch in Oakland in the late 1990s. He always seemed like a great guy to me, and he did hire Steve Parkes, who created their wonderful Red Nectar Ale, one of best amber ales I’ve ever tasted. Anyway, join me in wishing Mario a very happy birthday.

This is the biography listed on the brewery’s website back in the 1990s:

Mario is the company’s founder and serves as its President. Prior to founding the company, he played professional football and was a member of the 1980 Oakland Raider Super Bowl championship team. Mario studied public relations at the University of Southern California, where he also played on the USC National Championship football sqad. After college he worked in mortgage banking and public relations. In 1987, Mario opened the Humboldt Brewing Company brew pub and restaurant.

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This is the description of Red Nectar from Humboldt Brewing’s website in 1999:

Red Nectar is an American Ale with a deep reddish copper color and sweet malty notes from English crystal malt. The crystal malt comprises nearly 15% of the grist and gives our Red a toasted caramel flavor and a residual sweetness and malty aroma which melds with the strawberry esters of our own strain of ale yeast. We use two-row Harrington-Klages pale malt, a superior blend of ale malt, and in all our beers we add a small proportion of Pacific Northwest Malted white wheat. This aids in head retention and lacing in the glass. Red Nectar is brewed with Chinook hops for bittering, Willamette in the middle for a rounded hop flavor and Mt. Hood and Cascade in the finish for a delicate floral/spicy aroma and flavor.

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Mario, when he was a linebacker for USC.
Mario more recently at a Raiders charity bowling event in Las Vegas.

Beer Birthday: Zambo

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Today is the birthday of David Zamborski, better known to the brewing world as simply “Zambo.” He used to brew for BJs in Southern California but then number of years ago moved to San Francisco to take over the brewpub operations at 21st Amendment, where he spent several years. and later he moved to Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, where he was the Director of Brewing. Wanting to get back to his brewpub roots, Zambo was until recently the brewmaster and Santa Barbara Brewing, and since we were there on vacation a few years ago, stopped in for a few pints and to hang out. Zambo was doing great things there, he’s a terrific brewer, but he later left for another L.A. brewery, Paperback Brewing, but more recently i brewing at the Fowler Ranch Farm Brewery in Lincoln, California. Join me wishing Zambo a very happy birthday.

Luke Nicholas, from New Zealand’s Epic Beer, with Zambo during a visit to 21A.
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John Tucci (from Gordon Biersch), Aron Deorsey (from Beach Chalet) and Zambo at a release party for Anchor’s California Lager.
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Brendan Dobbel, Rich Higgins, Aron Deorsey and Zambo at a Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp a couple of years ago.
Zambo, Rich Rosen, Jen Garris, Sarah, Lloyd Knight, Dave Suurballe, James Renfrew and Shaun O'Sullivan
At the Anchor Christmas Party a few years ago: Zambo, Rich Rosen (Pi Bar, Chenery Park), Jen Garris (Pi Bar), my wife Sarah, Lloyd Knight (21A), Dave Suurballe (everywhere), James Renfrew (formerly with Potrero Hill Brewing) and Shaun O’Sullivan (21A).
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At Santa Barbara Brewing a couple of years ago.

Beer Birthday: Julian Shrago

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Today is the 48th birthday of Julian Shrago, former brewmaster at the Beachwood BBQ & Brewery in Long Beach, California. I can’t remember when I first ran into Julian, probably either one of the early Firestone Walker Invitational Festivals or possibly out at GABF, where in 2013, he won Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year and the following year, won big again as Large Brewpub of the Year. Julian is a great brewer and made his mark very quickly after turning pro in 2011. I visited the brewery a couple of years ago, and it really is one of the best. I’ve heard more recently that he may have moved to Urban Root with Peter Hoey, but I haven’t yet confirmed that. Join me in wishing Julian a very happy birthday.

Me and Julian during GABF judging a couple of years back.
My wife Sarah, Matt Brynildson and Julian at the Firestone Walker Invitational a few years ago.
Me, Terrence Sullivan (from Sierra Nevada) and Julian at Trumer for a CCBA evey during SF Beer Week in 2018.
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Jamil Zainasheff, Julian and Mitch Steele in San Diego for the Stone/Heretic/Beachwood collaboration in 2014.
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Beachwood BBQ chef Gabe Gordon, Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, and Julian at a beer dinner at Beachwood shortly after they added the brewery in 2011.
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Julian with Charlie Papazian at GABF in 2006.
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With a group of ne’r-do-wells in Sacramento several summers ago.
Taking a group to the Riverside Grill Shack for the best frites in Nashville during CBC 2023.

[Note: Middle three photos purloined from Facebook.]

Beer Birthday: Claudia Pamparana

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Today is the 51st birthday of Claudia Pamparana, arguably the unsung hero of Faction Brewing in Alameda, California. I first met Claudia when she worked at 21st Amendment, and I clearly remember when she started dating Rodger Davis, who’s now her business partner at Faction and husband. I especially recall Rodger being very … well, Rodger, at the Falling Rock during GABF and drunk-dialing Claudia to tell her he loved her. Happily, for him, she reciprocated, and they were married in 2006. As great a brewer that Rodger is, if it weren’t for Claudia’s calm and hard work, who knows where Faction would be today. Join me in wishing Claudia a very happy birthday.

Visiting Faction in 2017.
 Claudia with Rodger and me at the California Beer Summit in 2018.
On stage with Rodger picking up a medal for The Penske File st GABF.
Rodger and Claudia at an event in Santa Rosa

Beer Birthday: Jen Garris

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Originally a sculptor, Jen Garris, has been involved in San Francisco’s beer scene as long as anyone I know. She’s worked for Magnolia and New Belgium, as well as many others in the Bay Area. A few years ago she opened the Pi Bar in San Francisco, along with boyfriend Rich Rosen, who also co-owns Chenery Park. I absolutely love Pi’s white bacon pizza. More recently, they opened Bel, a Belgian-themed bar/restaurant on Mission St. in Bernal Heights, but also closed Pi Bar thanks at least in part to the Covid lockdowns. Today is Jen’s 29th or so birthday. Join me in wishing her a very happy birthday.

Jen and Matt Salie, then from Big Sky Brewing, at the 18th Celebrator Anniversary Party.
Looking lovely at the Anchor Christmas Party in 2006.
Jen and Brian Hunt at the Urthel Beer Dinner.
Jen illustrates again how easy it is to be featured on the Bulletin.

Beer In Ads #5054: Alpine Bock Beer Festival

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Last year I decided to concentrate on Bock ads. Bock, of course, may have originated in Germany, in the town of Einbeck. Because many 19th century American breweries were founded by German immigrants, they offered a bock at certain times of the year, be it Spring, Easter, Lent, Christmas, or what have you. In a sense they were some of the first seasonal beers. “The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers in the 17th century. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced ‘Einbeck’ as ‘ein Bock’ (a billy goat), and thus the beer became known as ‘Bock.’ A goat often appears on bottle labels.” And presumably because they were special releases, many breweries went all out promoting them with beautiful artwork on posters and other advertising.

Friday’s ad is not for a specific Bock Beer, but for an upcoming Bock Beer Festival at the Alpine Village Beer Garden, and was published on August 15, 1969. This one is for the Alpine Village in Torrance, California, which was originally founded in 1968. They had Bavarian Dances every weekend, but the Bock Beer Festival took place on august 17. Unfortunately, it closed during Covid, but has recently been designated as culturally significant and saved from demolition. This ad for the event ran in The Daily Breeze, of Hermosa Beach, California.