Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Job Listing: Trumer Looking for Two

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Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, California has two immediate openings for entry level positions at the brewery. According to the posting, “duties will be primarily focused in cellars, filtration, packaging and warehouse, with potential to include brewing. Brewery experience a plus, as is forklift experience.”

Also from the posting:

Trumer Brauerei is an equal opportunity employer. Interested applicants please fax their resumes and cover letters to the following number: 510-526-1179, or email Lars Larson

As always, serious inquiries only, please.
 

Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, California.

Pyramid Alehouse in Berkeley’s 10th Anniversary Party

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The Pyramid Alehouse located on Gilman in Berkeley will be hosting a party March 1, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Washington brewery in California.

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Pyramid Alehouse 10th Anniversary Party in Berkeley

Pyramid Alehouse, 901 Gilman Street, Berkeley, California
510.528.9880 [ website ] [ tickets ]
 

The Celebrator’s 19th Anniversary Party

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Sunday was the 19th Anniversary Party for the Celebrator Beer News. It was held at Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, California from 4 to 8 p.m. There was a really good turnout for the party and a lot of friends and colleagues were there, which was great fun. Also, there was some terrific beer from twenty breweries, some terrific food from brewer Jeremy Sowers Emergency BBQ and three bands. This is just a few of the photos I took at the party, for more pictures, visit the photo gallery.

Greg Koch, co-owner of Stone Brewing, and Greg’s girlfriend Susan, presented Celebrator publisher Tom Dalldorf with a montage poster of Stone Brewing moments in the Celebrator.

Dan Del Grande, from Bison Brewing, brewed the new Reunion Beer, a charity for Multiple Myeloma (a type of bone cancer) by former Pete’s Wicked Ale employees Pete Slosberg, Virginia MacLean and Alan Shapiro.

A perky Kathryn with Judy Ashowrth and Melissa Myers, from Drake’s Brewing.

Party host Tom Dalldorf with Portland beer writer Fred Eckhardt.

For many more photos from the party, visit the photo gallery.

Photo Gallery: 14th annual Toronado Barley Wine Festival

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Saturday was Day One of the 14th annual Toronado Barley Wine Festival in San Francisco. The festival will run until the next Saturday, February 24. But the first day is when the crowd descend and the beers are judged. As usual, I was one of the early arriver’s even though my judging round — the finals — wasn’t scheduled until at least noon. It was great to see so many friends and colleagues and just hang out. I spent the day there sipping barley wine and other beers and left around dinner time.

All of the beers at this year’s festival.

Ditto, this time from the side.

Now that judging takes place across the street, the Toronado’s backroom is available for many more customers.

And this year, a few of the beers were available in the back room, too, to help alleviate the crush at the main bar.

Baron Brewing’s Jeff Smiley and Kate Geiser down from Washington.

Judging the final round of nine barley wines. After all seven judges sampled each of the finalists, we were able to eliminate three from pack fairly quickly. Then two more fell after a lot of discussion. The remaining four were all excellent in their own ways, and haggling over the order was quite spirited, though happily there was no bloodshed this year. We had some difficulty deciding whether or not our potential third and fourth place beers should get a tie for third or one third and an honorable mention. Ultimately we chose a tie because they were both excellent beers but quite different expressions of the style. We had pretty good consensus on which beers we felt should be first and second, but not necessarily the order. Eventually, we talked our way to a decision we were all happy with. (Thanks to Gregg Wiggins for taking a few shots with my camera.)

After the winners were announced, a group of homebrewers gave Toronado owner Dave Keene an award to show their appreciation for his hosting such a great event for the past 19 years.

Back on the other side of the street, I caught up with friends at the bar. Here, Judy Ashworth, Matt Salie (with Big Sky Brewing) and Judy’s daughter Laurel.

Justin and Daniela (from the Brewing Network) and Shaun O’Sullivan (from 21st Amendment).

An accordionist serenaded Toronado patrons in the back middle room.

Former Stone brewer Lee Chase with Susan and Greg Koch (co-owner of Stone Brewing).

Trappist Beers & Chocolate Dinner

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Bruce Paton, the Beer Chef’s, 3rd annual Beer & Chocolate Dinner paired ten Trappist beers from six out of the seven monastery breweries authorized to call themselves Trappists by the International Trappist Association (ITA). In addition to hors d’oeuvres accented with chocolate (paired with Orval and Chimay Cinq Cents), there were four courses. The first course was a delicious lobster bisque infused with milk chocolate and crème fraiche and paired with Westmalle Dubbel and Chimay Premiere. When they started bringing the bowls of bisque into the dining room, the air was thick with the aroma of lobster, but when you tasted it the chocolate really came through as the dominant flavor.

The table I sat at was Chef Bruce’s table, too, so we got some great insight on how he chose the pairings, found the ingredients and prepared the dishes. Next up was breast of squab with sweet potato chocolate flan and natural jus paired with Achel and Westmalle Tripel.

The third course was Angus beef short ribs braised in Chimay with parsnip puree dark chocolate port wine reduction served with Chimay Grand Reserve and Rochefort 8. The beef was so tender you didn’t need your knife. Also, the parsnips were all but completely overwhelmed by the chocolate flavors, which complemented the meat perfectly.

Guests at the dinner, from left. Cornelia Corey and Ray McCoy (Beer Drinkers of the Year 2001 and 2003, respectively), Bryan Harrell (the Celebrator’s man in Tokyo) and Portland beer writer Fred Eckhardt (who pioneered the beer and chocolate dinner way back in 1988)

The dessert course billed was an “Exploration of Chocolate Delights” which in this case meant three very different chocoholic desserts. There was a lemony chocolate cheesecake, a chocolate mousse with white chocolate pieces in it and a strawberry wearing a tasty white chocolate tuxedo. These were paired with Rochefort 10 and De Koningshoeven Quadrupel. The De Koningshoeven is only one of the seven Trappist breweries in the Netherlands (the rest are all in Belgium) though it is better known by its European name, La Trappe. The only Trappist beer not represented was, of course, Westvleteren, which no longer distributes its beer outside the monastery.

Beer Chef Bruce Paton with his two great passions, food and beer. Thanks Bruce for another terrific dinner. Look for a Valley Brewing dinner at the end of April and a Allagash beer dinner in late May.

Glass Bottle Workshop for Brewers

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On March 1, the California Small Brewers Association, in conjunction ProBrewer.com, will be leading a half-day seminar focusing on the “resources, equipment and financial requirements of transitioning from pre-pack to bulk purchasing and the supply of glass to the beer industry. Suppliers of glass bottles and other vendors will be in attendance. This forum will be an opportunity for both brewers and suppliers to discuss needs and issues in a positive and constructive conversation.”

The Glass Bottle Workshop will be held at the Lagunitas Brewery located at 1280 N. McDowell Blvd. in Petaluma, California. The seminar is free to CSBA members and registered ProBrewer.com users. The course fee is $50.00 for all others. A beer social will follow. To attend, you must pre-register by calling 530.265.0422.

Celebrator Beer News Anniversary Party This Sunday

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This coming Sunday is the 19th anniversary party for the Celebrator Beer News, one of the magazines that I write for. It will be held at Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, California from 4 to 8 pm. This year will also feature a Mardi Gras theme, with three bands, craft beer from fifteen breweries and BBQ and Cajun/Creole food. Tickets are $40, and are available on-line from the Celebrator website. To get a flavor of what the party will be like, check out my photos from last year. I’ll be there, most likely working the door, so say hello when you check-in at the entrance.

 

From the press release:

The Celebrator Beer News will celebrate its 19th anniversary on February 18, 2007, with a Mardi Gras-themed party from 4 to 8 pm at the Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, Calif.

At least 15 other breweries will pour favorite brews. Meet Celebrator writers and beer industry luminaries, including pioneer figures in the craft beer movement. Cajun/Creole food, music from three bands and beer are included!

Breweries pouring include Anchor Brewery, Anderson Valley, Pacific Coast, Deschutes, Ommegang, BridgePort, Russian River, Sierra Nevada, Triple Rock, Trumer Pils, Valley Brewing, Widmer/Redhook and more.

Music includes a Dixieland Jazz Band and an industry Battle of the Bands with performances by the Hysters (Anchor Brewery) and the industry-staffed Rolling Boil Blues Band!

Tickets are on sale now: $40 per person, including BBQ and Cajun/Creole food, beer and music. Discount rooms will be available at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco ($79 per night). Call 800-622-0855 and ask for the Celebrator rate. If you want to stay in Berkeley after the event, there is a deal at the Hotel Durant. Call 510-845-8981 and ask for the Manager’s rate. This event takes place one day after the start of the Barleywine Festival at the Toronado!

For more information, call 510-538-2739. Ticket sales by Visa/MC, phone 800-430-BEER or buy tickets here through PayPal.

Bistro Double IPA Festival 2007

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The 7th annual Double IPA Festival was held yesterday at the Bistro in Hayward, California. There were 42 beers that we judged, narrowing it down to four. All four were terrific beers and any one of them could have ended up in first place, though ultimately Ballast Point Point Brewing‘s Dorado was the one we picked. Judging when pretty smoothly and we had a great group this time, including three Brits in town working on a CAMRA book on the west coast.

Judging in the cellar, trying to take the final ten beers and pick three winners.

Ben McFarland, this year’s British Beer Writer of the Year, and Tom Sandham. The pair are in town along with my friend Glenn Payne (who helped start Meantime Brewing) to work on a CAMRA guidebook for British and European tourists coming to the west coast.

The other end of the judging table, with me flanked by Pete Slosberg and Dave Keene.

While upstairs it was raining something firece.

Darn, I forget the woman on the left’s name, but the rest are Dave Keene (owner of the Toronado), Melissa Myers (with Drake’s Brewing) and Ed Chainey (with Anderson Valley Brewing).

Vinnie Cilurzo (from Russian River Brewing), Shaun O’Sullivan (from 21st Amendment) and Pete Slosberg share a Falstaff.

Double IPA Festival Winners

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Ballast Point Point Brewing‘s Dorado was chosen best in show at the 7th annual Double IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full winner list is below.