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Beer Birthday: Daniel Bradford

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all-about-beer
Today is the 66th birthday of Daniel Bradford. Until recently, Daniel was the publisher of All About Beer magazine. He’s been involved in the beer world for many a year, from the early days of GABF to the Brewers Association of America, which a few years ago merged with the Association of Brewers to become the Brewers Association. Last year, longtime employee, and former brewer, Chris Rice bought the magazine, and Daniel continues to be involved as an associate publisher. Join me in wishing Daniel a very happy birthday.

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Daniel Bradford at the far left, with Amy Dalton in between Jim Koch and Rick Lyke, at a Boston Beer Brunch during GABF several years ago.

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Daniel with Julie Johnson Bradford with Amy Dalton at the 2007 Craft Brewers Conference in Austin, Texas.

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Daniel with Dan Carey, from new Glarus, at Rick Lyke’s Rare Beer Tasting that took place at Wynkoop during the 2009 GABF.

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With Jim Cline, from Rogue, at the NBWA Convention in San Francisco 2008.

Beer Birthday: Amy Dalton

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all-about-beer
Today is the 29+16th birthday of Amy Dalton. Amy is the Advertising Manager for All About Beer magazine. As evidenced by the fact that none of the photos below feature Amy alone, she’s a consummate people person. A veteran of the newspaper industry, she’s been selling ads to the beer world now for years and, hopefully, has grown to appreciate the quirks and oddities of most of us in the beer community. Join me in wishing Amy a very happy birthday.

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At the reception before the World Cup Gala Awards Dinner, with Tomme Arthur, at the 2008 Craft Brewers Conference.

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Amy in between Jim Koch and Rick Lyke, along with Daniel Bradford at the far left, at a Boston Beer Brunch during GABF a few years ago.

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All About Beer publishers Daniel Bradford and Julie Johnson Bradford with Amy at the 2007 Craft Brewers Conference in Austin, Texas.

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Amy walking down the aisle a couple of years ago.

Beer Birthday: Win Bassett

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Today is the … gulp … 28th birthday of Win Bassett, formerly of All About Beer magazine and formerly the executive director of the North Carolina Brewers Guild. To learn more about Win, check out the interview that the Beer Wench did a few years ago. In addition to his work with beer, Basett’s also an attorney who worked as a state prosecutor. Win was a great asset to the craft beer community, both in his home state and nationally. He’s recently decided to take his life in a somewhat different direction, and has enrolled in a seminary to begin the next phase of his life. So this birthday post is also something of a fond farewell. Please join me in wishing Win a very happy birthday, and also raise a toast to wish him well in his coming endeavors.

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Win, along with (counterclockwise), Jim Koch, Marty Nachel, John Holl, me, Bob Townsend and Tony Forder, judging the finals of the Samuel Adams Longshot Homebrew Competition in Boston last year.

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Win at DPAC with Ken Grossman, Kim Jordan and Dale Katechis.

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Win, at far right, with (from the left) Jim Koch, Daniel Bradford, Jack McAuliffe, two All About Beer folks and Rick Lyke.

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Gina and Brian Grossman, Daniel Bradford and Win during Asheville Beer Week.

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John Holl and Mountain Man Win. [Note: last four photos purloined from Facebook. Forgive me.]

The Last Barfighter

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This funny spoof of The Last Starfighter — an admittedly guilty 80s pleassure — caught my attention, partly because I have warm spot for the movie, and partly because it’s pretty clever all on its own.

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“The Last Barfighter is the first ever beer-dispensing arcade game,” it’s also an online ad created by Big Boss Brewing of Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s funny on several levels. Within the game, the text during the battle reads “To the Victor Goes the Pour.” And once someone wins, and they’re getting their reward — their cup is filled with beer — the screen reads “DRINK YOUR BEER and GO TALK TO GIRLS.” Good advice for the hardcore videogamer. Enjoy.

Sierra Nevada Announces Asheville Head Brewer

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Sierra Nevada Brewing announced today that Scott Jennings has been named the head brewer for their new brewing facility near Asheville, North Carolina. Jennings has been brewing for Sierra Nevada since 2001, and in addition to his role as Research and Development Head Brewer, he also ran the brewing side of Beer Camp, which is where I first met Scott a few years ago.

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Scott (in the glowing red jacket) discussing what beer to brew at Beer Camp #41.

According to the press release:

“Scott is an incredible asset to Sierra Nevada,” said Brian Grossman, co-manager of the North Carolina brewery. “He’s had his hand in developing some of the brewery’s most popular beers, and has been instrumental in the creation and innovation that has stemmed from the beers in our Beer Camp program. His technical brewing skills are first-rate, as is his ample creativity. Under his brewing leadership, our North Carolina location will be in great hands.”

Scott joined Sierra Nevada in 2001 after visiting apprenticeships with Young & Co.’s Brewery Plc. “The Ram Brewery” in London. He holds a Certified Brewmaster certificate from the prestigious brewing institute VLB Berlin, and specializes in technical brewing and recipe development. Working under Steve Dresler, Sierra Nevada’s longtime Head Brewer, he did the primary recipe formulation for popular Sierra Nevada beers: Kellerweis, Ruthless Rye IPA, the Ovila Abbey Ales series and countless limited edition, Beer Camp, and small-batch beers. Steve Dresler will remain as Head Brewer in Chico, and Scott’s new position will oversee all of the brewing, fermentation, and filtration at the new Mills River facility and will be instrumental in commissioning the new brewhouse.

In January, Sierra Nevada announced that it was expanding its brewery with a second facility located in Mills River, North Carolina. Once online, this new facility will provide needed capacity for the brewery and will help facilitate distribution to customers across the eastern United States more quickly and with a smaller environmental footprint. The facility is expected to employ more than 100 people, and be operational by spring 2014.

Congratulations to Scott on his promotion.

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Scott Jennings tasting us on Ovila Dubbel from the tank, months before its offical release.

New Belgium Announces Asheville As Site For 2nd Brewery

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Wow, it’s been a good year for beer in Asheville, North Carolina. Not too long ago, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced they would build a second brewery in the county seat of Buncombe County. Now a second large craft brewery — New Belgium Brewing — today announced that they, too, have chosen Asheville as the city where they will build an East Coast brewery to brew and distribute their beers.

According to the press release:

The 400,000-barrel brewery and packaging facility will provide New Belgium with additional capacity allowing the Colorado-based brewer to expand into new areas of distribution. Upon completion in 2015, the facility will initially create 50 new jobs in the Asheville area with more than 100 positions expected at full buildout.

“After several years of searching, we are incredibly excited to have landed in Asheville,” said Kim Jordan, CEO and co-founder of New Belgium. “From the deep sense of community to the rich natural environment and the opportunity to revitalize a brownfield site near a vibrant downtown, Asheville has everything we’ve been looking for in a location for our second brewery.”

The 17.5-acre site located in the heart of the River Arts District will accommodate the 150,000 sq. ft. facility. The brewery will feature a 200-barrel brewing system, a tasting facility, and a process wastewater treatment center on-site. Tours will be available to the public. Total cost projections are over $100 million.

“Today’s announcement by New Belgium will enhance the craft brewery cluster that is growing in North Carolina,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “The jobs and investment the company is committing will be a major boon for the region and for the state.”

Construction is expected to begin in early 2013 with beer rolling off the line in early 2015.

Let the brewing wars begin ….

Sierra Nevada Chooses Asheville North Carolina Site For New Brewery

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sierra-nevada
After scouting numerous sites in North Carolina and neighboring states, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced today they have selected a location near Asheville, North Carolina to build a new brewery to supply their beer throughout the east coast.

From the press release:

The site, approximately 90 acres in the Henderson County town of Mills River — along the French Broad River, 12 miles south of Asheville — will be home to the new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant and gift shop.

“We are thrilled to have found an ideal location in western North Carolina for our second brewery,” says Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. “The beer culture, water quality and quality of life are excellent. We feel lucky to be a part of this community.”

The new facility will add much needed capacity for Sierra Nevada, and will allow for the quick shipment of brewery-fresh beer to consumers in the east. The East Coast brewery will start with a capacity around 300,000 barrels, with room to grow. The added barrelage will accommodate wider production of the myriad of seasonal beers and bottled specialties Sierra Nevada has produced in recent years, as well as an expansion of the brewery’s well-known flagship product: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Sierra Nevada began the search for a new location several years ago. The brewery looked at hundreds of potential sites, eventually narrowing the search down to a handful of locations. The list of criteria was long and included quantifiable factors such as ease of shipping and water quality, as well as quality of life issues for its employees. Sierra Nevada has a reputation for a laid-back brewery culture and a love of the outdoors, and the new facility will retain this same tone. The Asheville area offers Sierra Nevada Brewing the perfect confluence of community, recreation and craft beer culture.

Sierra Nevada’s eastern brewery site is expected to employ approximately 90 workers, with additional staff in the restaurant to follow. The brewery anticipates being operational by early 2014.

That’s one more great reason to visit Asheville. I took a family vacation there a couple of years ago and it’s one of the best places I’ve been to for beer, food and culture. They have an amazing beer community. I’m sure not everyone will be thrilled by the news, but it’s been my experience that Sierra Nevada has been a good steward to the beer community as a whole, and has acted honorably in every instance I’m aware of, and I wouldn’t expect that to change as they expand their operations.

UPDATE: Asheville’s Mountain Xpress had photos and a report of the ceremony today at the site of the brewery that included North Carolina governor Bev Perdue and Ken and Brian Grossman, from Sierra Nevada.

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Ken Grossman, Governor Perdue and Brian Grossman raise a glass of Sierra Nevada beer at today’s ceremony in Mills River.

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A drawing of the proposed site.

Mills River, North Carolina On The Short List For New Sierra Nevada Brewery

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sierra-nevada
After Sierra Nevada Brewing‘s plans to build a brewery in Black Mountain, North Carolina fell through, they set their sites on the nearby town of Mills River as one possible location they’re considering. According to Blue Ridge Now, the Mills River location “is now among a ‘handful’ of possible locations for California-based Sierra Nevada to build a second facility.” (And thanks to Win Bassett for the tip.) Sierra Nevada owner Ken Grossman was in North Carolina Thursday and was reportedly pleased by the “welcome reception” he received. He told Blue Ridge Now in a telephone interview:

“We like the community; we like the culture in the area and the focus on craft beer, and a vibrant craft (beer) community is certainly an appealing draw,” Grossman said. “The water is good; we’ve been well-received in the area — certainly a welcome reception helps, not that we haven’t been welcomed everywhere we’ve looked.”

“Logistically, it fits,” he said. “We began discussing the project five years ago but put it on the back burner a couple of times as we agonized over the concept of starting from scratch and building a second plant. But it really makes sense for us from an economic standpoint and a carbon footprint standpoint as far as shipping, as our Eastern markets have continued to see double-digit growth for a number of years.”

Apparently Brian Grossman, Ken’s son, would be relocating to run the Eastern Sierra Nevada operations, wherever it turns out to be.

UPDATE: Miles J. sent me a link to a similar story about Sierra nevada’s search foran East Coast location for a brewery that ran in today’s ChicoER.

North Carolina Rebuffs Sierra Nevada

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sierra-nevada
Sierra Nevada Brewing sells its beer in all fifty states, and has sold increasingly more over the last few years. Not surprisingly, there have been rumors circulating for some time about them building a brewery farther east, in such places as Tennessee and Virginia. It seems they had also identified a site in Black Mountain, North Carolina, which is near Asheville. Sierra Nevada had been considering building there “a beer facility and retail outlet that would employ as many as 140 people.” According to ABC Channel 13 in Western North Carolina, “[t]he company requested an interchange at Blue Ridge Road and Interstate 40. The Black Mountain town board asked the state to build it in hopes of luring the business but, it was not approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.” No word as to why the state would turn down the request.