Bistro IPA Festival Winners 2010

August 7, 2010 By Jay Brooks

Rodger Davis’ IPAX IPA, from Triple Rock in Berkeley, California, was chosen best in show at the 13th annual IPA Festival earlier today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full list of winners is below.

1st Place: IPAX IPA (Triple Rock)
2nd Place: Chico IPA (Sierra nevada Brewing)
3rd Place: West Coast IPA (Green Flash Brewing)
Honorable Mention: Head Hunter IPA (Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon)

People’s Choice: The Hopfather (Russian River Brewing)

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Me and Rodger Davis, brewer of the first place IPAX IPA at this year’s IPA Festival at The Bistro.

Vinnie’s 40th Birthday Party

July 27, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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This Sunday, Vinnie Cilurzo, founder and brewmaster at Russian River Brewing, turned forty. His wife Natalie pulled out all the stops and made it a two-day celebration, beginning with a barbecue at the production brewery.

Vinnie & Terrence Sullivan, from Sierra Nevada, filling barrels
We arrived a little early, and Vinnie and Terrence Sullivan, assistant brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing was there with kegs of a beer that Vinnie brewed in Chico, and they were now filling into wine barrels to store in the barrel room for aging. The beer is for a special project for next year, and I can’t say more than that at this point.

My son Porter & Terrence's son Riley in Russian River's barrel room
We brought our kids along and happily so did Terrence and his wife. Their son Riley and Porter got along immediately and were thick as thieves playing in the barrel room and the rest of the brewery.

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We dropped the kids off at Grandma’s, put them to bed, and rejoined the party, which had moved to the brewpub, where we caught up again with Natalie and Vinnie.

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Natalie had a bunch of great cupcakes made, including several custom ones with a few logos you may recognize.

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The band playing was one of Vinnie’s favorites, The Famous, a San Francisco band. They even did a special song for the occasion, Pliny the Elder.

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Vinnie and me toward the end of the evening. The next day, we had brunch at Willie BIrds, near the brewery. After that, the party resumed back at the brewpub, but sadly without us. It was time to get the kids home.

Below is a slideshow of Vinnie’s 40t birthday party. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.

Less Than 300 Chronic Drunks

July 12, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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Presumably to bolster his support for the proposed alcohol fee in San Francisco, Chronicle columnist C.W. Nevius’ newest column, Chronic Drunks’ Treatment Costs S.F. Big Bucks, highlights the use of emergency and health services by the city’s chronic drunks. And it totals a lot of money and understandably frustrates the city’s service providers.

But here’s the thing. A five-year study of the problem revealed that there are only around 225 people — these “chronic inebriants” — that are high ambulance users, and “fewer than 300 individuals account for 80 percent of the ambulance runs for alcohol treatment.” There are around 809,000 people living in San Francisco, meaning less than 3/100th of a percent are chronic drunks abusing the city’s healthcare system, and that’s not including all the people who flock to the city in order to drink. I’d be frustrated, too, but since those fees are already borne in the taxes that every person pays (at the local, city, county, state and federal level) I don’t quite see how further taxing just those people that also drink alcohol is a reasonable remedy to this problem, as supporters of the AMFO (Nevius included) have argued.

The stories Nevius tells are tragic and detail real abuses, but never does he use the phrase “personal responsibility.” Clearly, these are people with problems. But alcohol didn’t cause their problems, something in their personality, life, etc. did. I grew up with a psychotic, alcoholic stepfather who abused my mother and me both emotionally and physically, but even as a child I knew the alcohol didn’t make him that way. There were deep-seated problems that caused his illness and alcohol was just one of the ways he tried to cope. He was responsible for his own behavior, it couldn’t be dismissed or blamed away because he got drunk.

By the statistics in Nevius’ own column, at least 99.97% of San Francisco residents are not abusing emergency services, but he and the other supporters of the new alcohol fee think that all drinkers should be punished for their own good behavior to pay for those who are irresponsible. What could make less sense than that?

The Prodigal Fal Returns To Anderson Valley

July 12, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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Anderson Valley Brewing President Trey White announced today that Fal Allen would be returning to Boonville to become brewmaster again. Allen had been the brewmaster at Anderson valley for a number of years, but left four years ago to build a craft brewery in Singapore for Asia Pacific Breweries. His contract is about to end, and still having a home in Boonville undoubtedly made the decision easier, but I think it’s great news for both Fal and the Anderson Valley brewery. Allen’s expected to back at the Northern California brewery by Labor Day. Welcome back, Fal.

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Back when Fal was still with 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.

From the press release:

“Fal Allen is one of the top brew masters within the American craft beer industry” says Mr. White; “The beers created by Anderson Valley are amongst the premier craft beers available in the world. Fal’s superb craftsmanship combined with his environmentally conscientious approach fits perfectly with our strategy of maintaining and expanding Anderson Valley’s reputation as the maker of some of the world’s best craft beers.”
“As brew master, Fal will lead our efforts to provide delicious yet cutting-edge brews while simultaneously performing as a key brand ambassador for the Anderson Valley Brewery. In addition to his primary work in the brewery, Fal will work in the trade educating the public and our distributor partners on our products in particular and the benefits of craft beer in general.”
Fal has over twenty years of experience in the craft beer industry and is well regarded for his innovative and creative style. Fal has been published extensively on a wide array of craft brewing topics and serves frequently as a judge at the GABF and other top quality brewing competitions. Fal previously worked as head brewer and general manager from 2000 to 2004 at Anderson Valley Brewing during a significant growth phase for the brewery.
Fal Allen says: “I greatly enjoyed my previous work with the Anderson Valley Brewery. I love the brand and have tremendous respect for the brewing staff at Anderson Valley. I very much look forward to working with Trey White as I believe his vision for maintaining and enhancing the quality of Anderson Valley’s beers whilst expanding the brand’s marketing potential is truly exciting. I cannot wait to get back!”

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Fal in Singapore.

Update On Steve Altimari

June 16, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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I spoke to Steve Altimari, former brewer with Valley Brewing in Stockton, who’s vacationing in his home town near Ithaca, New York, with his family. Naturally, I asked about what went down at the brewery and why he was out of a job. Having known Steve for a number of years, I was well aware that the family-owned company had its share of drama and that they hardly knew what a talented brewer they had in Steve. Here’s what he was able to tell me.

About a month ago, he heard from the owner, Kelly Jacobs, that she wanted to sell the brewery and gave Steve a price if he was interested. So Steve went to work, found partners and investors in short order and made an offer based on his earlier conversation with Jacobs. No dice. The price was now inexplicably higher. They tried again with higher offers, but each time the owners kept raising the price. Then they fired John, their only salesman. Last Thursday, they tried one last offer, which met with the same frustrating negative response. On Friday, the day before Steve was scheduled to take a family vacation, he asked for explanation. He was told they “decided on another offer, and they don’t need you. Thanks, but get out.” In less than two hours he was locked out of the brewery that he helped build for the past fourteen years.

I never expected that the owners were warm and fuzzy people, but that takes ingratitude to a whole new level. None of the family members know the slightest thing about brewing and if not for the Herculean efforts of Steve, no one would have ever heard of their brewery. I realize it’s unfair to place any of the blame on the new owners — whoever they may be — but it’s going to be difficult for anybody to come in and fill his shoes.

On the plus side, the partners and investors are sticking with Steve and the plans now have shifted to acquiring or building a brewery somewhere in the Bay Area. Apparently, the financing is already in place, so we may not be without beer brewed by Steve Altimari for long.

Steve will be hard at it when he returns from vacation next week, and the first order of business is coming up with a new brewery name. I suggested something that’s the opposite of a valley, like a mountain peak, which is why the icon above is of Mt. Everest. Then perhaps Altimari Brewery could work; it means “high water.” Let’s wish him the best of luck. What brewery name suggestions do you have for Steve’s new venture?

Peace Or 2 Medals: Steve Altimari, from Valley Brewing
A very happy Steve at the Falling Rock Taphouse in Denver, after winning two medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.

Beer Pioneer Jack McAuliffe Initerviewed

June 16, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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The Brewers Association’s new website, CraftBeer.com, has a great article and interview up today with Jack McAuliffe. If you don’t know who Jack McAuliffe is, you should. McAuliife founded the New Albion Brewery in Sonoma, California in October of 1976. New Albion was the very first modern microbrewery in the country, and along with Anchor and several early brewpubs, is the reason that the San Francisco Bay Area is the birthplace of craft beer in America.

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Jack in his new brewery back in the day.

Check out The Rise and Fall of New Albion Brewing led the way for the American Craft Beer Revolution by John Holl.

Sierra Nevada is also doing a collaboration beer, Jack & Ken’s Ale (a barley wine) with Jack McAuliffe as a part of their Sierra 30 Series, celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.

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A New Albion label.

Valley Brewing Loses Brewer Steve Altimari

June 14, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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I just heard that Valley Brewing in Stockton is being sold and their long-time (and quite talented) brewer Steve Altimari will not continue on with the new owners. Steve posted the following on his blog:

As of 6/12/10 I am no longer working for Valley Brewing Company, my employer for the last 13 years. The brewery is being sold and I am not a part of the new owners plans, so I bid everyone a fond goodbye and see you on the flip side.

Unless the new owners are kick-ass brewers themselves, I don’t see how that’s a positive for the brewery. Hopefully, there will be more details soon.

New York Times Features Beer Stores

May 27, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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Today’s New York Times has a great little article extolling the virtues of beer tasting bars, beer stores with tasting licenses allowing them to have limited taps and sample customers on the beers they carry. The story, Tastings With Craft Beers, features two Bay Area beer stores, Beer Revolution in Oakland, and City Beer Store in San Francisco, both terrific, relatively new, additions to the Bay Area beer scene. City Beer Store opened in 2006, while the Beer Revolution began this past February, during SF Beer Week.

If you haven’t been to either, now would be a good time to go. City Beer Store was founded by Craig Wathen, who formerly was with Pete’s Wicked Ales, and his wife Beth. They’ve created a cozy space on Folsom packed with over 300 beers, many of them hard-to-find elsewhere, and also managed to make the space comfortable and inviting.

Oakland’s Beer Revolution was started this year by Rebecca Boyles and Fraggle (a.k.a. Mark Martone — I didn’t even know Fraggle’s real name until just now!). I featured the pair in a long article I did on “Beer Geeks” for beer Advocate magazine several years ago. For them, this is a passion realized, a dream made real. In a larger space than their city doppelganger, Beer Revolution has a dozen taps and many, many bottles for sale. Both stores are constantly doing small, intimate in-store tastings and events.

The other three stores mentioned are all in Oregon, including the iconic Belmont Station in Portland. Only a few years ago, stores like these were a rarity, but their presence has been growing by leaps and bounds lately, and that’s great news for beer lovers.

Beer In Art #76: Neal Barbosa’s Lagunitas Dog

May 16, 2010 By Jay Brooks

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Today’s works of art is by a very fast painter, Neal Barbosa, who bills himself as the performance painter and the live painter. I first saw his work at last year’s Lagunitas Beer Circus, which was held again today at the Lagunitas Brewery. Barbosa was there again, outside near the stage, painting to music, the way he prefers it. Last year, he painted a version of the Lagunitas dog, which I happened to catch him finish.

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And here’s the original it’s based on.

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Here’s a brief Biography:

Neal Barbosa paints during music. A performance artist based in southern & northern California, Neal’s art studio is often a stage he shares with bands such as Fishbone, Alfred Howard & the K23 Orchestra, Acacia, Frogdog Rocks, Shiny Toy Guns, New Orleans Social Club, Larry Carlton, New Soul Underground and many others. As the band performs, so does Neal. He paints what he hears and feels.

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Neal Barbosa painting at the 2009 Lagunitas Beer Circus.

You can see more of Barbosa’s art on his Facebook and MySpace pages.

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