Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Roger Lind

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Today is the 65th birthday of Roger Lind, a Bay Area pioneer who founded Lind Brewing in 1989 in an old Dodge factory, which later became known as Drake’s Brewing. Lind sold the brewery to the Rogers family (who made coffee for Costco) in 1998, who in turn sold it to the current owners, John Martin and Roy Kirkorian, in 2008. Lind started as a brewer at Triple Rock before striking out on his own. After selling the brewery, he became a teacher, but has remained active in the local brewing scene to this day. Join me in wishing Roger a very happy birthday.

Roger Lind at his grand opening in 1989.
Marc Cohn, Roger, Chuck Fross from Bay Area Distributing, Josh Charlton, and brewer Don Gortemiller at the 19th Celebrator Anniversary Party in 2007.
Jack Weldon, Josh Charlton, Judy Ashworth, and Roger at Danville Brewing earlier this month. (Photo by Mike Condie)
Roger and Steve Altimari.
And finally, Roger from the 2004 Celebrator Beer News annual Swimsuit Issue.

Beer Birthday: John Martin

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Today is the 66th birthday of John Martin, one of the founders of Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse in Berkeley. John, with his brother Reid, started one of the first five brewpubs in the U.S., and the only one that’s still owned by the same family that founded it. John also owns Drake’s Brewing and the Jupiter Taproom, too. He’s active in the local beer community and also with the CCBA, plus he’s a great guy with a very distinctive laugh. Join me in wishing John a very happy birthday.

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Me and John last year at Sour Sunday several years ago.
Me, John, and Lars Larson at Trumer last year.
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Christian Kazakoff, former brewer at Triple Rock (now at Canyon Club) with John during the 2008 Firkin Fest.
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John, with his brother Reid, and Triple Rock brewmaster Rodger Davs at the brewpub’s 25th anniversary.
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John, me and Peter Hoey at the opening gala for SF Beer Week a few years ago.
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John in the brewhouse with his brother many years ago, on opening day.

Beer Birthday: Derek Smith

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Today is the 51st birthday of Derek Smith, who is the brewery operations manager at Migration Brewing in Portland, Oregon. The last time I saw Derek, he was the brewmaster at Moylan’s Brewing in Novato, California, though when I first met Derek he was brewing at Black Diamond Brewing. Join me in wishing Derek a very happy birthday.

Me with Kim Sturdavant and Derek recently at CBC in Philadelphia.
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Derek at the bar at Moylan’s.
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Derek, with Pete Slosberg and Barri Cooper-Altimari in 2017. [photo by Mike Condie.]
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Winning a medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.
Derek, at far right, after the Beef Chef’s Chocolate & Beer Dinner in 2009; with, from left: Arne Johnson (Marin Brewing), Fal Allen (Anderson Valley), Bruce Paton, Alec Moss (Half Moon Bay).

Beer Birthday: Jack McAuliffe

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Today would have been the 81st birthday of Jack McAuliffe, the father of the modern microbrewery, but sadly he passed away in July of last year. Jack incorporated his New Albion Brewery in October of 1976, and began producing beer the following year from his tiny brewery in Sonoma, California. His 1-barrel system suggests he may also have been the first nanobrewery, as well. I finally got a chance to meet Jack when he was San Francisco for CBC several years ago, and was privileged to spend some time with him the week after CBC when Jack visited Russian River Brewery and then the next day he graciously showed us the original site of his New Albion Brewery. I’ve since been fortunate to spend time with Jack on several more occasions, and it’s always a treat. Join me in drinking a toast to Jack’s legacy and his memory.

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Me and Jack at Russian River Brewery a few years ago when they launched the new New Albion beer in bottles.
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Maureen Ogle, Jack and Julie Johnson, from All About Beer magazine, during the Craft Brewers Conference when it was in San Francisco.
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Vinnie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing, with Jack, showing us around the original site of the New Albion Brewery.
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Jack and Boston Beer’s Jim Koch at their annual media brunch during GABF a few years ago.
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Jack and Fritz Maytag at an awards luncheon where both of them were inducted as the first members of the California Beer Hall of Fame in Sacramento.
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Jack and me at Russian River Brewery.

Beer Birthday: Brian Hunt

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Today is iconoclastic brewer Brian Hunt’s 69th birthday. Brian owns and operates Moonlight Brewing in Sonoma County, California, which was almost a one-man show for most of its existence. If you’ve never had his “Death and Taxes,” “Twist of Fate Bitter,” “Bombay by Boat,” or his fresh hop ale, alternately called “Homegrown” or “Greenbud Ale,” then you’re really missing out on some of the most unique and wonderful beers around. Plus, Brian is one of the nicest curmudgeons you’ll ever meet, and one of my favorite people anywhere. Join me in wishing Brian a very happy birthday.

At the Rate Beer Fest in Santa Rosa a few years ago.
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Hildegard van Ostaden, Urthel’s brewster, one of only a very few female brewers working in Belgium, and Brian.
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Brian in his hopyard, with Russian River’s old assistant brewer Travis (who opened his own place, Societe Brewing), and Vinnie Cilurzo.
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Shaun O’Sullivan and Vinnie Cilurzo with Brian at the Bistro in Hayward, California.
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Brian at the Opening Gala for SF Beer Week a number of years back.
At another Rate Beer event.

Beer Birthday: Tom Riley

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Today is the 62nd birthday of Tom Riley, who was the last brewmaster at Anchor Brewing before it was sold and closed (though there are signs of re-opening). Tom grew up in the Potrero Hill area of San Francisco, not to far from the brewery he began working at in 1983. He started on the packaging line, then moved on to being a tour guide and later became an assistant brewer. A couple of years ago he was named brewmaster, only the third one at Anchor since the 1970s (not including Fritz Maytag). I’ve run into Tom over the years at events at Anchor events, but got to know him much better last year working on a couple of pieces for Flagship February for which we spent considerable time talking on the phone, and he’s a terrific person. More recently, he’s retired and I’m not sure how he’s spending his time these days. Join me in wishing Tom a very happy birthday.

A recent publicity shot of Tom in the Anchor brewery.
Tom at the brewery quite a few years ago.

Beer Birthday: Michael Demers

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Today is the 60th birthday — The Big 6-O — of Michael Demers, brewmaster of Discretion Brewing in Soquel, which is near Santa Cruz. Michael’s been brewing most of his adult life, and originally started at some Colorado brewpubs before working at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fort Collins. More recently, he moved closer to home to brew at Boulder Creek Brewing, and in 2012 made it back to his home town of Soquel to help open Discretion. He’s making some great beers at Discretion, and winning awards for his efforts. Join me in wishing Michael a very happy birthday.

Me with Michael during a visit to the brewery in May of 2025.
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Michael goofing around in the brewery.
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All dressed up with someplace to go, Michel and his wife Eileen on their way to sing at a concert performance at Mission Carmel a few years back.
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Showing off his medal a few years ago at GABF in Denver.

Beer Birthday: Christian Kazakoff

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Today is Christian Kazakoff’s 55th birthday. Until a few years ago, and for a long while, Christian was the head brewer at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax, California, and before that brewed at Triple Rock. He’s more recently helped open the Canyon Club Brewery in Moraga. I first got to know Christian when we shared a room for a week in London several years ago to attend the Old Ale Festival at the White Horse on Parson’s Green. Besides being a terrific person, he is also a stellar brewer. Join me in wishing Christian a very happy birthday.

During the photo shoot at Canyon Club for a newspaper article a couple of years ago.
Christian at Fuller’s in London, along with Shaun O’Sullivan from 21st Amendment Brewery and our tour guide Derek Prentice, during a trip to London a few years back.
Mild-mannered Christian Kazakoff becoming Super Brewer
Flying the flag in 2010 at the Celebrator Party at the end of the 2nd SF Beer Week.
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In March, at the Fairfax Beerfest several years ago.

Beer In Ads #5196: Bock Beer & Baseball, Both Here — That’s All!

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Two years ago I decided to concentrate on Bock ads for awhile. 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. With Spring approaching, there are so many great examples that I’m going to post two a day for a few months.

Tuesday’s first ad is for Tacoma Bock Beer, which was published on March 31, 1917. This one was for the Pacific Brewing & Malting Co., which was founded in 1897 in Tacoma, Washington. They also had a location in San Jose, California that was founded as the Krahenburg & Co., or Fredricksburg Brewery, in 1872, but apparently was bought by the Tacoma brewery who called by their own name from 1933-1951. But the ad below lists San Francisco, California, not just in the ad but San Francisco is printed on the bottle depicted in the ad, as well, so perhaps they had a facility in the city there. This ad has one of my favorite text blurbs from any ad: “Buck up, man! ‘Now is the Winter of our discontent made glorious’ by Spring’s greatest teams — Bock Beer and Baseball.” This ad ran in The Bulletin, also of San Francisco, California.

Historic Beer Birthday: Bill Brand

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Today would have been Bill Brand’s 88th birthday, if not for the tragic events of February 8, 2009. Bill, of course, was hit by a Muni Train that evening and passed away twelve days later, on February 20. He was a bastion of support for the local beer community for decades, and one of its most visible media faces. He did a staggering amount of good to help brewers throughout the Bay Area, and wrote about the beer he loved so much with an unmatched passion and zeal. His Bottoms Up blog was read by millions, the newest form of his What’s On Tap newsletter that stretched back into the early 1990s. It was my great honor to take over his column and try to continue his legacy of support for craft brewers in the Bay Area and beyond. Drink a toast to the memory and legacy of William “Bill” Brand today. Happy birthday Bill, you are most certainly missed.

At the Falling Rock during GABF week in 2004. Clockwise from left, Bill, Lisa Morrison, me, Tom Dalldorf, Stephen Beaumont and my cousin Mike, who lived in Denver at the time.
Bill at the Bistro Double IPA Festival in 2008 with Kenny Gross and Judy Ashworth.
Bill toasting with a pitcher of Oakland’s new Linden Street Brewery, with Fraggle at the far right, whose birthday would also have been today. Photo by RRifkin.
Dueling laptops; Bill and me at Magnolia on February 6 for the tapping of Napa Smith Original Albion Ale by Don Barkley. Photo courtesy of Shaun O’Sullivan.
Bill taking notes at the Monk’s Blood Dinner at 21st Amendment, February 8, 2009. Photo by Jesse Friedman of Beer & Nosh.
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Drink a toast to Bill today, it’s how he would have wanted to be remembered.