Today is the 58th birthday of Darron Welch, brewmaster at Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon. Darron has something like a gazillion awards for his beers, including “Brewer of the Year” seven times (at GABF in 2000 and 2005 for small brewpub and in 2006 and 2014 for large brewpub; and at the World Beer Cup in 2008, 2012 and 2014 for large brewpub or small brewery). In addition to being a great brewer, Darron is also a terrific person, as well. Join me in wishing him a very happy birthday.

Today is the 66th birthday of Karl Ockert, who most recently was the Director of Brewery Operations at Deschutes Brewing. But Karl spent many years as the BridgePort Brewing Co. in Portland, Oregon, nearly thirty years, from 1983 to late 2010. That’s when I first met Karl, who was responsible for one of the first IPAs in the modern era, BridgePort IPA. For the last few years he was the Technical Director of the MBAA and also did some brewery consulting, before joining Deschutes a few years ago. More recently, he’s doing brewing consulting. Join me wishing Karl a very happy birthday.

“BridgePort’s crew in 1986 included Karl Ockert (at left), the brewery’s first brewmaster, and Ron Gansberg (center), who later became brewmaster at Cascade Brewing. Ockert was just 23 years old and a recent graduate of the brewing program at the University of California at Davis when Richard and Nancy Ponzi hired him.” [From the Multnomah County Library.]

“Karl Ockert, BridgePort’s original brewmaster, is seen in the center of this photograph from 1985 when BridgePort was still known as Columbia River Brewery. Flanking him are other figures from Portland’s craft brewery vanguard. From left, Steve Harrison, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; Fred Eckhardt, beer columnist; Fred Bowman, Portland Brewing Co.; Paul Shipman, Independent Brewing Co.; Karl Ockert, Columbia River Brewery; Tom Baune, Hart Brewing Co.; Jim Temple, General Brewing Co.; Mike McMenamin, McMenamins; and Kurt Widmer, Widmer Brewing Co.” [From the Multnomah County Library.]