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Beer Birthday: Jamie Floyd

February 2, 2023 By Jay Brooks 5 Comments

Ninkasi-white
Today is the 51st birthday of Jamie Floyd, co-owner/brewer of Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, Oregon. Jamie has been a fixture in the Oregon brewing scene for many years, having brewed at Steelhead Brewing, also in Eugene, before opening Ninkasi with Nikos Ridge in 2006. Join me in wishing Jamie a very happy birthday.

Jamie at Magnolia for SF Beer Week in 2011.

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At the Oregon Brewers Festival in 2006.

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Jamie, with John Maier, from Rogue Brewing, and Nikos Ridge, also from Ninkasi, at the Sasquatch Brew Fest in 2007.

Jamie Floyd, from Ninkasi Brewing
Jamie at GABF in 2011.

Justin Crossley (Brewing Network) & Jamie Floyd (Ninkasi)
Justin Crossley, of the Brewing Network, with Jamie at the Opening Gala for the 2010 SF Beer Week.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Jeff Alworth

January 18, 2023 By Jay Brooks

beervana
Today is the 55th birthday of Jeff Alworth, blogger extraordinaire at Beervana. Despite annual trips to Portland, it was years until the first time Jeff and I met, although we’d been corresponding with one another for many years. We sat down for a pint or three at one of my favorite Portland watering holes, Hair of the Dog. Jeff is one of the most thoughtful, engaging beer writers, and his book, The Beer Bible has become the gold standard, and more recently released version 2.0. Join me in wishing Jeff a very happy birthday.

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Jeff and Alan Sprints at Hair of the Dog Brewery.

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Jeff and Stan Hieronymus at CBC in Portland a few years back.

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Me and Jeff a few Augusts ago when he was in Marin County on his the first leg of his book tour for the Beer Bible.

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Jeff and John Harris at Don Younger’s wake (photo by Lisa Morrison).

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With Emily Sauter at the World Beer Awards judging in D.C. a few years ago.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon, Portland

Beer Birthday: Jamie Emmerson

January 18, 2023 By Jay Brooks

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Today is the 60th birthday — The Big 6-O — of Jamie Emmerson, one of the founders, and the original brewmaster, of Full Sail Brewing. Now the Executive Brewmaster, Jamie steers the ship of Full Sail along with his wife and co-founder Irene. Jamie is a terrific person and active promoter of craft beer and the local beer community everywhere, but especially in Oregon. Join me in wishing Jamie a very happy birthday.

Jamie with Art Larrance at the OBF Parade in 2009.

Barney Brennan, me Jamie and Irene Fermat at SAVOR in Washington, DC a few years ago.

With the ceremonial hammer at the opening of OBF in 2008.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Kurt Widmer

December 29, 2022 By Jay Brooks

widmer
Today is Kurt Widmer’s 70th birthday. Kurt is, of course, one of the bros in Widmer Brothers. He and his brother Rob helped found the Oregon Brewers Festival, created the style American Hefeweizen and are one of the few small brewers that have managed to retain their spirit and reputation as they’ve grown much larger. A few years ago, Kurt announced that he would be retiring, which hopefully he’s enjoying to the fullest. Join me in wishing Kurt a very happy birthday.

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Kurt (at left) and Rob Widmer with their wives at the Oregon Brewers Festival several years ago.

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Kurt and Rob after their win for Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year at GABF in 2002.

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Gary Fish, Kurt and beer writer Fred Eckhardt at Don Younger’s memorial (photo by Tom Dalldorf).

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Rob and Kurt Widmer accepting the gavel in July 2007 from Jack Joyce and John Maier from Rogue, for 2008 when that next year they hosted OBF.

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Ray, Kurt and Ron Widmer at the start of the brewery.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon, Portland

Beer Birthday: Jim Parker

December 13, 2022 By Jay Brooks

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Today would have been the 62nd birthday of Jim Parker, who had been a fixture in the national, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington beer scenes for over 25 years. He founded the Mountain Tap Tavern in 1992, in Colorado, and also worked for the IBS (formerly part of the Brewers Association), was director of the American Homebrewers Association, editor-in-chief of Zymurgy and New Brewer, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild, as well as starting and working at many different breweries. Jim was also the first person I know to put Tot-chos on a menu, and for that alone he gets into heaven in my book. Jim was a terrific person and very passionate about beer. In November of 2018, Jim suffered a severe stroke and passed away in February of the following year. Please join me in raising a toast to Jim’s memory.

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Jim and me over ten years ago at the Full Sail Smoker during OBF.

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Late night adventures in New Orleans, when the Craft Brewers Conference was there in 2003, stacking burger boxes at a local fast food joint.

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At a different Full Sail Smoker, talking with Dave Hopwood, whose birthday is also today.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Colorado, Oregon, Washington

Historic Beer Birthday: Jack Joyce

December 10, 2022 By Jay Brooks

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The original rogue, Jack Joyce, who founded Oregon Brewing — better known today as Rogue — would have celebrated his 80th birthday today. Sadly, he passed away in late May of 2014. Join me in drinking a toast to Jack’s memory today.

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Jack (on right) at the Oregon Brewers Festival with Fred Bowman, co-founder of Portland Brewing and Tom Dalldorf, Celebrator publisher.

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At the OBF Parade in 2007, Jack Joyce with festival organizer Chris Crabb await the arrival of the mayor.

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Brett and Jack Joyce from an interview by World Class Beverages in 2010.

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One of the best photos of Jack I’ve seen. This was taken by Leah Nash for a New York Times article entitled Food and Fuel Compete for Land.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Christian DeBenedetti

December 4, 2022 By Jay Brooks

wolves-people
Today is the 49th birthday of fellow beer writer and brewery owner Christian DeBenedetti. In 2011, he wrote The Great American Ale Trail and you can check out a lot of his other work online. His latest project is building a brewery on his family’s property, Springbrook Farm, and it’s called the Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery. Join me in wishing Christian a very happy birthday.

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Christian with Stephen Beaumont at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting in 2013.

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With Vinnie Cilurzo in the barrel room during a visit to Russian River Brewing.

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With Charlie Papazian at GABF.

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With Jim Koch at Ale House at Amato’s for the book release party for the Great American Ale Trail, during GABF in 2011.

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In front of the brewhouse at Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery, his brewery.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Breweries Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Darron Welch

November 29, 2022 By Jay Brooks

pelican-pub
Today is the 55th 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.

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At a beer dinner at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco several Januarys back, Pelican Pub brewmaster Darron Welch with the Beer Chef Bruce Paton.

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Darron and the gang (including Ben Love at far left) from Pelican Pub & Brewery winning Gold for their Kiwanda Cream Ale at GABF in 2006.

Darron Welch (2nd from Left) with the Pelican Brewpub Team
Darron, again with the Pelican Crew, this time at GABF in 2009.

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On stage accepting one of his awards at the World Beer Cup in 2014.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Brett Joyce

November 22, 2022 By Jay Brooks

rogue
Today is the 50th birthday — The Big 5-O — of Brett Joyce, who a couple of years ago stepped down as President of Rogue. Joyce grew up in the brewery, which his father Jack Joyce founded when Brett was sixteen. Having gone off to college and made a name for himself working with Adidas, building their international golf shoe business from the ground up, he returned to work for the brewery a number of years ago, and had been Rogue’s president since 2006. I’ve gotten to know Brett much better since his return, beginning with when I interviewed him a number of years ago for a Beer Advocate magazine article profiling him. Join me in wishing Brett a very happy birthday.

Brett at the Full Sail Smoker during OBF, after a quick interview I did with him for Beer Advocate magazine.


At Dave & Jen’s wedding during GABF a few years ago: Vinnie, Dave, Jennifer, Natalie, minister Brett Joyce and me.

Brett, me and Brian Dunn, from Great Divide, at SAVOR a few years ago in Washington, DC.


Me, Brett and Rogue’s maltster at their floor malting facility in Portland several years back.

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

Beer Birthday: Karl Ockert

November 20, 2022 By Jay Brooks

bridgeport deschutes
Today is the 63rd 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.

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Karl when he was with the MBAA.
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Debuting Stumptown Tart.
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“Co-founders Dick and Nancy Ponzi, pose with BridgePort’s first brewmaster, Karl Ockert, at the brewery’s grand opening in 1984 when it was known by its original name “Columbia River Brewery.” At the time, patrons could taste beer at the brewery, but not legally purchase it onsite. The Ponzis, along with other local brewers, successfully lobbied on behalf of the Brewpub Bill, which made it possible for local brewers to sell their products directly to the public.” [From the Multnomah County Library.]

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“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.]

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“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.]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Just For Fun Tagged With: Oregon

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