Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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New Beer TV Show … Maybe

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A company from Sacramento, California — The Idea Factory — was in town Monday and Tuesday shooting a pilot for a new television show about craft beer. They’ve already done several successful cable shows, and their work can currently be seen on the Garden Channel, the DIY channel and Discovery Health.

The host is brewer Jennifer Talley, who is from Squatter’s Pub in Utah. Idea Factory producer Peter Holmes saw Talley in a video she did for her brewery and thought she’d be a good host, making the show both about brewers (and brewing and beer) and by brewers, which I think may be the first time for a television show. In talking with the producer, their initial pitch will likely be made to the Food Network or similar cable channels. And I think that makes sense, as there is significant time devoted to beer with food in what they filmed already.

They started out with Talley interviewing Shaun O’Sullivan at his 21st Amendment Brewery & Restaurant. In the afternoon both O’Sullivan and Talley visited Magnolia and sat down to talk with owner Dave McLean over some food and beer. Then on Tuesday they filmed at Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa. They filmed at both the new production brewery nearby and at the brewpub. Later Bruce Paton, the beer chef, cooked some food and he sat down with Talley and Russian River owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo to talk about the pairings while they enjoyed both the food and beer.

While it’s obviously hard to say too much until it’s been edited, the raw footage I watched seemed pretty good. Everybody I met involved with the production from the producers, the cameramen and make-up all seemed professional and did a great job. Plus, they were all very genuinely nice people. The participants seemed natural on camera and it had the feel of a conversation you’d want to listen in on. The passion that many of us feel for craft beer (and food) comes out pretty easily and this was a good illustration of that principle in action. We all love to talk about beer. The only question remaining: is the rest of America ready to listen?

I wish them luck and it would certainly be great to see a show about craft beer that’s done by people who actually know what they’re talking about. So keep your fingers crossed. I’ll post updates as I learn more, but I imagine this is a long, slow process.
 

For more photos from the beer show tv pilot shoot, visit the photo gallery.
 

Beer Featured at Chef’s Association Dinner

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I got an invitation to attend a Chef’s Association Dinner Monday night at the Cathedral Hill Hotel. It was put on by Bruce Paton, the beer chef, who put it together at the last minute when the person who was originally supposed to do it dropped out unexpectedly. As a result, he put together an impromptu beer dinner, using beers he’d used throughout the previous year’s dinners. It was another really tasty dinner with some terrific beers.

Bruce Paton, the beer chef, and me in a self-portrait after the dinner. Thanks Bruce, for a great dinner.

 

For more photos from this year’s Chef’s Association Beer Dinner, visit the photo gallery.
 

Chanukah vs. Christmas

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Saturday afternoon there was a fun little event at the fabulous new City Beer Store, dubbed Chanukah vs. Christmas — because marketeer extraordinaire Jeremy Cowan, founder of He’Brew, was behind it. Essentially it was just an opportunity to taste around thirty different winter beers, including He’Brew’s Jewbelation 10th Anniversary Ale (last year’s beer) and He’Brew’s Jewbelation 11th Anniversary Ale on Rye. Craig and Beth, who own City Beer Store, put on a great event and the place was packed.

As for the beer, it was nice to see that about a third of the beers were from Belgium and included a few I hadn’t tried before. Standouts among the imports included St. Feuillien’s Cuvee Noel, the Delirium Noel and, of course, Samichlaus.
 

City Beer Store owner Craig Wathen, holding a magnum of 1994 Anchor Christmas Ale, and Jeremy Cowan, holding a bottle of He’Brew’s 11th Anniversary Ale.

 

For more photos from the Chanukah vs. Christmas Beer Tasting, visit the photo gallery.
 

Anchor Christmas Bash 2007

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Last night was the annual Anchor Christmas Party at the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco. I’ve been going to this party for more than ten years now and it’s always a great event. Anchor puts on a terrific spread of food and all of the Anchor beers are available on tap, including this year’s Christmas Ale. The main floor of the brewery where the taproom is and the beautiful copper kettles are fills up with local beer industry people and other friends of the brewery.

My wife Sarah, beer chef Bruce Paton and Jen Garris, with New Belgium Brewing.

For more photos from this year’s Anchor Christmas Party, visit the photo gallery.
 

Marin Munchies

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Thursday night in Marin was delicious, with Brendan Moylan’s newest venture, Noonan’s Bar & Grill, which like Marin Brewing is also located at Larkspur Landing in Larkspur, hosting a beer dinner conceived by head brewer Arne Johnson. Arne put the menu and the pairing together, working with Noonan’s chef Jose Flores.

Arne Johnson sporting his four gold medals won the previous week at the Great American Beer Festival with Brendan Moylan, owner of Marin Brewing.

All of Arne’s pairings were good, but none worked quite as well as his dry, chocolately Pt. Reyes Porter with the pork mole empañadas with fresh cotija cheese.

Brendan Moylan with chef Jose Flores, explaining how he prepared some of the dishes.

The main course; Petaluma duck breast with pale ale braised beet greens, sage & queso fresco polenta and ancho chili orange sauce paired with Arne’s Imperial IPA, White Knuckle. The big hop beer did a great job of stripping the heat from the dish, which is great because I’m a hot spice wuss.

Rodger Davis, formerly of Drake’s, Beer Chef Bruce Paton and Arne Johnson.

After the dinner, Arne opened some special bottles from his personal stash.

 

GABF 2007: Day 4, Saturday

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Saturday began, as it always does, with a media brunch sponsored by Samuel Adams, followed by the GABF awards ceremony, which is essentially the craft beer industry’s Oscars. Afterwards, there were many side events on the last day, along with the crowded Saturday Night Session and the inevitable trip to Falling Rock to end the evening.

From the awards ceremony. Arne Johnson and Shane Aldrich, from Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California, winning one of their four gold medals, this one for Triple Dipsea Belgian-Style Ale in Category: 61 Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Marin Brewing also won three more gold medals, for Tiburon Blonde in Category: 59 Belgian and French-Style Ale, Pt. Reyes Porter in Category: 64 Robust Porter, and Star Brew Triple Wheat in Category: 74 American-Style Wheat Wine Ale.

Geno Acevedo, from El Toro Brewing in Gilroy, California, at the beginning of Saturday’s evening session.

 

For many more photos from Saturday at GABF, visit the galleries for the Saturday Awards Ceremony and the Rest of Saturday’s events.
 

GABF 2007: Day 3, Friday

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Friday we finished judging at Noon and I rushed over to a media lunch with Lucy Saunders, Sam Calagione and Marnie Old. Then there was the Alpha King Challenge at Falling Rock along with some other events Chris Black had planned for us, including kegs of Sierra Nevada’s new Harvest Ale. After that, the Friday Night Session resumed at 5:30 and was as crowded as expected.

Past Alpha King winner Brendan Moylan, who owns both Marin Brewing and Moylan’s, downstairs waiting for the results of this year’s contest.

Chris Black also had as his guests the father and son brewers from Bosteels in Belgium.

Back at the Denver Convention Center, John Mallet, from Bell’s Brewing, shows he’s ready to strut his stuff at the disco (at right) with (from left) Bob Pease and Ray Daniels, both with the Brewers Association, along with British publican extraordinaire, Mark Dorber, who do not look quite ready for the dance floor. Though to be fair, Ray looks like he’s leaning into the idea.

 

For many more photos from Friday at GABF, visit the galleries for the Friday Daytime Events and the Friday Night Session.
 

GABF 2007: Day 2, Thursday

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Thursday morning began, not counting judging, with a quick trip to Great Divide Brewing‘s Hospitality Reception for brewers and the media. I’ve been going to their soirée for as long as I can remember. Then the first session began at the Denver Convention Center. The first session is not usually as crowded as later ones, but all four session sold out in advance, which is the first time that’s happened. As a result, Thursday night was every bit as packed as Friday and Saturday. New Glarus ran out of beer in less than three hours.

At the Great Divide Brewery on Arapahoe in Denver, the only couple to have both won Beer Drinker of the Year, Cornelia Corey and Ray McCoy.

At the Denver Convention Center, this year’s festival fittingly included tributes to Michael Jackson throughout, including this large banner that hung in the center of the hall.

The panelists from one of the “In the Brewing Studio” discussions, this one on women in brewing. From left: Carol Stoudt (from Stoudts Brewing), Jennifer Talley (from Squatter’s Pub Brewery), Natalie Cilurzo (from Russian River) and Teri Fahrendorf (formerly with Steelhead Brewing)

 

For many more photos from Thursday at GABF, visit the galleries for the Great Divide Reception and the Thursday Night Session.
 

GABF 2007: Day 1, Wednesday

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Each year, the night before GABF, the Brewers Association holds a reception at Wynkoop for the brewers and then afterwards the party continues just around the corner at The Falling Rock. Below are links to galleries from both parties. Look for additional photo galleries from the festival throughout the day.

At the Brewers Reception, Chris and Cheryl Black, owners of the Falling Rock, Mark Dorber, formerly the publican of the White Horse in London (and now owner of the Anchor, his new venture) and Glenn Payne, of Meantime Brewing.

Over at the Falling Rock, Greg Koch, from Stone Brewing, gets down, gets funky.

 

For more photos from the night before GABF, visit the galleries for the Brewers Reception and the Falling Rock