Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Dr. Bill

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Today is also the 64th birthday of William Sysak, better known to the beer community as Dr. Bill. Dr. Bill’s massive tastings are the stuff of legends, and he later transported them — albeit on a smaller scale — to working at Stone Brewing’s World Bistro & Gardens. He has impeccable taste, be it in beer, wine, whiskey, cigars, what have you, and is one of the most fun people to taste with. He was working with Stone Brewing for a time, but then started his own brewery, co-founding Wild Barrel Brewing, in San Marcos, California, which lasted for a number of years before closing in 2023. Join me in wishing Bill a very happy birthday.

Dr. Bill and me sharing a plate of frites before the final judging at the Hard Liver Barleywine Festival in 2008.
Dr. Bill with Matt Bonney, from Brouwer’s/Bottleworks in Seattle at Slow Food Nation 2008 at Fort Mason.
Dr. Bill at Falling Rock, hosting one of his legendary tastings, during GABF in 2006.
Me, Bill, Bonney and a few others at the Keene Tasting in Seattle in 2008.
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Dr. Bill’s player’s card when he joined Stone Brewing.

Beer Birthday: Travis Smith

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Today is the 47th birthday of Travis Smith, who was a co-founder of Societe Brewing Co. in San Diego. Before that, Travis brewed at Russian River Brewing for a number of years, before moving south, where he brewed at both The Bruery and the La Jolla Brewhouse. His brewery quickly became one of the destination spots in San Diego, and his beers are especially tasty, standing out in the area surrounded by numerous great breweries. More recently, Travis left Societe and is currently the brewmaster at the Lazy G Brewhouse in Prescott, Arizona.  Join me in wishing Travis a very happy birthday.

Travis “MacGyver” Smith showing off the cork gun he made with spare brewing parts lying around the Russian River brewpub. It shot a beer cork a pretty fair distance and would pierce cardboard at 100 feet.

Patrick Rue & Travis Smith, from The Bruery
Travis with Patrick Rue, from The Bruery, at GABF in 2009.


Agostino Arioli, from Birrificio Italiano in northern Italy, with Vinnie Cilurzo and Travis, at Russian River Brewing in 2008 working on a fun collaboration beer, La Fleuette.
Travis behind the handmade redwood bar at Societe a few days before they opened.

Beer Birthday: Chris White

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Today is the 58th birthday of Chris White. Chris founded the yeast company White Labs in 1995 and he’s also on the faculty of the Siebel Institute. He’s also a fixture at virtually every brewing industry and homebrewing conference, and was kind enough to talk to my SSU beer appreciation class about yeast. Join me in wishing Chris a very happy birthday.

Chris and his brother Mike bookending Chuck, then from Green Flash Brewing, Natalie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing, John Harris, then from Full Sail Brewing, and Vinnie Cilurzo, also from Russian River, at CBC in Austin, Texas in 2007.
Chris at the new White Labs taproom during the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego.
Me and Chris at CBC in Minneapolis in 2022.
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Surly brewer Todd Haug with Chris.
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Chris with Technical Sales and Marketing Coordinator Ashley Paulsworth at the NHC.

[Note: last two photos purloined from Facebook.]

Beer Birthday: Jeff Bagby

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Today is the 52nd birthday of Jeff Bagby, who for a number of years was the head brewer extraordinaire at Pizza Port in Carlsbad. There, you used to be able to read the entire biography of Jeff “Extra Spicy” Bagby. I’m not sure when it was written, but it’s no longer there, but it ended with the following sentence. “Jeff has his sights set on winning a GABF Brewpub of the Year award and we most definitely believe it is in his future as well.” Several years ago now at GABF, Jeff won an amazing seven medals and Pizza Port Carlsbad was awarded the Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year. That means his plaid pants got to go up on stage a record eight times! You can see a retrospective of Jeff’s plaid choices over the years, too, at Jeff “Lucky Pants” Babgy Wins Big. Once he started working on opening his own brewery, I suggested he should consider “Plaid Brewing” or some variation of that idea, like “Plaid Pants Brewing” or “Lucky Plaid Brewing.” Unfortunately, he went with a more sensible Bagby Beer Co., which opened a few years ago, but unfortunately he and Dande closed the brewery a couple of years back. All, well some, kidding aside, Jeff is a terrific brewer and a hell of a washoes player, though I still think Dave Keene and I could beat him and Tomme again. Join me in wishing Jeff a very happy birthday.

Jeff Bagby & His Girlfriend, from Pizza Port - Carlsbad
Jeff with his then-girlfriend, now wife, Dande at GABF a few years ago. And yes, those are his lucky pants.
Greg Koch & Jeff Bagby
Greg Koch and Jeff at the Falling Rock.
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Former Drake’s brewer Melissa Myers with Jeff at an event at Anchor celebrating the Toronado’s 20th anniversary.
Sam Calagione, Bruce Paton and Jeff at the Lost Abbey for a beer dinner during CBC.
Jeff at the Toronado for the annual Belgian Beer Dinner in 2012, with owner Dave Keene wearing his “Who the F@#k is Jeff Bagby?” T-shirt.
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Dandelian and Jeff Bagby in the upstairs loft dining area of their new brewery. The plaid back of the bench seating was inspired by Jeff’s winning plaid pants that he used to wear for GABF award ceremonies, as I detailed several years ago in Jeff “Lucky Pants” Bagby Wins Big.

Beer Birthday: Chris Cramer

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Today is the 65th birthday of Chris Cramer, who co-founded the Karl Strauss Brewing Co. along with his cousin, Karl Strauss, and Matt Rattner. They opened the first brewpub in San Diego, known as the Karl Strauss Old Columbia Brewery and Grille, and today they have nine locations, including a large brewing facility. Chris has also been very active with the CCBA over the years and has been a great advocate for both San Diego and California craft beer. Plus, he’s fun to share a beer with. Join me in wishing Chris a very happy birthday.

Chris and me at GABF a couple of years back.
Me with Chris and John Martin, from Drake’s and Triple Rock, at Trumer in Berkeley during SF Beer Week.

Beer Birthday: Pat McIlhenney

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Today is the 72nd birthday of Pat McIlhenney, brewmaster and founder of Alpine Beer Co. near San Diego. Pat made some amazing hoppy beers. Unfortunately, his beers are hard to find up our way, and then his brewery was acquired by Green Flash Brewing several years ago, who eventually shut it down. Happily, he started McIlhenney Brewing, along with family members Shawn, Jamie and Val McIlhenney, and has subsequently retired.  Join me in wishing Pat a very happy birthday.

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Pat manning his booth at the Firestone Walker Invitational several years back.
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Pat at GABF in 2008.
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Pat at the Boonville Beer Festival, also in 2008.
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Pat with Tomme Arthur at the inaugural Firestone Walker Invitational several years ago.

Beer Birthday: Steve Wagner

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Today is Steve Wagner’s 68th birthday. Steve is a co-founder of Stone Brewing and the former president of the California Craft Brewers Association. In the late 1980s, Steve was a member of the band “The Balancing Act,” who put out several albums on I.R.S. Records, then he just presided over one of the most successful microbreweries in the U.S. for quite af ew years, but after being acquired, he has retired and hopefully just enjoying his himself. Join me in wishing Steve a very happy birthday.

Mitch Steele, Stone Brewing’s brewmaster, with Steve, at CBC when it was in Austin, Texas.
The Stone crew: Arlan Arnsten, Steve and Greg Koch at CBC in San Diego 2008.
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With Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch in a publicity shot (by John Schulz Photography).
The day after we tried all of Stone’s Vertical Epic’s in San Diego; with Steve, me, Joe Tucker, Jason and Todd Alstrom and Greg Koch.
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Lee Chase with Steve on April 14, 1999 celebrating their first bottling run on their then new Maheen bottler. [Note: photos purloined from Stone Brewing’s website.]

Beer Birthday: Lee Chase

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Today is the 53rd birthday of Lee Chase, co-owner of Blind Lady Ale House in San Diego, and brewer at Automatic Brewing, located in the Blind Lady’s back room, and brewery consultant to the stars. Chase was also the head brewer at Stone Brewing for nearly a decade and oversaw the building and installation of the new brewery in Escondido. Lee’s a terrific brewer and a great beer ambassador, and also great fun to hang out with a share a pint, which I was able to do a few Decembers ago at the Stone Vertical Epic Tasting. But more recently, he’s relocated to Lisbon, Portugal to brew at Dois Corvos. Please join me in wishing Lee a very happy birthday.

Lee and at World Beer Cup judging in Nashville in 2023.
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Lee at Beer School for CitySearch San Diego in 2008.
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Lee, with Meg Gill, Garrett Marrero and Matthew Brynildson at CBC in San Diego a few years ago.
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Greg Koch and Lee at the Stone 5th Anniversary Open House Celebration, which later became the “Stone Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival.”
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Lee with Stone co-founder Steve Wagner on April 14, 1999 celebrating their first bottling run on their then new Maheen bottler. [Note: photos purloined from Facebook & Stone Brewing.]
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Lee, and several other Stone employees, along with some other beer people, around 1996.

Beer Birthday: Paul Segura

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Today is the 60th birthday — The Big 6-O — of Paul Segura, who is the brewmaster at Karl Strauss Brewing Co., a position he’s held for the past twenty-five years. Before that he brewed at Hops! Bistro & Brewery and Hang Ten Brewing. In addition to brewing, Paul is also a co-host on The 91X Beer for Breakfast Show and was an instructor for the UCSD Professional Certificate in Brewing. Plus he’s a great ambassador for beer in San Diego. Join me in wishing Paul a very happy birthday.

Paul giving a tour during CBC in 2008.
Picking up an award at GABF in 2015.
Paul and Bruce Joseph from Anchor Brewing.
Last two photos purloined from Facebook.

Beer Birthday: Chuck Silva

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Today is also the birthday of Chuck Silva, former brewmaster at Green Flash Brewing in San Diego. His West Coast IPA took the world by storm, and personally, I loved his Tripel and Le Freak. The big, shiny new brewery they built was also pretty amazing, but sadly the honeymoon didn’t last too long. Eventually Chuck wanted to create something of his own, and so he opened Silva Brewing Company in the Central Coast of California, around his native San Luis Obispo area in Paso Robles. Unfortunately, after eight years, Chuck closed down the brewery two years back, and I haven’t heard yet what he’s doing now. Join me in wishing Chuck a very happy birthday.

Chuck at GABF several years ago.

The beer chef, Bruce Paton, with Chuck at one his beer dinners in 2008.
Chuck at Mammoth Lakes Bluesapalooza in 2007.
Chuck serving the symposium beer at Stone Brewing during Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego in 2008.