Today was the 20th anniversary of Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California. I met a few friends there for lunch and to try the two special beers Arne had made for the occasion. One was his Tripel Dipsea Belgian Ale — always a fave — and the other was a new 20th Anniversary Old Ale, which Arne described as a “young old ale.” Founder Brendan Moylan regaled us with hilarious tales from the last two decades. Good beer, food and company, that’s how to celebrate an anniversary.

Brewmaster Arne Johnson and founder Brendan Moylan inside the brewhouse at Marin Brewing.

For more photos from Marin Brewing’s 20th Anniversary, visit the photo gallery.
 

I just heard that Jack McAuliffe, the founder of New Albion Brewing, the country’s first microbrewery, was in a serious car accident in Las Vegas. Here’s what we know so far.

According to Tom McCormick, director of the California Small Brewers Association, “Jack’s sister, Cathy McAuliffe who had just spoken to the hospital, said Jack was “doing OK, considering…” It was also reported by Maureen Ogle that Jack is “in intensive care, on a ventilator, in a Las Vegas hospital,” but details were still vague.”

Updates, as they become available, will be posted to the Pro Brewer forum.

Jack was a pioneer in the industry, let’s send good wishes to him and his family for a speedy recovery.

UPDATE 4.2: Maureen Ogle let me know that Jack’s sister will be sending her updates as they become available, so check out her blog to learn more. As of 12:44 p.m., Cathy McAuliffe sent Maureen the following. “He is still on the ventilator, but seems to be doing OK.”

The UK has its share of loonies, anti-alcohol neo-prohibitionist groups foaming at the mouth like our MADD, the Marin Institute and the CSPI. One major organization is Alcohol Concern, whose motto is “making sense of alcohol.” The UK’s Independent ran a propaganda piece today entitled Health Fears Over ‘Extreme Beer’ Craze, in which they appear to be making more nonsense about alcohol than anything else.

They also target Scotland’s wonderful BrewDog and confuse being hip and edgy with “targeting young people.” The tagline for the article is the historically forgetful “Bottled bitters with mind-blowing alcohol contents are being marketed to young drinkers,” as if high alcohol beers are something new. Barley Wines, a creation of the old guard British breweries, have been around more than a century, so it’s not like “extreme beers” are novel. A spokesperson for Alcohol Concern, CEO Don Shenker, is quoted as complaining “that BrewDog appeared to be targeting young people” and that it “remind[ed him] very much of alcopops. It looks to [him] like they’re going for the 18 to 25-year-old category.” Well how scientific. It “appears,” he’s “reminded” and it “looks to [him] like something he doesn’t like is taking place. That The Independent gives this group a voice is the real tragedy at the heart of what’s wrong with the way beer is so often mischaracterized by a press pandering to fear to sell papers and get hits online.

As part of an article in the Publican, by UK beer writer Pete Brown, was used as background for the smear piece, he rightly exposes their hypocrisy. Read the original article and then read Pete Brown’s response. It’s a joy to behold. Pete is obviously a kindred spirit.

Today is “Doctor’s Day,” which commemorates the “anniversary of the occasion when Dr. Crawford W. Long became the first acclaimed physician to use ether as an anesthetic agent in a surgical technique, Mar 30, 1842.” The holiday has been observed annually since 1933, though it’s unclear why in 1933 people decided a holiday for doctors should be started. But it’s the perfect day to mention a curious account of Doctors during Prohibition that was published in New Scientist last fall. It was called When Doctors Battled For Medicinal Beer and while beer and whisky are at the center of the story, it’s really about control and the physician’s autonomy that’s at the heart of the story. An interesting read.

Today, in honor of Michael Jackson’s birthday, a new book was published, Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser, featuring new short works or essays by a baker’s dozen of beer and whisky writers. The new works were all donated by the authors and the proceeds of the book will be donated to the Parkinson’s Disease Society. I know better than half of the writers, a number of whom are good friends, so even without reading it, I suspect it will be a worthwhile addition to your library. The authors are Stephen Beaumont, Dave Broom, Ian Buxton, John Hansell, Julie Johnson, Charles MacLean, Hans Offringa, F. Paul Pacult, Roger Protz, Lucy Saunders, Conrad Seidl, Carolyn Smagalski and Gavin D. Smith.

And it’s for a good cause. I’d say buy it on Amazon, but it’s not showing as being available. So look for it at your local bookstore soon. It would also make a lovely gift, don’t you think?

From the publisher’s website:

Editor Ian Buxton, who conceived the project, said “Michael Jackson dominated the world of both beer and whisky writing for two decades and was hugely influential in both ‘real ale’ and single malt whisky. A complete generation of writers has cause to be grateful to him, not to mention countless brewers and distillers. This new book honours that legacy.”

Tomorrow, beginning at 6:30 p.m., The Bistro in Hayward, California, will be hosting a Celebration of the late beer writer Bill Brand’s life on his birthday, which is March 26. Tomorrow would have been Bill’s 71st birthday.

The Bistro will be serving some rare beers, appetizers, and chocolates, peppered with toasts and camaraderie. All proceeds from the Special Beers will be donated to the Contra Costa Food Bank. Come join us at the Bistro if you’re able.

William “Bill” Brand
March 26, 1938 — February 20, 2009
Photo by D. Cameron Ross, Oakland Tribune

The Department of Homeland Security is, apparently, all done securing our borders from terrorist threats. I say that because they’ve moved on from their stated work, which consists of — as their website puts it — “Preserving our Freedom, Protecting America,” to the more important job of protecting America’s breweries from the looming spectre of terrorist attack. The first to be saved is Creekside Brewing, a new brewery that recently opened in San Luis Obispo, California. Owners John Moule and Eric Beaton were told by the TTB (The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) that they must “protect the[ir] beer from terrorists” by building a wall around their tanks. At first the tanks, which sit in full view inside the brewpub, were separated from the public by some poles and chains. Not good enough, said the TTB. They must “be behind a physical barrier with locking doors,” they were told. So they put up locks. Still not good enough. Moule and Beaton were told to build a wall. After a lot of asking, they were finally told that “the wall was needed to prevent someone from poisoning the beer. What’s more, [the representative] told him it was a post-Sept. 11 measure that fell under the supervision of the Department of Homeland Security.” Creekside Brewing had to spend $15,000 on iron gates and thick glass and plastic, which also delayed their opening by a month.

Above is the new terrorist-proof Creekside Brewery. (Photo by Steve E. Miller of New Times). But where the story gets even more interesting, is that no one can say for sure exactly why, or under what law, they were singled out by the TTB to protect their brewery from a potential terrorist attack. As detailed by New Times, a local SLO newspaper, every federal agency pointed the finger at someone else when pressed for reasons why Creekside had to protect its beer. It’s pretty clear they’re the only brewery so far that’s been forced to put their brewery under lock and key in this fashion. But when it came to reasonable questions like “why,” things quickly turned into a Kafka novel. It’s definitely worth reading the New Times article, in which a labyrinth series of federal agencies were contacted, none of which would claim responsibility for Creekside’s delay in opening or their having to spend $15,000 on the new security measures. At the end, your head will be spinning. And you won’t feel any safer. As another blogger, Dick Destiny, put it. “One is more likely to be stung to death by bees than be the target of a terrorist attack in SLO.”

 
By sheer coincidence, I suspect, there is a Terrorist Beer Movement, but it has to do with people playing the video game America’s Army.

I’ve previously featured such beer and sci-fi related items from Star Trek and Futurama. We can now add Star Wars to the list, courtesy of he “official” Star Wars blog. A sculptor by the name of Paul Loughridge, who online goes by Lockwasher, who work primarily with scrap metal bits, created an R2-D2 model using a Heineken mini-keg. He made it for the San Jose Super Toy show and it’s over 16″ tall. The Star Wars blog also has an interview with Loughridge about the robot. Sadly, it contains no beer, but given that it’s Heineken, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.

While nudity and disappearing bits on beer labels is hardly new, a trio of Australians have launched the latest version with their new Skinny Blonde. One of the three, Jarrod Taylor, is an artist who designed the label and another, Hamish Rosser, is a chemical engineer who figured how to make the skinny blonde’s bikini disappear using a chemical process similar to disappearing ink.

 

 
The three are from Bondi, a suburb of Sydney, and formed the company Brother’s Ink to make and market the beer. They began brewing in Taylor’s kitchen three years ago. The third owner is Richie Harkham, who’s a wine maker, actor and producer.Hamish Rosser is also the drummer for Australian band, The Vines.

They describe the beer on their website as follows. “Skinny Blonde contains no preservatives, chemical additives or animal products whatsoever so its OK for vegans. It’s 100% Australian.
Unlike most beers brewed in Australia Skinny Blonde is 100% Australian owned and operated. And it’s 100% Beer. Skinny Blonde is 5.2% alc/vol, low-carb and as tasty as its name sake.”

Yesterday, Brouwer’s Cafe in Seattle, Washington, held their 7th annual Hard Liver Barleywine Fest. I was fortunate enough to judge again this year, and it was yet another terrific festival. When the doors opened at 11:00 a.m., a line snaked up to the end of the block and Seattle’s best Belgian bar was filled to capacity with minutes of opening.

After Hard Liver judging, Tom Peters (from Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia), Matt Bonney (co-owner of Brouwer’s) and Stephen Beaumont relax with a few more tasty beers.

For more photos from this year’s Hard Liver Barleywine Fest, visit the photo gallery.