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2002 » BACK
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December
2002/January 2003
Belgian Beer & Beer on the Boob Tube
Tom
Dalldorf |
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| A recent trip to Belgium reaffirmed
the notion that America has a long way to go to become
a great beer-loving nation. Granted, we consume a lot
of beer. We rank slightly behind the Czechs and ahead
of the Chinese in per capita consumption. However, nearly
90 percent of all beer sold in this country is industrial
adjunct lager.
Belgium’s beer diversity (and regional pride
in its breweries) is extraordinary, and the beers produced
are inseparable from Belgium’s cuisine. For many
Americans, beer is something one uses to “wash
down” whatever one happens to be eating. How sad
that our truly great beers aren’t given more play
in the popular press and on TV. Beer on sitcoms is drunk
from the bottle, exhibiting not only brand loyalty but
lack of class as well.
Thank Gambrinus for the Food Channel! On an increasing
number of programs, beer and beer culture are in the
spotlight. Recently, three hours were dedicated to food
shows featuring beer. If you could suffer the egomaniacal
Emeril, you could watch a whole show devoted to cooking
with beer. The Thirsty Traveler, though ignorant of
even the basics of beer culture, has visited some of
beer’s most cherished shrines. NBC’s Al
Roker did an hour on brewpubs, even if some of his choices
were a bit odd. And a delightful hour on Belgian beer
culture was featured, although it unfortunately contained
a scene of the host encouraging a hapless tourist to
chug a glass of Kwak simply because that beer’s
traditional glass is a yard. Sad, but thanks for the
great scenes of a wonderful beer destination.
When the Celebrator Beer News started some
15 years ago, there were only 20 breweries in California
and only a smattering across the country. Now we have
breweries in virtually every state and have exceeded
Germany in the total number of breweries in our country.
Good beer is to be found almost everywhere, and new
consumers are exposed to quality brewing every day.
In the next 15 years, the Celebrator hopes
to document an expanding beer culture in which various
beer styles are incorporated into daily meals and food
is prepared with beer to be enjoyed with beer.
As a Celebrator reader, you are empowered
to bring this mantra to your fellow man (and woman!)
in the pursuit of the beverage of moderation, of flavor
and of favorable price point. Fine wine has become prohibitively
expensive, whereas some of the greatest beers available
are still bargains at $3 to $5 a bottle. Do yourself,
the small beer industry and your friends a favor and
introduce people to beer you think is significant. Your
local brewer will love you for it. |
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Dec 2002/Jan 2003) Dear
Editor:
Fred Eckhardt's conversation with Don Younger
[Celebrator Beer News, October/November
2002] brought back fond memories for me. In 1968,
a couple of 21-year-old hayseeds from Walla Walla
decided to venture off to the big city of Portland.
We hadn't been in town more than a few hours when
we were directed to the Stein Haus tavern on 82nd
at Division, where we found community not so unlike
our own back home. One of the fellows sitting
on a stool there regularly was Don Younger. The
pub was owned by the infamous J. L. Maxner,
and there was never a dull moment. (On Sundays
a guy would show up in a gorilla suit and go out
and stop traffic on 82nd.)
Don Younger mentions J. L. Maxner, and rightfully
so. He was the P. T. Barnum of Pubs. After
34 years and four pubs, I wholeheartedly agree
with Don Younger that it isn't about the beer;
it's about bringing people together. I regret
to hear that J. L. is no longer with us.
I'll look forward to my next trip to Portland
and drinking a pint at the Horse Brass. Thanks,
Don. Well said!
Gary Johnson, Owner
Mill Creek Brewpub
Walla Walla, Wash.
Dear Editor:
Was in the U.S. last week and picked up the Celebrator
at the Monte Carlo in Vegas. Brilliant!
I help to run www.craftbrewer.org,
which is homebrew-focused. In addition to my day
job, I also sell brewing consumables. The Celebrator
is the best beer news feature magazine I have
ever seen in all my travels, and I am disappointed
to have never seen it before.
What is impressive is the balance of the magazine.
The Celebrator is uniquely informative
to all levels of beer-makers AND consumers. But
I am remiss. The Celebrator shows how
far advanced the U.S. craft-brewing industry is
compared to a country like Australia, and how
far we have to go. For this I am forever jealous
and have sent a copy to a few of my industry colleagues
with a large post-it note saying, "WOULD
YOU HAVE A LOOK AT THIS!"
Without the support of a publication like the
Celebrator, the craft-beer industry would
be a very different place. What you have is something
that we Southerners can only dream of, you pack
of lucky bastards.
Subscription dues will be arriving soon, don't
you worry about that.
Scotty Morgan
Australia
Dear Scotty:
Thanks for your kind comments on the Celebrator
Beer News. I take it from clues in your e-mail
that you're down under. Our foreign rate is $28
U.S. per year (just covers the postage, mate).
– Ed.
Dear CBN:
Please find my check enclosed and continue my
subscription. Many thanks for a great paper which
gets more sophisticated every year.
Peter Vdovin
Concord, Calif.
Dear Peter:
How good of you to have noticed our singular
accomplishment, sophistication-wise. We’ll
get over it, I’m sure. Thanks for your continued
support, which helps cover our bar tab. —
Ed. |
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October/November
2002
Malternative Fad a Bust? Already???
Tom Dalldorf |
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| The New York Times has declared
the malternative beverage a “fad” rather than
a “trend,” and the expected advertising windfall
Madison Avenue was salivating over looks to be not forthcoming.
The Times article by Stuart Elliott, which appeared in
the September 12 issue, noted that the alcoholic
beverages known collectively as “malternatives,
flavored malts, alcopops or clear malts” and known
in the industry as RTDs (or Ready to Drink). These beverages
began simply as flavored malt-based drinks like Zima and
Hooper’s Hooch, which were added to the beer category
since they contained malt and usually copious quantities
of high-fructose corn syrup. Yum.
Things got interesting when the mega-huge multinational
spirits companies got involved. Diageo, the world’s
largest drinks company, scored big with its Smirnoff
Ice trading on its popular Smirnoff Vodka brand. In
18 months, that product grew to equal half the production
of the entire craft-brewing industry! Profits soared
and advertising spending was lavish. The residual benefit
to the Smirnoff brand was less regulated advertising
for a spirit “inspired” product, with the
added benefit of access to the prime drinking demographic
— young urban professionals.
Spending on the malternative brands for the first half
of 2002 included $26 million on Smirnoff Ice and $9.4
million on Captain Morgan (both Diageo), $25.6 million
on Bacardi Silver (Anheuser-Busch) and $24.4 million
by SAB Miller on Skyy Blue, Sauza Diablo and Stolichnaya
Citrona. Jack Daniel’s Original Hard Cola (also
by Miller) is just getting started, albeit a bit late.
An analyst for Morgan Stanley estimated that sales for
the category peaked in July and that many of the new
products are “nonstarters,” according to
the article.
Meanwhile, shelf placement for “malt beverages”
by retailers continues to yield to the free-spending
malternatives at the expense of craft-brewed beers.
It looks, however, that the category may share the fate
of the wine cooler some years back.
This issue, General Manager Jay Brooks continues his
visits to brewing sites in Germany. Check out the reports
from various Celebrator writers on beer festivals
around the country. Marie Oliver visits cideries in
New England. Chuck Cook files a story on the fabulous
Brewer’s Art in Baltimore, and a slightly titillating
story on adult beverages and adult entertainment. Dr. Fermento
(Jim Roberts) checks in from Anchorage with the brew
news from the far north. Dan Rabin covers the mead scene
with a story on the Redstone Meadery, and Fred Eckhardt
travels across town to interview legendary publican
Don Younger, owner of Portland’s Horse Brass Pub.
Certainly several pints’ worth of entertaining
beer news and views. Enjoy!
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Oct/Nov 2002) Dear
Celebrator:
Enclosed is a check to renew my subscription —
the first check in a long time that I’m
happy to write!
Anne McDonald
San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Anne:
Happy checks are always welcome at the Celebrator
office! Thanks for your kind support and for helping
spread the word of good beer. — Ed.
Dear Editor:
FYI, "Alki" is an Indian word meaning
"bye-and-bye" (sic). It was part of
the original half-serious name for Seattle (New
York Alki) long before "alky" (with
a y) ever became slang for an alcoholic. The Washington
Cask Beer Festival at the Alki Room in Seattle
is a fine event, the only one of its kind in the
Northwest. Why do you keep trashing it this way?
Alan Moen, Editor
Northwest Brewing News
Dear Alan:
Thanks so much for the history of Alki. The
reference was in our Hop Caen column, a “humor”
section of our magazine. We really weren’t
“trashing” the event in Seattle, but
simply having a bit of fun with a name sure to
appeal to the Bart Simpson and Beavis and Butt-head
in all of us (OK, some of us). And yes, we did
have a similar joke a year ago. Good eye! You
must really devour each issue! Old Hop (he’s
nearly 147 years old!) tells us that there are
no new jokes, only new audiences. — Ed. |
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August/September
2002
Growing with the Beer World
Tom
Dalldorf |
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| As we approach our 15th year
of publication, the Celebrator Beer News continues
to expand its coverage of beery venues and places around
the country and, indeed, the world. Thanks to the efforts
of the Celebrator’s General Manager Jay
Brooks, our page count continues to increase, allowing
us to bring you more coverage of the good beer story.
Our writing corps from around the beer world checks in
regularly with news and views on our favorite topic, but
sadly we rarely have the space to include it all. Additional
pages means more news of brews for yous! We also were
able to upgrade the paper used to print the Celebrator,
which will enhance the readability along with the drinkability.
This issue is as stuffed as an Imperial IPA with new
breweries, festival happenings, travel, cider, food
and more! Check out festival reports from Bob Barnes
(Las Vegas), Jay Brooks (Reno), your publisher (Portland),
Priscilla Estes (Belgium), Mike Pitsker (Morgan Hill,
Calif.) and Don Scheidt (Chicago).
Marie Oliver checks in with additional coverage on
the cider story in pursuit of cider’s Holy Grail.
Bryan Harrell finds English-style cask-conditioned ale
in… Japan! World traveler Jay Brooks just returned
from a trip to Dresden with a great story on the rebirth
of Germany’s original pilsner, Radeberger.
Closer to home, Don Erickson and Rich Link cover the
Southern California scene, while Michael Rasmussen and
Don Scheidt hit the Northwest beat. Jack Curtin continues
his coverage of Philadelphia brewing with his Golden
Age tour. Bobby Bush has the Southern beer territory
down and also visits beer places in St. Louis.
Marty Jones checks in with news on Rocky Mountain brews,
while Bob Barnes has the scoop in Nevada and Arizona.
Our continuing Blind Panel Tastings conducted by Jay
Brooks will examine porters in this issue and take on
significant cider releases as well. Our favorite beer
couple, Bob and Angela Wagner Coleman, cover the West
Coast debut of Chimay on draught and a beer dinner featuring
Russian River Brewery.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Legend of
Beer Jim Kennedy for an interview on his life in the
beer industry — this at a “living wake”
hosted by himself and wife Bobbie. The beer world has
no finer emissary or more knowledgeable proponent than
Jim.
With great beer readily available and people like Jim
Kennedy to inspire us to seek the very best, our job
at the Celebrator continues to be to offer
our readers information and direction toward a fulfilling
beer experience. When you enjoy great beers this summer,
think of the pioneers like Jim Kennedy whose curiosity,
passion and commitment enabled the commercial opportunities
for good beer to be widely distributed. |
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Aug/Sep 2002) Dear
Celebrator:
I received a packet from you guys supposedly containing
the most recent issue of the Celebrator Beer News.
The envelope was empty and stamped by the USPS
as "Received without contents." Would
you mind sending me another issue?
Buck Sterling
Spokane, Wash.
Dear Buck:
Oh, sure. You expect us to believe that the
USPS carriers love beer so much that they would…
hey, maybe you're right! We'd better get the postal
dudes their own copy of the Celebrator. Your fresh
copy is on the way. P.S. Btw, isn't Buck Sterling
a porn star?? ;) — Ed.
Dear Editor:
In response to Fred Eckhardt’s article “Beer
and the Irish” [February/March 2002], I
was a bit surprised that Fred failed to mention
the recent addition of microbreweries and brewpubs
to the Irish beer scene. Some of these breweries
have won international acclaim at Stockholm and
Burton as well as at the independent Irish Brewers
Competition held annually and judged by Michael
Jackson.
Before the arrival of Irish craft brewers, the
Irish beer consumer had repeatedly fallen victim
to buyouts and consolidation by Guinness, as well
as corporate breweries dictating what would and
would not be dispensed from a pub’s taps!
For example, Miller brewed under contract at Beamish
& Crawford and Budweiser brewed under contract
at Guinness. And “Murphy’s Ireland”
changed its name to “Heineken Ireland.”
The following is a list of microbreweries and
brewpubs currently in operation in the Republic
of Ireland: The Porterhouse, Dublin Brewing Co.,
Messr. Maguires (Dublin), Franciscan Well Brewery,
Kinsale Brewing Co. (Cork), Carlow Craft Brewers
(Carlow), Dwan Brewpub (Tipperary), Biddy Early
Brewery (Clare).
Sincerely,
Russell Garet, Brewmaster
Franciscan Well Brewery
Cork City, Rep. of Ireland
Dear Russell:
Thanks for the update on the Irish brewing
scene. I’ve been to Porterhouse and Dublin
Brewing and thought the beers were outstanding!
We hope to do a story on developments in Ireland
soon. — Ed. |
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June/July
2002
BATF Clamps Down on RTD Labeling
Tom Dalldorf |
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| It didn’t take the United
States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms long, after
publication of our last issue’s editorial rant,
to move on the “malternative” (or ready-to-drink)
category for claiming that such beverages contained spirits.
The BATF said recently that it would forbid labeling and
advertising claims that suggest that RTD malt-based beverages
contain distilled spirits, a practice it called confusing
to consumers. We agree. Duh! The whole point of the product
is to capitalize on the brewers tax rate rather than the
much higher distilled spirit tax rate.
Brewers of RTDs, including Diageo, Anheuser-Busch,
Miller and Coors, are not allowed to add distilled spirits
to malt beverages, but alcohol-based flavoring can be
added. Therefore, the bureau stated it “considers
it misleading to represent that a malt beverage contains
a particular class of distilled spirit when it contains
only an alcohol-based flavoring.” But, as we said
in the last issue, “The fact that there is no
vodka in a bottle that looks like a vodka bottle and
has a vodka producer’s name on it doesn’t
seem to bother the BATF.” The seductive frosty
bottle with the vodka makers’ name on it is still
quite an attraction for the unsophisticated drinker
wanting a quick buzz without the adult beverage flavor
challenge.
The term “ready to drink” implies that
the product is a mixed drink — mixed with spirits.
But, this category is prohibited from having spirits
in its contents. The multinational spirits conglomerates
are enjoying a branding bonanza, infusing the image
of cool into their ersatz booze spritzers while making
huge profits from unsophisticated thrill-seekers. Meanwhile,
a new generation of potential real beer drinkers is
being hijacked by vast promotional spending that real
beer makers can never match. Be true to your brew, while
you still can. |
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Jun/Jul 2002) Dear
Editor:
Thank you for your editorial on the RTDs (or malternatives/alcopops)
[April/May 2002]. It is nice to see someone tell
it like it is. RTDs represent a threat to the
craft-brewing industry on so many fronts (a bad
political face, taking up shelf space, stealing
our customer base). RTDs are the antithesis of
everything that craft brewing is about. They are
not about tradition or quality or fine ingredients.
They are not about an artisan's skill, or savoring
the complex flavors, or pairing with foods, or
finesse. They are not about moderation or responsible
consumption or appealing to an adult audience.
As you stated, they are about money and market
share — pure and simple. According to Smirnoff
Ice, 70% of their customers come from beer drinkers.
Fad or not, beer drinkers should eschew the alcopops,
or maybe we won't have so many craft beers to
choose from in the future.
Fal Allen, General Manager
Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
Boonville, Calif.
Dear Fal:
Choir-wise, you’re preachin’ to
us! Thanks for giving us a brewer’s viewpoint
on this trend toward alcoholic soft drinks (hard
drinks?) and its impact on craft brewing. Without
eternal vigilance… — Ed.
Dear Editor:
As longtime subscribers, we enjoy your magazine.
We were especially excited to see the article
in the February/March 2002 issue on Sydney, Australia.
We were there in July of 2001 and stayed at the
Lord Nelson. As Bryan Harrell can attest, there
is some wonderful beer on the “Rocks”
in Sydney.
We would also like to mention that we spent some
time in rural Victoria and came across a FIND
in a little town called Boorhaman, Victoria (03-5726-9215).
The name of the brewery is the Buffalo Brewery.
When we say rural, we mean rural. There is a sheep
pasture across the street from the brewery. Other
amenities include a seven-hole golf course up
the road, great food and, of course, the beer.
This brewery makes a Ginger Beer that is “nectar
from the gods.” They also have a collection
of humorous Aussie gadgets and a bar that has
some of the most friendly people we met while
there. Our only regret is that we didn’t
buy the little house that was for sale next door
to the brewery!
Also, Melbourne is a great town for beer and
food. The city just doesn’t seem to get
as much press as Sydney. Most Australians seem
to prefer a lighter ale, such as Victoria Bitter,
sold by the “slab” there (their slang
for “case”). We certainly plan to
return someday and continue on our “beer”
pilgrimage. Cheers to Bryan Harrell’s article
and to the Celebrator.
Sincerely,
Dale and Laurie Bolt
Hamilton, Ala.
Dear Editor:
I’ve been a big fan of your most excellent
publication since 1991 and have eagerly sought
out each issue when released every two months.
My favorite things about your magazine are (1) the
Golden Beer directory, the microbrew bible for
micro-enthusiasts who use it to explore brewpubs
in California and elsewhere. Using your directory,
my brother and I have visited over 90 brewpubs
so far; and (2) the Openings/Closings/Still
Fermenting section. This gives me the latest news
about whether my favorite brewpubs are still open
or not, and which ones might be opening in my
area.
Things that could use some improvement would
be (1) in the Golden Beer directory, under
San Francisco, 20 Tank Brewery is still listed
as closed, even though it closed in June of 2000;
(2) I have not seen any articles discussing
closed microbreweries — why and when they
were shut down. Reading about a closed brewpub
months after it went out of business in the Closings
section doesn’t answer enough questions;
and (3) the Golden Beer directory does not
seem to be up to date with new brewpub openings.
For example, Eldos opened in January 2002 on the
site of the former Golden Gate Park Brewery in
San Francisco. In the directory of your April/May
2002 issue, Eldos is still not listed. What’s
going on?
Thanks for all the great years of enjoyment your
magazine has given me. Congratulations on your
14th anniversary, and have many more years of
success!
Cheers,
James Jarvis
San Francisco, Calif.
Dear James:
Thanks for the input. We try to keep up with
the rapidly changing beer scene and rely on help
from our readers. 20 Tank? Well, we just hated
to pull it. Closed breweries? Hardly anyone calls
and says, “Hey, we’re closing.”
Sadly, the stories on why they closed are mostly
the same: wrong location, bad management, no money.
Eldos? That’s a restaurant. As soon as it
gets a brewery up and running, we’ll do
a story and list them. Promise! — Ed.
Dear Editor:
My wife and I celebrated the birth of our first
child this year on March 12. Julia Makayla
Jeralds was born at 6:09 a.m., weighed 7.5
lbs. and was 19 inches long. I would like to thank
my brewer, Matt Johnson, for brewing Julia's ESB
— (E)xtra (S)pecial (B)aby — at Tustin
Brewing Company. If you could put my daughter’s
name in print, I would be very thankful. Keep
up the great work!
Jason Jeralds
Tustin, Calif.
Dear Jason:
Not a chance! Your pal, Ed. |
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April/May
2002
Notes from the Publisher
Tom Dalldorf |
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| Our 14th anniversary party
rocked the Englander Pub in San Leandro, Calif., on a
sunny Sunday afternoon. Special thanks to Mendocino Brewing
Company and all of the sponsoring breweries that made
it possible. Great beer, food, music and a wonderful turnout
of Celebrator readers and beer-industry veterans
made the evening a huge success! Read all about it in
this issue.
See also our continuing coverage of the cider industry.
Portland, Ore., writer Marie Oliver checks in with an
article on pressing news of the cider world in her area.
We will be including cider coverage as a regular feature
in future issues.
Jack Curtin wrote a piece on doings at Dogfish Head
that gets into the spirit — rum, that is. See
also Fred Eckhardt’s article on saké on
the Internet. In honor of the Bard of Beer’s birthday,
Bryan Harrell did a story on Michael Jackson’s
first visit to Japan and his favorite drinking spots
there.
A slew of beer festivals get extra coverage in this
issue, including the Great Alaska Beer & Barley
Wine Fest, the Toronado Barleywine Fest, the Double
IPA Festival, the Real Ale Festival and the Strong Ale
Fest in San Diego. Quite a wealth of winter doings!
Angela Wagner Coleman does a profile on malt maven
Joe Vanderliet, and husband Bob Coleman gives us a profile
on industry vet Bob Stoddard and his new pub opening
plus a piece on the historic Gruitbier at Magnolia.
Check out Jay Brooks’s article to see how his
cliff-hanger ending will be resolved in his Tom Wolfian
romp through the beer pastures of western Pennsylvania.
Be sure also to read the results of our Blind Panel
Tasting of nearly two dozen pale ales. There is no drought
in good-beer news.
The pride of America’s brewers and distillers
will invest some $350 million this year in marketing
and advertising to convince young people that its new
parade of alcoholic beverages are cool, according to
a recent rant in The New York Times. These beverages
are referred to in the trade as “malternatives”
or “RTD” (ready to drink), or pejoratively
as “alcopops.” (We thought beer already
was “ready to drink.” Silly us.)
Sales of these sugar-sweet malt-based concoctions are
growing far faster than those of beer or distilled spirits.
Diageo/Guinness hit the jackpot with its Smirnoff Ice
selling 3.6 million barrels since its launch last year!
(That’s roughly equal to the production of all
1,450 craft brewers in the United States.) The seductive
frosty bottle with the vodka maker’s name on it
is quite an attraction for the unsophisticated drinker
wanting a quick buzz without the adult beverage flavor
challenge. The fact that there is no vodka in a bottle
that looks like a vodka bottle and has a vodka producer’s
name on it doesn’t seem to bother the BATF, the
federal agency charged with label approval that seems
more concerned with font size on labels than contents
of bottles. Mike’s Hard Lemonade is challenging
the Smirnoff Ice labeling even as the Smirnoff girls
work the nightlife scene around the country.
Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch launched Bacardi Silver (which
is having production problems), and Miller, not known
for its marketing acumen, is planning a flurry of joint
ventures, including Jack Daniel’s (Miller DOES
know Jack!), Sauza Diablo and Stolichnaya Citrona with
Allied Domecq, and SKYY Blue with the SKYY Spirits division
of Campari. Diageo is countering with its Capt. Morgan
Gold. All should appeal to kids raised on Kool-Aid and
soda pop, and should offer fertile ground for further
attacks from MADD and neoprohibitionists who don’t
share our esteem for alcoholic beverages of any kind.
And what is to be won with this current rush to market
with training-wheels liquor bottles? New fans for real
ale? Hardly. The goals are profits and market share,
pure and simple. Several corporations were left holding
the bag with expensive brands when the wine-cooler fad
burst its bubble years ago. A certain corporate karma
at work, no doubt.
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Apr/May 2002) Dear
Celebrator:
Best thanks for all the issues of the Celebrator
Beer News. It’s a very good magazine.
Best regards,
Horst Waldenmeier
Remshalden, Germany
Dear Horst:
Thanks for the kind words and your continued
support from the land that knows great beer. We
hope you’ll get a chance to come over and
try some of our brewers’ efforts. Prosit!
— Ed.
Dear Editor:
Thank you for a great magazine. Ever since I got
your magazine about a year and a half ago, I spend
most of my weekends visiting microbrewing pubs.
I take my family along — my wife, one-year-old
daughter and 10-year-old daughter. They sample
the food; I sample the beer. Everyone goes out
on weekends, so why not a microbrew pub?
My education for microbreweries started at Santa
Fe Hops Beer Appreciation Nights on Thursdays.
Miss that brewery. P.S. Every microbrewery should
always have stout on tap. This is year-round beer,
not seasonal.
Live on,
Brian
Southern California
Dear Brian:
We couldn’t agree more with your stout
dictum! Wine critic Alex Waugh said that the first
obligation of a wine is to be red. We feel that
every beer would be stout if it could. Thanks
for your support. — Ed. |
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February/March
2002
Notes from the Publisher
Tom
Dalldorf |
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| We begin our 15th year of
publication with an astounding lineup of the nation’s
best beer writers contributing on a variety of beery subjects.
In addition to our regular roster of columnists and regional
reporters, welcome back Marie Oliver of Portland with
profiles of notable African-American brewing personalities,
helping us give a nod to Black History Month. Founding
publisher Bret Nickels checks in from frozen Winnipeg
with reminiscences of the early days at the Celebrator.
Associate Editor Don Erickson, our first roving “grognard,”
began writing for Bret in the second issue and contributes
his take on our formative years.
Our Japan correspondent, Bryan Harrell, assuages his
wanderlust with a trip to Sydney, Australia, and files
a report on top-fermentation Down Under. Bay Area reporter
Bob Coleman heads up a St. Patrick’s Day preview
by our regional correspondents, including input from
Mike Rasmussen in Portland and Don Scheidt in Seattle.
Finally, we are delighted to introduce Celebrator
General Manager Jay Brooks to our pages with a beer-focused
tour of his home state of Pennsylvania.
The Celebrator would not have survived all
these years without quality writing and the support
of our many fans around the country. Thanks and cheers!
When the Celebrator Beer News launched in
Sunol, Calif., in 1988, few thought that a 12-page “brewspaper”
covering some two dozen breweries would still be going
strong in the next century — or that there would
be over 1,450 craft breweries in the United States selling
over $3 billion in good beer per year! In its 14 years
of existence, your CBN has built a national
reputation as both the Wall Street Journal and the Rolling
Stone of beer journals! We are obviously very proud.
The Celebrator will celebrate 14 years of
covering the incredible ups and downs of the microbrewery
industry on Sunday, March 3, at the Englander Pub in
San Leandro, Calif. Live bands (including the industry-staffed
Rolling Boil Blues Band), fabulous food and beer —
lots of great beer! — from 10 sponsoring breweries
and the Englander's 120 taps will be on the scene at
the beer industry's “party of the year.”
The beer-loving public is invited to attend. General
admission is $25, which includes live music, food, five
beer tokens, a souvenir glass and the chance to mix
and mingle with Celebrator staff, writers,
brewers and others who love good beer. The party will
run from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Englander
Pub, 101 Parrott Street, San Leandro, Calif. To order
tickets, call 800-430-BEER (2337).
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| LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR (Feb/Mar 2002) Dear
Celebrator:
I've read your fine publication for many years.
It was easy to get a copy from a friend or at
a brewpub when I lived in the Chicago area. But
now that we live in central Illinois, not exactly
a hot spot of craft brewing, it's time to subscribe.
We've been to more than 500 brewpubs and the Celebrator
has guided us to many of them. I eagerly await
the next issue.
Rich La Susa
Champaign, Ill.
Dear Rich:
That’s the ticket! Picking up the Celebrator
is cool, but subscribing is even cooler! You get
it every two months (just like being married),
and we get a small but welcome revenue stream.
We hope this concept catches on! — Ed.
Dear Editor:
I read the article in the recent Celebrator
about three brewpubs in Marin County: Ross Valley
Brewing Company, Broken Drum and Willow Street.
I agree with the writer that all three of these
pubs have good beer. But I have visited all three
several times, including once each in the last
two weeks, and only the Ross Valley Brewing Company
serves its beer with respect. The two others keep
their beer glasses in a freezer. At the Broken
Drum, I asked for an unchilled glass. The only
unchilled glasses available were the old-style
Coca-Cola glasses. At Willow Street, the bartender
expressed surprise that I wanted a "warm"
glass and served my beer in a glass that had not
been in the freezer for very long.
When beer is served too cold, it is difficult
to taste. It's fine with me if some people want
a chilled glass, but these are the people who
should ask for special treatment at a brewpub,
not the ones who really enjoy the taste of beer.
I recommend that beer lovers who seek good beer
in Marin go to the Ross Valley Brewing Company,
Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, or Moylan's
in Novato.
Herb Miller
San Anselmo, Calif.
Dear Herb:
Choir-wise, you're preaching to us! The idea
that beer should be drunk freezing cold from a
bottle or poured into an equally frozen glass
is a statement about the quality of the beer.
The colder the better, if you don't want to taste
it or smell it. Face it, most American beer drinkers
don’t like the taste or smell of beer. If
beer is made from quality ingredients with color,
aroma, flavor and character, intense coldness
will mask the very qualities you want to enjoy.
Hopefully, more good beer places will heed your
comments, Herb, and ban the obnoxious frozen glass!
BTW, the “old-style Coca-Cola glass”
sounds like the English pub glass. That’s
a good thing. — Ed.
Dear Editor:
Really enjoyed your take on that Consumer Reports
article [rating beer] (CBN, October/November
2001). A long time ago, CR had a review on cameras,
and they gave my camera a bad review. It came
down to "It was too big for a woman's hands."
I have never had any faith in CR since.
Also, I bought a small apartment-size refrigerator
and converted it with a tap system, and I have
a 2 1/2 gallon "kegger" that I get filled
at Beermann's in Roseville, Calif. I'm sure you
know that they have great beers.
Thanks,
Marv
Via email
Dear Marv:
We're hoping that Consumer Reports sticks
to weed whackers and leaves beer tasting to people
who care. Expect a visit from your friends at
the Celebrator, looking for your stash of Beermann's
great beers! — Ed.
Dear Editor:
It's always a pleasure to be mentioned in the
Celebrator Beer News, and thanks to Hop
Caen for tipping his hat to the words I wrote
on September 12. Facing the same questions as
everybody else that day, groping for meaning,
the mash tun gave me solace. Making good brew,
I concluded, was an ample, even noble, raison
d’être. Too bad I only get to write
about it most of the time… OK, drink it
too! May we continue to be cohorts in the amplification
of great beer!
Tony Forder
Editor, Ale Street News
Dear Editor:
I'm writing to voice my concern over something
in "Hop Caen's” column (CBN,
December 2001/January 2002). Barb Miller's quote
regarding the GABF, about attending before one's
liver ceases to function properly, was a bit disturbing.
What your columnist related next about the "best"
(strange criteria…) T-shirt he saw in Denver,
“The liver is EVIL and must be PUNISHED,”
I found absolutely horrifying — not the
image true beer lovers would wish to cultivate.
I'm no "prig" or "closet A.A. zealot"
(I come from a long line of hard-drinking Welshmen),
but that remark hit too close to home.
I love beer like you and your readers and enjoy
it responsibly like the vast majority of us. However,
I found that bit of "humor" in his column
(unintentionally) offensive and counterproductive
to how we beer aficionados would like to be seen
— neither effete snobs nor liver-killing
lunatics.
I enjoy the Celebrator very much, found
great pubs because of it in your East Bay locale,
where my brother lives (love the Englander for
live football "soccer" and their astounding
beer list, and the Hop Yard, just down the road
from him). Learned a lot about beer and met terrific
people along the way. Keep up the fine work.
I do not otherwise find Hop Caen's column objectionable,
just that one part that brought past pain and
present worry for my very ill friend into clear
focus.
All the best,
K. Allen
Vista, Calif.
(Hop Caen replies)
Dear Mr. Allen:
Sorry the “liver” quip
hit home in a cruel way. We beer enthusiasts must
always consider the health consequences of our
liquid passion. In finding humor in such a T-shirt,
we are also bringing to the fore the medical consequences
of overindulgence without being preachy. Sometimes
a little wink will produce more awareness than
a lecture.
Your words should be taken to heart by everyone
who enjoys good beer regularly, all the while
remembering that if God had wanted us to drink
filtered beer, She/He wouldn’t have given
us livers in the first place. — Hop Caen |
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| Tom Dalldorf is publisher
and editor of the Celebrator Beer News. |
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