In marketing, connecting a face to the “brand” means something. But for the small guys who can’t afford national publicity and TV commercials, that connection and personal brand management becomes a physical reality with their taprooms.
Bootlegger’s Brewery, which produces the much-hyped Knuckle Sandwich Double IPA, put out its first keg of beer in April 2008 after Aaron Barkenhagen and his father assembled the previously owned brewhouse equipment and constructed the brewery themselves in order to save money.
He’s the face of Shmaltz Brewing out of San Francisco, but he travels tirelessly, pouring his own beers at festivals and bringing his signature brand of smart humor to the industry.
George Washington’s beer recipe discovered, brewed; California hops held up by Secret Service; two proposed Texas beer laws killed; and Stone announces $26.6 million expansion plans.
Well known as one of the most affable guys in the industry, David Walker runs a humble, family-oriented company that just so happens to be pioneering the experimental beer market.
Since 2006, Ashman, a barrel aging pioneer, has plied his trade at Truckee’s FiftyFifty Brewing Company. And for the brewer, the barrels are still the draw.
The Green Flash Brewing Company brewmaster touts his wide stylistic résumé—he cranks out Stouts, Belgians and barrel-aged oddities. At the same time, he says, he knows where demand in the craft market is going, and he’s more than happy to help lead the way.
California boasts a number of premier brewing regions; the base of Sequoia National Forest hasn’t traditionally been one of them. Kyle Smith is working to change that. His small brewpub, the Kern River Brewing Company, is cranking out buzzed-about beers at the edge of the wilderness.
Will Straub’s returnable bottles get canned?; Independent Brewers United acquired by North American Breweries; no Christmas this year for Goose Island; and Sierra Nevada teaming up with Trappist monks.
Patrick Rue founded his California brewery, The Bruery, to make the types of high-quality beers he enjoys drinking. They’re also the types of beers that challenge the palates of the most passionate craft beer drinkers.
Los Angeles is an absolutely massive place, teeming with a multitude of people. If only a tiny percentage drank good beer, that would still be a staggering number of craft drinkers sprawled out between the mountains and the ocean.
Located on the fourth floor of Los Angeles’ largest hotel, Bonaventure Brewing Company has been treating its loyal customers to craft ales for over a decade, while thousands of the city’s inhabitants walk by every day without even knowing it exists.
Since the day McIlhenney opened Alpine’s doors, demand has outstripped supply—by a long shot. The tiny brewery is now readying an expansion that will include a new BBQ pub and a tripling in brewing capacity. Only triple? That won’t be nearly enough.
San Francisco wasn’t much of anything until 160 years ago, but in that relatively short time, the city has left an indelible impact on the nation’s culture. And the same goes for its brewing palate.
Richard Norgrove used to brew a brutally hoppy Red Ale for his mountain biking buddies. Then the cycling company he worked at was sold, and he figured he’d make a run at brewing for a living.
Chefs around the world are taking the concept of pairing the two a step further by treating beer as a core ingredient when cooking. The result is a growing culinary passion for cuisine that offers layers of depth that only beer can bring to the table.
Ten years ago, Vinnie Cilurzo and his wife, Natalie, brought aggressively hopped beer to the heart of California’s wine country. Since then, they’ve taken Russian River Brewing Company independent, won an unimaginable number of awards and launched a revolutionary line of barrel-aged sour Belgians.
