Best "Beer Celebrity" Encounter

I had a beer with Charles Barkley when he was in DC playing for the Suns. Does that count?

 

I have met Sam Calagione a few times. Turns out his father was an oral surgeon and had removed my wisdom teeth, which is pretty weird. When he found out my brother and I were from his home town he hooked us up with shirts and glassware. He is a really cool guy that takes time to talk to everyone at events.

 

I enjoyed meeting Adam Avery (Avery Brewing Boulder, CO) at Goodfriend in Dallas (chance meeting.) Really nice approachable guy. We talked a while about brewing and his brewery. I actually learned quite some interesting things after asking him about the inconsistencies I noticed with one of my favorite beers, Maharaja. He acknowledged some issues with the beer and told me how they fixed it.



Adam Avery on the right.

 

Not specifically a beer celebrity, but last summer during Philadelphia Beer Week, I met Marc Summers while he was hosting "Dunkel Dare," a beer-themed spoof on Family Double Dare that pitted different breweries against each other. If I remember correctly, Great Lakes won. And yes, the giant nose was there.

 

Brian Grossman from Sierra Nevada at Asheville winter warmer, Really cool guy!

 

I met Sam from Dogfish at the Philly airport early one morning. My wife and were on our way to Florida for vacation, he was heading to North or South Carolina for a beer fest. We chatted for a little while (I tried not to geek out too much). Super nice, he dug into his backback and gave me a DF hat. He told me about hanging with the guys from Funky Buddha when the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston got snowed out. About 5 hours later, I heard the same story from the other side when we stopped at Funky Buddha on our way to the Keys.

 

I met Dann Paquette from Pretty Things. He's no "celebrity" in the beer world, but to think that all the wonderful brews and bottle art that comes from Pretty Things are done by Dan and his wife, I'd say he represents quite a bit of that company (which by the way makes killer brews).

 

I had the honor of having a home-brew in a best-of-show round where the only judge was Michael Jackson (the beer one ). Got to watch the proceedings and chat when the competition was complete. I cherish my autographed T-shirt and Beer Companion book.

 

I once saw God after drinking a bottle of Central Waters Fifteen. Does that count?

 

Not unless his bodyguard threw you through a window.

 

C'mon, they are talking real celebrities..in Milwaukee..bob uecker would count...

 

Definitely not the same guy...

Mr. Bill Bales is a kindly older gentleman who knows a lot about finances and loves to play golf.

On the other hand...Bill Manley is this guy:


Bales is a damn cool guy, though. He knows a lot of things about a lot of things.

-Bill "the other one" Manley

 

not a "beer" celebrity, but I definitely just drank a 2011 dark lord, bourbon county coffee ,and bourbon county cherry rye with Latrell Sprewell a couple weeks ago. Dont even really remember going home hahaha

 

I stood around talking to our head brewer once...then he told me to get back to work

 

Partied all night with Jérôme Rebetez of BFM at a local BFM Night. Very funny and cool, and his beers were great. I probably spilt beer on him too, but I don't remember.

 

Shared a beer with Jeff O'Neil at Blind Tiger a while back and talked about his plans for the new brewery at Peekskill, and the coolship, and just geeked out in general. Talk shop and beer with Tommy Keegan any time at Keegan ales. Had a nice discussion with Scott Vaccaro owner of Captain Lawrence, once, not realizing it was him, it was a while back and I had never seen him or a picture. Really smart and nice man.

And of course with some of the guys in my club going pro, one day I can say I knew them "back when".

 

Who's on First.

 

Chatting with Jean Van Roy at the Cantillon brewery was 37 seconds very well spent (he was really busy and I was grinning like the superfan idiot that I am).

 

Few years back got to watch a Bear Packer game with Gayle Sayers & Ray Nitschke in a small pub after they got done doing an autograph signing at a sports card show ... pretty cool.