Sincere apologies to all the bloggers who participated for taking an extra day to compile the round-up. A weekend full of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, craft beer and travel made any sort of Internet work almost impossible.

Alas, let us move on.

For two years now, beer bloggers have been partaking in a community exercise called “The Session”. On the first Friday of each month, a different beer blogger brainstorms an original theme or topic and then anyone interested in participating is instructed to write a post on their own website and link it to the host website. The following week, the “host” blogger then conjures up a list and a brief synopsis of each post.

I had the honor and pleasure of hosting Session #44. In honor of my favorite holiday which falls at the end of this month, I chose the theme “Frankenstein Beers”. Although I gave a lose description of the topic, bloggers were free to interpret the theme as they wished. The results were extremely entertaining. So without further ado… allow me to present the Session #44 Blogger Roundup:

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BROOKSTON BULLETIN — Session #44: Frankenstein’s Beers

Novato, CA: Jay Brooks gives us a more in-depth background behind the story of “Frankenstein” and creates a unique parallel between Dr. Frankenstein and modern day craft brewers. “The American craft beer scene, and more recently the world beer scene, has become a landscape filled with Frankenstein-like beers, unique and unusual and beloved.”

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APPELLATION BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein and lust

Stan Hieronymus shares a brief glimpse into the background of “extreme” beers using citations from famous beer connoisseurs such as Randy Mosher and Ron Pattinson, who are both in agreement that Danziger Joppenbier is one of the weirdest and most freakish beers to have ever been created. “Does a beer brewed with wheat malt, oat malt and beans sound like a Frankenstein beer? How about if once fermentation begins the brewers add the inner rind of a fir tree; fir and birch tree tips; Cnicus benedictus, a bitter herb used to stimulate appetite; flowers of Rosa Solis, an insect-eating bogplant, said to stir up lust; elder flowers; betony; wild thyme; cardamom; and pennyroyal (which turns out to be dangerously poisonous).”

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THE BEER NUT — “Mont Blanc, in awful majesty”

Dublin, Ireland: The Beer Nut brings us a story of a beer brewed with “La Verte” from Brouwerie Mont Blanc — the very same substance that the greenfairy uses to make absinthe. The beer itself is a shocking color of bright green. “Were Victor Frankenstein a brewer, this is definitely what he’d be turning out.”

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SEACOAST BEVERAGE LAB — “Session #44 — Frankenstein Beers”

Portsmouth, NH: Brian addressed the question: What if there were a beer that could change men/women into beasts? His answer? Kate The Great, a Russian Imperial Stout with an intense cult following. “I risk my life whispering this name in public, let alone type it. I’m talking about Kate the Great from the Portsmouth Brewery.”

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LUG WRENCH BREWING COMPANY — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beer Costumes

New England & Virginia: Tom and Jeff Wallace took a unique approach to the theme by researching beer-themed Halloween costumes on the web and posting pictures with funny captions on his blog. The Wench’s favorite had to have been the Flying Dog Six-Pack. “It is truly creative to go out as a variety six-pack of your favorite craft beer with your closest friends.  I would imagine the six-pack holder for these people was an exercise in invasion of personal space.”

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FROM MY MELLIN — Session 44 – the Frankenstein Beers

New York, NY: Seth Mellin discusses how much the craft beer industry has evolved in just the past few years and sites examples of crazy experimental beers that prove brewing really has no limits or bounds. “This to me is just a sign that brewers today are very much like Dr. Frankenstein pushing the envelope of brewing to new boundaries and new heights.”

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THE BEER BABE — The Session #44 “Undead” t’Smisje Catherine the Great

Portland, ME: Carla Companion brings us a chilling tale of a run-in with an aged bottle of Catherine The Great. “Why is that weird? Because it was once a strong stout, but has been aging so long (since 2004… when I graduated from college) that the malts have been devoured, leaving a funky, hollow and soul-less (yet delicious) monster behind.”

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THE BREW SITE — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers (Unusual Beer Week)

Bend, OR: Although he qualifies most beers that fall outside of style guidelines as “Frankenstein” beers, Jon defines the original Frankenstein style as being the sour wild ale. “These are the true “monstrous” beers—brews that are purposefully infected, inoculated with wild, unpredictable yeasts and bacteria, left to sour and bubble away for years at a stretch, often quite ugly along the way.”

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A GOOD BEER BLOG — Session 44: Frankenstein Beers? What Isn’t?

Ontario, Canada: Alan McLeod tells us about his encounters with Frankenstein beers and his predictions for the future of the industry. “Most freakish beer I have ever had? Without a doubt Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru by Cantillon. I was so offended by this beer that some cheese eating schoolboy lost it. That was funny.”

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BEER 47 — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

San Francisco, CA: David Jensen discusses different variations on “Frankenstein beers” — experimental and extreme beers, blended beers, colored beers, wild yeast beers etc… “I’m enjoying all of this wonderful experimentation and creativity in the craft beer world to create these so called Frankenstein beers.”

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BURGERS AND BREWS — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Mike Lynch develops an interesting analogy between Frankenstein and hybrid-beers. “Like Frankenstein, a lot of brewers have begun meddling with “hybrid” beer styles, combining (sometimes radically) different types into one. Like the two notions of Frankenstein, the evil monster and the misunderstood creation, two of these hybrid beers stick out for me. One is the Belgian IPA, and the other is the Black IPA.”

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LOV BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Seattle, WA: Mike Steinburg addresses the pros and cons of extreme beers and makes a strong argument in favor of supporting non-Frankenstein beers. “Some may actually argue that to brew a great Pilsner is harder than brewing some of the Frankenstein beers. I may have to agree with that because it’s always harder to make something stand out that is made simply.”

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RAMBLINGS OF A BEER RUNNER — The Session #44: The Drive of a Scientist Brewer at Mayfield

Belmont, CA: For this post, Derrick Peterman highlighted a hometown brewery called Mayfield Brewing. They are known for their Iconoclast series of win barrel-aged beers. “I have to say, Alderete seems much more turned on by the challenge of creating a beer of unusual flavor combinations for people to slowly discover for themselves, than putting out something easily and instantly appealing to everyone that’s easy to sell.”

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THE DENVER BEER REVIEW — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Denver, CO: David D. describes his experience tasting a “Frankenstein” collaboration between Left Hand Brewing and Terrapin Beer called Teutonic India Pale Lager. “Whether it’s the Teutonic India Pale Lager, a black IPA from Stone or Deschutes, or a wheat wine from Portsmouth Brewing, the craft brewing scene is full of Dr. Frankensteins, all seeking to create something unique and innovative for their fans.”

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THE BEER SEARCH PARTY — Session # 44

The World: Sean Inman paints us a picture of the myth and the legend of modern day Frankenstein beers. “These fright inducing, sometimes cringe worthy ingredients are tossed into the kettle for many reasons. There are breweries raising nearly extinct beer styles from the dead. There are breweries pushing the ABV boundry. There are breweries that use brettamyoces just to add another note to an already great beer.”

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A FLAGON OF ALE — The Session #44

The Twin Cities, MN: An interesting argument that, at some point or another, all beer styles were Frankenstein beers. “Every new idea and beer style was frankenbier at some point. So while I might not enjoy novelty brews just for the sake of novelty, all the beer we drink was a Frankenstein beer at some point, even ones which are steeped in tradition.”

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BEER IN BALTIMORE — The Session #44: Biologically Engineered Beer?

Baltimore, MD: Alexander brings us a “geekified” report about the protein content in beer and its impact on flavor. “The most interesting part of this for the layman or ordinary beer drinker?  There were twice as many proteins from yeast as there were from barley malt, far more than previous experiments had discerned.” But the real question is, will the mega corporations use this knowledge to genetically-engineer beer from lower quality ingredients to taste like beers with higher quality ingredients?

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A BEER IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE FRIDGE — The Session- Frankenstein Beers

Baltimore, MD: Jay Zeis expresses that while he has no qualms with crazy beers, sometimes a well-crafted traditional beer is “For every Frankenstein beer that comes out, every crazy new fad (goze, sours, RIS, hop-bombs)- there will always be solid basic beers that will win people to craft beer, and keep beer geeks/snobs happy. My favorite beer is the one in my hand, and I would be happy to share it with you.”

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THE BEER WENCH — Session 44: The Frankestein Beers of BrewDog

San Francisco, CA: I chose to highlight BrewDog and its crazy brewers for my particular theme of The Session. “Over the past year or so, the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde brewing duo from BrewDog, James Watt and Martin Dickie, have unleashed mad chaos and massive confusion on the craft beer industry with some of the most extreme beers known to man — if we can even call them beers. Brewdog’s monstrous, freak-of-nature beers beg the question… Is this science or is this witchcraft?”

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I really hope that I did not miss anyone’s posts on the roudup. If I did, please please please forgive me because it was not intentional. Just leave me a comment or shoot me an email and all will be corrected ASAP!

Thanks to all who participated! See you next month for another episode of THE SESSION!

CHEERS!

I’m embarrassed to admit that, although I have been aware of it for some time, I have not yet participated in “The Session” — a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday. It is the brainchild of beer blogging gurus Jay Brooks of Brookston Beer Bulletin and Stan Hieronymus of Appellation Beer. For over three years now, the dynamic duo has been inspiring beers bloggers from all over the world to join together and write about a single topic.

Since The Wench is scheduled to host the next Session (stay tuned for the announcement), I thought it was high time I participated in the cult phenomenon. No time like the present, right? And as it just so happens, my good friend and fellow lady of craft beer, Carla Companion aka The Beer Babe, is hosting today’s Session.

SESSION #43: September 3, 2010
Carla Companion at The Beer Babe
Welcoming the New Kids

“My challenge to you is to seek out a new brewery and think about ways in which they could be welcomed into the existing beer community. How does their beer compare to the craft beer scene in your area? Are they doing anything in a new/exciting way? What advice, as a beer consumer, would you give to these new breweries?”

Today, I have decided to dedicate my “Welcoming the New Kids” Session post to KERN RIVER BREWING COMPANY in Kernville, CA — an old wild-west town that serves as the southern gateway to the Sequoia National Forest.

The KRBC brings people back to the magnificent simplicities that life has to offer.

Technically, these kids are not “brand new” to the craft beer industry. This past June, they celebrated their 4th Anniversary — which still makes them extremely young. And, I guarantee that most of the country, outside of California, don’t know much about this amazing little brewery. BUT, this will change, and I will make sure of it.

As of now, Kern River Brewing beer does not yet reach a wide radius. This is guaranteed to change. And I will tell you why…

In my opinion, there are two main key components to being a successful and amazing craft brewery — passion and talent, neither of which can faked. Kern River Brewing not only possess these two traits, they exemplify them.

My KRBC story, as with all Wench stories, is less than conventional. And who would want it any other way?

The first time I visited San Diego, CA was during San Diego Beer Week 2009. It was, by far, one of the most influential and inspirational craft beer experiences that I have to date — which was mostly due in part to my amazing friend, fellow lady of craft beer, and hostess Taylor Shaw, better known to the beer community as “The Art of Beer.” I think I had a half a minute to breathe after my flight landed, before Tay shuttled me up to the ten year vertical tasting of Double Bastard Ale at Stone World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido.

That day, I met a lot of extraordinary people who have since become really great friends and mentors. One such figure, who fits into both pockets, was the renowned Dr. Bill Sysak. And most would assume that, upon meeting such an esteemed professional in the craft beer industry, I would behave appropriately. But, we all know that The Wench is the “Being of Pure ID” (as deemed by WineBizRadio), and my hedonistic side almost always prevails.

Now, to my defense, when one is feeding me delicious samples of a high-ABV barrel-aged barleywine — can one REALLY be expected to follow normal social standards? Yeah, me thinks not.

On this fateful day, Tay and I just happened to sit down next to Rebecca and Eric Giddens — the super human founders of Kern River Brewing Company (and super human is an understatement — if you “Google” Rebecca, you will find a long list of kayaking achievements:  2004 Olympic Silver Medallist, 2002 World Champion, many time National Champion and U.S. Team Member!). I had already been following the brewery on Twitter (because we know I am addicted to Social Media), but had never had the opportunity to try their beers. This unfortunate fact was quickly remedied when a few of us lucky (and rather rebellious) folk were invited to sample some of it in the Stone parking lot (Greg — plug your ears).

Sure, the beer was not at an ideal temp (pretty damn “warm”) and it was not served in the optimal glass, but HOT DAMN it was freaking tasty — regardless of the circumstances. This is when I knew that this brewery had something going on.

Naturally, as with almost everything I do, we were not as discrete as we thought we were. As evidenced by Dr. Bill’s wagging of the finger. Luckily, craft beer is all about the love, and we were quickly forgiven and fed more of the poison that got us in trouble in the first place.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to taste Kern River Brewing Company’s beers a few more times (mostly at Stone) as well as had the honor of meeting their brewmaster (and Twitter-master), Kyle Smith (yep, love at first sight … or something like that) at the 2010 Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago. Kyle is also the “man” behind much of Kern River Brewing’s social media presence.

It is safe to say that I am rather entranced with Kern River Brewing and its beers. So much so, in fact, that when my friends from New Brew Thursday offered to host me for an episode, I chose to feature “Just Outstanding IPA” — because I truly believe that beer is out of this world.

If you have a free minute, make sure to check out the video: June 17 : Just Outstanding IPA : Kern River Brewing with Special Guest The Beer Wench from New Brew Thursday on Vimeo.

The Kern River Brewing Team definitely exemplifies the two qualities that it takes to become “successful” in the industry — pure passion and a killer product. Kyle is also pretty damn good at the whole social media thing, which we all know is “pretty” important to me. I have said this before, I will say it now, and I will continue to say it from here on out — put Kern River Brewing Company on your radars. I guarantee they will make waves in the craft beer industry.

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING: JAY BROOKS

AUTHOR OF: BROOKSTON BEER BULLETIN

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Jay R. Brooks
Internet nickname: Brookston
Twitter handle: Brookston
Name of blog: Brookston Beer Bulletin, also Real Beer’s Beer Therapy and the Bay Area Newsgroup’s Bottoms Up Blog.
Current location: Novato, Marin County, Bay Area, California, Earth

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Just outside Reading, Pennsylvania (the first railroad in Monopoly) in a sleepy little town called Shillington, famous only as the birthplace of Pulitzer prize-winning novelist John Updike.

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

In high school I played on the tennis and golf teams, but worked my way through college so there was no time for sports. My all-time favorite sport is table tennis, though I’m a big fan of Frisbee Golf and Washoes, too.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

Somewhere my very early teens, around 10 or 12, my mother bought me “Near Beer,” as mis-named a product as ever existed. It was essentially an N/A beer for kids and boy, was it horrible.

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

Shortly thereafter, I had my first “real” beer, a Yuengling no less, one summer during Junior high at Church Camp. The whole sordid story is part of Chapter 12 of “Under the Table,” my semi-fictional memoir of growing up with beer. It’s on-line in rough draft because I wrote it in 30 days as a part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer’s Month) in 2006.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I didn’t go straight to college after high school, primarily because my family couldn’t afford to send me to the schools I’d been accepted to. So when I turned 18, several months before graduation (in 1977), I joined the U.S. Army and the following fall began my three years stationed in New York City playing sax and clarinet with an Army Band.

I took classes at a music school in New York, Mannes College, but after my military time returned home to Reading, PA and finished my degree at Alvernia College with a B.S. in Communications. After I moved to California in 1985, I also took graduate classes at San Jose State but never finished the master’s program. I’ve also done the short course on brewing at UC Davis.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

For me, my epiphany wasn’t necessarily craft driven because it happened before there was craft beer. I grew up drinking regional lagers and a few cream ales that were largely interchangeable. Going to jazz clubs in Manhattan while in the service, I discovered newly imported beers like Bass Ale, Guinness and Pilsner Urquell, beers very different from what I was used to back home.

From that experience, I began seeking out different beers wherever I could, including a bar in the East Village — Brewski’s — that carried over 100 imported beers. Michael Jackson’s second book, his “New World Guide To Beer,” was published while I was living in New York and it was revelatory, too.

For a fuller account, see Chapter 23 of Under the table, and I also wrote about it for Session #15

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

There were probably many since moving to California in 1985, just when the microbrewery revolution was getting underway. Drinking Anchor’s Liberty Ale for the first time, doing a vertical of Anchor Christmas Ale back into the 80s, ditto Thomas Hardy and Alaskan Smoked Porter, among others. Visiting Traquair House in Scotland and Cantillon; Barrel tasting at Russian River.

The list goes on and on. In part, that’s what keeps me going.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

I originally started blogging in late 2004, though at that point it wasn’t primarily about beer. The Brookston beer Bulletin in roughly its present form was set up at the end of 2005 and I started writing it in earnest at the very beginning of 2006.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

In the fall of 2004, I left my job as the GM of the Celebrator Beer News when we learned that my son, Porter, was autistic. He was three and still was barely talking. When we found out what was going on, I quit working full-time to be home with him. When I found myself giving the same answers to the same questions about him from friends and relatives, I started a family blog so people could read about his progress. It included everything the family was up to, which naturally included beer, too. After a year or so, Porter’s progress was remarkable and I felt I could start taking on more work (I’d continued to do the blind panel tastings at the Celebrator) and began looking for more freelance work. I also decided to start a separate beer blog as a part of that decision.

3. Why did you choose the name of your blog?

I already had the domain name “Brookston.org” which I had been using for the family blog. Though my name is Brooks, I consider my family name to be “Brookston.” My wife’s last name is “Johnston,” and when we got married our original intent had been for us both to change our names to “Brookston,” combining the two. But laziness set in, and we never got around to it. When the kids were born, it seemed natural to make their legal last names Brookston. I’m also a big fan of alliteration, so Beer Bulletin made it complete.

I know you didn’t ask, but I do get a lot of questions about my logo.

The most common misidentifications for it include showerhead and fishing rod. I found it trolling the Internet looking for something appropriate to adapt for a logo. It’s based on the symbol for the Babylonan god Marduk, who was a Sun God, though he eventually became the primary or chief diety in later Babylonian times. He was also associated with brewing and was a Beer-Brewing God who had many symbols and fifty names.

This one, believed to be the earliest symbol for beer and brewing, is a stylized tool used for spreading grain in the anicient brewing process. The rounded part was a handle and you spread the grain out to dry and evened it out using the flat blade at the upper left. And if you look closely you’ll see by initials, “B” and an upside down “J” so it’s seemed ideal for my purposes.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

I think the original goal was to track what was going on in the beer world as a way to put together stories to pitch, but the blog really began taking on a life of its own. It has to led to paying work as I had hoped, but I’m continually surprised by how many people tell me how much they enjoy and regularly read the Bulletin. That’s been very gratifying and helps keep it fun.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

Hearing that lobbyists in Washington, D.C. were aware of the Bulletin and had been influenced or informed by it.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

That’s a hard question. There are a lot of other writers I admire working in the blog format. Picking three forces me to leave out a number of authentic voices, but I’d say Stan Hieronymus, Lew Bryson and Stephen Beaumont’s online stuff are must reads.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Another difficult question, as I love virtually all beer and rarely limit myself, preferring to match what I’m drinking to what I’m eating, what the weather is like or what mood I’m in. My favorite broad kinds of beer include hoppy beers, sour beer and anything very complex, particularly barley wines.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Another impossible question, there are just so many great ones. Anchor certainly, because they were so important to the early days of craft beer. I love Cantillon, too, for their history and for keeping authentic lambic alive. Number three is everybody else.

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Unless I was desperate for work, I wouldn’t want to work for any brewery. I just wouldn’t want to tie myself down. That’s one of the reasons I love what I do.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Not anymore. I did homebrew for about three years back in the late 80s, but don’t anymore. I wasn’t very good and didn’t brew all-malt or anything too adventurous. Plus there were just too many great things the professionals were doing. I’m planning on starting again in a few years, when Porter turns 10. Then we’ll start homebrewing together as a father/son project.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

I’ve done the short course at UC Davis to help write about the technical brewing details more accurately. I’ve also attended Hop School and done the sensory course at Siebel twice, but that’s it. I started doing this so long ago that it doesn’t seem to make sense to go through the process of any certifications at this pint.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Cheese and beer.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

This is my day job, writing about beer. I work from home and also take care of the household and my two kids, while my wife works outside the home at a normal job. I write a bi-weekly syndicated column, Brooks on Beer, for the Bay Area Newsgroup, which runs in at least six papers. I also contribute articles to most, if not all, of the beer periodicals along with a few general circulation ones from time to time.

In addition to the Brookston Beer Bulletin, I also constitute to Real Beer’s Beer Therapy and write the beer portion of the Bottoms Up blog, maintained by the newspaper group I write for.

My first book involving beer was published in 1992, “The Bars of Santa Clara County, A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Silicon Valley.” I’ve also contributed to several others, including “1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die,” which will be published next March. I’m currently working on several additional book projects, some alone and a few as collaborations, and am in development with another project that I can’t yet talk too much about.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I don’t think I’d change much, perhaps I’d write about more diverse topics, but I love what I’m doing. Writing at this point feels like something I have to do, not just something I want to or enjoy doing. It would be great if it was more valued by society and paid better, but c’est la vie.

3. Are you married? Children?

Yes squared. I’ve been married to my wife Sarah for almost 14 years, and we have two children, Porter (who’s and Alice (who’s 5).

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

I collect View Master reels and take 3D photographs, making my own View Master reels. I read a lot and am interested in most topics. I love to learn about as many things as possible, the more arcane, the better. I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of films, though with kids I don’t get out to the theater as much as I’d like. I also have too many little obsessions than I could list here. For example, I’m obsessed with clothespins, frites and potato chips, and art, to name but a few.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would you be and why?

I’m probably a sour beer, because I’m a maladjusted curmudgeon at heart and almost always seem out of step with my peers. Also, drink too much of me and you’ll start laughing, too.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Either a Bass No. 1 from 1900 or a Thomas Hardy 1977.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

Something unique, very well-carbonated and effervescent (or bubbly) with bright gold color and a fluffy white head. A perfumed nose and sweet malty character with a finish that lingers pleasantly long after it’s gone.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I wish I had a crazy sensitive nose that could identify where the malt was grown or what the brewer had for breakfast the morning he brewed that batch. That would be fun, if for no other reason than to finally identify the exact spices Anchor’s used in their Christmas Ale over the years.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Geez, this is a little sad, but I don’t think I’ve ever done anything particularly crazy, not really crazy anyway. I had a friend who lived in the Marina when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit. Her apartment building was one of those ones that was in Time magazine leaning to one side, after the basement garage had collapsed, putting the second floor on the ground.

Over a dozen residents and their friends, myself included, snuck around the police, jumped over fences in back yards and into the back windows of the apartment with trash bags, grabbing what we could in shifts. Walking on the upper floors felt like we were moving on shifting sands. And the ever-present threat of aftershocks made adrenaline pump through our bodies to combat intense fear. That was a rush, so to speak. I definitely needed a beer after that experience.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Hmmmm, bacon …. Isn’t that one of the four food groups? Ask me where to get a peanut butter pizza with bacon topping? I have a bacon obsession, too.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JAY — ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST RECOGNIZABLE BEER BLOGGERS — FOR HIS AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!