His and Hers: Best Craft Beer Moments of 2012

2012 was a year filled with a lot of ups and downs, and punctuated with a lot of great craft beer. What are some of the best craft beer related moments or otherwise that stand out in your mind?

Ashley: One the best craft beer moments for me, this year, was being the beer sponsor at the SF-based Food Revolution event. Led by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the Food Revolution is dedicated to saving America’s health by changing the way people eat – something that both I as a person and Bison as a company can get behind 100%.

We poured our organic beers alongside delicious boutique wines, locally-sourced cheeses, meats and dishes prepared by local chefs. Jamie Oliver also joined out celebration via Google+ hangout – a super cool bonus. The event was great because it really showed just how progressive and sustainably-focused the San Francisco Bay Area is!

This year I had the honor of attending my first KillerBeerFest, organized by none other than my loving and talented husband, Angelo De Ieso of this very website. It’s the only event, ouside of large festivals, where I’ve witnessed so many rare beers and one-offs on tap AT THE SAME TIME. I was truly blown away not just at the amazingness of the beers, but how well-organized and excuted it was. Big props Ang!

Lastly, I got to mix up beer cocktails at the Firestone Walker From the Barrel event using Firestone Walker’s beer. They positioned me at the table with Firestone Walker, so I got to spend the night rubbing elbows with some of the best brewers in the country. Seriously, an awesome event. And, David Walker approved of my cocktail – which made the night even better!

Angelo: For me, 2012 was a year of change. Great change. I moved to the Bay Area, leaving behind my comfort zone of a world class craft beer community in Portland. But on the flipside, I discovered another thriving region for artisan brew where I landed. My wife introduced me to a lot of great people down here making some top notch offerings. Some moments that stand out for me this year included catching some games at AT&T Park in San Francisco to take in some World Championship SF Giants baseball. The Public House at the stadium features some of the best brews from the Bay Area including an amazing bottle selection. Love grabbing a Russian River Blind Pig or a Highwater Retribution Imperial IPA to take back to my seat. Ever seat in the house offers a great view and there’s nothing like taking the ferry across the bay from Oakland’s Jack London Square for front row service to the stadium. Loved it.

I also loved attending the 1st Firestone Walker Invitational in Paso Robles that featured handpicked breweries from all over the country – many of which are not regularly available to us on the West Coast, like Founders, Bells, 3 Floyds, Cigar City, etc. It was an amazing display of beer with killer live music by one of my favorite bands, The Mother Hips. It was a great opportunity to network and make new friends.

Regular trips back to Portland for some of my favorite events like the Oregon Brewers Fest in July, the Holiday Ale Fest in late fall, and my favorite because I put so much work into it, was KillerBeerWeek in October.

Lastly, I should include my experience at Beer Revolution where I began beertending in June. Beer Rev is the best beer bar in the East Bay and features 47 rotating taps. Lots of regional as well as national and international specialty beers. Spectacular opportunity and a great way to make new friends!

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You and I drink so much damn beer all year long – is it really possible to choose a favorite? What three beers top your list for 2012?

Angelo: Wow. That’s a challenge for sure. When I think of bests of, I think of criteria in which to choose such a triumvirate of great brews. Drinkability and sessionability? Cellar beers and big vintage sippers? Well, I offer this: my three go-to beers of 2012 – the brews that I could most often be found imbibing upon: Trumer Pils – brewed right here in Berkeley, and in my humble opinion, the best crafted German-style Pilsner in the United States that I’ve tastes thus far. Crisp, refreshing, and simply fun to drink and always consistent. Moonlight Brewing Death & Taxes – a well-rounded schwarzbier, black lager, what have you, this brew by Santa Rosa’s small brewing outfit that makes a wide range of dynamic offerings, is full bodied with a touch of chewy chocolate notes yet stamped with a distinct crisp satiating character that only a classy lager beer can provide. For my third choice, I will say Cascade Blueberry. This beer is not cheap by any stretch. I think the beers at Cascade are a bit on the spendy side for me, keeping me from enjoying them more, but I really love this rich tart Lactobacillus treat with a beautiful violet hue and lots of juicy blueberry flavor. I was stoked to find this beer on the shelf at my local Berkeley Bowl food store and snagged the last two bottles on the shelf despite the hefty price tag.  I am such a fan of Blueberry beer when it is done right, as an honorable mention, I’ll throw in Marin Brewing’s Blueberry Ale, a  superbly light wheaten summer brew from one of my favorite breweries in the region, hailing from Larkspur, CA….in Marin County.

Ashley: Thanks to you, I’ve gotten to try awesome beers from a lot of great Oregon breweries. The beers that top my list are: Black Cap Raspberry from Cascade, Killer Weiss from Commons Brewery and….. German Sparkle Party from 10 Barrel. Yep, I love my sours!

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New breweries are opening left and right across the country. What are some of your favorite new breweries that opened in 2012?

Ashley: At the top of my list is probably the some-what-local Berryessa Brewing Company in Winters, CA. We went up there for the opening celebration and each and every one of the beers I tasted were spectacular! Other than that, the launch of Societe in San Diego was much anticipated and ever exciting. Sadly, I haven’t visited the brewery yet – but I did get to try the beers at GABF.

Angelo: For me I have to tip my hat to a few standouts that came out the gate making great beer with no apologies. Base Camp Brewing in Portland is making some lagers and lighter, drier Belgos that are right up my alley. Their first packaged product, the “In-Tents” IPL in aluminum bottles is a real treat and perfect for hiking and camping. I really love their wide open artfully done tasting room in the heart of Portland’s East Side. Here in the Bay Area, I’ve taken a shine to Beltane Brewing in Novato. On a  3-barrel brew system, accomplished homebrewer Alan Atha has made the switch to pro in a big way. His Luminesce Tripel, Saison, and Golden Ale are all excellent brews. Lastly, I am anxious to see what comes of 101 North Brewing in Petaluma, CA. Their Oregon-style IPA known as “Heroine” is a great pizza beer, and their second release Naughty Aud Imperial Stout, a big 10% ABV beast is getting dialed in. Brewmaster Joel Johnson, formerly of Bear Republic, is sure to be killing it soon!

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Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good – what were some of your biggest craft beer disappointments this year?

Angelo: Disappointments, eh? Hmmm… haven’t thought about that one much… Thinking… thinking… I suppose a disappointment for me in craft beer include mediocrity of some brands, overpriced beers by some breweries, and the trend of everyone making “sours” and Belgian-style beers that just don’t hit the mark. Overall, though, I would say I have not been very disappointed with this year’s craft beer turnout, because even if there have been some lackluster openings and releases, with this boom has come a LOT of great new choices, and the overall increase in options makes me a happy man.

Ashley: Biggest disappointment for me was, by far, getting sick during GABF. My allergies got so bad I could barely keep my eyes open. I went to bed early every night and missed all of the cool after parties. SUPER BUMMER. Another disappointment for me was having to miss the 1st Firestone Walker Invitational. Everyone that went raved about it and I feel like I missed out on tasting some really great beers as well as hanging out with a lot of awesome people. Sad face!

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Are there any new beer festivals or craft beer events that you have not yet attended that you would most like to attend in 2013. Also, what other must attend beer events are you planning on revisiting?

Ashley: One event that I wish I could attend in 2013, but doubt I will be able to, is the Sour Beer Fest that Avery hosts in Boulder every year. As a lover of sours, that fest has my name written all over it. As always, I will be going to GABF and most likely the Holiday Ale Fest – my two favorite beer events. I hope to get out to Portland, OR for NAOBF and OBF again – but we shall see if I can swing it. Lastly, I cannot wait for you and me to have our first Boonville Fest together!

Angelo: I hope I can make it to the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, WI. Not sure that will happen for me this year, but it’s one that is for sure on my bucket list. I’d also like to take advantage of hitting up a bunch of Bay Area festivities while I am still living here. SF Beer Week is one I’ve been meaning to attend and I am happy to say I am working on organizing and event for the first weekend (Saturday February 9, 2013 at Beer Revolution, Wine Barrel-aged Beer Tastival). As for ones I’ve done in the past that I look forward to, NABA/Mountain Brewers Beer Fest in Idaho Falls, ID, and the Boonville Beer Fest are high on my list, as is another fun-filled KillerBeerWeek in Portland, OR.

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Did any beer and food pairings this year completely blow your mind?

Angelo: I know a lot of beer geek foodies are going to hate hearing this, but I am not a huge beer and food pairer. Maybe it is because I am vegan and most craft beer events and literature don’t cater to the vegetarian diet. Or maybe it is that I see beer itself as a food suitable to consume on its own. This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy a great meal with a great beer. I guess for me the best pairing would be what I often mention in this situation: Tofurky Pizza with a nice IPA like a Bison Organic IPA or a Laurelwood Workhorse IPA.

Ashley: I’m a huge advocate for beer and food pairings. Even the most simplest of foods can pair with beer. And conversely, even the most complex of dishes can also pair with beer – often times better than with wine!! This year, I found myself exploring more junk food & beer pairings. I’ve been working closely with Kettle Brand Chips to develop beer pairings for many of their chips flavors as well as have been dabbling in beer & candy pairings. Tough life, I know

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What are some of the most prevalent trends in craft beer that you witnessed in 2012?

Ashley: One trend that I’ve watched get bigger and bigger each year is nanobrewing. More and more homebrewers are taking the next step – brewing slightly bigger batches, getting alcohol licenses, and selling to local bars. Nanobreweries have really put a new definition to the term drink local. Other than that, I’ve noticed that almost every brewery in the country has experimented with barrel-aged and wild yeast/ sour beers. There are about 5 times as many barrel-aged and sour beers in the market today than I remember there being about 5 years ago. Which is good for me, since I absolutely adore my sours!!!

Angelo: Growth, growth, and more growth. Expansion by some, and simply opening for others. Canning beer seemed like a big one this past year. Even the breweries that bottle are going to cans to supplement their bottled brews. Mobile canning companies and added canning lines make this possible. A few other trends that stick out, good or bad, include sour beers, more sessionable brews, more Belgian-style offerings, and new experimentation with new hop varietals. Trying for new styles like the smoked IPA is a mixed bag, but kudos to the brewers for always staying imaginative. One trend I am a big fan of and hope to see more down the road is the emergence of the IPL (India Pale Lager). I love lager beers and am happy to see this hoppy new style forge new ground!

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What brewer or brewery surprised or impressed you the most this year?

Angelo: I think the most impressive brewery in 2012, for me, was The Commons. Taking home two medals on the big stage at World Beer Cup and GABF in their first year of entrees. Everything I’ve tasted from them has been outstanding and their attitude is what I like to see in a brewery. They are humble yet unafraid to push boundaries and take chances. I am also very impressed with Berryessa Brewing of Winters, CA. To come out of the gate as strong as he did after uprooting himself from Washington, proves that Chris Miller is one of the best in the biz. Tip of the hat to these folks who are not just great brewers but people I consider friends.

Ashley: SO many breweries impressed and surprised me this year. Although I had high expectations going in, I was really impressed by Crooked Stave’s line of artisanal sours and barrel-aged beers. Chad truly is a master of Brettanomyces. Speaking of sour beers, I’m really excited that Berryessa Brewing has officially opened. Chris Miller is a great brewer and I’m really excited to watch his sour program develop. Last but not least, I am blown away by the growth that many craft breweries are experiencing in the U.S. It is definitely a great day and age to be a craft beer lover!

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What do you most look forward to in 2013?

Ashley: I most definitely look forward most to celebrating my first anniversary with my amazing, talented and extremely loving husband, Angelo De Ieso (you!) Beer wise, I’m excited about touring new breweries this year with you! Although we drink a lot of beer together, we rarely leave the home. So I’m looking forward to going on more beer adventures! I’m also excited about SF Beer Week this year. Bison is trying something new for beer week. Instead of hosting our own events, we are teaming up with 7 other bay area breweries to co-host a series of “Band of Gypsy” tap takeovers as well as brew a special collaboration beer to be released during beer week. I’m also REALLY excited to present a seminar with 3 colleagues during the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference. And then, of course, I’m stoked about attending all the awesome beer events throughout the year!

Angelo: 2012 had it’s ups and downs. For 2013 I am looking forward to making way for more ups. This means continuing to learn and love with my partner. Personally, I am looking forward to growing personally and professionally. I am excited to sink my teeth into the Bay Area craft beer community. I’ve met a lot of cool people and I expect to meet many more in 2013. Beer wise, I am anticipating the opening of the Old Depot Taphouse next to Beer Revolution (same owners, too). They will have a vegan kitchen and 42 taps! I am excited about working together with my wife more and to make more friends. SF Beer Week, Boonville, more camping, more getting out and moving around. I am also excited about new beers from Bison now that they’ve locked in some great new organic hops. Man, like Tom Petty says “the future is wide open!”

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

YAWN! Who needs boring resolutions this year? Instead of resolving to do something you will stop doing next week,  make a beer resolution! I’ve recruited the help of some of my favorite professionals in the beer industry to help inspire my craft beer loving friends and readers to create their own beer resolutions.

Have a beer resolution? Add it in the comment section below! Cheers!!!

2013 New Year’s Beer Resolutions of the Craft Beer Industry

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Julia Herz

Brewers Association Craft Beer Program Director | Publisher, CraftBeer.com

Twitter: @herzmuses

New Years Resolution(s): In 2013 I plan to continue deeper into my beer studies which will even further expand my craft beer appreciation. 2 big goals:

1) Get better at describing what I taste. I want to share all the juicy details just like a gossip girl wants names and a blow by blow of the entire story! Describing should be less big picture and more specifics. Instead of saying, “This craft beer has lots of caramel, nutty notes and chocolate.” How about, “It busts with butter cream, almonds show through in mid-taste and bitter dark chocolate lingers in the background throughout.” Now that is more specific AND enticing AND what I continue to strive for.

2) Further my ability to describe what is happening during pairing. As a result of my job in preaching pairing via CraftBeer.com and tastings I’ve had to find tools and understandable basics that work for me. If I can identify elements (like the primary colors or sweet/salt/sour/bitter/roast/fruit/etc.) in craft beer and food then I have reference to identify/describe what interactions (sweet calms sweet/acidic calms acidic/ bitter calms sweet) occurred to create new ‘elevated’ elements (like the secondary colors or for example the sugar sweet in that cheese cake was calmed down and lessened by the bold hop bitterness of the IPA so I could then better taste the cream cheese tart of the cake). It’s a lot to digest I know.

For anyone trying to describe pairings, if you’ve never done it before, it’s as hard as trying to describe the primary colors, but being visually impaired or blind. I am fully on this journey. By the way another way to think of food elements or primary colors is like prime numbers in math. They are the most basic and cannot be broken down further. Sweet is a pure element like a prime number. So is salty, sour, bitter, etc.

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Anat Baron

Entreprenuer | Director/Writer/Producer, Beer Wars

Twitter: @beerwars

New Years Resolution: To get over my allergy to alcohol… so I can FINALLY drink craft beer.

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Kirk Coco

President, NOLA Brewing Company

Twitter: @NOLABrewing

New Years Resolution: I resolve to push the envelope and get beyond the basics with our beers, starting a sour beer program and brewing more imperials, doubles and getting lagers onto the market.  Personally, I resolve to vary my drinking to enjoy wine and cocktails as well as beer, to train my palate for varied tastes and to make myself a better brewer.

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Jason Oliver

Brewmaster, Devils Backbone Brewing Company

New Years Resolution: To become a hop master and a master of using hops. To really focus on the finer points and subtleties of using hops above and beyond merely adding more to a brew and have Devils Backbone win both small brewpub & small brewing company of the year at the 2013 GABF.  That’s not too much to ask is it??

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Win Bassett

Social Media & Beer Education, All About Beer Magazine | Executive Director, North Carolina Brewers Guild | Interim Secretary, North American Guild of Beer Writers

Website: http://winbassett.com
Twitter: @winbassett @allaboutbeer

New Years Resolution: Stan Hieronymus’ recent blog post about the “two-ounce culture” (http://appellationbeer.com/heyolllllo-better-copyright-two-ounce-culture/) really resonated with me. For 2013, I plan to do less “tast[ing], rat[ing], mov[ing] on” and more enjoying beer experiences with friends. Cheers to a new year in beer!

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Lucy Saunders

Author / Founder, Great Lakes Water Conservation Conference

• The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer
• Grilling with Beer: Bastes, BBQ Sauces, Mops, Marinades & More Made with Craft Beer
• Cooking With Beer: Taste-Tempting Recipes and Creative Ideas for Matching Beer & Food

Website: beercook.com
Twitter: @lucybeercook and @GLwater

New Years Resolution: My new year’s beer resolution is to read a new book about beer and brewing every month! Top on my list, For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus. I also plan to be a tourist in my home state of Wisconsin, and take more brewery tours, even the ones I’ve already visited….if it’s been more than a year, it’s worth the repeat to see what’s changed.

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Photo: Grapes & Grains NYC

Ron Jeffries

General Mischief Maker, Jolly Pumpkin Artisinal Ales

New Years Resolution: The only thing I can think of is that, while we are almost finished installing our new 50 bbl brewhouse, what I am most happy about is getting to brew again on our old 10 bbl, slow it down to one brew a day, and come out with some super….uhhhh… “interesting” stuff.

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 Mitch Steele

Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co. | Author

• IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale

Twitter: @MitchAtStone

New Years Resolutions: Brew several kick-ass IPAs.

Always look at my glass as half full.

Drink responsibly.

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Garrett W. Marrero

Founder, Maui Brewing Co.

Twitter: @MauiBrewingCo

New Years Resolution: I’d love to spend more time with family and friends enjoying great craft beer from around the world, that and to not lose my mind building the new brewery!

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Dan Del Grande

Chief Hoperations Officer, Bison Organic Beer

Twitter: @bisonbrew

New Years Resolution: I’m inspired (by my friend Natalie) to have a social hour every week day with a different person–a beer after work, a quick lunch or cup of joe mid day.  Too many times I say, “Let’s get together” but we never do.  I’m changing that.

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Angela Arp

Special Events & Social Media Coordinator, Nebraska Brewing Co.

Twitter: @AngelaArp | @NEBrewingCo

News Years Resolution: My 2013 resolution is to spend my energy promoting what I love rather than bashing what I hate.

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Stan Hieronymus

Author/ Journalist

• For The Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness and the Culture of Hops (Brewing Elements) 
• Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them
• Brewing with Wheat (Brewing Technology)
• The Beer Lover’s Guide to the USA: Brewpubs, Taverns, and Good Beer Bars

Website: www.appellationbeer.com
Twitter: @StanHieronymus

New Years Resolution: Remember the philosophy “Less is more” in all things, including writing, certainly life, and – of course – beer.

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Angelo M. De Ieso II

Founder, Brewpublic.com | Beertender at Beer Revolution

Twitter: @BREWPUBLIC

New Years Resolution: To continue to become a more accepting and well-rounded person; to grow professionally and personally. I want to continue to learn more about beer and to taste more interesting styles. I’d really love to find steady work outside of my blog doing something in the craft beer community. I’d like to embark upon more collaborative projects with my wife. I also want to travel to more breweries in Northern California while I am living here.

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William Sysak – AKA “Dr. Bill”

Craft Beer Ambassador & Certified Cicerone ® at Stone Brewing Co.

Twitter: @BistroBeer @MasterPairings @ExpertDrinking

New Year’s Resolution: To continue spread the word on Craft Beer! To inform & educate the masses about the wonders of a hoppy IPA or a tart Flemish Red. Basically to continue to do what I and many others have done for the past 35 years. You may have seen this before; http://vimeo.com/14803129

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Jared Rouben

Brewmaster of the Goose Island brewpubs

Twitter: @jbrew312

New Years Resolution: To explore more farmer’s markets for better ingredients to use in my beers. And to experience more restaurants that are  focusing on beer and food to challenge my palette.

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Randy Clemens

Freelance food & drink writer / author of The Sriracha Cookbook and co-author of The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance

Website: http://www.randyclemens.com

Twitter Handle: @RandyClemensEsq

New Years Resolution: I’ve long placed a high priority on purchasing organic food, but I need to place the same emphasis on seeking out organic beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea… you name it. How? Well, besides buying and drinking more of it, I’ll also ask for it… EVERY time.

Even after scanning a menu and seeing no organic beers or wines, I’ll ask the bartender or server or store clerk if they carry any. Why? Because demand creates supply, and I’d love to see organic drinks available in more places.

Sure, there are a good number of reputable establishments carrying them now because they too care about the negative impacts that so-called “conventional” farming has on our health and our environment, but many places simply aren’t aware or haven’t yet been enticed enough to care or worse yet, think their customers don’t care. Well, I care, and I intend to help draw more attention to and create more demand for organic beers and wines. I’m Randy Clemens, and I approve this message.

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Andy Sparhawk

Craft Beer Program Coordinator, Brewers Association

Twitter: @AndySparhawk

New Years Resolution: I look forward to attempting to look at the beer world with a wide lens. Recognizing that there will always be something new to learn about or experience.

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New Years Resolution: Beer? What is thing you call beer? I should probably learn more about this next year!

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Don Chartier

Northern Hemispherical Vice Captain for Supply Vectored Marketing Analysis, Lagunitas Brewing Co.

New Years Resolution: Basically just spending more time with friends and family,try and be a better person to all I encounter and continue on my journey in this wonderful world of craft!

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Stephen Johnson

Co-Founder, New Brew Thursday

Twitter: @newbrewthursday | @darthweef

New Years Resolution: My new years resolution is to introduce myself to at least 50 craft breweries that I have never tried before.

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Ashley V Routson

Director of Awesomeness, Bison Organic Beer | Founder, DrinkWithTheWench.com

Twitter: @TheBeerWench

New Years Resolution: In 2013, my beer resolutions are to…

1. Taste, taste, taste. There is really no excuse for my failing the tasting portion of the Certified Cicerone Exam other than pure laziness. This year, I am determined to taste more beers in style categories that I am not particularly fond of so that I can have a more well-rounded palate. And I also vow to dedicate more time to off-flavor tasting.

2. Visit more breweries. I live so close to so many awesome breweries, yet almost never venture out to visit them, taste their beers and get to know the people that work at them. This year, I plan on visiting at least one brewery a month as well as attending more industry events. (I really need to get out of the house).

3. Read more books – beer books, that is. I have both Mitch’s IPA book and Stan’s For the Love of Hops – and I’ve barely read 20 pages of each. If I want to get smarter about beer, I really need to read those books!

4. SPEND MORE TIME IN THE NOW, and less time on social media. I used to be the girl who was so busy tweeting, facebooking and instagramming at events, bars, and parties that I would completely miss out on all human interactions. This year, I vow to be in the now when I’m out with people and save the social media posts for later.

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Happy New Year!

Note: Most of the photos above are either media photos from breweries or Facebook profile pics, unless stated otherwise. If a photo needs credit, do not hesitate to contact me! Cheers!