The birth of the craft beer movement, revisited.

Most beer geeks credit Fritz Maytag as the god father of the craft beer movement in America. However, I feel, and many others do as well, that a long forgotten figure should share that designation with Mr Maytag. His name, Jack McAuliffe, who started New Albion Brewing Company, in Sonoma, California, back in 1976. Sadly, and seemingly inevitably, the brewery did not survive, due to a mixture of lack of space, equipment, and funding, and shuttered its doors in November of 1982.

New Albion's equipment was purchased, and is still used by Mendocino Brewing Company (formally Hopland), and their original signage is on display at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, and has been signed by Jack McAuliffe himself.

Back in Aug, Jim Koch of Sam Adams, announced they would be brewing the original New Albion recipe for release at events, like the Great American Beer Festival, and will be available nationwide starting in January of 2013. I found this video about the making of this beer, and found it interesting, and thought I would share it with you.

Enjoy, until next time

Bottoms up my Friends!

The Beer Czar