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JUNE/JULY 2005 | REGIONAL |
WEST COAST
A Firkin Good Time in Berkeley
By Mike Pitsker
I’ve been working in and around Berkeley for many years,
both in and out of the beer biz, and I’ve always enjoyed
Triple Rock Brewery. It exudes Berkeley from
its pores. From the focaccia sandwiches made in the tiny kitchen
to the ancient wooden beer cases decorating the high shelves
throughout the pub to the sometimes creaky hardwood floors,
this place screams “Berkeley!”
Brewmaster Christian Kazakoff fits right in. He brews real
Berkeley beer; it’s heady and thick, belts you with
its presence and kicks you in the taste buds. It often bears
strange names like Bug Juice Ale or Tree Frog Ale —
to save the little buggers in true Berkeley spirit —
and it never fails to please.
The same can be said for the annual festival that Christian
has masterminded. It occurs late in March within the pub itself,
features real ales from the Bay Area and beyond and offers
the closeness for which Berkeley is known. On a Saturday in
late March, the narrow pub was lined with folks sipping and
comparing cask-conditioned ales as servers dashed between
lounging clusters of samplers and pourers flitted between
gravity-fed kegs.
No less than 27 firkin-kegged beers were available for sampling,
and I couldn’t pick a front runner. I had to choose
by category, and even then I had my difficulties choosing
favorites. In the light(er) ale category, I liked Marin Brewing’s
Star Brew. English Ales’ Brothwick’s Best Bitter
proved the favorite in the ESB line. Ambers and reds were
impressive, but I liked Lagunitas Imperial Red and Iron Springs
Epiphany Hoppy Amber. In the IPA category, Firestone Double
IPA and Kelley Brothers French Cabernet Oak IPA were my favorites,
followed closely by Triple Rock Punched in the IPA (there
he goes with the clever names again).
Among the dark brews, I preferred Drake’s Chocolate
Milk Stout and Third Street AleWorks Dry Irish Stout. In strong
ales, Beach Chalet XXX Old Ale and Russian River Pliny the
Younger finished my list of favorites. The rest of the field
was just as strong, and all the brewers performed commendably.
At small fests like this one, I’m always pleased to
see old friends and meet new ones. Upon signing in at the
door, I immediately ran into the Celebrator’s own San
Francisco columnist Bob Coleman conversing with Marin Brewing’s
head brewer, Arne Johnson. The Tied House master of ceremonies
and other dirty business, Peter Cogan, arrived shortly, along
with 21st Amendment founder and Head Brewer Shaun O’Sullivan.
I met Denise Jones, head brewer for Third Street AleWorks,
for the first time. I spent a good deal of time speaking with
Sierra Nevada brewer Nick Ison and his wife, Cherry. I even
had a chance to wave at Russian River owner and brewer Vinnie
Cilurzo.
Small fests are fun. They offer an intimate atmosphere and
tend to draw more local product and people. And making friends
is a big part of the ticket price. Visit Triple Rock Brewery
and Pub on Shattuck in downtown Berkeley or log on to triplerock.com
and stay in the loop.
Triple Rock Brewery and Pub
1920 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-843-2739
triplerock.com
Mike Pitsker is an associate editor of the
Celebrator Beer News and a longtime beer-industry
professional.
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