The group, consisting of Jay Brooks (brookstonbeerbulletin.com), Dave McLean (Magnolia and Alembic), Shaun O’Sullivan (21st Amendment), Bruce Paton (beerchef.com) and me, with input from Dave Keene (Toronado), put together a program for an eight-day celebration of beer to take place in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. Given the Bay Area’s role in founding the craft beer industry, our Mr. Brooks came up with “America’s Original Craft Beer–Drinking City.” The gauntlet had been dropped. In the nicest possible way, of course.

The program was launched during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver last September with a hospitality at Falling Rock Tap House. Getting brewers to sign on was the easy part. Getting the word out to the beer-loving public was more of a challenge. More meetings, after which a group of beer “evangelists” was let loose to pursue and develop events for S.F. Beer Week. We gathered momentum.

We needed a significant “kickoff” event. We had hoped to hold it at Anchor Brewing Company, given its founding role in the American good-beer movement. Timing. Anchor had a new beer, but would it be ready in time? The suspense built. By sheer force of will, Fritz Maytag stepped up and contributed his nascent Our Barrel-Aged Beer, a blended beer aged in Old Potrero barrels (it was spectacular, by the way), as the focal point of the kickoff, held at his brewery on February 6, 2009. The event was as impressive as the beer itself! We were on our way.

The kickoff at Anchor was attended by a who’s who of the beer world, and the topic of SF Beer Week was pervasive among the attendees. We were already benefiting from radio interviews and newspaper mentions. Our longtime supporter and beer industry reporter Bill Brand of the Oakland Tribune did weekly columns on developments of SF Beer Week and helped spread the word.

The very next day, Saturday, February 7, a greatly expanded Double IPA Festival was held at The Bistro in Hayward, Calif. Nearly 30 double IPAs were available for tasting and were professionally judged. Over 1,200 people attended, a huge success by any measure. Many other events were held, at venues as diverse as The Trappist, Seabright Brewery, La Trappe, The Monk’s Kettle, City Beer Store, The Jug Shop, Millennium Restaurant and others.

On Sunday, Beer to Breakers and a Magical Brew Pub Tour were held, along with over a dozen other events. That same day, beer lovers were choosing between attending the Alembic Sunday Supper with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Dave McLean of the Magnolia Pub, and attending a Celebration of Mexican Food & Craft Beer at Marin Brewing Company. I also made it over to Triple Rock Brewery’s All Sour-Style Barrel-Aged Beer Tasting. You beer lovers could also “Wet Your Whistles” during a Peninsula Pub Crawl on Caltrain.

This reporter also attended a wonderful dinner with beer at the new Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Oakland. Not to be missed was the Beer Circus hosted by Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma. Truly off-the-hook great! At the 21st Amendment Brewpub, a dinner featuring Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton was wrapping up, and beer industry reporter Bill Brand left for his ride home. Sadly, he was struck by a Muni streetcar and ended up in ICU at San Francisco General Hospital. Things looked grim.

On Monday, I attended Henry's Publick House Beer Dinner in Berkeley, featuring Triple Rock and Iron Springs beer. But I missed Moylan’s Whisky! Beer! Cheese! Chocolate! event at Noonan’s Bar & Grill. I also missed the Sierra Nevada Five-Course Beer Tasting Dinner at Horizons Restaurant in Sausalito. It was getting complicated. Consider that Strong Beer Month was still going on at Magnolia’s and 21st Amendment! Food and beer pairings went all week at the seminal foodie experience called Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkeley. Reports were that Bill Brand had stabilized but was still in a coma.

Tuesday’s plethora of events included a Sierra Nevada Four-Course Beer Dinner at the Hotel Mac in Point Richmond; meeting Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River at the Toronado; and attending a cheese and beer mash-up at The Bistro in Hayward; among others.

Wednesday’s Cheese & Beer Tasting held at Rogue Ales Public House in San Francisco was packed. Many also attended ThirstyBear Brewing Company’s Cask & Quesos Night, featuring cask beers; and Russian River Night at Oliveto’s in Oakland, across the Bay.

Thursday featured “A Night of Ales: A Firestone Walker Beer Dinner” by Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton at the Peacock Lounge, sponsored by the Toronado. That dinner tasting was amazing. But across the Bay in Hayward, Beer Mixology & Sensory Appreciation with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and publican Judy Ashworth was also happening at The Bistro.

Friday morning was the Bavarian Beer Breakfast at Gordon Biersch in the City, followed in the afternoon by a “Meet the Brewers” of the San Francisco Brewers Guild at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers. That evening, a spectacular Beer and Chocolate dinner designed by Beer Chef Bruce Paton was held at San Francisco’s Cathedral Hill Hotel.

Saturday began with the Toronado Barleywine Festival, where 55 beers were served and judged double-blind. Anchor Brewing hosted the Homebrew Club of the Year, among other Saturday events.

Sunday came to a close (thankfully, for some) with Celebrator's Best of the West Beerfest at the Oakland Convention Center/Marriott Hotel. Some 55 breweries poured their best beers for over 1,000 attendees. It was an amazing conclusion to an eight-day series of events that just sort of came together because they needed to.

We later learned that our friend and colleague Bill Brand had passed away from his injuries. Bill was instrumental in publicizing and promoting the first SF Beer Week. He will be remembered at future events as the reporter who stepped up for the good-beer story.

VIEW THE SF BEER WEEK 2009 FEATURE HERE