That's right folks, an LL Cool J reference in my blog. No, I never thought I would see it either. But I do seem to spend a decent amount of time in California, don't I? I think it's because California, above all else (translation: California, Uber Alles!), is pretty damn awesome when it comes to beer. I am going out to San Francisco tomorrow for the Craft Brewer's Conference. Yes I know that I am not a professional brewer, but apparently this is THE industry event of the year, and the "networking" (translation: drinking beer with other beer people) opportunities are huge. I plan on networking the hell out of this thing.
The day time is filled up with seminars on everything from: "Delaware Calagione and the Lost Temple of Yeast" or "Improving Brewhouse Efficiency for Small Brewers" to "High Gravity Panel Discussion". This is serious business. There are six different seminars, each lasting about an hour, on different categories of the beer business going on at once every hour for three days. Want to learn about opportunities in emerging markets like Brazil or the UK? You can do it there. Feel like brushing up on wholesaler laws or brewery taxation issues (Zzzzzzzz)? Me either. Want to listen to the owner of Russian River discuss the technical aspects of barrel aging, or the brewer from Brasserie de la Senne discuss the emerging new brewery scene in Belgium? That's more like it. I am very interested to hear Sierra Nevada owner Ken Grossman on "What's Next in Sustainability Practices Within Craft Breweries". That brewery's green technology has been trailblazing for years, so let's see where they are taking it in the future, shall we?
So you get the gist of what this event is all about. You can read more about it here if you want: http://www.craftbrewersconference.com/ . Otherwise just wait until I get back and I will tell you all about it. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the private parties and hospitality receptions. I guess if you are in the beer business and you have to sit through educational seminars, you require beer breaks, beginning around noon, all day and night, until 1:00 am. And if Lagunitas wants to throw a party for CBC attendees (and they do!), they do it big. Thursday night they have the entire Fillmore Auditorium set aside for CBC people. Live band, all that. If you do not know what the Fillmore Auditorium is or what it means to American music history, please fire yourself. This party alone might be worth the cost of admission to the entire conference. Stay tuned for details.
But while I am gone, we have some special events for you. I am going to list them here, plus some events for the following weeks since I tend to get a little behind while I am gone and not post anything for a while. Here we go:
- The Fred has a Heavy Seas event on Thursday featuring a cask of Black Cannon Black IPA and kegs of Holy Sheet! and Aaarsh Red. Come by and see Atlanta's most eligible bachelor, Heavy Seas one and only Kevin Fox. He will be on hand to talk about life, his beers, the playboy lifestyle....You know, the usual.
- Mall of GA is tapping a cask of Left Hand Fade To Black Smoked Baltic Porter on Friday this week. Now you folks in the NE part of metro Atlanta have something to look forward to this weekend.
- Crabapple has a 2009 Smuttynose Imperial Stout keg to tap on Friday along with a Dogfish Head My Antonia. See, now the Alpharetta/Roswell people don't have to be jealous of the Gwinnett people. One love people. One love.
- Next week on Wednesday the 30th we have another Black Cannon cask at Cumming. Can they break their own record of 31 minutes to kill a firkin? Will you be there to be part of history? Only you can answer that.
- There is a Chancellor-only event on Saturday the 2nd. But if you aren't a part of it, you probably don't want to hear about it. If you are a part of it, here is your reminder.
- Stay tuned for more details, but on Monday April 4th there is New Belgium event at Deckard's American Tavern. Typically get a case of the Mondays? I got a solution for you: beer. It's awesome. Mondays aren't. Be there.
Before I go, I just want to say how excited I was to drop a Dead Kennedy's reference into my blog earlier, only to find out that "California Uber Alles" is featured in a Tony Hawk video game and is downloadable for the Rock Band video game. Thanks Wikipedia. Thanks for ruining that for me. I gotta go now and get packed. As soon as I land tomorrow I get in a van with some Terrapin and Left Hand people to go visit the Russian River, Moylan's and Lagunitas breweries. Work, work, work....Talk to you next week.
