Brew Ha Ha

Rewind Arcade Taproom

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:23:33 +0000

Herlinda and Lisa.

Adam Lamb and Jevon Hatter Oiadeje from the Rewind Arcade Taproom in Sebastopol join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. Lisa Brower is also here in the studio. She is the host of Jeopardy! bar league that meets at Rewind Arcade. Jevon was on Brew Ha Ha last year on this episode, talking about Rewind Arcade.

Their third anniversary falls on Memorial Day this year. The Barlow is a great place for this kind of thing, says Daedalus. Herlinda lists the selection of beers that Jevon has brought. He is in charge of the beer menu. It has a great variety as well as an automated tap system. You get an RFID card that you use to track your pours and make your check. Jevon appreciates that there are so many great local producers to feature.

They have 33 pinball machines, up from the original 10. They also sell Stern pinball machines and service them too. He spent a lot of time in a bowling alley as a kid, where his stepdad was the bartender. Here is their 30-second tour Instagram video.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

Jeopardy! Bar Leagues

Herlinda mentions her friend Lisa Brower who is the host of a live local version of the game show Jeopardy! They are the only official Jeopardy! bar league in Sonoma and Marin Counties. It is officially sponsored by Sony Television. They worked with a company called “Geeks who Drink” that organized the business. They got the rights to produce it and set up an entirely digital system of results reporting. Everything is on your phone. As an officially sanctioned event the questions come from the Jeopardy! staff.

They are launching the national Jeopardy! bar league championships. Teams from around the country will be divided into regions with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. The winner national winner gets a sponsored trip to Los Angeles, a studio tour to meet the host and team and an exclusive audition. They also win an official Jeopardy! party at their home venue. Herlinda and Daedalus consider putting a team together, a dream team with them and Aurelio and Mindi.

@19m Daedalus, a host, asks how you become a host of Jeopardy! Their answer button is on their phone, laptop or tablet. The tournament will go on for the next 8 weeks. There are links to it all at Rewind Arcade website.

@23m Thanks for plugging the podcast on the radio show! 🔌🍻

Rewind Arcade has kept their licenses to beer and wine. This way, they are eligible to allow all ages in the locale. If they served distilled spirits, they could not admit people under 21. They have a jukebox and DJs once or twice a month on a Friday or a Saturday. Pinball community is fully inclusive and accessible. Adam’s son is eleven years old and is a pinball wizard.

First Taste of Pliny the Younger 2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:23:12 +0000

Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha with the first taste of Pliny the Younger 2026. This is the 22nd year that Russian River Brewing Company makes Pliny the Younger.

“It’s the biggest news of the year in beerdom,” declares Daedalus Howell. For the last 22 years, Brew Ha Ha has hosted the first taste of Pliny the Younger and this is Daedalus Howell’s first time as the host, for this big event.

Pliny the Younger has become a “colossal, global event,” says Daedalus. Natalie Cilurzo describes the pressure that they all feel at RRBC during Pliny. Life throws curveballs, like recessions, weather and Covid, but Pliny pours on. “We keep doing the best we can. “We are just elated when we see people waiting on Friday morning,” says Natalie.

Vinny Cilurzo describes Pliny the Younger as using seven hops, the same as last year, but in a different mix. It’s always (about) 10.25% ABV. It used to be 11 but they dialed it back. The malt is a mix of two malts. There is “two row” malt from the US and Canada and some Pilsner malt. It has is a lot of sugar that gives it a dry taste. There was a potential of smoke taint in the region where their Simcoe hops come from. They had to pick the hops earlier.

Vinny summarized the history of Pliny the Younger. It was available for five years before the world discovered it. In 2010 there were people waiting outside the brewery at 7AM. Vinny did not know that their beer was Number One and Number Two in the world, on two influential beer rating sites. “We still don’t know how it happened.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

The Community of Pliny the Younger

They did fill growlers and they didn’t distribute it. It was a small batch but word got out to beer enthusiasts. That was a moment when curiosity about beer was rising, back then. Today Craft Beer is established. Back then, there was a novelty factor.

Vinny and Natalie both say that their favorite part of the whole thing is walking the line and meeting the customers. Herlinda appreciates that both Vinny and Natalie are natural teachers. Also, they are working as hard as their staff, to make the event a success. “It’s a lot of fun for us,” says Natalie. It has turned into a big reunion. They get visitors from all over the world. There are people who have met in line at Pliny the Younger who have gone on to get married. It’s a pilgrimage. You can meet people from around the corner and around the world. Some people have an annual friends reunion at Pliny.

Dr. Hoby Wedler

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 23:23:42 +0000

Dr. Hoby Wedler, a PhD organic chemist and sensory expert, is back on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. He has been on the show before, the last time was this episode back in August of 2020. His Instagram has almost 480,000 followers as of today’s show date.

Hoby was born sightless, and was raised to have high expectations for himself. He was inspired by his great high school chemistry teacher who has worked at Petaluma High School for a while. He thought he might study history because the prospect of needing an assistant to perform manual jobs in a chem lab. But his graduate advisor was a computational organic chemist. This subject provided an avenue for him to study chemistry with more independence. His original goal was to teach freshman chemistry at the college level. He is an inspired teacher and wants to make his subject more than a requirement. “Hey maybe this is something really interesting that I never thought I would love.” He taught several freshman chemistry courses while at UC Davis. He prepared lessons and study materials carefully, but found that many students just wanted “the minimum knowledge value” to simply pass the class.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

Then Hoby met Francis Ford Coppola, who asked to organize truly blind tastings at his winery. Hoby then trained his palette by tasting and smelling things, day after day. He was at UC Davis where the brewing program was going on right next to where he was getting his PhD in computational organic chemistry. Professor Charlie Bamforth, “The Pope of Foam” worked nearby, so did Michael Lewis.

An Intersection of Art and Science

Hoby thinks of wine and spirits and beer as a very fine intersection between art and science. Science gives us the tools and art gives us the way we want to use those tools. Herlinda first met Hoby Wedler at one of his Tasting in the Dark events. Guests were encouraged to take their time and focus on taste and smell. They use the blindfold “…so people can focus on their other senses even more.”

Today they will taste two brews, a barleywine and a Tripel from CuVer Brewing in Windsor.

Herlinda admits that as a beer judge, she begins by looking at the beer. Is it clear? What color is the foam? Hoby says you can smell the carbonation. Hoby points out that you can hear the carbonation too. When he smells the cuVer, he tastes clove, allspice, a bit of nutmeg and orange peel. These elements are coming from the yeast, which produces esters. Belgian yeast is special and produces esters that carry these fruity flavors. He can also taste the malt. It has a low-to-mid hop profile but the flavor is dominated by grain and malt, and the ester compounds coming from the yeast. He also knows that the water in Belgium is special, it’s very pure. Herlinda smells coriander and also the alcohol.

Tasting in the Dark

Hoby promotes his tasting experience called Tasting in the Dark. It works with many kinds of foods and beverages, including wine, beer, spirits, olive oil, vinegar and even beef. He did a tasting experience of scotch, gin and bourbon for the launch of a new kind of freshwater fish bait. The bait is designed to be attractive to the fishes’ sense of smell.

Hoby’s Instagram has grown explosively in the last year. He put a few reels online from their tastings and they proved to be very popular. Some of them were from Hawaii about tropical fruit. They went from 3000 followers to 480,000 followers today.

The second tasting is a Barleywine called Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada. Hoby knows Ken Grossman who started Sierra Nevada out of the back of his pickup truck in 19790. Barleywine uses light hops and so much malted barley that the beer has a similar alcohol concentration to wine, 9.6% ABV.

Jenna Bautista, Pink Boots Society

Thu, 5 Mar 2026 23:23:36 +0000

Jenna Bautista from the Pink Boots Society, also a Senior Quality Analyst for Lagunitas, joins Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha.

Jenna Bautista joins Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha, with Adam Bosch from Parliament Brewing Co. also in studio.

International Women’s Day is Sunday March 8, this year. There is a whole weekend of Pink Boots Society collaborations to check out.

Lagunitas has made Glass Breaker, using Nectaron, Simcoe, and O-33 experimental hops. It has pine and stone fruit flavors and is a little over 8.5% ABV. It will be released this Saturday.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

The Pink Boots Society North Bay has partnered with CuVer in Windsor to brew a Belgian IPA called By Her Bootstraps. HenHouse is releasing The Coven, a botanical rice lager flavored with sage, grapefruit and lemon peel and lavender. They are releasing it at Fort Point Valencia on Sunday.

Jenna was just in New Orleans for the Pink Boots Society conference. They had a couple hundred women and non-binary people working in the beverage industry. They had a speaker from Europe who talked about advocating for yourself in a tough industry and how to advocate for others.

Friday there is a performance of Werewolf on Holiday at Lagunitas, too.

Fort Point HenHouse Merger with Justin and Colin

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:24:02 +0000

The Fort Point HenHouse merger is the subject today with Justin Catalana of Fort Point Brewing and Colin MacDonald of HenHouse Brewing, on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras. Justin is calling in on the phone today while his friend and colleague Colin is in the studio at Wine C0untry Radio with Herlinda Heras.

Fort Point Beer Co. has been featured on Brew Ha Ha before, the last time was this episode. Colin has been on the show before, most recently this episode in 2024 about the Freshtival that year.

Recently HenHouse and Fort Point breweries joined forces. Although they still produce beers under the two brands, Colin describes them as having complimentary strengths. HenHouse is rooted in the North Bay and Fort Point has grown to be San Francisco’s biggest craft beer.

The first beer tasted today is an alcohol-free KSA from Fort Point. SF Beer Week is happening all over the Bay Area. Fort Point makes KSA which is a non-alcoholic Kölsch style beer. They also make other NA beers. Herlinda will be with Fort Point at the Dim Sum Brunch at the Hong Kong Lounge on Saturday.

KSA is the beer they are most known for. Kolsch style beer comes from Cologne, Germany. They will be serving this beer tonight in the same style as a brew pub in Cologne, in the same kind of glasses. The event on Saturday is a huge Dim Sum service with Fort Point beers. This is one of Herlinda’s favorite SF Beer Week events.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

Big Chicken

Big Chicken is a double IPA that HenHouse makes once a year. It is also a statement about freshness. They want it to be the freshest beer it can be. You can buy beer that was packaged the same day. Fresh beer is so much better and makes enough of a difference that they founded the brewery on that principle. They used to do a promotion called the Freshtival, where they brought beers in that were no more than a week old.

This Sunday Mar. 1 they have an event to promote the end of Big Chicken this year. Colin compares its flavor to a tropical fruit bowl. That then begs the question, what do you pair it with? Something big and intense, so fried chicken. The Big Chicken fest this year closes with the Fried Chicken competition at Palace of Barrels in Petaluma, from noon to 4 PM. They will have 5 food trucks there serving to the people and a distinguished panel of judges. There will also be a separate hot sauce award. There will be a distinguished guest list and plenty of great tasting fresh beer. 🍻

American Craft Beer Hall of Fame 2026 with Marty Nachel

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:21:41 +0000

Marty Nachel

Marty Nachel, founder of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame, calls in to discuss the 2026 HOF nominations, on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. Marty has been on the show before, including this episode back in December, about his recently published book the Beer Story Project.

Today’s Brew Ha Ha show is appearing online as 3 separate podcast episodes, so that all the guests can have their own page, and their own Internet traffic. This also makes it easier for listeners to find the guest they are looking for, among the other two.

Marty Nachel is a well-known author who also wrote the popular book Beer for Dummies. He is calling from Chicago, which always invites the comparison of the weather there and in Santa Rosa, California, aka Beer City.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame will induct its second annual class on Saturday, February 28, at 3:00 EST, 12 noon PST, they will livestream their induction ceremony. Eight people are being inducted this year, whose names will be revealed at the ceremony. There are links to the live stream at their website. There will also be events at different breweries where people will gather to watch. Herlinda wants to have one here in California too, next year. The event will be on YouTube afterwards, for on-demand viewing.

This is the second year of the Craft Beer Hall of Fame. Last year the inaugural class included several famous founders of the craft beer movement. Jack MacAuliffe, Fritz Maytag, Ken Grossman, food and beverage journalist Michael Jackson, and eight others made up the class.

Fathers Brewing

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:23:50 +0000

Conor Begley from Fathers Brewing is the guest of Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha today. This is his first time on the show.

Sayre Petrokowski, the executive director of the Brewers Guild, introduced Herlinda to Conor. Fathers Brewing was launched less than a year ago, last July. They went through a lot of R&D to create their first two flagship beers. They are a lager (with a red label) and a light lager (with a blue label).

Before Fathers Brewing, Conor started a software company that he sold for a lot of money in 2021. His bio is a whirlwind from graduation, to “a startup company that grew really fast” then went to Australia with his girlfriend who is now his wife. He worked for Thunder Road Brewing Co. in Melbourne, Australia, running their digital and social media operations. What he learned there led to his software company, which in the long term has led him back to beer.

Relentless R&D

The brand is being built in a streamlined format for growth and further investment. Conor is committed to founding the company upon the best possible quality product by a relentless process of R&D. The brand identifies as “clean beer” similar to how his partner’s previous company had a product based on clean skin care.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

When the question for a brewery is, ‘How to stand out?’ Fathers Brewing is defining itself by being organic and clean. Their first production on other people’s equipent, a.k.a. “gypsy brewing” worked at first. Now they have invested in the company adding capacity, from 20 barrels to 400 barrels at a time. That improves the quality and makes it consistent, in the higher quantity.

Mikkeller and Evin Twin beers are actually made by rival brewers who are twins. They were gypsy brewing for a long time. Mikkeller became one of the most sought after and expensive beers in the world this way. Conor spoke to a lot of other successful beer entreprenurs, to learn from them. Overall in the brewing business, people are willing to help each other.

Clean Beer

They have tested for the presence of micro plastics in beer, in the materials from suppliers and in all stages of packaging and processing. Any stage that uses plastic has the potential to shed microscopic plastic debris. Another example, is using surfactants to supress the production of foam. But the material is plastic. It may increase the yield but, “that can’t be good.” So pouring plastic on the beer is right out!

Rob Saccuzzo, Old Caz GM

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:23:18 +0000

Herlinda, Rob and Chismosa

Rob Saccuzzo, Old Caz GM, is our guest in studio today on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. This is Rob’s first time on the show but the brewery has been featured many times. Old Caz co-founder Brian Rengel is the featured guest on this episode of Jan. 21, 2024. He was back for an update the following August on this episode on August 8, 2024.

Rob Saccuzzo is the General Manager of Old Caz Beer and is also a board member of the Bay Area Brewers Guild. They are preparing for some big events coming soon. SF Beer Week is the biggest event of the year, and they are also putting on the SF Beer Week Beer Fest at the Salesforce Park beer garden on the top of a skyscraper in the city.

Rob is busy doing ten events at Old Caz in ten days. They are releasing 16 beers, six of which are being released at the kickoff party on February 20th and many of them are collaborations. Old Caz themselves are releasing another seven. “This is the biggest slew of events we’ve ever done,” says Rob.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

One of the things Herlinda likes about the beer business is collaboration and mutual assistance. Rob describes one with the same ingredients and two brewers. One brewery will add all the hops at the beginning then the beer is hot, and other one only later when it is cool, to produce two different flavor profiles.

Chismosa

Rob is also a very enthusiastic participant at beer festivals. He likes to remind people that Old Caz is a party and everyone is invited. While they can talk seriously about beer, they will also spray confetti in a Mexican wrestling suit just to get attention for the beer.

Their most awarded beer is Chismosa, and has won medals in numerous beer festivals for this beer. He compliments their brewing team for keeping it so consistent. Rob says that if someone had told him in high school that his chemistry class would help him make beer later in life, he would have paid more attention. Old Caz has “a cavalcade of human beings who are hard working and who believe in the brewery.”

Pliny the Younger 2026 First Taste and Tapenings

Thu, 5 Feb 2026 23:23:08 +0000

Natalie and Pliny

Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha with the first taste of Pliny the Younger 2026 from Russian River Brewing Co.

Today is a very special edition of Brew Ha Ha because Vinny Cilurzo is also here along with Natalie Cilurzo. They have brought the first taste of the Pliny the Younger 2026 in a keg. Today they celebrate the distribution of Pliny the Younger on draft at all of the bars and restaurants in their distribution network. It will all leave the brewery by Friday. It is a huge effort for the staff but it is like a holiday event. The retail release at the two RRBC locations runs from March 20 to April 2, 2026.

Tapenings have begun!

Pliny the Younger 2026 “tapenings” are happening and will go on the rest of the month in about 130 locations. The other release of Pliny the Younger to the general public will be in March. Right now, the trucks are on the road for Maine, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, as well as northern and southern California. Vinny also mentions ten or so brewers who are working hard in both breweries. Their sales reps in southern California have worked hard to prepare for Pliny the Younger 2026 to be a big event. A month ago, every tank in both breweries was full.

The month of February would normally be the slowest time of the year for a brewery. Their original idea was to create a promotional brew to goose sales for the slow time. At first they never dreamed that it would become such a success.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

Vinny tells the story of Pliny the Younger

Vinny describes Russian River Brewing Co.’s history since he took over the brand from Korbel, the original founder. It used to be that barley wine was the winter brew. Vinny decided to see how far they could push the hops. For the first five years of Pliny the Younger, “It wasn’t a huge deal.” But in 2010 everything changed. Vinny would always show up on the first Friday in February to tap the first keg. That time, there were people waiting outside. That is when Vinny learned that this beer was rated the number one and two beer in the world on two popular beer rating websites. He did not know about any of that.

By the time they opened, they had to call every employee they could get, and limited people to 4 growlers per person. A table of 4 would buy 16 growlers. They were overwhelmed by its popularity that day. The websites were taking votes from beer enthusiasts. They ended up having to make up rules to govern and limit the traffic. During covid they had to split the distribution between bars and restaurants first and then the retail distribution later. They were forced to wait about 2 months and ended up March into April. They do that every year because it turned out to be an easier way to manage the whole season. Herlinda remembers how they organized a vaccine clinic at the brewery.

The Magnificent Seven Hops

The recipe has changed a little bit from year to year, but for the last few years it has used the same selection of hops. This is the first year they have used the exact same seven hops. They are Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Tangier, Mosaic, Nectaron and Warrior. There are five different hop formats. There are whole cone hops (as they grow) and there are pellets, which resemble rabbit food. Then there are other advanced products that are concentrated flavor extracts. Some of the processes that hop companies are using for extracts are the same as used to make cannabis extracts.

As for the malt, it is about 60% silo malt, 30% Pilsner malt and about 10% sugar. They use sugar because it ferments right into alcohol and doesn’t leave any body at all. Pliny the Younger 2026 is 10.5% alcohol but it doesn’t taste so strong.

The Sonoma County Economic Development Board has studied the economic impact of Pliny the Younger. In 2024, the last year studied, they found 8.3 million dollar impact on the community. This comes from business to hotels and other hospitality businesses and more. Natalie and Vinny are very proud of this.

Santa Rosa Beer Passport 2026 plus FeBREWary

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 23:23:47 +0000

Chris Kren-Mora from Visit Santa Rosa is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras, presenting Santa Rosa Beer Passport and FeBREWary. Chris has been on Wine Country Radio before but this is his first time on Brew Ha Ha. This week marks the 12th anniversary of Brew Ha Ha on the radio and 8 years of the podcast.

To promote the local brewing industry, we emphasize the pronunciation of the month of FeBREWary, and the Santa Rosa Beer Passport promotion is also starting now. The month of February also brings Pliny the Younger from Russian River Brewing Co., with two weeks of release to bars and taprooms, before the March release in their two locations. They have different menus on 4th St. in downtown Santa Rosa and at the big Windsor location.

Chris visited HenHouse Brewing around the corner from the studio, on his way in. They sent over a beer for Beatles fan Herlinda, called “The Walrus Was Paul” which shows the HenHouse chickens crossing the street, in imitation of the famous Abbey Road album cover.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date Pliny the Younger 2026 information.

HenHouse has both locations – Petaluma and Santa Rosa – on the Beer Passport itinerary. Starting on Saturday Feb. 7, there is a special shuttle service. It includes Cooperage, CuVer in Windsor, Santa Rosa’s HenHouse, Moonlight Brewing in Coffey Park, Shady Oak on B St. in Santa Rosa and both locations of Russian River Brewing Co. And the Smart Train goes to Windsor now, so that is a great option too. Old Caz is a Beer Passport stop, but they are not on the shuttle itinerary. February is a low month for tourism, so these promotions are intended to raise traffic in an otherwise slow period.

Herlinda and Chris continue, while tasting some brews from Shady Oak. They agree that Shady Oak is a great locale as well as great brewers. Herlinda was a judge at their smash burger competition, along with Hunter Fieri, Guy Fieri’s son. They had six smash burger trucks in competion. Chris has brought several beers to taste today, from breweries participating in Santa Rosa Beer Passport. 🍻

Hanabi Lager with Nick Gislason

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:23:35 +0000

Nick Gislason of Hanabi Lager

1/22/26 – Santa Rosa, CA – Since there is no live radio show today, for the podcast here is an encore performance of one of our favorite shows from last year, with Nick Gislason of Hanabi Lager. Brew Ha Ha will be back live on 1/29 with Janelle and Chris from Visit Santa Rosa talking about FeBrewary and Santa Rosa Beer Passport.

Nick Gislason, co-founder and Head Brewer at Hanabi Lager Co. is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell.

Herlinda Heras is just back from Belgium and brought back so much beer that she had to pay for overweight suitcases. Daedalus is also back from his own trip to Paris and London. He gets to reconnect with Herlinda for a few minutes before having to leave for an event later this evening. One of the beers that Herlinda brought back is from the Saint Sixtus Monastery in Westvleteren, where she visited. Daedalus gets to taste it before he has to take off.

Hanabi is Japanese for “Fireworks”

The labels feature drawings of the patterns that different Japanese fireworks make, up in the air. Nick explains that “hanabi” means fireworks, in Japanese. “Hana” means flower and “bi” means fire, so literally their word for fireworks means “fire flowers.” The fireworks manufacturers used these drawings in the 1800s to describe their products, before photography was available to show the patterns that they make.

Nick grew up on San Juan Island in Washington, and learned brewing from an uncle who was a home brewer. In college he brewed at Boundary Bay Brewing in Bellingham, where he met his wife. They both became winemakers and launched Hanabi Lager about six years ago.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Grain-Forward Lagers

Nick says Hanabi makes grain-forward lagers. They are tasting the Hana Pilsner, which Herlinda says has a refined taste. Nick explains that beer is made from grain, and water, and hops are like a spice. Hops is like the barrels to wine, where the grapes are the main ingredient. So Nick focusses his energy in using the most delicious grains in the world. That fact that these plants are so important to human nutrition for thousands of years makes them sacred.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

They select grains mainly for the flavor they give to the beer. These flavors mostly come from old heirloom varieties of grains. Heirloom varieties of grain can be compared to heirloom tomatoes, for their superior flavor.

To make beer, Nick explains, first you grow the grain, then sprout the seeds, then you have to arrest their growth before it goes too far. Then you dry them and lightly toast them. This process is called malting. Then you steep a barley tea, spice it with hops, and ferment it, basically. They do four different beers, one for each of the four seasons. Each one features a different heirloom grain. The Summer beer uses Eraclea, a grain from Italy.

Nick is also a part-time pyrotechnician. He works with Lopez Community Fireworks back home in Washington. They practice the Japanese art of fireworks.

SF Beer Week 2026

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 23:23:05 +0000

SF Beer Week 2026

Sayre Pietrowski is back on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell, to introduce SF Beer Week, coming soon this February 20 through March 1, 2026. Sayre was on the show last August when he had recently been named Executive Director of the Bay Area Brewers Guild.

This is Sayre’s first time for SF Beer Week as the Executive Director. He explains that the guild was born from an alliance of local beer organizations that got together and promoted a beer festival. Then they learned that other cities had beer weeks. So they decided to bring it to San Francisco, with the support of great brewers like Pliny the Younger and Anchor Brewing. In 2008 or 09 the whole guild was a small enough number to fit on one evening’s menu.

IPA 2000

Nick Mamere the brewmaster at Bartlett Hall was 9 years old when the first SF Beer Week took place. On January 29, he is hosting a 7-barrel batch of what IPA tasted like in the year 2000. It’s called IPA 2000. Then, in Oakland, they will make a brew called IPA 2025 with the same brewer, at Brix Factory Brewing and brewer John Gillooly. They have plans for a whole series, IPA 2010, 2015 and 2020, then one called 2030 to guess about the flavors to come. Sayre compares these retro brews to a cover song. On January 22, the North Bay Guild will be brewing IPA 2020 at Old Caz.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Herlinda remembers that two years ago, SF Beer Week had an astronaut theme and she thought people were dressing up. She and her college friend dressed in red Star Trek Uhuru dresses. It turned out that they were the only people in costume but it ended up being a fun time.

SF Beer Week and more

Sayre tells us the same thing he tells him members, that they would like to create an atmosphere about SF Beer Week similar to the excitement that surrounds the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau. This means an event where people know there will be an abundance of great beers along with fun experiences. He remembers 2017 and 2018 before the pandemic when it was like that and they want to build back up to that level of excitement and participation.

In terms of volume, beer is a larger market than wine. Sayre notices that wine has a lot more information around it that people like to study. His job now is to try to build up that kind of culture of appreciation around beer. The more there is for people to know about beer, the more they can share information and enjoyment with others. Herlinda mentions that sometimes, non-profit organizations hire leaders with management skills but who come from outside their industry. She appreciates the fact that Sayre is already a local beer insider, in his new role with the Guild.

RRBC 110 West Coast Pils for Russian River Keeper

Thu, 8 Jan 2026 23:23:15 +0000

Rob Shwenker, Russian River Keepers

Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Co. and Rob Shwenker from Russian River Keeper join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. This is Rob’s first time on the show. Natalie has been on many times before, the last time was this episode last January for the preview of Pliny the Younger.

They are here to present a new beer called 110 West Coast Pils, which refers to the number of miles that the Russian River Runs, from Ukiah down to Jenner. Vinny Cilurzo made it for the first time last year, and came up with the name of this beer. Natalie felt the need to do something positive for the river. She worked with with Russian River Keepers several years ago. Then she and Vinny were invited to the annual Russian River Keeper gala where she met Rob. Their idea was to distribute their new West Coast Pils with a portion of the proceeds going to Russian River Keeper. This arrangement is for perpetuity for as long as they make 110. “It’s not a promotion, it’s a commitment,” says Daedalus.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Russian River Keeper

Rob describes the purpose of Russian River Keeper as protection of a healthy Russian River habitat. “Our mission is a healthy, fishable, swimmable equitably shared Russian River. (…) We pull about 500,000 pounds of trash out of the watershed every year.” They work to prevent trash from entering the river because ultimately that leads to the marine environment. They also do restoration, fighting to preserve animal and plant species. One example is the giant bamboo that they are removing. It is a massive user of water and hard to remove.

Russian River Keeper is also an advocate for the river at all applicable levels of government. Some of Rob’s job involves lobbying in Sacramento for favorable environmental legislation. They are members of the California Coast Keeper Alliance. Worldwide there are about 300 different water keepers.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The Russian River used to be one of the largest salmon runs in the country. Russian River Keeper helped end the practice of extracting gravel from the river. There are fewer fish and so fewer apex predators and overall a less fertile environment. They have seen some species coming back too. They also help during times of flood. There are unhoused people near the river that they help, who need assistance evacuating in a flood emergency.

110 West Coast Pils

They are tasting Russian River 110 West Coast Pils. It is a relatively new beer style, low alcohol, only 5.2% ABV, but hopped like an IPA.

“It drinks like a Pilsner but you get that hop punch.”

Herlinda with Dr. Ron and Natalie

They will have it in cans in March, in advance of Pliny the Younger, and in anticipation of river weather. It has 4 hops, Tangier, one of the newer hops, and then all New Zealanders, Nectaron and NCH 106 and NCH 109, which haven’t got their nicknames yet. It takes about 10 years for a new hop variety to reach the market ready to sell. There are a lot of tests it has to pass. Those last two are still in the development phase. Those two come from Dr. Ron, who was on this episode of Brew Ha Ha in May of last year. Since New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, we have to wait several months to get them here. But we get the hops from Yakima right away.

Natalie tells the story of how she and Vinny moved to Sonoma County when Vinny got the brewer’s job at Russian River Brewing which was at the time a division of Korbel. When Korbel decided to leave the beer business, Vinny and Natalie and partners were able to acquire the company. The rest is the history of craft brewing. But when they first lived in the area, they crossed the Wohler Bridge on their honeymoon then on Vinny’s commute. It is on the label of 101 West Coast Pils because it represents their love of the river and the whole scene.

The Wohler Bridge

Young and Yonder Distillery

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:23:08 +0000

Herlinda, Tim and Shennen

Shennen O’Donnell and Tim Welch, owners of Young and Yonder distillery, join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha.

Tim found a distillery that was already built and available for sale, so he bought it. It was a distilling facility and event space. They started a live music space due to Shennen’s experience. She grew up at The Mystic Theater which her parents owned and she has worked there all her life.

Tim worked as a distiller for Moylan’s and won awards for many distilled products. Tim’s buddy from college was also a distiller who opened a distillery of his own in Mississippi. So he ran the place for “a lot of years.” They focussed on whiskey but also made other distilled products.

Young and Yonder is located up in Healdsburg. Shennen describes their location as “Industrial Chic” with a casual fun funky feel. Tim does private tours and tastings.

All of their grain comes from Admiral Maltings. All the botanicals for the absynthe and the gin come from San Francisco Herb Company. All organic and local. Admiral Maltings had a big distillers festival. The Rake Pub at Admiral Malting also serves Young and Yonder. Admiral Malting has been on Brew Ha Ha on May 1 of this year on this episode and the year before too, right here on June 20, 2024. They focus on locally grown grain, so that their malt does not have to travel long distances.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Russian River Brewing Co. Release in Jan. 2026

Russian River Brewing Co. has a special release coming out on Saturday, January 10, 2026. So Natalie Cilurzo will be on the first Brew Ha Ha show of the new year, on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

As they are tasting a lime vodka made by Young and Yonder also makes absynthe and gin, which use lots of botanicals. Their botanicals come from San Francisco Herb Company. Tim describes their line, there is a 100% single malted rye, and a high rye bourbon, which is 60% non-gmo corn, 30% rye 5% barley 5% wheat. The single malt is 100% barley, but not released yet. They also have some barrel finished bourbons and rye. They use port and sherry barrels from Sonoma PortWorks, which are their next door neighbors.

They also make an Absynthe which is made with wormwood. The flavors in this drink take a long time to describe. “Taste it!’ And since Young and Yonder are a full-service distillery, they also make gin. Tim has just made his second batch of it. 60 lbs of botanicals go into the mix, then 15 more pounds.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Young and Yonder also make Amaro, which goes by its Italian name in English. There are many brands of Amaro in Italy. Some famous brands are Ramazzotti, Averna, Lucano and Montenegro. They are all slightly different liquers made from herbs. They are traditional, medicinal and artisinal, a triple play!

How much is science versus art? As a distiller, is it more one or the other? Well, if you are making something the same every time, then you are very careful, but if you are experimenting, you’re your own boss.

Dean Biersch

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:23:00 +0000

Dean Biersch, who runs Hopmonk Taverns and co-founded Gordon/Biersch, joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. This is his first time on the show.

Herlinda has invited Dean Biersch whom she ran into at a Hopmonk concert last Saturday. Dean remembers his first job in hospitality was preparing big spreads for the passengers at Hornblower Yachts in San Francisco. “You learn a lot when you work on boats,” says Dean. “Hospitality in general is like 90% planning.”

Daedalus remembers covering the opening of Hopmonk for the local press, back when it opened. Dean remembers having to reorganize the physical space in the first location in Novato, to create a beer garden. They developed the first venue as a music venture and beer garden at the same time and he feels that it is a magic combination. They would love to have more large concerts in Sonoma but there are regulatory barriers.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

“The trailing edge of the leading edge”

Hopmonk was “on the trailing edge of the leading edge” of the beer revolution. His job was in the city and then a friend introduced him to a brewpub in Hopland. He had tasted real ale while traveling in Europe, so he recognized what they were doing there in Hopland. He wrote a business plan, showed it to a friend of the family who had always invited such a move, then he met Dan Gordon. They eventually became business partners. Dan had taken a brewery engineering university program in Germany. He brought small scale craft German beer to California, with Gordon/Biersch beers.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

They are tasting a Quad, Firestone Sticky Monkey that Dean says is “smooth, big, malty… It’s big, it’s dark, it’s smooth, it’s bold,” he continues. It is barrel aged and pretty strong.

Dean sees a lot of parallels in music promotion and running a brewpub. There are live performers and fresh beers that need care and attention. There is always something new. How do you keep both of those streams fresh, for 18 years? “Music is something that’s irreplaceable.” You can’t change the uniqueness of a live performance. He produces it the same way he wants to present the rest of the details for the guests. Bill De Carli and all the staff in all three locations have stuck together through covid and all the challenges. They have all helped reach out and bring new artists.

For a while Gordon/Biersch had six properties in California. They could not grow the company any larger due to state licensing issues, as a combination brewery and brew pub. They split the company and Dean stayed with the brewery for a while, and settled in Sonoma. But his heart was in the hospitality business so he had to build up Hopmonk.

Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon is still making beer for them. He actually brought brewer’s yeast from Germany. Later he built a lab where he propagated the yeast to use in his brewery. Dan actually apprenticed at the AB brewery in Fairfield, which Herlinda reports will be closing. “The iceberg lettuce of beer.” He approached Jack McAuliffe but he couldn’t get hired.

Stateline Road Smokehouse

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 23:23:28 +0000

Stateline Road Smokehouse co-owner Jeremy Threat is visiting Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell today. This is his first time on the show.

During the show, author Marty Nachel called in to talk about his new book. That portion of the live radio show with Marty Nachel is on this separate podcast episode, so that both guests can have their own separately indexed episode page.

Darryl Bell, the chef at Stateline Road Smokehouse, comes from Kansas City. He is also Jeremy’s business partner. After college Jeremy worked in operations management in the restaurant industry. So he went from hotel restaurants to a management position. Working for Thomas Keller, the owner of French Laundry was demanding. In previous restaurant jobs, he learned about the business side of the restaurant business. But at French Laundry, he learned how to create a company culture that fostered excellence. Keller was always pushing to improve, along the lines of the Japanese concept of kaizen. How do you do the same thing time after time, while making it consistently as good as it can be? That is the question.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The Stateline Road Smokehouse is located in a 4000-square foot quonset hut that was a former auto body shop. He and his partner started out to do something unpretentious. In Napa that would make them stand out among all the white linen tablecloths. They are striving for what Daedalus calls an excellent experience without being “elevated” in style or pretense. What Darryl brings is Kansas City barbeque with the perspective of also having trained in France. The Ranch Gordo Greens and Beans salad is an example.

Sink Drinks at the Door

There is an old ceramic sink near the front door, full of ice and cans of a wide selection of beers. When people order cole slaw or potato salad, they realize that they take as much care with the sides as they do with the meats. Some recipes take the effort of several people and up to 17 hours to produce.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Kansas City is often called “wet” barbeque. Texans have a dryer approach to brisket, it is dryer and they cut it thicker. Darryl’s barbeque is a combination of influences, not exactly like one or another of the canonical styles. The butcher greets guests at the door. He is like a tour guide. “We are not just barbeque.” They also have a different secret fish recipe on the menu, every day.

Herlinda thinks of cider as a great beverage for barbeque. Currently they have Shilling Imperial Apple on tap. In the summer they offer different choices. They are lucky that they got a liquor license without too much trouble and expense. The cocktail list includes one called “Hey You Guys” with a paper umbrella. The first boozie slushie tasted like a real creamsicle. He makes one called The Dude Abides which is a White Russian, inspired by The Big Lebowski.

Beer, Wine and Boozie Slushies

Stateline Road Smokehouse serves Hanabi Lager beer, which is also located in Napa. For wine, they wanted to focus on one varietal and do it as well as possible. So they have chosen to serve a Centium Sauvignon Blanc. He has it for $15 a glass, not the $25 or more that others will charge. He wanted to have a choice like this at a good price. For example, he has Rombauer Chardonnay for $10 a glass, instead of at least $18. When you get something excellent at a price that is low, his guests feel satisfied with the meal and also with the cost. This exceeds their expectations, which is Jeremy’s goal.

Beer Story Project, Marty Nachel

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 23:22:22 +0000

Marty Nachel, author of The Beer Story Project

Author Marty Nachel is back on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell, to talk about his new book The Beer Story Project. He has been on BHH before, the last time was this episode last February. Marty also came on this show to talk about one of his other books, Beer for Dummies, on this episode in 2023.

(Marty’s phone call came in during the Stateline Road Smokehouse episode, which has its own separate podcast page, right here. This way, both Marty Nachel’s book and Jeremy Threat’s restaurant each get their own online presence for their segment.)

Marty Nachel is the founder of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame and has just published a new book, The Beer Story Project. He started collecting stories in March of this year from as many people in craft brewing as he could find.

Craft Brewers Tell Their Stories

The stories are really across the spectrum from funny to sad, depending on where they are coming from. He simply asked them to tell their stories. Some people gave a few sentences, others wrote several pages.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

One of his stories that stands out came from a friend, Tom Bidell, who wrote a story about the late beer critic Michael Jackson not the pop singer of the same name). He did a series of videos called The Beer Hunter some of which are on YouTube. Tom went to London to interview his friend Michael Jackson, but soon after he arrived for the interview, he learned that his friend had just died. So the story is a powerful remembrance of a close friend who was very influential in the craft beer world.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

“Publishers can make things difficult for writers, so I decided to self-publish.” The Beer Story Project is available on amazon dot dom, in print and on Kindle.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 23:24:44 +0000

Anderson Valley Brewing Company taproom.

Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell host another edition of Brew Ha Ha, featuring guests from Anderson Valley Brewing Company. They are the official beer sponsor of the Great Dickens Fair, a Christmas celebration happening at the Cow Palace now through Dec. 21.

(During this show, we also got a phone call from Kevin Patterson, manager of the Great Dickens Fair. His portion of this show can be heard over here, on this other podcast episode. This way both guests have their own podcast episode, for their own linking and listener traffic.)

Jason O’Connell and Ben Padrone are here from Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Jason is the new owner and Ben is the Lab Manager. They begin by tasting their Salted Caramel Porter, which gets its flavors from the malts that are used, not from any actual caramelized sugars. It is aged for 6 months in bourbon barrels and comes in at 9.5% ABV.

QA and QC

Jason’s background is in the wine industry and he finds the beer world to be more fun. He says he bought the brewery because he was bored. Ben’s job is QA and QC, quality assurance and quality control. They do a lot of testing on the water and the product. They get their water from wells that are on their property.

Anyone visiting Anderson Valley may want to visit their 18-hole championship Disc Golf course. Next year’s Booneville Beer Fest is on May 2 next year. The theme is Godzilla vs. Barkley and there is a Japanese sake connection. Stay tuned for more information before the date. They have already about a dozen breweries signed on. Among beer producers this is one of the favorite events.

Fal Allen is Back at Anderson Valley BC

Fal Allen is back.

Fal Allen is back on the scene at Anderson Valley Brewing Company. He has been the brewer there and a key person in the company. He left the company for a while and was working in New Zealand. Now he is working with AVBC for the moment from Hawaii. Fal Allen has a great radio voice and has been on Brew Ha Ha before. Here is his last appearance on Brew Ha Ha.

Next they taste their West Coast IPA, which uses Mosaic, Citra and Ekuanot hops. All seven of the beers they brought today are available at the Great Dickens Fair.

SAKE

They have a plan to start making sake and to use the best possible rice. Sake is gluten free, which is an advantage for some people. They are experimenting with Sato, a kind of rice for sake. They are also making a sake flavored beer. Herlinda remembers when her friends asked her to taste a large selection of sake to help them get an import company started. Watch out for this to develop over the next five years.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Ben went to Humboldt State then the Master Brewers program at UC Davis. Jason studied engineering at U of British Columbia and worked in construction before working in the wine industry. He has recently acquired AVBC. Jason describes the situation as “exciting.” The sake idea is getting attention. Sake falls under the TTB brewers license but the labeling falls under wine. It is actually brewed like beer despite that some people in English refer to it as ‘rice wine.’

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

There are a lot of wineries in the vicinity of Booneville so there are a lot of places to visit. The area specializes in white wines and Pinot Noir. “You’ll never go thirsty up there,” says Herlinda. Ben describes how they use bourbon barrels to age the beer for 6 months. This gives a complex and unique flavor profile that you have to taste!

The Great Dickens Fair 2025

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 23:22:03 +0000

Kevin Patterson, from the Great Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace through December 21, joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. Anderson Valley Brewing Company is also in the studio today. They are the official beer sponsor of the Great Dickens Fair. (The AVBC portion of today’s radio show can be heard over here, at this other podcast page. This way, each guest gets to manage their own web traffic.)

The Cow Palace in San Francisco has some great exhibition halls, that they turn into a miniature version of London, including shops, theaters, and six different pubs. Each one has its own style and identity. You enter the Great Dickens Fair through Victoria Station on a train that passes through a magical forest. Then you are “whisked into the 19th century” where the first stop is a pub called The Leather Bottle. This comes right out of Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Twilight All Day

The lighting in the Fair is twilight all the time, which makes everything theatrical. The miniature village feaures a thousand costumed people, plus many of the visitors come in costume. You can also purchase a costume there. Some people really go all out. There is a music shop with instruments and singers. They serve beverages of all kinds. Some people have been working at the fair every year for a long time. This is the Fair’s 41st year and their 25th at the Cow Palace.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Kevin suggests you arrive with a good appetite. There are so many options including fish and chips that rival the best in the world. Look for the meat pies and sausage rolls. There is also a Greek booth that makes Spanakopita and plenty of traditional English recipes. The artisan chocolatier at the Fair makes fresh chocolates every day.

Fieldwork Brewing Co-Founder Barry Braden

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 23:23:15 +0000

Fieldwork Brewing Company co-founder Barry Braden joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha today.

Barry Braden and Erin Callahan are here from Fieldwork Brewing Co. They are expanding into Santa Rosa and Erin will manage their restaurant in Montgomery Village. They will open soon, after one last regulatory step. There is a buzz in the neighborhood and people passing by are noticing that it looks like a restaurant already. They will have an extensive beer selection and a full menu including pizza, salad, wings, French fries, fried cauliflower and pickles and lots more.

Barry tells about how they serve a rotation of beers, so that fans of different types of beer can keep coming back for their favorites. He also says this is one way to make the brewers’ jobs interesting.

They are using a lot of new technologies with their hops, including hop distillates, extracts and experimental hops. Fieldwork Brewing also works with Berkeley Yeast. This company is engineering yeast to mimic certain flavors. This goes mostly into the hop-driven beers and their non-alcoholic or “N/A” beers.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Amidst the current downturn in the beer market, Fieldworks Brewing is actually growing. They are opening their tenth location in the Bay Area. The NHL’s San José Sharks have chosen Fieldwork as their official non-alcoholic beer. Some of their N/A drinks use compounds (with complex chemical names) which confer extra flavors as well as a mood lift, according to Erin.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

A beverage company, not just a brewer of beer

Daedalus notices that Fieldwork produces an excellent product all across its product line including the N/A drinks, which elevates the quality level of the entire emerging market of N/A drinks. Barry explains that it took them some time to emerge in the N/A market. They waited for the brewing technology to evolve so that their N/A cocktails tastes like real ones, and their N/A beers tastes like real beer. So, if you want to go out with friends and not drink alcohol, for whatever reason, “…we have something for you,” says Barry.

Fieldwork Brewing Co. products are available in many local retail stores as well as their locations.

PizzaLeah, Fairfax Brewing Co. plus Herlinda in Belgium

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:23:23 +0000

We open with Herlinda Heras calling from Belgium. Leah Scurto of PizzaLeah and Fairfax Brewing Co’s Dan McGarry talk to Daedalus Howell after that. Herlinda is on a barge on a canal in Belgium, on a beer voyage sponsored by Visit Flanders, the tourist bureau.

Herlinda’s tour has taken her near the sites of some important battles of World War One. It included a visit to Flanders Fields. They visited the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren, Belgium. The monks who live there and make beer were quite surprised when one of their beers came out Number One on RateBeer dot com. “The poor monks didn’t know what to do with themselves, but now it’s quite the destination.” They went to Rodenbach for a blending class and also to Chimay. Vinny and Natalie from Russian River Brewing Co. are also in Belgium for the Brussels Beer Challenge. However they and Herlinda are on different itineraries this time and won’t meet up over there. Herlinda has also visited some small local breweries in France and Belgium. She will have a lot to say about her trip on next week’s show. “It’s tough but somebody’s got to do it.”

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

After Herlinda’s call, Leah Scurto from PizzaLeah and Dan McGarry from Fairfax Brewing Company take up the conversation with Daedalus. Leah has brought a Detroit-style pizza, to go with the nice rice lager that Dan has poured, a true rice lager. Detroit style has a carmelized cheese crown, cooked in a tapered pan. The dough rises for four hours in the morning.

Fairfax Brewing Company

Fairfax Brewing Company is based in Marin County and they are now gaining distribution in Sonoma County. Dan and his partner have been in the restaurant industry for a long time. They begin by going out to the people they know. Daedalus is the editor of the Pacific Sun which did this story on Fairfax Brewing Co. Their distribution is mainly by kegs to restaurants. Later they hope to put some cans on shelves. They celebrate their one-year anniversary on September 9th.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Their hazy is their number one seller, and the hazy is also the top seller at PizzaLeah. But Leah also reports people coming in asking for something that is not hazy. Trends have life cycles and while IPAs are here to stay, other styles will continue to emerge. Older drinkers have observed the evolution of craft beers. Dan says it has been “real fun to watch. … A good time for beer.”

The Pizza Business

Leah Scurto has built PizzaLeah’s success with great pizzas and also by engaging with the community. She loves teaching how to make pizza at the Artisan Baking Center in Petaluma. She also has been in many international pizza competitions. Daedalus and Leah agree that he local pizza scene has reached new heights. Leah cites Psychic Pie in Sebastopol for their original takes on traditional styles, and a couple of others. Sonoma Pizza Co. and Slow Co Pizza are both stand out. Leah notices that the pizza community is supportive and friendly, not jealous of others or envious of their success. People gladly share recipes and advice.

Songbird Parlour, Kenneth Di Alba

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 23:23:08 +0000

Kenneth Di Alba from Songbird Parlour is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show.

Herlinda says and Daedalus agrees that Songbird Parlour should be the next Michelin starred restaurant in Sonoma County. Daedalus reads from a review he wrote for the Bohemian along with Kary Hess. It sounds delicious.

Songbird Parlour is located in the historic Jack London village in Glen Ellen. It was founded in maybe 1832, he thinks. The property has been many things, a creamery, a winery, wine storage, recording studios, even. Now, it is a restaurant for the second time. Upon entering the place, Daedalus says he feels immediately transported.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Kenneth has brought some appetizers to taste. They serve wine, beer and spritzer cocktails. Port and tonic is a Portuguese drink. They use a white Port made locally.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Songbird took over their lease in 2020 which turned out to be a good time prepare the project. The pandemic moved us to broaden our horizons and invest, says Kenneth. It’s always daunting to open a restaurant. If you have to make an effort to go there, the experience had better be rewarding. Everything they serve comes from nearby. Their neighbors raise the food they serve, including cheeses, greens, mushrooms and more. “…featuring everyone in the surrounding community.” The ice cream comes from Sweet Scoops.

Aaron Gore, American Craft Beer Hall of Fame

Thu, 2 Oct 2025 23:24:15 +0000

Aaron Gore

Aaron Gore, Vice President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. He is His personal website and his nickname are The Ale Chaser. In addition to his role with the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame, Aaron is VP of Sales & Marketing for The 5th Ingredient. They make customizable brewery management software.

Herlinda was at the Sonoma County Tourism annual meeting yesterday. She talked to Santa Rosa mayor Mark Stapp about coming on the Drive this Friday (tomorrow). Herlinda is now a certified Health and Wellness coach. She will also be starting a Health and Wellness segment on the Drive, stay tuned for details.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Aaron Gore joins the conversation on the phone. The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame was founded about a year and a half ago. Its purpose is to memorialize and celebrate the people who made the craft beer revolution.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The 5th Ingredient

From Aaron’s perspective, the people starting in the craft beer business now, are more aware of the business realities of starting a brewery, than were the original home brewers. The software company The 5th Ingredient refers to the four ingredients listed in the famous German Reinheitsgebot, of water, malted barley, hops and yeast. The further ingredient would be the technology that makes the operation run as smoothly as it can. That is where modern software comes into the picture in the brewery.

The next list of inductees to the Hall of Fame will be announced in February 2026. Herlinda Heras is an elector.

Mycoventures

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 23:23:48 +0000

Julie

Julie Schreiber from Mycoventures is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell.

Mycoventures leads mushroom foraging adventures in wine country. They have a big event coming soon. She and her partner are doing a couple of new pop-ups. She has been cooking for a very long time and foraging for more than 30 years. So she likes to combine her interests.

Julie is also a wine judge and winemaker. Yesterday she tasted 130-150 wines as a judge in the Harvest Fair. She uses bubbly water as a palette cleanser. Herlinda and Julie have a lot of knowledge and experience with palette cleansers during judging and how to manage the flavor load.

Julie brought a truffle salami, a truffle potato chip and a truffle pate. They go well with cider or beer. Herlinda will have a dry Sincere Cider with this. Julie describes clever ways to get the mushrooms into the recipe, especially with powdered mushrooms. Julie uses a coffee grinder to grind dry mushrooms.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! How about a mushroom pizza? 🍕🍻

Truffles, and Cider along with

What makes truffles so special? Well, they are different. They grow underground. They have a ripening cycle that produces the aroma that is attractive to critters. So the truffle paté and the dry cider are already great by themseves, but take a bite of the paté and a sip of the cider together and that just makes it perfect. Daedalus favors the paté first and the cider chaser.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Julie is also a musician and has a musical metaphor for flavors of wine. The high note of a chord is like the acidity and the low notes are the structures and tannins. They also like the idea of serving grape juice from different wine grapes. It can be cut with sparkling water.

Julie and Herlinda are both members of Les Dames d’Escoffier, who were featured on this Brew Ha Ha show last August. Julie gets to describe a typical menu of her Forest & Farm dinners. First there are truffled deviled eggs. Stay tuned to hear the rest after 23:00 in.

Adam Bosch, Parliament Brewing

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:24:06 +0000

Adam Bosch, Parliament Brewing co-founder, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. His last time on Brew Ha Ha was this episode back in June, with Herlinda and Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon that day.

Herlinda was judging the International Bread Awards at the Las Vegas Convention Center last weekend. There was also a cyber security convention on the other side of the convention center. Apparently the guys from the cybersecurity side were eager to check out the free sample in the bakery competition. The winner, a film maker, won with a sourdough from ancient grains, that he made. Daedalus observes, “a different kind of rising star.”

Adam pops the top on one of two collabs they did to celebrate their sixth anniversary, which they will do on Sept. 20-21. The first is a take on a west coast Pils. Adam explains that he wants his west coast Pils to be light and drinkable, but still with a complex and rewarding flavor profile.

What’s IBU?

The term IBU, International Bitterness Units, is measurable in a lab, but they don’t have a lab. Herlinda guesses 68, Adam estimates lower, but it’s a guess only. He remembers beer at Bear Republic that rated over 100. Adam’s brother Justin went to UC Davis to study brewing and they are partners, together with their dad.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Adam describes the band lineup for Saturday and Sunday’s 6th anniversary party. They will have different food vendors each day.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Daedalus Howell sums it all up this way: “You can’t beat the vibe at Parliament. It’s really in the middle of the neighborhood and it’s the place where everyone in the neighborhood goes.”

One of the collabs, the other one, is called Common Owl, done with Common Space brewing in Los Angeles. They were both up in Washington tasting hops and they became friends and decided to do the collab. They have a 48-hour lightning hops tour to do again this year. It is a smooth west coast IPA, with lime and other citrus notes. The collab also serve to get the brands some cross promotion onto each others’ home markets.

Trevor Zebulon, Goat Rock Cider

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:24:43 +0000

Goat Rock Cider.

Goat Rock Cider co-founder Trevor Zebulon is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. Trevor was on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke hosting, not too long ago on this episode. Now he is back with some news, along with another guest. He is part of the Petaluma Craft Beer Festival being held on Saturday, Sept. 13. John Burns from the Petaluma Rotary Club is also in, they are organizing the PCBF.

Trevor has brought “something yummy” and he did say 15%. They open and pour, and we can hear it.

When Daedalus was a reporter and arts and entertainment editor, John Burns was the publisher of the paper for about a year. So his career started then, and here they are together again, only about 15 miles from where they were before.

Daedalus has also covered some of Trevor’s businesses, including one called Trevor’s Terrific Tours. He also had a place called Zebulon’s Lounge.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

What Rotary Club Does

John describes what Rotary does. They put on events to raise money for the community, for homeless children, seniors, and river enhancement projects. On Saturday, they have great bands, including Orquestra Batacha and Johnny Sanchez who won the award for best Elvis impersonator in 2012. He is also impersonating Garth Brooks.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The Petaluma Craft Beer Festival will feature 21 breweries from 6 different counties all around the Bay Area. They will have Goat Rock Cider, Hiveworks Mead and Hoocha Hard Kombucha in addition to all the beer. There are lots of restaurants in Petaluma too so it’s a perfect excursion.

Redwood Empire Whiskey, Jeff Duckhorn

Thu, 4 Sep 2025 23:24:42 +0000

y Jeff Duckhorn, master distiller at Redwood Empire Whiskey, joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. This is his first time on the show, but Brew Ha Ha has covered whiskey makers before, such as here and here, in October and November of last year.

Herlinda has wanted to have Redwood Empire Distillery on Brew Ha Ha for a long time. She saw that they were going to Mare Island for a grand opening party. Herlinda has personal connections to Mare Island, since she was born there when her father was in the Navy.

Jeff Duckhorn is a master distiller, so he is in charge of the distillery and the distilling staff. He followed in indirect pathway to his present job. He was doing cost accounting for a wine company when the owner of the winery sold it and wanted to get into distilling. Jeff asked how he could be a part of that. They built the distillery in a couple of years and opened in 2015 with Jeff holding “the keys to the car.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Jeff has brought some of their whiskey to taste and discuss, their three core products that they launched in 2019. The first is their flagship product, called Pipe Dream.

Named after Old Growth Redwood Trees

Each of their whiskeys is named after a particular old grown redwood tree. The trees are well documented and have names. Pipe Dream is the name of one, and also their leading product name. Speaking of names, Jeff’s uncle is the person who founded and gave the family name Duckhorn to the famous winery.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

These are all 90 proof blends. They have been making whiskey since 2015 and these blends include their products and others that come from other distillers. This gives them the freedom to make the blends that they are making now.

They use malts from Admiral Malting, who have been on Brew Ha Ha. Even if they are making Bourbon and Rye, they add a little bit of malt to everything. “It’s like the icing on the cake,” says Jeff.

So, why is Redwood Empire moving to Mare Island? They have been looking for a larger home for the last several years. They started the facility in Graton but they have been hunting for a larger home for the last few years. Then they found a distillery on Mare Island that already has a tasting room and restaurant also built in. They were able to acquire the facility and will open on September 14. They have put away over 1700 barrels of whiskey there so far.

Mare Island

Mare Island has a history in shipbuilding starting in the mid 1800s through the twentieth century when it was an important west coast naval base. The brewery Mare Island Brewing Company was on this BHH episode in January 2023.

Next, they are tasting a Rye, this one is 90% rye blended with other flavors from distilleries around the country. They are aged for 4 to 8 years. They are available at Bottle Barn.

What differentiates whiskey and bourbon from rye? They have rules. You need to go into a new charred oak barrel. You have to call it something else if it doesn’t get made that way. That barrel is for one-time use. Some old barrels are then sold to Scotland and Mexico for whiskey and tequila.

To be a rye whiskey it has to have at least 51% rye.

Kohana Rum

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 23:24:48 +0000

Justin from Kohana Rum and Laura Sanfelipe from Lo & Behold are our guests on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell.

Lo & Behold Bar and Kitchen in Healdsburg is open on Mondays, which Herlinda likes. She was there recently, saw a Kohana Rum bottle and asked about it. She discovered that Kohana Rum and Lo & Behold are sponsoring the Daquiri Crush Campaign, with proceeds going to Corazón Healdsburg.

Laura describes the Daquiri Crush Campaign, which Justin brought to Lo & Behold. They have organized a Tiki Night with original and classic rum cocktails. Proceeds from the event are entirely donated to Corazón Healdsburg. The campaign will run for two months.

The Corazón Healdsburg website says, “Corazón Healdsburg works to create a more just and compassionate community for all. Corazón operates a bilingual family resource center and offers family-centered case management, as well as a cradle-to-career approach to education for all ages. We amplify the local Latin-American voice, and host community events, trainings and discussions to promote and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Hawaii to California

Justin was born and raised in Hawaii, then moved to the Bay Area, then to Sonoma County since 2017. Kohana Rum grows 34 varietals of Hawaiian heirloom sugar cane. From that, they make single varietal rums, like the varietals of grapes and wine. “The Daquiri Crush Campaign is my love letter back to Sonoma C0unty reaching out for our farm team, supporting all of the incredible farm workers up here in Sonoma County.” Through the months of harvests, they will offer some daquiris in various locations. Go out and buy a daquiri for a farmer or a farm worker!

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

They will also have a few events, starting with a Tiki Night. Herlinda remembers when they used to have them more often. It’s time to bring that back! “The nights you’ll never remember with the friends you’ll never forget,” says Justin

Les Dames d’Escoffier

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:24:10 +0000

Nicole Rogers from the Sonoma chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier joins Herinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. Les Dames d’Escoffier is an international association of women in culinary professions, beverage, agriculture and the supporting industries. Nicole is the chair of the Grants committee. The Sonoma chapter was started in 2020.

Their inaugural fund raising event last year was Birds & Bubbles, and this year’s edition is set for this Sunday, August 24. Herlinda is a brand new proud member. Julia Child was also a member. Nicole enjoys being a member which gives her a chance to meet other members when she travels.

Ethic Cider and CuVer Belgian brewery will be at Birds & Bubbles, with cider and beer, so sparkling wine will not have the only bubbles at the event.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Dora Lee has brought a desert from Jimtown and Then Some, in Healdsburg. They look like little muffins made of mochi, the rice paste, with an apple filling and miso caramel drizzle. Jimtown is open again, owned by a a fellow Dame. She will be providing some of the desserts at the Birds & Bubbles event. For tickets, visit the Dames So. Co. So. Co. website.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The Sonoma County chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier has begun a micro-grant program. They have awarded the first grants of $1000 to three deserving Dames. They also have a cookbook author, chefs, restaurant owners, somelliers, marketing people, writer, retailers, and all ages, too. Herlinda mentions that a big part of this is mentorship.

Sayre Pietrowski, Bay Area Beer Guild

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:23:25 +0000

Sayre Piotrkowski is back on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell to talk about the Bay Area Brewers Guild and more. San Francisco Beer Week is coming, from February 20 to March 1, 2026. Sayre has been on Brew Ha Ha before, his last time was this episode on May 4, 2023.

All the beers that Sayre has brought today are multiple award winners. Old Caz and Ghost Town were both very local. Ghost Town hired a world class brewer, and Old Caz just kept getting better and better. Now, these two communities can walk to some of the best beer in the world.

Sayre is the executive director of the Bay Area Brewers Guild. The guild started as six brewpubs in San Francisco. At its height it represented over 100 breweries and SF Beer Week would have over 1000 events in one week. Now that beer is getting back to an equilibrium where it is more connected to its community, and no longer serving an investor class that is looking only for big profits. Sayre agrees and says it is good that the “smart money” has left craft brewing. Some investors would only expect to sell the company for multiples of their investment. There are cases where brands have disappeared, such as Pete’s Wicked Ale. Herlinda cites the two examples of Lagunitas and Anchor.

Craft versus Corporate

Sayre wants people to understand the difference between buying a beer that is produced and sourced locally, and buying one from one of the biggest corporations in the world.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Some people still feel loyal to old brands but increasingly, it is evident that the difference between craft and corporate beer is the entire brewing ecosystem behind the glass.

Visit our sponsor PizzaLeah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu, great beers and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

They are tasting a beer called Ostuary, a robust porter. It has a little cacao bean or coffee flavors. “You want to chew on it a little bit… I’ll pick this over eating, on a hot day,” says Herlinda.

The current iteration of the Guild is based on who survived Covid.

Shady Oak Brewing Co. Smash Bash

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 23:23:22 +0000

Jason Lindell from Shady Oak Brewing Company is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke. Shady Oak has been on the show before, most recently on this episode in 2022.

Shady Oak has shifted its name to “Brewing Company, so it is now called Shady Oak Brewing Company, after being called “Barrel House” until now.

Harry Duke knows Shady Oak founder Steve Doty from having competed in trivia contests on opposing teams. When Steve started Shady Oak, they made a lot of sour beers, but as tastes have changed, they have begun making other styles, like hazy and pilsners. The company is also starting to focus on organizing events. It is in a big space that is a former carpet warehouse. It is located in downtown Santa Rosa, near the Santa Rosa Mall. They also have a nice outdoor space in the back.

The Smash Bash: Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025

They have remodeled the back area for this event, increasing capacity. This Saturday they are holding their first event. It is the first annual Smash Bash, they have the four best smash burger restaurants coming in. They have four well-known local food trucks coming in: Thanks for the Invite, Bayou on the Bay, Bennie’s Smash Burgers and The Spot. All four of them will be on the scene for the contest. They will have DJs and live bands. Some illustrious judges will pick a winner.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

A smash burger has the pattie smashed all the way down to a thin patty. Sometimes people lay 2 or three thick, plus condiments at will. Bayou on the Bay comes in regularly for their bingo nights. They wanted to do a contest and boom, this was the idea.

They also do vinyl record sales and the next one is September 7th. Shady Oak is a beautiful space and they do a lot of private event. Now they would like to gain more awareness for the venue.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Usually the buns are brioche buns, which are soft and do a better job of supporting the burger.

Shady Oak is kid friendly and dog friendly. They have free pinball and lots of games that people can play at the tables. Admission to the Smash Bash is free.

John Burton, Beer Historian

Thu, 7 Aug 2025 23:23:25 +0000

John Burton is back on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon. He has been on the show once before, on this episode of April 11, 2024 and he was also the subject of this recent article in the Press Democrat.

For long-time Sonoma County residents, John Burton is well-known, because one of his business was a bartending school that he ran for 47 years and recently closed for retirement. Herlinda was just a kid when John’s late wife Nancy was the mayor of Santa Rosa.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

John tells his story, starting at restaurants and the Flamingo. He met Virginia Grace when the Sonoma County Fair was the centerpiece of the social season. She didn’t know much about her family history in brewing and they started talking about it. Soon after, he wrote a book about Grace Brothers Brewery.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Breweriana

Breweriana encompases everything related to beer, be it foam scrapers, bottles and cans and especially advertising. On Saturday Aug. 9 at 8:00 the Bennet Valley Grange on Grange Rd. there will be free a show of about 50 tables of breweriana wares. John does it almost like an antiques road show. He describes it as a combination of local history and collecting. If you have something you might be interested in selling to a collector, these are the people to meet.

Grace Bros. was the fourth largest brewery in California during its heyday. They had other brands and produced beer in southern California too, in Los Angeles under the name of Southern. They had 140 different paper labels and 90 different can labels.

Ken Hartoonian

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 23:24:04 +0000

Beer memorabilia collector Ken Hartoonian joins Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke in for Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today.

At the Grange in Santa Rosa, Saturday Aug. 9, 9am-2pm, the Breweriana and Antique Advertising Show. It is a collection of brewery advertising apart from just cans but also lots of different kinds of promotional items.

Grace Brothers brewers was a famous local brewery that was in operation from before Prohibition until 1962. Some of their cans are featured in the show.

Ken has one of the most impressive collections of historic beer memorabilia and artefacts. He started when he was 12 years old, he loves sticker so he wrote to companies to ask for them. Then in 1975 the beer can collecting craze took hold. Before he knew it he had more than 100 cans. The closet grew into a storage unit and now he has a large metal barn.

Here is a 30-second radio commercial from Grace Bros., with a swing band that was popular in those years.

http://brewhaharadio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Grace_Bros_Beer_30_sec.mp3

Harry asks what is the Holy Grail of the items, or what is most significant to him? The Holy Grail would be a 7-11 beer can but the most significant was one that he traded for at about age 16. It was called Pride of Newark, or PON.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Their toast is with Happy Hops, which was one of the Grace Brothers’ brands. Russian River still uses the name and the label with a cartoon of a happy hop. Grace Brothers made it through Prohibition by making ice and near-beer, which was weak enough to be legal.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Renée De Luca remembers Jack McAuliffe

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 23:23:37 +0000

Renée De Luca joins Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha to remember her father Jack McAuliffe, who recently passed away. Renée was on this show a year ago, talking about her father and some new activity around the brand he founded. Here is part one of that episode, and Part Two follows here.

Renée De Luca joins us on the telephone, she is the daughter of Jack McAuliffe, founder of New Albion brewing company, who passed away just recently. He passed away on July 15 at the age of eighty. He founded a whole beer revolution, is no exaggeration. His passing has been covered widely in the mainstream press such as NPR and the Washington Post, as well as many beer publications. During his life he was already the subject of some articles, due to his influence, although that came near the end of New Albion. Over the last few years Renée and brought him to some craft brewers conferences and she is confident he knew that he would be remembered.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The First Post-Prohibition Micro-Brewery: New Albion

Jack McAuliffe was in the US Navy in the 1960s where he enjoyed the local porters, ales and stouts. Back in the US, all there was to drink was crappy American commercial beer that he didn’t like. So he learned how to brew his own. His operation was the first post-Prohibition micro-brewery to be founded in the United States, in 1976.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Brewing was so new that all of the forms referred to wine and Jack had to handwrite the word beer onto them. They asked him why he used Cascade hops and he replied, that’s what the farmer had. He put a lot of equipment together himself by adapting different parts. Farmers make wine and scientists make beer, he said. Renée’s dog Porter is in the background.

Surfside Drinks

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 23:23:11 +0000

Brent Koen from Surfside Drinks is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell sitting in for Steve Jaxon.

Brent has brought a lot of Surfside drinks today. The brand started on the east coast. He brought the Green Tea pack, the Ice Tea pack and the Lemonade pack. All are lower alcohol beverages. The company started as a vodka distiller but their mission changed as they read the market. The founders geared up with makeshift equipment in the parents’ basement. It was about the time that Breaking Bad was on TV. When their father saw the brew lab, he thought it was a meth lab or he acted as if it were that, and he kicked them out. So they got investors and got serious. Stateside Urban Craft Vodka started doing well, before Covid.

When they noticed that people were pouring their vodka into different concoctions and cocktails, they thought of doing the same thing. That’s when they started making the light beverages. Surfside grew from 1.3 million cases in 2023 to to almost 5 million cases last year and projected growth to 12-15 million cases this year.

Partners with the SF Giants

Surfside Drinks are partners with the San Francisco Giants and they have branded locations inside the stadium. The beverages have only 2 grams of sugar, 100 calories and only 4.5% alcohol.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Herlinda has seen the huge growth in the non-alcoholic category. Until now, judges at beer competitions did not want to judge that category, but not anymore.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

There are 12 different flavors, four lemonades, four green teas and four iced teas. They have three variety packs, different combinations and also large cans. They are now in all 50 states and are seeking to gain a foothold in markets like wine country.

Even if these drinks are not super cold, they still go down smoothly. They only use 2 grams of sucralose for sweetening. There is also no carbonization in any of these drinks.

The Fogbelt BBQ Team

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 23:23:36 +0000

The Fogbelt caboose in Healdsburg.

Eric and Pedro from the BBQ Team at Fogbelt Brewing join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Every year Stumptown Brewing puts on the Russian River Beer Revival and BBQ Cookout. This year is it on Saturday, August 16th. The Fogbelt team is competing with their ribs at the festival this summer.

The Santa Rosa taproom is 1305 Cleveland, and the Healdsburg location is in a red caboose.

They are tasting a beer called Eye of the Hawk, the second of their tribute brews to Mendocino Brewing Co. They started with a run of Red Tail Ale.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Pedro started at Anchor brewing in San Francisco. He was the curator of the tour program, so he had access to the brewery operation as well as to the library and archives. He became a tour guide there and eventually moved to another brewery before coming to Santa Rosa.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Pedro likes the Stumptown Beer Revival and BBQ Cookout because it is a chance to meet a lot of the key players in the local craft brew industry.

Moonlight Brewing at Backyard Concerts + Ron L

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 23:23:45 +0000

Today is the first Krush Backyard Concert, so we have Mark Cohen from Moonlight Brewing, who are pouring at the concert. He joins Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke who is sitting in for Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today.

Mark has brought some Reality Czech Pils, which won a Gold Medal in the Pilsner category, out of 167 entries.

Pilsners are not an easy beer to make. They are cold fermented and takes a lot longer to make. Moonlight’s Pilsner is not filtered, but to make it clear they use an enzyme which takes out the solids and the glutens in the beer. It is not registered as gluten free but it is very low in gluten.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

There was a time when Brian Hunt started making beer with spruce tips and redwood tips, when there was a threat of a hop shortage. In the early years, the brewers like Brian Hunt were just learning how to brew. He wanted to get serious, so he moved to Milwaukee to work for Schlitz. He called his brewery Moonlight Brewing because at first, it was his moonlight gig, that he did outside of his other work.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Ron Lindenbusch tells about Best Day Brewing

Ron Lindenbusch joins the conversation about five minutes in. He is a retired co-founder of Lagunitas and a veteran beer guru. He started at the beginning doing distribution, when he saw that Tony Magee made the best beer. that spark became Lagunitas. They sold to Heineken in two stages, half in 2015 and the rest in 2018. Lagunitas is now the number one IPA in the world. Ron had some on tap in Belgium and France.

Moonlight is pouring three beers at the Backyard Concert, they are Death and Taxes, the black lager, Reality Czech Pils, the gold medal winner, and the Bombay by Boat IPA.

Best Day Brewing is Ron’s project to make only non-alcoholic beer. They make a full-strength beer then they remove the alcohol with a cold filtration. This way, it still tastes like beer.

Sincere Cider with Bex Pezzullo

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 23:23:05 +0000

Herlinda and Bex.

Bex Pezzullo, founder and cider maker of Sincere Cider, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras.

Bex started Sincere Cider right at the time of the pandemic. The lockdown started six days after she canned her first batch of cider.

She had a 20 year career in event promotion and marketing, and she had a lot of personal contacts whom she had hope would help her at her launch. Instead of that, she ended up employing some friends who were unemployed bartenders to deliver cider. After that, since business was slow enough, she bought a 1993 camper van, named it Farley after the Chris Farley “living in a camper by the river” and hit the road. In every new city up the road, she would look for the cool bottle shops, bars and restaurants and bring cider to offer them. Before starting the cider company she had a job at an event festival company that worked with clients like Bonaroo and Outside Lands.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Granny Smith Apples and Chablis Yeast

Bex likes to joke that she is a recovering sommelier, having worked as an Italian wine specialist. She did a few harvest seasons in Italy. They are sipping the Dry Apple Cider, made mostly with Granny Smith apples. She also uses a Chablis yeast which brings the right crispness and tanginess. Their core line-up includes a Rosé cider, called Granada, that has California organic pomegranate and blueberry juice and a little bit of orange zest. The color is beautiful, everyone agrees.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

For Pride Month, “Sincere is proudly a queer owned and operated business,” says Bex. There are some popups happening in the city. She explains how she enjoys integrating all of the ingredients into her ciders, like Granada, to make a “satisfying sip.” She is on the road a lot with her English Bulldog Shasta and spends a lot of weekends traveling to bring Sincere Cider around.

Sincere Cider also makes seasonal ciders three times per year. The one they are tasting is Pine-Apple, an apple cider infused with pineapple as well as wild-foraged spruce tips. You just get a little hint of the forest. Pine-Apple is the summer seasonal.

Goat Rock Cider with Trevor Zebulon

Thu, 5 Jun 2025 23:24:58 +0000

Harry Duke, Herlinda Heras and Trevor Zebulon.

Trevor Zebulon, founder of Goat Rock Cider, is here on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon and with Herlinda Heras.

Trevor Zebulon started Goat Rock Cider with his friend Paul Hawley, before the pandemic. It was a side hustle for both of them, but the pandemic wrecked his regular business, a transportation company. Then he decided to go “full bore” ever since in Petaluma. He used to have a jazz club called Zebulon’s Jazz Lounge. He has a tasting room upstairs from where he makes the cider that has some of that old vibe. Goat Rock Cider is the only fully organic cider maker around. Some people use organic apples, but they follow organic practices throughout the process.

He is only one person, by himself, so you have to make an appointment. He is there just on Saturdays for walk-up tastings. For a reservation, call or text (707) 409-0738 or go to Goat Rock Cider dot com.

In addition to Goat Rock, which is fermented dry cider, he started a second organic cider brand called Nectar. They are named after gems, Sapphire and Emerald. It is sweetened with organic honey from Hawaii.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

He also started dabbling in the wine world. The unique thing about his wine is that they are all sourced from organic biodynamic vineyards. It is a pretty small production, very light and easy drinking. He calls it “natural wine adjacent” since he does use yeast and sulphur, but nothing else.

Big West Wine Fest discount code VINE VIBE

He will be pouring on Sunday at the June 14 and 15 in Guerneville at the Big West Wine Fest. VINE VIBE is the discount code. The venue is Solar Punk Farms in Gueneville. He will not be at the Gravenstein Apple Fair this year, as a one-man show, it’s too much to do, with the tasting room opening at the same time.

Technically, any fermented fruit is a type of wine product. No grain allowed in a winery, and winemakers can use any fruit they like. Cider is taxed as wine. If it is lower than 8.4% ABV it is cider, otherwise it has to be called apple wine. (Sake is actually more like beer and Cider is more like wine.)

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

There are many different types of apples, some are sweet, acidic, with and without tannins. There is a California apple called Wixen that has all those qualities in one apple. Usually you use a mix of apple juices to balance those flavors. The Sapphire cider would go perfectly with turkey, on a holiday table, says Harry. Or, barbequed brisket, says Herlinda. Cider and cheese also go well together.

The Ruby Nectar cider is dry, fermented with some raspberries and some Hawaiian honey. At 6% ABV it’s not overpowering, but it is sweet and easy to drink.

Dan Klasen with The Beverage Federation

Thu, 5 Jun 2025 23:23:30 +0000

Dan Klasen of the Beverage Federation calls in to speak with Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha, about the impact of impending tarrifs and more.

Dan Klasen is the founder and President of the Beverage Federation. He is calling from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he is based. The Beverage Federation

Herlinda asks Dan to explain the Beverage Federation’s work, and also for his opinion on the impending tariffs. They are a group purchasing organization to provide resources to craft brewers. Their goal is to gain purchasing power by buying in bluk on behalf of their members. They are a growing organization. Companies in the craft beer industry have been focused on lowering operating costs. Other industries have similar services.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Federation gets inquiries from operators across the country that have the same issues, for example, when the price of cans or other supplies increases suddenly. This has been a busy year and a lot of challenges today weren’t around a year ago. Everyone wants to avoid the potential impact to the consumer.

Three Things to Remember and Three to Forget

Dan told Herlinda three things to remember and three things to forget. There are a few things to do in the short term, 60-90 days. As far as what not to do, be wary of long-term contracts right now. Some breweries may want to do a bulk buy but Dan suggests thinking all the way through the consequences including warehousing. Be wary of suppliers who say they know how long these changes may last. Stay focused on what you do know, more in the 60-90 day frame.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

As for things to do, one is have alternative suppliers. It’s prudent to have back-up, including setting up an account and getting pricing. That’s what medium and large operations do, and it’s good practice for small businesses too. It is a hedge against a sudden price spike. Another good idea is to get two or three quotes for supplies over a certain amount, to make sure that you can see all options. The last thing to do is to talk to your suppliers and manufacturers. They will want to communicate what they know is coming. It is good to be ready for that, such as, changes in terms to keep the supply coming.

Membership is free, at Beverage Federation dot com. 🍻

Napa Valley Brewing Co.

Thu, 29 May 2025 23:23:19 +0000

Owner Michael Dunsford and Brewmaster Nick Bartlett from Napa Valley Brewing Co. join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on The Drive Brew Ha Ha. This is their first time on the program.

The brewery was founded in 1987 and Michael’s family bought the brewery in 1989. It is on the grounds of the historic Calistoga Inn. Steve Jaxon used to live there in those years. Many great memories. Herlinda introduces Nick Bartlett. After Mad Fritz, this is the second Napa Valley brewery featured on Brew Ha Ha lately. Nick has been at Napa Valley Brewing a little over a year. He moved to Calistoga with his wife from Oakland for the job. It is quiet in his neighborhood, nothing like Oakland. In Oakland he was a brewer at Buck Wild Brewing, which is a gluten-free brewery.

The Calistoga Inn

The Calistoga Inn is a busy operation with a 150-seat patio and a 100-seat beer garden with live events. They have live music every night in the summer. So the brewery is a bit in the background on the grounds. Now they are bringing the brewery more front and center. Over 37 years Calistoga has changed. It used to be “fun and funky” but it has become “a little bit more sophisticated” with lots of new businesses and expansions. Michael was on the city council and assisted with some of that process.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Bottle Rock is coming up. It is not necessarily great for the restaurants since everyone is at the concerts and they have great food.

The menu and the food style at Calistoga Inn is American and California wine country, for dinner everything from prime rib, lamb shanks, oysters, calamari, pastas, etc. They do breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. They get a lot of business from the locals as much as from visitors who come from all over.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Outside Lands 2025 & Beer Lands with Dave MacLean

Thu, 22 May 2025 23:24:44 +0000

Herlinda Heras & Dave MacLean.

Dave MacLean is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, to talk about curating the beer experience at Beer Lands. It is part of Outside Lands 2025, in Golden Gate Park, on August 8, 9 & 10th. He has been on BHH before, the last time was this episode a couple of years ago. Dave is also a co-founder of Admiral Maltings and is the former owner of Magnolia Brewing.

Dave is also here to tell us about opening a new brewery called Hidden Splendor Beer. His discussion of the new brewery is on this other podcast episode. This allows each of today’s subjects, Outside Lands and Hidden Splendor, to have their own audio track and search traffic. 😉

This is the 12th year for Beer Lands. It will get a different look and feel this year. Dave describes this year’s Beer Lands setup from having seen the plans, but it is yet to be built in the new way. It will still be on the Polo field but closer to the main stage. They have 22 breweries including a couple of Cider houses. Each brewery will feature two beers. Dave’s job is to curate a well-rounded menu of all the different beer styles. It should show the variety of beer being produced in the San Francisco area and not be not just an IPA fest or a lager fest.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Outside Lands 2025 Music

The music lineup for Outside Lands (pictured above) includes three days worth of rosters of artists, from up-and-comers to established top-line acts. There are seven stages that are located around Golden Gate Park.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Outside Lands has made its reputation as one of the best city festivals that feature both popular music and great food and beverages. Herlinda remembers one weekend that had Metallica, Stevie Wonder and then Neil Young and Crazy Horse, all over three days. She has seen stars like Paul McCartney and Tom Petty there.

There is an event at Admiral Maltings on June 28 called It’s the Malt! which they describe as “a full-on celebration of craft beer, American Single Malt whiskey, and the local grains that power both.”

The East Bay Home Brew Club, the Bay Area Mashers are organizing a beer fest where all the beers use malt from Admiral Maltings. They are celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Bay Area Mashers with 6 Pro/Am collab brews. A lot of home brewers have gone pro and most of them use Admiral Maltings.

Most of the brewers and cider brands that will be at Beer Lands are also past guests on Brew Ha Ha. There are 5 new brewers this year.

Hidden Splendor Beer

Thu, 22 May 2025 23:23:32 +0000

Outside Lands 2025 lineup

Dave MacLean is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, to talk about Hidden Splendor Beer and Outside Lands 2025. He has been on the show before, the last time was this episode a couple of years ago.

Hidden Splendor Beer is Dave’s new brewery that will be opening soon. Dave likes to create good beer and then places to enjoy it in. That is what he did in his previous endeavor, Magnolia Brewing. He will be brewing a lot of traditional beers, bitter, mild, light mild, porter, stout, pilsners and lagers.

Dave is also here to tell us about Beer Lands for Outside Lands 2025 on Aug. 8, 9 & 10 in San Francisco. His discussion of that is on this other podcast episode. This separation allows each of today’s subjects, Outside Lands and Hidden Splendor, to have their own audio track and search traffic. 😉

Hidden Splendor will have a location in San Rafael that will open in the Fall. Dave wants it to be a ‘brewer’s brewery’ including using some rare brewing techniques like cask beer. In the meantime they will be delivering beer to the festivals like Beer Lands.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Cask ale and Czech side pour

The side pull is a kind of valve that opens and closes in a different way in order to regulate the foam. The operator also has to have the right technique. The Czech beer style pays a lot of attention to getting the foam just perfect. It is a way to have a fine-tuned, precise way of pouring that kind of beer.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

There are two parts to Cask Ale. Mostly the casks are stainless steel now. You put the beer in the cask, add some yeast and extra hops, and it naturally carbonates. It’s like bottle conditioning for champagne. It is a more dynamic product, “some people say it has a finer quality of bubble to it.” There is a pump that draws beer out of the cask, to serve it. It is a less invasive way to use suction to pour the beer. Herlinda says they come out really smooth.

Gravenstein Apple Fair plus Ethic Ciders

Thu, 15 May 2025 23:23:54 +0000

Ned Lawson from Ethic Ciders is here with Dana Glei from the Gravenstein Apple Fair on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. We featured Ned Lawson and Ethic Ciders on this episode back on August 1, 2024, before last year’s Gravenstein Apple Fair.

Herlinda calls the fair “the cutest little country fair” with old-fashioned attractions and lots of fun. The music lineup is on this page of the website. The Gravenstein Apple Fair takes place at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol on August 9th & 10th.

The craft cider tent started with just a few producers and this year there will be 18 different local producers there. The only rule at the fair is that the apples have to be grown locally, from within 100 miles.

Ethic Ciders

New Lawson started Ethic Ciders 10 years ago and opened the tasting room a year and a half ago. They are “orchard to glass” and they “do the whole thing right there.” Ethic Ciders also makes a brandy (called a Pommeau in French) and a non-alcoholic product. They are also starting to produce a cider vinegar tonic. They make it not by de-alcoholizing cider. Instead, they start with apple cider vinegar and add lycee, lemon balm and hibiscus.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Ethic makes a cider called 1870. In the Gold Rush era, homesteaders planted a lot of apples in the area. As the Gold Rush waned, some of those orchards fell into disrepair. Then these apples were rediscovered later.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The Gravenstein Apple Fair is August 9th & 10th at the Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. If you buy your tickets early there is a discount, so don’t wait!

Dr. Ron visits with Docta-Ron Beer from RRBC

Thu, 8 May 2025 23:23:01 +0000

Dr. Ron is here with Docta-Ron beer, along with Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo on Brew Ha Ha with Herinda Heras and Steve Jaxon.

Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company are in the studio with guests from New Zealand. Brent McGlashen is a fifth-generation New Zealand hop grower. He and Vinny spent today brewing the test batch of a special beer they will release later this year. Also in the studio is Dr. Ron Beatson who is the most famous New Zealand hops expert, and David Biondi, who represents New Zealand hops in the US. The beer Docta-Ron is named after Dr. Ron.

Their special beer will use a new variety of hops called NZ-109. It has taken ten years in development. The special brew will use this new variety of hops that they nicknamed “Juicy.” The California Lake Cluster was imported to NZ in 1897. New Zealand wanted to produce hops that were different. They only produce about 1.5% of the world hops crop, so they need to be special and different. Vinny says they love NZ hops. He compares them to NZ Sauvignon Blancs which have their own intense flavors compared to the same grapes grown anywhere else in the world. These hops are so potent that a little goes a long way.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Herlinda tells about how her father, who was in the Navy, says that New Zealand was the most beautiful place he ever visited. New Zealanders have been growing hops for over 200 years.

Zed versus Zee

New Zealanders follow the British usage of calling the letter Z “zed” where in the US it’s “zee.” So Dr. Ron calls it “N Zed one-oh-nine” where we would say NZ-109 with the Z as “zee.”

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Their climate is mild, called a tempered oceanic climate. The mountains shelter the hop growing areas from rough weather. The hops area is right next to Marlbourough, at the top end of the south island. With good free draining soils and good rainfall, it’s a good climate for hops. They do have high UV light in New Zealand, which may be good for hops. Brent explains that hops are a significant export, and they export about 80% of their crop. The hop farms let the sheep roam through the hop fields and they keep the lower two or three feet of the hops clean.

Brent’s family purchased their farm in 1900 and they are celebrating 125 years of growing hops this year.

The beer named Docta-Ron is named after “the real Dr. Ron” who is in studio today. There are five New Zealand hops in this beer, mostly Nectaron, which is Dr. Ron’s last product, Vinny calls it his “swan song.” Docta-Ron is basically a New Zealand-style IPA. Dr. Ron describes Nectaron’s origin and tells about how California Lake Cluster hops were the “grandmother” of Nectaron.

Brent tells an important story about how the craft brewing industry helped encourage changes in hop farming. At first, before the craft brew revolution, hope were just hops. Now, brewers are as interested in which hops they are using and where they come from. This puts the hop farmer in communication with the brewers and ultimately all the way to beer drinkers.

Devin Biondi also gets to tell about being the US rep for New Zealand hops, which includes a lot of travel.

Photos by CR Photography for Vicario Productions. Top photo L-R: Devin Biondi, Herlinda Heras, Brent McGlashen, Dr. Ron Beatson, Natalie & Vinny Cilurzo.

Admiral Maltings

Thu, 1 May 2025 23:23:35 +0000

The floor at Admiral Maltings.

Ron Silberstein, a co-founder of Admiral Maltings in Alameda, joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. He used to run The Thirsty Bear Brewing Company for 27 years in downtown San Francisco. At Admiral Maltings they also have a pub called The Rake in the same building, overlooking the malting floor. It is located on a former Naval base. (Alameda Naval Air Station was one of the biggest Navy airports anywhere.)

Admiral Maltings is reintroducing an old-fashioned way of making malt that makes a high quality product. Barley is the most commonly used grain for beer and whiskey. Grains have to be broken down before the yeast can do its job. So the grain is soaked which lets it start to germinate, then they stop the process and dry it.

They grow all of their grain in California. Before WWII, barley was the largest California crop. Then, the floor is actually cooled, because germination itself produced heat.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Russian River just won a Gold at the World Beer Cup for their STS Pilsner, and a Silver for Damnation. They use Admiral Malt. Drake’s also won a Gold in the Cream Ale category.

Punching Above Their Weight in the World of Malt

They were just at the California Craft Brewers Cup. Admiral Maltings produces one tenth of one percent of the available malt, but they won 8% of the medals from the recent CCB Cup. Of course, it’s the brewers who win the medals, but they do use Admiral Maltings malt.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Don’t miss IT’S THE MALT, the 2nd Annual Malt Festival at Admiral June 28. It’s their celebration of malt. There will be at least six pro-am collaborations to taste. There will be beers that demonstrate malts made from all different kinds of grain, including wheat, rye, barley, oats and corn. They will also feature whiskeys, like their American Single Malt Whiskey. It has to be 100% malted barley from a single distillery to qualify.

As a local provider of malt for local breweries, Admiral Maltings provides the freshest possible product, comparable to freshly roasted and ground coffee, or like freshly baked bread.

Fogbelt and the Return of Red Tail Ale

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 23:23:47 +0000

Fogbelt Brewing Company owner Paul Hawley is here along with Native American brewer Pedro Mancilla to tell about the return of Red Tail Ale.

Hawley, co-founder of Fogbelt Brewing Company is here along with Native American brewer Pedro Mancilla to talk about bringing back Red Tail Ale. Fogbelt is making some of Mendocino Brewing’s classic Red Tail Ale. This was the most famous brew early in the craft brewing movement. In the 1980s it was one of the leading new beers.

Fogbelt Paul tells how he and Remy Martin started the brewery in 2013 after home brewing for a time. Remy studied brewing at UC Davis. They opened their brewpub on Cleveland Ave in Santa Rosa in 2014, then outgrew that space. They moved production to an offsite warehouse. Then in 2022 they opened the Healdsburg Beer Garden in the red caboose.

Pedro Mancilla introduces himself. He is the brewer at Fogbelt Brewing company. He has Native American Ancestors and shares “I am of you and you are of me” in his native language. The Red Tail Hawk in a symbol of wisdom, protection and care for the land. The Red Tail Ale project is more than a beer, it is a celebration of his connection to his heritage. Don Barkley developed the recipe back then for Mendocino Brewing and now he has given the recipe to Fogbelt.

Herlinda met Pedro when they were at an event at Anchor Brewing, where Pedro used to work. He was working there and had access to Fritz Maytag’s extensive library of books about brewing. She saw him reading a book that was about brewing at that event, so she asked him about it.

The owner of Chobani yogurt has purchased Anchor Brewing and its assets, so there are good propects for a return of Anchor Steam and Liberty Ale.

There were several other “bird beers” that Mendocino Brewing made. Fogbelt has started with Red Tail Ale but they also plan to bring the others back. These include Eye of the Hawk, Talon, White Hawk, Black Hawk, Blue Heron and Peregrine.

Right now, Red Tail Ale is available at the big local retailers, such as Oliver’s, Tip Top, Wilibees, Bottle Barn and others. Fogbelt has the distribution rights so they are in charge of that.

Cascade and Cluster hops, caramel malt for the amber red hue and the taste as well. Herlinda judges it “delicious.”

Marin Irish Festival

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 23:23:20 +0000

Marin County Civic Center and Lagoon Park.

Drew Patterson joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha to talk about the Marin Irish Festival. It is coming back to Lagoon Park, Marin County Fairgrounds on May 3 and 4, 2025. It’s a celebration of Irish music, dance, and culture. They will have more than 40 artisan vendors and craft booths. Feast on traditional Irish food (corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie). To drink, there will be pints of Guinness, Harp, and local hard ciders and ales.

The Marin Irish Festival is a production of Red Barn Productions. They are famous for The Great Dickens Christmas Fair and the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. The festival takes its inspiration from Beltane, the ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the arrival of summer—with Maypoles, music, dancing, and revelry.

They will have live Performances on Four Stages and, new for this year, an officially sanctioned Irish dance competition. The Ceili on the Lake Championships are a sanctioned feis (pronounced FESH) in partnership with the Jackie Flynn Irish Dance Academy. For information and registration, visit marinirishfestival.com/feis

In addition to all that, there will also be Sheep Herding Demos with real Sheep Dogs, plus sheep shearing and wool spinning! The San Francisco Gaelic Athletic Association will demo hurling, Gaelic football, and Camogie, featuring fast-paced 5-on-5 blitz matches.

All Five 420 Waldos Tell Their Story

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:23:25 +0000

Original 420 flag, from the Waldo’s official website.

All five of the original 420 Waldos are in the studio today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Waldo Dave and Waldo Steve were on Brew Ha Ha once before, on this episode of April 18, 2019. This time, all five of them are here.

Steve, Dave, Jeff, Larry and Mark are here, they are the original Waldos from San Rafael High School in the early 1970s. There is ample documentation of their invention of the expression 420 on their website. It is the first time all five of them have been together for a radio interview.

They used to hang out on the wall, every day between classes and after school. “We were all about comedy and having fun.” They also listened to a lot of music, including the great bands from the Bay Area at the time. Lagunitas makes a special 420 Waldos beer and they have some of it in studio today.

At the time, one of them had a brother who was in the Coast Guard who knew of a secret garden. One of them got the map.

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So their meeting spot was the Louis Pasteur statue at school, and their buzzword was “420 Louis” to meet at the statue at 4:20 PM. That became just “420” then the term became “…secret code that we accidentally created.” It was still illegal and one of their fathers was a narcotics officer so they needed cover. The term extended to their group of friends and beyond.

The Grateful Dead Connection

There was also a connection to the Grateful Dead. Waldo Mark’s father was a real estate agent who ended up selling houses to three members of the band. He got tickets to concerts and the guys got to hang out with the band at concerts and one of them eventually got to be a roadie. He was using “420” at the time and the term started spreading through the Dead community.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Each of the Waldos went on to professional careers in the Bay Area and they are now retired or semi-retired. They were also always into in what they called “safaris” where they went on adventures to investigate interesting stuff. Once they visited some researchers who were doing holographic images. “They were cub scout field trips but we were stoned.” One day Waldo Steve drove his 1966 Impala on the airport runway.

Another day they climbed onto the girders on the Golden Gate Bridge, when there was no security on the bridge. They jumped onto the protective nets which were “bouncy.” Another time they took a trip to LA and the police stopped them on the road when they mistook the Waldos for the SLA (who had kidnapped Patti Hearst). They wanted to see a taping of the Johnny Carson show, but the stop caused them to miss it, so they went to Disneyland. Listen to their telling of that story about 31 minutes in.

Brian Donaldson from Lagunitas has brought some of Lagunitas’ special 420 Waldos release, a 10.7% brew. He also brought some hop water and other brews. The Lagunitas brewers invited the Waldos to taste different hops and to choose the ones they thought tasted most like cannabis.

Waldos on three! One, two, three WALDOS! Woo hoo!

Battle of the Brews 2025

Thu, 3 Apr 2025 23:23:36 +0000

James Pardieu and Richard McChinak, co-chairmen of the Battle of the Brews 2025 join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Richard was in the studio last year on this episode to promote the same event.

Battle of the Brews 2025 will be Saturday April 12 from 1-5 PM at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. This year marks the 25th annual event. It is sponsored by the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa, a charity organization for persons between age 20 and 39. Members age out at 40, so there are always new people on the scene.

More than half of the event is about BBQ now. There is also cider, Kombucha and mead. Herlinda is judging the beer competition in the morning, for the 11th or 12th year. The first time she remembers being the only female judge, but that’s not the case anymore.

Admission is $95 which includes all you can eat and all you can drink, responsibly! All the money raised goes to serve underprivileged youth in Sonoma County. Last year they raised over $72,000 and they have totaled over 1.5 million dollars over the last several years.

The club uses the funds they raise for many local charities targeting youth. The have contributed to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County. Each member also participates in shopping for school supplies, benefiting over 200 kids last time. There are constant needs. “If there’s a need, we’re here to fill it.” Each chapter has their own area that they support.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Leah Scurto, the owner of PizzaLeah, is going to Parma for the world pizza championship, April 8-10.

The Battle of the Brews is not only about beer because now they include coffee and teas and tisanes. There will be at least 50 breweries, a few coffee and tea shops and so far 18 confirmed restaurants and probably more by show time. HenHouse and Old Caz are among the breweries.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The 20-30 club has different chapters all around the country and also some outside the US. There will be visitors from Panama this year. The club has some members who attended some events as children, then grew up and joined the society.

DJ Rob Cervantes will be there, and the band Voodoo Vultures will play their only event of the year.

In December they hold an event for children who would not otherwise be able to enjoy a full holiday celebration, with a Christmas dinner, presents, Santa Claus, arts and crafts and lots of love.

CuVer Belgian Brewery

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 23:23:18 +0000

The Cuvers.

Hendrik Cuver and his wife Amber Cuver, from CuVer Brewery in Windsor, join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. They are here to talk about their Windsor, California brewery where they specialize in Belgian beer. Hendrik was on this episode of Brew Ha Ha back on September 16, 2021, when they were just opening the brewery. He was also on this episode on May 5, 2022, a year and a half later.

Also today, Harry Duke will be calling in live from Russian River Brewing Co. in Windsor. The Pliny the Younger public event is in full swing there. His portion of this live radio show will be on this separate podcast episode page, to allow each guest to have their own audio and podcast indexing.

Cuver’s Origin

Hendrick and his father were used to drinking Belgian beers when they immigrated to California in 2012. A year later they started home brewing in order to have the beer that they wanted. They continued doing that while Hendrick was back in Belgium getting his Master’s degrees in Biochemistry. Then when St. Florian’s brewery came up for sale, they made the purchase. The history of Cuver Brewery and the two families that founded it are closely intertwined. Hendrick invited his fiancée Amber and her family to meet his family at Thanksgiving. Amber’s father Reed Cushing became a partner in the brewery. When Hendrick and Amber got married, they changed their surnames to Cuver, derived from combining Cushing and Verspecht. Read the whole story on the Cuver website, on this page.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Belgian ales can have combinations of different flavors, from malt, hops and specially chosen yeasts. The Belgian beers range from a 4.4% abv whit to a quad that is 10.3%.

The first beer that they are tasting is a white IPS, which is a hybrid style between a Belgian wheat beer and an IPA. It is called “By Her Bootstraps.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Closures and Sales

Herlinda mentions some news in the beer industry. Moylen’s in Marin is closing, the owner is retiring. Marin Brewing Company closed last year. Also, Anderson Valley Brewing has sold to a winery owner and Fal Allen has moved to Kauai where he is still a brewer. There are lots of changes in the brew business.

Cuver is located on Bell Road in Windsor, around the corner from Russian River, in the Windsor Beverage District. The tap room offers 11 different beers. They have Food Truck Fridays from 4 to 7.

Herlinda has brought a rare Vienna lager from Vienna, Austria. She recently visited Martin Voigt there, he has been on BHH when he was traveling in California.

Harry Duke live at RRBC with Pliny the Younger 2025

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 23:22:58 +0000

Harry Duke and Natalie Cilurzo

Harry Duke is live at Russian River Brewing Co. in Windsor on this special edition of Brew Ha Ha to talk about Pliny the Younger 2025 from the floor of the Russian River Windsor pub.

Also today on Brew Ha Ha, Hendrik Verspecht from CuVer Brewing is visiting Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras in the studio. That portion of today’s show is on this other podcast page, to allow each guest to have their own audio and podcast indexing.

Natalie Cilurzo is with Harry to talk about how it’s all going. Pliny the Younger is a triple IPA which gets a recipe tweak most years. This year, the addition of Tangier hops brings some orange, grapefruit, tangerine and mango, in addition to other hints of pine resin. It’s a little more bitter than last year, which counteracts the fruitiness and elevates the flavor profile. It is remarkably smooth, for 10.4% abv.

Pliny the Younger 2025 Release Dates

The annual release of Pliny the Younger 2025 this year runs from March 21 to April 3. It will be on tap and in bottles to go until April 3. The wait times today are about 2 hours downtown, and more than 3 hours in Windsor. Natalie and Vinny like to greet the visitors waiting in line and they make a lot of friends.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

There are visitors from all over the country and some international visitors too. Pliny the Younger’s economic impact on Sonoma County is consistently strong. The Chamber of Commerce reports that it brings in several million dollars of extra business every year.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Next week, April 3 is also the 2oth anniversary of the RRBC pub on 4th St. in downtown Santa Rosa.

Oliver’s Market guests plus Moonlight Brewing’s We Love LA

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:23:42 +0000

Wade Johnson and Justin Bowman from Oliver’s Markets and Erin Latham from Moonlight Brewing Co. join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Wade Johnson is the head of the gourmet cheese department at Oliver’s Market. Justin Bowman is the beer and spirits manager at Oliver’s Market in Cotati.

Erin Latham is here from Moonlight Brewing Co. She has brought their We Love LA beer to taste and to describe the fund raising campaign. Erin was also on BHH last year on August 15, along with Brian Hunt, to promote the 32nd Anniversary party. Last week we talked to Andy Link of Common Space Brewery in Los Angeles. They are leading the We Love LA effort.

Moonlight’s We Love LA Beer

Moonlight’s We Love LA beer is an American style lager that will be released this Saturday at their taproom. They have a roster of bands and other performers plus food trucks. 3350 Coffee Lane. A portion of the proceeds from the beer sales goes to the United Way Los Angeles. They are also accepting direct donations.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Wade Johnson takes care of cheeses at all the Oliver’s stores. He has brought three cheeses to taste today. They are a California-made Gouda, an Irish cheddar and Point Reyes Farmstead Bay Blue. He started at Oliver’s in 2010 and “grew up behind the cheese counter.”

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Justin brought beers to pair with these. One is Color Me Murphy Irish Red Ale and an Irish Stout called Top o’ the Morning. They also have a Guinness stout with the little widget that simulates a fresh draft pour. Herlinda tasted a Guinness non-alcoholic beer that tasted as good as the full alcohol version.

We Love LA Wildfire Relief Beer

Thu, 6 Mar 2025 23:23:51 +0000

Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo discuss the We Love LA wildfire relief collab beer, with Leah Scurto from PizzaLeah who is sitting in for Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon today. Andy Link will also join us on the phone from Common Space Brewery in Los Angeles.

Herlinda Calling from England

First, Herlinda Heras calls in from England where it is 1:00 in the morning. Herlinda was on this episode last year about the 2024 edition. She is there for her eleventh year judging the British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray, about a four-hour train ride north of London. There are 26 categories of pies and all but one are savory pies like fish pie, steak and kidney pie, cold pork pie and many more. This year there 879 pies and 167 judges. Herlinda was the only American judge and she even got an interview on the BBC. They judge in an 800-year-old former church. The English tradition of savory pies extends even to football, rugby and cricket clubs, which have their own team pies. As we would get a hot dog and a beer at a baseball game, they will get a hand pie and a beer for their day at the stadium or grounds.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Herlinda judged the steak and ale category which alone had 67 pies. There is even a gluten-free pie and a vegan pie. Shepherd’s pie is different, that has mashed potatoes on it. These pies have to have a full crust on top and bottom. Appearance is important so the pies are decorated on top. The first thing they look for is a soggy bottom, which is a quick DQ.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

The LA fire relief beer “We Love LA”

The folks at Common Space Brewery in LA have spearheaded this, the same way that Russian River Brewing Co. helped organize the Sonoma Pride fund-raising campaign after the 2017 fires. There are about 200 breweries that have so far collected pledges for almost $300,000. There is no beer style requirement, so the breweries can make whatever style is convenient for them. So RRBC is making a West Coast Pils, a style that Highland Park Brewery in Los Angeles developed. Vinny describes the West Coast Pils as having a light body like a Pilsner but it is more heavily hopped like the IPAs. They used Adena hops, “on the hot side” then later it is dry hopped with Tangier and Nectaron, that gives it the big aroma. All the proceeds will go to the United Way of Los Angeles.

Andy Link from Common Space Brewery in Los Angeles joins the show on the phone to describe the collaboration in the LA area and around California.

Rewind Beer Arcade plus CAZUNITAS

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:23:18 +0000

Joevon Hatter from Rewind Beer Arcade and Bryan Donaldson from Lagunitas are here on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. This is the first time on Brew Ha Ha for each of them. Joevon is the Manager of Beverage and Events for Rewind Beer Arcade in Sebastopol, which features a great beer selection and many ’80s an ’90s arcade games. Bryan is the Brewing Innovation Manager at Lagunitas. He gets to make experimental beers for the brewery.

Bryan Donaldson studied at UC Davis with Charlie Bamforth (who was on this show on this Feb. 28, 2018 episode) and then built a resumé with the biggest brands in the business including Sierra Nevada, Anheuser Busch and Heineken. He is also an open-water scuba instructor and a former university chemistry instructor at Santa Clara and UC Davis.

Rewind Arcade features the arcade games but also 20 taps of all kinds of craft beers. They are measured and charged by the ounce, so it is easy to taste a lot of different brews in one visit. Joevan makes sure that the selection is always fresh and up-to-date, including the best flavors from the best local breweries.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Lagunitas Brewing Company does not do a lot of brewing collaborations but Old Caz is special. CAZUNITAS is a portmanteau of Old Caz and Lagunitas.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Beer City Festival plus HenHouse Big Chicken

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:23:41 +0000

Adam Ray, founder of the Santa Rosa Beer City Festival, and Colin McDonald from HenHouse join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Also in the studio is Ryan Silva, winner of the golden growler. Colin was on Brew Ha Ha last June 13, 2024, when HenHouse was getting ready for the Freshtival.

Adam Ray is the founder of Beer City Festival, Colin McDonald is here from HenHouse for the annual Big Chicken release, and Ryan Silva won the Golden Growler trophy, which he has broght.

Beer City was born in Santa Rosa, THEE Beer City. There is a running event in the morning then a party in the afternoon. HenHouse is participating in Beer City and also in the Santa Rosa Beer Passport. They can’t have Big Chicken on Saturday, it will only be at the brewery that day. Big Chicken is HenHouse’s once-a-year special IPA. After Saturday it will be available in all their retail locations.

Racing and Drinking Beer, or Just Drinking Beer

There is a series of four of races at all the four different Beer City locations. There are races for 5K, 10K and half marathon. Runners can gain points by running more races for longer distance at better times. They announce the overall men’s and women’s winners at the end of the last day of races. Ryan won the giant growler as the overall men’s winner last year.

New this year is Race the Rex, a person in a dinosaur costume. You run a lap and take a drink. If the T Rex catches you, you’re out. If you lose your cookies, you’re out. It sounds very complicated, but they will have ushers and judges.

Colin explains the mission of Big Chicken. Every year the recipe changes. Steve says it’s delicious. Colin says they try to bring to every Big Chicken all that they learned about making hoppy beer during the last year. They are using special hops which are cryogenically extracted so that the beer is “oily” with hop flavor.

Big Chicken

The Big Chicken they are tasting was tapped off the main tank about 15 minutes ago. They are celebrating 13 years at HenHouse. Colin realizes that places him in the generation of distinguished elder craft brewers. 95% of their beer is sold in the bay area. Mark Carpenter, “a living legend” former BHH co-host and Anchor brewer, loves HenHouse.

Take the Smart Train, it’s sponsored and is there to help you get around while you enjoy Beer City Festival and while you fill out your Beer Passport. Visit Santa Rosa is a sponsor. Every Beer City attracts 60% visitors from out of county.

Cooperage Brewing Co.

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 23:24:08 +0000

Herlinda with Dan and Celeste Hanes.

Dan and Celeste Hanes from Cooperage Brewing Co., join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. The last time Cooperage was featured on BHH was when Nicholas aka The Fridge was our guest on this episode of May 25, 2023.

Cooperage’s new location is at 575 Ross St. in downtown Santa Rosa. This place is much larger than their other original one at 981 Airway Court also in Santa Rosa. They have pool, darts, pinball and other kid and dog friendly attractions and there is trivia on Mondays. There are also rotating food trucks outside as well as great beer.

First, Herlinda reminds us of the February 22 Beer City Fest. You can sign up to run in the half marathon, or just come to celebrate and drink beer later. Also, the Santa Rosa Beer Passport promotion is going on. Cooperage is a big part of both Beer City and the Santa Rosa Beer Passport promotions.

Their new location means they have enough space to throw a big party in the parking lot. So on March 22, they will be throwing a block party in the empty parking lot next door. They will have BBQ, burgers, several bands and local vendors, all at the new downtown location. Their name for it is the Coop Rage party, at least for now. They have a great following and the local community has supported them, so they are glad to be able to do this in their new downtown location. “We want to be part of the re-creation of downtown.”

Tyler, Cooperage’s brewer, started by working the taps at Whole Foods while people knew he was already brewing great beer by himself. Joe Tucker of RateBeer fame loved Cooperage and said it would be the next great American brewery.

They brought three beers today. One is a pale dry ale, called the Crispy Crusher. It is an “affordable, approachable beer.” They keep the price low, $4 or $5 a pint, depending on what time of day.

Every Saturday the free beer shuttle is a popular attraction in Santa Rosa. Their hours at the new downtown location are Monday – Thursday from 3:00 to 10:00 PM, Fridays and Saturdays Noon to Midnight, Sundays Noon to 7:00 PM.

Their IG will tell you what food trucks are coming and when.

Stella says the highlight of her day is to meet all the dogs that come to their dog-friendly locations. The Mexican wrestling is a great show. Next time is Saturday, May 3. The wrestling is a tournament with judges and a champion. Once, Dan’s little son panicked because he saw his dad get body slammed and he “lost his marbles” as Mom tells the story. How do you say, “KAYFABE” in Spanish?

American Craft Beer Hall of Fame with Marty Nachel

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 23:23:38 +0000

Marty Nachel

Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Steve Jaxon welcomes Marty Nachel, founder and President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. Herlinda has judged beers with him in Mexico.

“The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame has been established to honor, celebrate, and commit to history those people who are responsible for initiating, sustaining, and promoting the American craft beer industry. This Hall is to ensure that the memories of their contributions and achievements will not fade with time.” – from the American Craft Beer HOF website

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Nominees and Inductees

Herlinda Heras and Tara Nurin are on their advisory board. In that role, they each got to nominate ten people for induction. The first nominees have been published and the winners were announced on February 15. Some of them are familiar to us, including Fritz Maytag from Anchor and new Albion founders.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Marty describes how he thought of this idea over a year ago. He had not heard of anything like this. Then after multiple google searches, he discovered that there was no such award yet. He first thought of bringing the idea to some other people, but then he decided just to start it himself. The list of nominees and winners is on the website.

Some of the people nominated have had an important impact but are not well known. Marty mentions Charlie Bamforth of UC Davis, as an example. Known as The Pope of Foam, he is a chemistry professor from England who has taught fermentation science to students at UC Davis for a long time. He has been on BHH before, on this episode.

Pliny the Younger 2025 with Natalie Cilurzo

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:23:11 +0000

Natalie with Pliny the Younger 2025.

Natalie Cilurzo is back with the first taste of the 2025 Pliny the Younger, on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras.

This will be the 21st release of Pliny the Younger. They used to release in February but during covid they moved it to last march early April. That turned out to be better for a lot of reasons. So this year the dates are March 21 through April 3.

They continue to do wholesale distribution to bars and restaurants in February. This helps them get an attraction during the slower winter months. Also, San Francisco Beer Week is coming. Today they are finishing the brewing and bottling and kegging, but the first people to taste it are on this show today.

Dan Berger is here as a special guest, and so is Mackenzie Miller, who is the host of Mid-days on the Krush, KRSH. Brew Ha Ha will do a remote broadcast March 27, to be confirmed. The last time we did a remote was when Windsor opened in 2018.

Russian River Brewing Co. Hop Water

Since many people participate in Dry January, Russian River Brewing Co. produces a Hop Water, which is sparkling water flavored with Citra and Eldorado hops. It’s very refreshing.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Every year at Valentine’s Day they make a beer called Rejection, a dark beer made with Belgian yeast. It is toasty and has coffee flavors. It is 6.1% ABV. Dan Berger describes it as rich without being sweet, perfect for dry January because it finishes dry. It is available on tap only at the two pubs, or to-go in growlers.

Then they taste another beer called Docta-Ron, named after a New Zealand hop breeder. It is available in cans and on tap.

This is the 21st year of Pliny the Younger. Vinny Cilurzo tweaks the recipe every year and this year the long list of hops used includes a new one. It has an orange-y flavor and makes the 2025 Pliny the Younger, according to Dan Berger, the tastiest one ever.

Russian River Brewing Co. is also making a wildfire relief beer called We “heart” LA. A brewery in LA called Common Space started a fund raising beer. Here is their website. The beer is set to be released all at once by all the collaborators on March 7.

Now finally it is time to taste the Pliny the Younger 2025. Dan Berger declares it the most amazing beer ever produced. It is over 10% ABV and it is very dry and clear.

Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, Nectaron, Simcoe, Warrior and Tangier. Tangier is a new hop from Washington and they like it for its orange flavors. Dan says the beer has more floral qualities than last year. The Pine flavors definiteliy come from the Simcoe. Dan says this beer is like a great wine, full of complexities and unexpected flavors.

They are kegging it tomorrow and it will start going out for distribution on Monday, Feb. 2. Look around at your usual bars and restaurants, look for your usual suspects… Happy hunting!

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Fort Point Beer Co.

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 23:23:04 +0000

Mike Schnebeck from Fort Point Beer Co. in San Francisco is our guest in the studio today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Mike was on Brew Ha Ha once before in 2023, on this episode. Herlinda happily reports that Fort Point Beer Co. is actually growing and doing very well. They also are producing cider. And also, today is the eleventh anniversary of the first episode of Brew Ha Ha, back when Herlinda did the show with Joe Tucker. It was four years after that, on Feb. 8, 2018, that this podcast started. Cheers! 🍻

Mike and his two partners founded Fort Point Beer Co. ten years ago. Before that they ran another smaller brewery. The name Fort Point comes from the fort that is at the base of the Golden Gate bridge, on the city side. It is a famous landmark for locals in the know, and even if it is in the shadow of the Golden Gate bridge, the fort is not as widely known.

The first beer tasted is their KSA which is their take on a German Kolsch. This is their first non-alcoholic beer. They have a whole line of non-alcoholic beers. Many have a regular and a non alcoholic version.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

They spent about three years researching non-alcoholic brewing. They found that a specialized yeast strain gave them the best flavor. The beer had to taste good, and also taste as close as possible to real beer. People love the types of beer already, so they wanted to make the same varieties of beer in a nearly-zero alcohol version. With the special yeast, they are able to make great tasting beer but less than one percent alcohol. The brewing process is very similar, with some adjustments. Even Steve Jaxon found it hard to tell which of the tastings were the non-alcoholic ones.

SF Beer Week is coming in February. The Feb-Brew-ary promotion is also coming, in Santa Rosa.

You can order Fort Point beer at Fort Point Beer Co dot com They have a beer club subscription. They have a Fort Point Korean style lager with San Hu Wan in the Mission district, with the chef Cory Lee. They developed the recipe together. It uses Jasmine rice, Herlinda notices. It also uses Contessa hops which have a green tea floral flavor.

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

Watch the Fort Point social media for up-to-the-minute news about events around San Francisco.

Pizzaleah is a new sponsor of Brew Ha Ha. Leah Scurto has been on the show a few times before, the last time was this episode on August 29, 2024.

Mark Carpenter back for a visit

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:23:25 +0000

Steve, Mark and Herlinda

Our former co-host Mark Carpenter is back with us for a visit today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. His last visit was this episode in July of 2021. For a long time Mark Carpenter was the co-host of this show. He was the brew master at Anchor until he retired.

Mark has news about the present status of Anchor Brewing. Sapporo decided to close it but an investor has bought the company and is slowly working on restoring the location and the company. Here is an article from AP news about that.

The new owner, Hamdi Ulukaya, has plans to revitalize Anchor Brewing, which everyone agrees is good news. He is the very successful founder of Chobani Yogurt so he is certainly ready and qualified for the job.

Mark says he is taking his time about it and has a good approach similar to that of Fritz Maytag, the previous owner who also bought Anchor and revitalized it in the early 1970s when Mark Carpenter started there. Both Fritz Maytag and Hamdi Ulukaya are openly enthusiastic about the meaning and importance of a business like Anchor as a valuable cultural asset.

A Brief History of Anchor Brewing

Mark briefly tells the story of how he found Anchor. He had been working for the telephone company. He took a tour of Anchor and liked the place enough to ask for a job. It was a small place and had three employees. Mark considers himself lucky to have been hired and to have found Fritz to be such an enlightened owner who gave Mark a book about brewing and sent him to take brewing courses in Michigan.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Mark has brought a bottle of Truman Royal Ale for Herlinda as a birthday present. It was brewed in England in 1982 to celebrate the birth of Prince William. Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale was the first modern IPA brewed in the United States. They didn’t call it IPA, but it had all of the characteristics. Herlinda’s video interview with Mark Carpenter, Tony Magee and Don Barkley is also still on display at the Museum of Sonoma County.

It’s Herlinda’s birthday! Happy Birthday Herlinda!

Hachidori Sake with Stuart Morris

Thu, 9 Jan 2025 23:23:36 +0000

Herlinda and Stuart.

Sake sommelier Stuart Morris is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, with Hachidori Sake.

Stuart Morris is a sake sommelier trained in Japan and is a former partner with Kenichi Tominaga of Hana in a sake distribution company. He was a chef “in a previous life” and discovered sake while working in restaurants. He made lots of effort to get to Japan and he learned sake making there.

They begin tasting some sake and noticing the flavors. One is light and clean with lemon, cucumber and melon rind flavors. He makes three types of sake, with different rices and yeasts. He became one of the first six non-Japanese people to get the Japanese sake certification. His own label is called Hachidori which means hummingbird in Japanese.

Sake brewing is similar to brewing beer.

Sake is brewed in a process that is close to beer brewing. It is made from rice, water and koji, a mould. He grows it in an 80-degree humid room, so the temperature needs to be just right. There is a sake museum, the only one in the US, in Berkeley, that shows the history of sake production. The milling of the rice has an effect on the flavor, the more milled, the more delicate the flavor. You have to taste it to understand it. The highest ABV sake is 20%. His mentor in Japan is a 10th generation sake maker.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

Stuart worked at Hana where he became friends with the Tominaga family. He later became a partner with Ken in a sake distribution company, before he took the job he has now.

These bottles of Hachidori sake are the very first ones that Stuart has produced for sale. They will be rolling out into some retail and restaurants. They will range in price from about $30/35, then one at about $45, then one at about $100. Sake does not age like wine and usually fresher is better. Stuart stores it in a fridge or at a white wine temperature.

Sake rice is very high in starch. The more glucose, the more starch, the more elegant style of sake you will get.

When Stuart is helping restaurant customers choose sake, he starts by asking them what they like. Some people’s wine preferences are a way to predict what sake one would also like. The key is to drink some sake to taste it and find out what you like.

Hiveworks Mead Co.

Fri, 3 Jan 2025 23:23:51 +0000

hiveworks mead co.

Sean Duckworth, COO and Alexander Mendoza, CEO of Hiveworks Mead Co. are back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. The last time they were on the show was this episode back on February 22, 2024.

Steve Jaxon starts by asking Sean and Alex simply to tell about mead. It is an alcoholic fermented beverage made from honey. Mead is probably the oldest fermented beverage in human history, is gluten free and has tons of flavor, so what’s not to love? It takes about six weeks from beginning the brewing process to when it is delivered. Mead is like honey in that it is not perishable. It might lose some of its flavor but it does not go “off.”

Herlinda remembers finding great mead in Finland when she was there to judge a beer and Sahti competition. Braggot is a style of mead that can have stronger flavor and higher alcohol, but which also uses grain in its production. The term Honeymoon refers to drinking mead for a month after getting married.

Silver Medal Winners in their First Competition

They are based in Rohnert Park. One of their products just won a Silver medal in its category in the first competition they have been able to enter.

Mead is actually the fastest growing sector of the alcoholic beverage industry today. The TV series Game of Thrones had a lot to do with raising awareness of mead and making it more popular. Since their style of mead is relatively light, that makes it easy for people to try it and get to know it.

Their overall style is a Dry mead, with no residual sugar. Some other meads are sweeter and thicker. Another mead is hopped. Their hopped mead is not a braggot because there is no use of grain.

Herlinda wants to mention President Carter who signed California Senator Alan Cranston’s bill to allow home brewing in the US. That was the one legal change that let the home brewing movement begin.

Alex and Sean have known each other since the second grade. They were home brewing in their early twenties. It didn’t hurt that they also played a little D&D. So at one point they realized that there was no commercial product similar to their idea.

They are expanding their distribution throughout the Bay Area into restaurants and shops. They will double their production capacity in the next year. Watch out for Hiveworks Mead Co.!

Flora Luna Apothecary founder Phaedra Achor

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 23:23:32 +0000

Phaedra Achor

Flora Luna Apothecary founder Phaedra Achor is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today. Phaedra was also on Brew Ha Ha almost exactly two years ago on this episode on Dec. 22, 2022.

There is big news in the beer world. Herlinda reports that RateBeer dot com is closing. Our friend and former co-host Joe Tucker sold it to a big brewing company several years ago. Buying a big beer ratings company, only to shut it down, looks like a corporate power play. There may be buyers who wish to purchase its assets. A lot of site users have postings there that date back many years. There are a lot of stakeholders who have questions. Herlinda will try to get Joe Tucker to come on the show soon to tell us more about it.

Flora Luna Apothecary is Phaedra’s company that produces botanical bitters, syrups and infusions, for creating uniquely flavorful cocktails and other beverages.

Phaedra has a lot to say about holiday cocktails. The first one she is making in the studio today, named Festival of Lights, is a celebration of Hanukkah. It is a gin fizz made with olive oil which gives it a unique flavor and texture.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

What Bitters Are

Bitters are botanical extracts, made from three components, a bark, a root and an aromatic botanical. Then, when you macerate them in an alcohol base, you extract the bitter compounds. Traditionally they were a medicinal, used to soothe the gut. Angostura bitters are the most famous example. Syrups are similar to bitters but they are more an infusion, with the ingredient cooked in the syrup.

Phaedra formulates all the recipes and makes everything herself. Her website has all of her products. Her quarterly subscription box contains seasonal concoctions four times a year. The recipes that come with it can be made with or without alcohol.

Flora Luna began in 2015 when Phaedra threw a cocktail party and made five different kinds of bitters for the occasion. They were a hit and some guests were really impressed. This encouraged Phaedra, then she realized that there was interest in cocktails and a lack of great bitters on the market. For the rest of the show they continue tasting and discussing some beautiful craft cocktails.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair with AVBC

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:23:26 +0000

Herlinda Heras and Kevin McGee

Kevin McGee from Anderson Valley Brewing Company joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. AVBC is the official brewery of the 2024 Great Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Kevin McGee has been on this show a few times, most recently this episode on May 2, 2024.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company has been in business for 37 years. Their entire property is now licensed as a beer tasting room. There is a disc golf course on the site now. They like to offer an experience a little more memorable than just drinking a beer. His family bought the company in 2019 and they also relaunched the Healdsburg Beer Company.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

Kevin tried making wine at home but without success. His wife suggested he try beer, so he changed his business plan in 2007. At the time it was hard to sell the beer, but Guy Fieri’s restaurant was one of the first customers. AVBC was the first brewery to use only solar energy. They also have a completely self-contained water system that draws water from wells on the property and returns all their used water to the ground on site.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

This year AVBC is the official brewery of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, from November 23 through December 22, from 10am-6pm.

Jeffery House, Founder of Ace Cider

Thu, 5 Dec 2024 23:23:48 +0000

Jeffery House and Herlinda Heras

Jeffery House is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, with news about the company he founded and is back managing now. Jeffery has been on Brew Ha Ha before. His most recent visit was this episode last May, after his book was released.

He sold Ace Cider to Vintage Wine Estates which burned through money and declared bankruptcy. He and his sons attempted to buy the brand back. They went to an auction in New York for the assets. They “got pipped at the post” as a third-generation Budweiser distributor had the winning bid. But Jeffery approached them offering his services and they accepted it. Jeffery is confident that in a year or two they should be back to where they were. Jeffery mentions that they had been debt free for five years and their distribution was getting really strong. The consumers have been very loyal. Awareness of the brand is strong and they are happy with the compliments they are receiving now.

The Cider King

Jeffery House’s book The Cider King came out in May. It is his autobiography, tracing his life from England, in the advertising business, coming to America, starting to import British beer into America. He encountered cider while in the beer business. The book goes through all the events from his discovery of the Sebastopol apple orchards to the founding and growth of Ace Cider.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

Their ciders range from 5% to 8% ABV but the alcohol is not as prominent in the flavor profile, compared to beer. They discovered a strong demand in the Hispanic market, for example there are about 500 taps of Ace Cider in El Paso, TX.

Herlinda mentions that cider is a great choice for holiday meals and also for toasts. Jeffery says you could pour his Joker cider and it will pass for California sparkling wine.

Jeffery’s wife was in the cantina scene of Star Wars, she was an intergalactic spy smoking a hookah pipe in the bar.

In the western part of Britain, cider is a more popular drink than beer. Bretagne, in northwest France, is also the home of cider in France. That is also the land of crepes and their classic combination is any kind of crepes with a glass of cider.

Cider is gluten free, low calorie and refreshing. It is also versatile, so you can drink it alone or with anything. Cider is actually made more like wine than beer and is taxed as wine too. You make it in a couple of weeks. You can vintage age it but it doesn’t have to undergo all that. It is growing in popularity as people gain awareness of it. That is a different than the trajectory of some of those seltzer drinks. They shot up in popularity then down again (kind of like shaking a can, opening it, getting a big splash, then just a wet mess).

Herlinda Heras and author Tara Nurin back from Brazil

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 23:23:11 +0000

Author Tara Nurin is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, after judging at Bahia Beer in Brazil with Herlinda last week.

Tara Nurin and Herlinda Heras were in Bahia, Brazil last week, to be judges at the Bahia Beer Festival of the Brazilian International Beer Awards. They discovered Brazilian drinks and steakhouse style, and did a city tour of Salvador, the capital, too. Bahia is the part of Brazil closest to Africa and since colonial times has had the largest African population. Bahia is not on the main tourist path so the Bahia promoters were very happy to meet the international beer crowd. It also seemed that the locals were actively participating and happy that they were all there. Tara is the author of “A Woman’s Place Is In the Brewhouse.” She got a standing ovation at the end of a presentation she gave about diversity and wellness in the industry.

Herlinda found Brazilian beer flavored with Acerola cherries and a lot of dark beers. There is a type of Brazilian beer called Catarina Sour, from Santa Catarina. Tara found that the overall quality of the Brazilian beers was exceptionally high.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

Here is the results page at the Bahia Beer Festival website. (Use the handy Google translate button to read the Portuguese page in English.)

They also discovered the Brazilian steakhouse style called churrascaria, which serves all kinds of roasted meats on skewers. There is a large Japanese population there too and they found one churrascaria restaurant that also had a sushi bar. Herlinda reports that a top class resort with unlimited drinks cost only $70 per day.

Cashaça is a distilled spirit similar to rum, used to make a cocktail called a Caipirinha. Herlinda brought some back and will make one for Steve soon, but not today. We also hear from Tara Nurin about her plans to offer consulting services focussed on wellness in the beverage industry.

After the competition, Herlinda and Tara received this message from the organizers:

“Fellow Judges,

I would like to thank the panel of judges, who played an essential role last week in the 1st BBA – Brazilian International Beer Awards, held in the state of Bahia in Brazil, that already born as the largest international beer competition in Latin America in its first edition.

The numbers reflect the success of the event: 1,060 samples were entered, sent by 188 breweries from 34 countries. In total, 101 breweries were awarded, 86 Brazilian and 15 international.

The 274 medals awarded highlight the excellence of the participating beers:

• 99 gold medals

• 88 silver medals

• 87 bronze medals

Of the total, Brazilian breweries won 229 medals, while international breweries took home 45.

See you in March 2025 at CBC BRASIL – Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas em BALNEÁRIO CAMBORIÚ-SC”

Herlinda Heras at Bahia Beer in Brazil

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 23:23:00 +0000

Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today features a call from Herlinda in Bahia, Brazil, where she is a judge at Bahia Beer, part of the Brazilian International Beer Awards. Mark Carpenter is also joining Steve Jaxon in the studio today. He was head brewer at the now-closed Anchor Brewing for more than four decades. He was also this show’s co-host for many years.

Herlinda is in Bahia, which is in the north of Brazil. It is a city and region with a mixed history. Since it is the port closest to Africa it was a center of the early slave trade into Brazil. It remains one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the country.

There are over 1000 beers up for tasting and judging and about 25 judges. The resort on the beach is delightful and cost only $70 per night. They are judging beers from 8am to 6pm for two consecutive days.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

Mark in Romania

Mark will have to come back to hear more about Brazil when Herlinda returns. He describes his time in Romania, where everything is less expensive on the exchange. For example, his friend spends $7 per month for TV and cell service. Mark recommends Romania to everyone. The food is great and the people are very friendly. Up in the north the picturesque homes and villages seem stuck in past time.

Griffo Distillery Petaluma

Thu, 7 Nov 2024 23:23:16 +0000

Michael Young, Kat Prescott and Mike Griffo, Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras enjoying the Thursday Drive Brew Ha Ha.

Mike Griffo and Kat Prescott are in from Griffo Distillery in Petaluma on this edition of Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras.

Jenny Griffo was on the schedule but is not available. Jenny has been on the show before, on this episode of April 18, 2023. Kat is the Griffo Distillery events coordinator. Every weekend they do put on music performances which are kid friendly and dog friendly. They had a sound engineer come in to help them design the room and the acoustics are great. The bands and audiences always appreciate it.

Griffo Distillery Gin won “White Spirit of the Year” at the ASCoT Awards. They serve cocktails that use their spirits and a year-round rotation of seasonal ingredients. You can also purchase a cocktail kit to bring home. Plus, there are cocktails in cans. Their version of a Tom Collins uses a little blood orange juice and cardamom clove syrup from Phaedra Achor’s Flora Luna Apothecary.

Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap.

“We are driven to lift and defy expectations of flavor through ingenuity and precision and to enliven moments of togetherness.” – The Griffo Distillery website

Espresso Corretto

Mike has a doctorate in physics and he explains that doing experiments in quantum mechanics is less interesting than operating a high-tech custom-designed distillery. Griffo Distillery also makes cocktails with cold brew coffee, such as the espresso martini in a bottle that Steve is going to taste. Their Espresso Corretto is aged in grappa barrels and uses cold brew because it is less acidic.

“Corretto” literally means “corrected” in Italian, and “caffé corretto” is a shot of anything into some coffee, usually grappa, whiskey or an Amaro like Ramazzotti, Amaro Lucano or Averna. The common Italian term is “caffé corretto” because in Italian we don’t say “espresso” most of the time, we just say “caffé” and assume that all of it is espresso of one kind or another (stovetop or pressure machine). I’ll have a shot of Amaro in mine, grazie. -cd

“I told them we shake cocktails in studio.” – Herlinda Heras

Espresso Martinis may be the most popular cocktail in America right now, says Herlinda. The Old Fashioneds, Espresso Martinis and the Gin Gimlets are their three most popular cocktails. They are located close to Lagunitas, five doors down. Kat has worked with the Mystic Theater. She has a lot of experience with live music show production which she applies to organizing concerts and community events. They have local partners like COTS which assists the homeless in Sonoma County who use the concerts to get attention to their work assisting people in need.

The Block in Petaluma

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 23:23:51 +0000

Cody Hildreth from The Block, Petaluma and Lorraine Barber both join Herlinds Heras and Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today. also organizes cool events in Petaluma. Lorraine was on this show recently talking about Barber Lee Spirits and Barber Cellars. She is also organizing a Petaluma Craft Cocktail Week and The Block is one of the featured bars.

Cody has brought two cocktails that The Block will be featuring during Petaluma Craft Cocktail Week. The first is a barrel-aged blood orange Negroni. A Negroni is usually made with gin, Campari and red vermouth, but The Block’s version is unique.

The Block has been open for about seven years. They have live music, pizza, tacos and food trucks outside. Mombo’s Pizza is making pizzas there, too. It is an indoor/outdoor space, with dog-friendly space on the outdoor side. There are picnic tables and booths, so it’s good for everything from a family night out to a date. The Block is located right next to the ten-story grain mill that dominates the horizon in downtown Petaluma.

Lorraine is present in Petaluma as a partner in Barber Lee Spirits and Barber Cellars and she also organizes community fairs that focus on local producers and provide a marketplace to connect local producers with customers.

@Petaluma_Cocktail_Society

This first week, Petaluma Craft Cocktail Week is focussing on a Whiskey Sour. All the participating locations will make one. You can get a card at any destination and you can take your card to the other bars to try the whiskey sour there and get the card stamped. Find it with the hashtag ” @Petaluma_Cocktail_Society ” Lorraine explains how Whiskey Sour is a recipe that lends itself to “riffing on it.” They also use Bitter Girl Bitters exclusively.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Block also has Trivia Night and Bingo Night. “It gets rowdy on Wednesday nights.” They have a roster of bands that come through playing lots of music, from rock to country to what not, anything from two-person band to a big band with horns.

Holiday Food Fair, Tues. Nov. 26

Also, don’t miss the 8th annual Holiday Food Fair on Tuesday, November 26, at the Petaluma Hotel. This got started in 2017 when businesses needed extra support, as a way to connect local producers to customers. They will have a Santa and snow, and admission is only $5. Then, on Dec. 3rd, is the annual Petaluma Holiday Makers Fair. This is another opportunity to connect local craft makers to customers.

Russian River Brewing Co. News with Natalie Cilurzo

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 23:23:12 +0000

Natalie Cilurzo

Natalie Cilurzo is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Russian River Brewing Co. is celebrating 20 years in Santa Rosa and 6 years at the Windsor location. The special beer called Pliny for President 2024 is back. Pliny has been running for president every time around since they opened the brewpub. They have quarterly releases of Pliny for President, so this is the last batch until 2028.

The beer is very hop forward, featuring Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Zumo and Nectaron hops. Pliny is the candidate of the Keg Party.

Vinny is known as the Hopfather, and also for his Belgian-inspired sour, barrel aged beers. He grew up in a winery in Temecula where his parents planted the first wine grapes in 1968. He grew up in the vineyard and in the cellar and on the bottling line.

Intinction

This beer called Intinction, which is dipping bread into wine. It is almost like a Lambrusco, red and bubbly. The grapes are Petite Syrah, which is a dark grape and gives a dark color. The ABV is high because it went through 2 fermentations, it is 10.26%. It won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

They are installing some new equipment for CO2 recovery from their closed top cylindrical fermentation tanks which will reduce their need to purchase CO2. They also have a wastewater treatment plant. The purple pipes carry this water which is treated water and is used for landscaping. They built their Windsor facility with dual plumbing, so they are ready to make the switch to the purple pipes when the regulations catch up to the new law.

Shadow of a Doubt beer is named after the Alfred Hitchcock film which was shot in 1943 in Santa Rosa. The beer is a dark imperial porter. A local graphic designer designed the label. Tonight at dusk they are showing the movie in the beer garden in Windsor.

Barber Lee Spirits co-founder Lorraine Barber

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:24:35 +0000

Mike Barber, Lorraine Barber and Aaron Lee.

Lorraine Barber, co-founder of Barber Lee Spirits, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. This is her first time on the show, but Lorraine’s husband Mike Barber was on Brew Ha Ha on this episode recorded on Nov. 4, 2019. Lorraine and Mike Barber also operate Barber Cellars which produces estate grown, hand-crafted Sonoma County wines.

Lorraine describes their operation as “grain to glass” which means, “from the raw ingredient to the finished product, everything is fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled under their own roof.” They opened in the beginning of 2019, just in time for the pandemic. The name Barber Lee Spirits comes from the three partners, Lorraine Barber, her husband Mike Barber and their partner Aaron Lee. Read their whole story on this page of their site.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Barber Lee Spirits’ address is 120 Washington St., Petaluma, CA 94952, which is located next to the Petaluma hotel in downtown Petaluma, on a lively street near many other restaurants and bars including Volpi’s Ristorante and Bar. They are open Wednesday through Sunday. See their ‘visit the distillery‘ page for hours and phone. Wednesdays are Happy Hour All Day with half-priced cocktails. They serve tasting flights of their spirits and also have an extensive cocktail menu.

Deviled Egg Competition

This year they held their 3rd annual deviled egg competition which is a lot of fun and is a benefit for Petaluma People’s Services. They also organize the Holiday Food Fair the Thursday before Thanksgiving, at the Petaluma Hotel. The annual Holiday Food Fair got started in 2017 when many local businesses were depressed. They set up an indoor farmers market featuring only local producers, to connect them with customers.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Among the spirits they make in Lambanog, a Philippine specialty made from coconut juice. Their partner Aaron Lee tried it on a visit there and he was able to source dehydrated palm nectar for their production. It is 100 proof so at that strength it makes an excellent mixer. It’s not sweet but has a toasted coconut flavor. It is a white spirit so they don’t age it.

Lorraine describes their pursuit of spirits that are interesting and unusual, like absinthe and rum made with piloncillo sugar from Mexico. There is also a locally sourced Gravenstein Apple Brandy. She’s Canadian so she also thought of doing the most Canadian thing she could, which is a maple finished rye. The maple syrup aged in the whiskey barrels is delicious.

Barber Cellars has been making wine for about 18 years. The wine tasting room and distillery tasting room are next to each other in Petaluma. They are busy right now “doing punchdowns” after harvest.

They also have a cheese shop and she has brought some cheeses, like a Brabander from the Netherlands and a Mimolette from France and many others. They offer a rotating selection of exotic cheeses.

Photos from https://www.barberleespirits.com/our-story/ .

Hurricane Helene Relief with NC Craft Brewers Guild

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:23:13 +0000

Click the logo to visit Pouring for Neighbors at the NC Craft Brewers Guild site.

Lisa Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers’ Guild, talks about Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Steve Jaxon. She is calling from Ashville, North Carolina, which Hurricane Helene hit hard. She will talk about Pouring for Neighbors, their fund raising initiative.

The map at the top of this episode page, from NOAA, reports rainfall from Helene, as of Sept. 27. You can see that Ashville is in the area that got the most rain. In fact, Lisa describes the conditions in the majority of western North Carolina as a war zone.

The area is a hotbed of craft brewing. They have 120 breweries in the counties designated for FEMA relief. The devastation is heartbreaking but the collaboration among the breweries and the neighbors is vigorous and inspiring.

Most of the area was not a flood zone so a lot of residents did not carry flood insurance. There are linemen out in the field restoring power. Many bridges and roadbeds have been washed out and there are many landslides.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Pouring for Neighbors

Most of us remember the fires that hit Sonoma County in 2017 and 2019. At that time of need, many brewers around the world united to produce special beers whose proceeds went to local relief, supporting services for the people affected. This kind of campaign has become an occasional event after other disasters and Hurricane Helene is an example of that.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Being in western North Carolina, Ashville was in the middle of Helene’s path of destruction at the end of its run up the south-eastern United States. Pouring for Neighbors began “right off the bat” to raise money. It is a tap designation program. Any brewery or taproom or restaurant can designate a tap and donate at least a dollar from each sale to Pouring for Neighbors. There are three options at the website. The web page has all the information you need to participate, and there is also a long list participating breweries.

There is a coalition of breweries assisting in delivering supplies. The National Guard and FEMA are all on the ground helping out. Any reports to the contrary are false. 🙂

Golden State Cider and Sonoma Craft

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 23:23:30 +0000

Golden State Cider Unfiltered

Breanne Heuss, Marketing Director for Sonoma Craft, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Sonoma Craft is the umbrella organization that holds Golden State Cider, Sun & Shine Cocktails and Seismic Brewing. Visit Sun & Shine on Instagram, here.

This is Breanne’s first time on Brew Ha Ha but co-owner Christopher Jackson was on this episode of the show on May 19, 2022, to talk about Golden State Cider. He was also on this episode in July 2019 to talk about starting Seismic Brewing.

Breanne is responsible for marketing the three brands that share their company values of making high quality products using sustainable practices.

Seismic Brewing has refocused as a craft lager brand, with distribution at the tap room and in selected locations in the Bay Area, but on draft only. They still make their different lagers, including Tremor and the Red lager. Breanne has been with Sonoma Craft for three years, and she worked for Golden State Cider before that. Herlinda mentions that spirits have overtaken beer in terms of annual sales in the US.

Unfiltered

After they taste their Unfiltered cider, they will taste a cocktail too. Golden State Cider has different tiers of cider. The base tier, called the core tier, includes the Mighty Dry, Brut and Jamaica. They have added one that is unfiltered, which is very dry and has big rich apple flavor. They also have a non-alcoholic cider, called “Dry and Mighty.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Sun & Shine Cocktail is the Valencia Mimosa. It is made with fresh Valencia orange juice, and a bit of apple eau-de-vie. Each can holds two mimosas. The ABV is 10%.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

All the Sonoma Craft companies are dedicated to sustainable practices and to supporting local and statewide charities. They are also involved in hurricane relief in western North Carolina, with the local Craft Brewer’s Guild. And they support local farmers by using fruit and other ingredients as much as possible from growers that are local, California-based or on the west coast. Golden State Cider has the Core series, the Harvest series and the Radical series. You can find all of them here on the Ciders page of their website. They are open Monday through Sunday from noon to nine.

Rio Nido Roadhouse Oktoberfest

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 23:23:02 +0000

The Rio Nido Roadhouse Oktoberfest crew.

Raena Jones-Metzger from Rio Nido Roadhouse joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Brew Ha Ha is a double show and podcast today. Claire Elaine from Wooden Petal Bake Shop is also with us today. Since we have two guests on one radio show, we make two podcasts from the one live show, so that each guest can have their own podcast audio and a sharable (and indexable) web page. So over here is Claire Elaine and Wooden Petal Bake Shop’s podcast episode page. Gioia Merrill, the sous-chef and Tricia Bagley, one of their bartenders, also join Raena in the conversation, after the break (at about the 9:30 mark).

Raena was on the radio with Herlinda five years ago, just before her daughter was born. Reyna has brought some Oktoberfest beers to taste. They will offer flights and pints of these beers.

The Rio Nido Roadhouse fifteenth annual Oktoberfest will be Sunday, September 29, from 1pm to 4pm. There is no entry fee. They will be serving a Warsteiner German pilsner, Headlands Brewery Festbeer and another from Cooperage. There is also a German dark beer only on draft.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They have a bratwurst, knackwurst and a weisswurst combination, chef-made spaezle, caramel apples, braised cabbage and a whole German menu. They also have games, live music and kids activities. Costumes are encouraged. Keith Church and David Albini, accordionists, will play the music to make it sound like Bavaria. The weather forecast is good, too!

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

For more information, visit their website Rio Nido Roadhouse dot com.

Photos from the Rio Nido Roadhouse website.

Wooden Petal Bake Shop

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 23:22:15 +0000

Claire Elaine from Wooden Petal Bake Shop in Santa Rosa, joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Brew Ha Ha is a double show and podcast today. Also in the studio is Raena Jones-Metzger from Rio Nido Roadhouse. Occasionally, if we have two guests on one radio show, we make two podcasts from the live show, so that each guest can have their own podcast audio and a sharable (and indexable) web page of their own episode. The Rio Nido Roadhouse podcast episode page is over here.

Claire describes her day in the bake shop which begins at 3:30 or 4:00 making dough and then sandwiches from her pretzel buns. Wooden Petal is a name that Claire came up with, based on her grandmother’s catering company Wooden Spoon. Also, she was “an English granny” and used to call Elaine Petal, hence Wooden Petal.

She and her partner built their shop a couple of years ago, from scratch. They had to re-permit the location to serve food. Moonlight Brewing Co. is where she did her first pop-up selling pretzels. Wooden Petal is at 4984 Sonoma Hwy. near Middle Rincon Rd. They are open 7am to 1 pm.

Pretzel Buns Make Great Sandwiches

Wooden Petal’s pretzel buns make great sandwiches. Turkey or Salami with chive butter, with cheddar is called the You Betcha. The East Coaster is a classic deli sandwich with mayo mustard and cheddar, and the Valencia has fresh mozzarella, pesto and house tapenade.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Tomorrow, Friday Sept. 27, (as we are live on Thursday Sept. 26) Wooden Petal debuts the Meatball Grinder, which is meatballs, ricotta and parmesan, on a pretzel bun.

Claire and Wooden Petal Bake Shop were featured in the Press Democrat recently, here is the article.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Claire suggests ordering ahead online, or by phone. Her original idea was that pretzels would be popular in Beer City. At first, she started by doing pop-ups, and the response was always great because her pretzels always fit into the events where she appears. She is very proud of having a lot of loyal local customers.

Barley and Bine

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 23:23:33 +0000

Lindsey, Connor and Jeff. Connor was about 5, now he’s 12.

Jeff Reitz and Lindsey Osborne from Barley and Bine Beer Café in Windsor, join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. People often confuse bines and vines. Hops grow on bines, not vines, which grow vertically.

The Barley and Bine Oktoberfest party is Saturday, September 28, from 2pm to 11pm. They have a large selection of beers, almost all are California-based breweries.

Herlinda remembers that they have been through a lot since they opened the café seven years ago. They have survived fires and a pandemic. Now they are getting ready for their sixth year celebrating Oktoberfest. Their Oktoberfest party feature the Steve Balich Band which plays authentic German and Bavarian music.

Herlinda suggests watching their social media for updates about special events, including appearances of special beers that have a cult following.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Oktoberfest

Marzen means March which is Festbeer brewing time, so they are consumed in the fall. These are not necessarily high-alcohol beers. They are tasting one from Cooperage with is 5.7% ABV. Jeff and Lindsey have brought two items from their Oktoberfest menu. This will be their sixth year celebrating Oktoberfest. They will have 15 different beers on party day.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Barley and Bine makes a half-liter size beer stein, which is a German beer glass. Oktoberfest is also a chance for them to serve brats, which they do in great numbers. They also have 5 different kinds of mustard. They change the menu every month including lots of kinds of street tacos and tater tot nachos of all kinds. The soft pretzels are probably their #1 item.

They also have a digital menu board that shows up-to-the-minute information about the beer including when the keg was tapped and how much beer is left in the keg.

Fogbelt Brewing Wet Hops

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 23:23:56 +0000

Paul Hawley and Miguel Smith from Fogbelt Brewing are the guests on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Fogbelt first brewed beer in 2013 and started brewing commercially in 2014. They also have a pub in Santa Rosa and a new larger production space. They were among the first brewers to emphasize fresh hops and wet hopped beer and this is the time of year when that is happening.

September 16-22 they have interesting corn dogs, not the normal kind. Each month they work on different beer and food pairings. Today they have a wet hop IPA that goes with a jalapeño corn dog. One is made with Fruity Pebbles. Another is a Ramen noodle corn dog, with a cheese sauce.

“These are the wildest looking cord dogs that I have ever seen.” -Steve Jaxon

Wet hopped beers are very seasonal and you would try to drink them as soon as you can. Their wet hop Oktoberfest celebration takes place in their parking lot on Saturday, September 21. They will also have a full German menu with sausages and potato salad, sauerkraut, etc.

Monthly Beer & Food Pairings

Every month they do a week-long food pairing, alternating between their two locations. In September the wet hopped beers go with these exotic corn dogs. Then, this October, the Santa Rosa location will feature tamales.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Miguel came to Fogbelt as Head Chef, after having worked in fine restaurants in San Francisco and many other places, since age 14.

The morning of a hop harvest, Paul will go out to the fields and inspect the crop. They bring the hops directly to the brewery. Meanwhile, Remy in getting the wort made in the brewery, and he then adds the hops to the empty clean vessel, then they pour the boiling wort back in, for kind of a tea extraction before going into fermentation. The requirements of logistics make it fun and challenging. Picking window on hops is usually a couple of weeks, so they have a little wiggle room. But if the weather changes suddenly they might have to react fast.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They have a dog costume contest, and the winner gets featured on a beer the following year. There was mastiff dog dressed as the joker that won last year and his beer is coming soon.

Herlinda has bad news, that Hopland Tap is closing. Ron Lindenbusch kept it open as long as he could.

Mad Fritz

Thu, 5 Sep 2024 23:23:49 +0000

Nile Zacherle of Mad Fritz Beer and Melissa Luci of Alexander Valley Hop Farm join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. It’s hop season!

Mad Fritz Beer is known as a cult brewery, since it is small and has a dedicated following. Mad Fritz is based in Napa. Nile has brought some beer made with fresh wet hops.

The hops come from Alexander Valley Hop Farm. Melissa Luci has been on BHH before, on this episode almost exactly a year ago, on Sept. 15, 2023.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Alexander Valley Hop Farm is located on a lot that has an unusual shape, it is very long and narrow, but the hops don’t mind that. The AV website is small but their Instagram page is great. The plants are trained to crawl up 18 feet of a string made of coconut fiber, that are 15 feet apart. Their goal is to have it reach the top by summer Solstice, so that the branches that produce the cones will mature at the right time.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Brewers can only make wet hopped beers at this time of year at hop harvest time. They have to get the hops from the farm to the brewery as fast as possible. Starting at sunrise, they deliver to the brewer the same day. Nothing is left from this year’s harvest!

Nile and his wife are partners in the brewery. Their two children Madeleine and Fritz gave Mad Fritz the name. The Ost House IPA is always available at their tap room and brewery. It uses Triumph hops, 100%, grown at AV Hops. They age the beer in neutral French oak, to allow the beer to settle to a clear beer, slowly.

Leah Scurto from Pizzaleah

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 23:23:17 +0000

Leah Scurto and Herlinda Heras.

Leah Scurto from Pizzaleah joins Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke who is sitting in for Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today. Herlinda Heras is back from another trip to Liverpool, this time to see Pete Best and his band.

Leah Scurto is Herlinda’s neighbor and friend. This is her first time on Brew Ha Ha but she was a guest on our other podcast, California Wine Country, on this CWC episode of April 27, 2022. In that show we hear about how Leah was getting ready to serve pizzas at the 2022 Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience.

Herlinda brought Leah into beer judging. Leah will be cooking at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO, in October later this year. “They get the best of the best of the chefs, paired up with breweries.” It’s Leah’s fourth year doing it.

Leah’s partner this year is a brewery from Iowa called Big Grove, which is the official craft brewer of the Iowa Hawkeyes, check out their website^. Big Grove making a double IPA and an Oktoberfest for the Great American Beer Fest. Leah is cooking for Thursday and Friday nights. To pair with the double IPA she will make pickles with that brew, then make a pickle dip. She will make a mushroom pizza to go with the Oktoberfest.

Pizzaleah in Windsor, near Oliver’s

Pizzaleah is located in Windsor near Oliver’s, at 9240 Old Redwood Hwy, #116. Their beer list includes a tap where she rotates local brewers in and out. Right now there is a beer from Ghost Town in Oakland.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Leah has brought some pizzas including the Old Graybeard which is the people’s favorite. It’s a sweet, spicy and salty with a little orange zest. They make their own sausage for the pizzas. Everything is in-house including the peperoni which is a recipe that Leah worked on for years. They pair that pizza with the Old Caz Free Craig’s.

Leah participates in international pizza competitions This summer she was at the Caputo Cup in Naples. Caputo is a brand of flour from Naples and they put on the pizza festival and the competition. Leah placed third!

Visit our sponsor Pizzaleah in Windsor for the finest pizza menu and the most authentic flavors around! 🍕🍻

When Leah needed a job in Santa Cruz in college, she got hired at a pizza shop where she eventually stayed for more then 2 decades. She opened 20 restaurants for them so she sure knows the business. She opened her restaurant about four years ago and survived the pandemic as the first order of business. It happened to be just as the pandemic was closing everyone down. She weathered the storm by being available for delivery at a time when that was the only way to get food to the people.

The beer selection at Pizzaleah is important to Leah. She wants to support local brewers by featuring their products and also whenever possible she tries to support small local suppliers and organic production.

The Lola pizza, with pesto, potato and caramelized onion, is paired with the Crispy Crusher from Cooperage.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Moonlight Brewing 32nd Anniversary

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 23:23:14 +0000

The Moonlight Sonata is indeed in three movements.

Brian Hunt and Erin Latham-Ponneck are on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, for the Moonlight Brewing 32nd Anniversary. Brian has been on Brew Ha Ha many times, the most recent was this episode in October of 2023.

On Saturday, August 24, from noon to 10 pm, Moonlight Brewing Co. will celebrate its 32nd anniversary, with music from The Sam Chase and the Untraditional, and others. There will be food trucks, attractions and activities for everyone including children, in addition to lots of delicious beer. In addition to all that, they will have a kids zone with a jumpy house and a magician.

32 Years of Moonlight Brewing

Moonlight Brewing is now the oldest brewery in the county. Brian tells about getting “the beer guy”, Dr. Michael Lewis as an advisor when he changed majors to fermentation science at UC Davis. Then he went to work for Schlitz in Milwaukee. At that time, they were not invested in making great beer there. So Brian got away from that scene, with the lesson that people won’t be attracted to crappy beer. He came back from Milwaukee in 1981 and worked for a series of breweries before starting his own brewery 32 years ago in 1992. Brian is Erin’s stepdad. At first, he “poached” her away from her job to hire her for the bookkeeping. That led to more, as we will hear.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

In the meantime, they taste the beer called Sulla Luna, a Czech-inspired amber lager that Brian originally made with Birrificio Italiano. He met them in Milano at a beer convention and when they visited here, they brewed this collaboration. “Sulla Luna” means On the Moon in Italian.

Several months into the job she learned that there were actual offices above the brewery. So she moved into a proper room with a desk. Erin’s official title is Chaos Management Specialist and Adult In Charge.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Brian has some interesting opinions about hops, especially that beer can be flavored with plants other than hops. Listen to him tell the history of hop use in beer in Europe.

Old Caz Update

Thu, 8 Aug 2024 23:23:59 +0000

Today Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras is an Old Caz update directly from co-owner Brian Rengel. He has been on this show many times, the last time was this episode on May 23, 2024, along with cidermaker Jeffery House.

Old Caz is now open in its new location. It has “…the same vibe and the same feel as the old spot,” says Brian Rengel co-owner of Old Caz. They have used the same flooring and bar tops from the old place, which was built completely with free stuff. But it’s bigger and it has parking and real bathrooms.

They will be making beer in their new facility and you will be able to drink fresh beer straight from the tank on the anniversary party. They have a brand new lunch service with wraps, sandwiches, salads and sides and they get homemade pretzels from a nearby shop. Of course there are deserts. The menu includes all the Old Caz beers, as well as hard kombucha, wine and sparkling mead. Every evening there are food trucks for dinner.

Tuesday Night Trivia

The Tuesday trivia night is packed. People start coming at 3 and you might not be able to get a table after 4. Their taproom manager Rob is in charge and they had 45 teams competing.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Old Caz is open Monday through Thursday 11-9pm, Friday and Saturday 11-10pm and Sunday 11-8pm.

This year’s Old Caz anniversary party will take place Saturday and Sunday August 24-25 at the new location in SoMo Village.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Chismosa is a Mexican Amber Lager which is similar to a Modelo. It happened to win Gold at the World Beer Cup!

“I’ve been saying this to everyone, all of our friends and our customers and our regulars. I’m excited for everyone to see where we are right now, because we’ve come this far in a very short period of time. If you give me another five years, we’re going to be putting beer on the moon. So, pay attention!”

Another Old Caz beer is the Bukovany Pivo, a Czech style. Co-founder Tom’s family had a small brewery and pub in the Czech town of Bukovany, and Pivo means Beer in Czech. Breakfast Skaggs beer is an oatmeal-based stout, with additional flavor of maple syrup and vanilla bean. Brian mentions a couple of ideas, such as a Mexican Imperial, which would be an original, and a quad IPA. Trust Tom to make it great.

Catastrophe is a Rye Beer in an orange caution-cone colored can. Not everyone likes rye IPA but this one has die-hard fans.

Instead of having to manage a kitchen with a large menu, they have a rotation of food trucks. To make it easy for them, Old Caz is installing a reinforced concrete pad where the trucks can park, with power hookups.

Ethic Ciders founder Ned Lawton

Thu, 1 Aug 2024 23:23:51 +0000

Golden Rule Cider from Ethic Cider.

Ethic Ciders founder New Lawton is back on this crunchy episode of Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, to promote this year’s Gravenstein Apple Fair. Ned Lawton appeared on Brew Ha Ha on this August 25, 2018 episode, promoting Cider Week that year.

Herlinda is going to Italy next week to visit some friends who have bought a house near Lake Como, which they will be converting into a bed and breakfast.

The Gravenstein apple is to cider makers what Pinot Noir is to local winemakers. It is the go-to fruit for their art. It is tart and sweet and ripens early. Ethic Ciders got started with their acquisition of an old apple orchard which was in need of renovation. Once that was done they were able to produce a crop and make the cider from that.

Gravitude: Grateful for Gravensteins

They are tasting a cider called Gravitude. Its name means “grateful for Gravensteins. It is sparkling and very food friendly. The tartness is what makes it combine with foods in the same way that a wine with strong acidity does.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

They will be pouring ciders at the Gravenstein Apple Fair on Aug. 10. There they will also be launching a new product, Gravitude in cans. Some of their ciders are traditional and others are their creative recipes that combine flavors. You will also be able to meet the cider makers. There are also styles that come from different countries. It is popular in France, from Brittany. There will be cider producers and also cheese and gelato “It is a really classic country fair,” says Herlinda.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

There is also a press where you can press apples. Some producers will have special ciders to pour. The arts and crafts are true local artisans and you can find stuff you won’t see anywhere else.

Ron Lindenbusch visits BHH

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 23:23:34 +0000

There is no new Brew Ha Ha show today, due to travel schedules, so for this week’s podcast edition here is an encore show of a visit with Ron Lindenbush from last March. Brew Ha Ha will be back with a new episode next week, Thursday Aug. 1. Cheers!

Ron Lindenbusch, Hopland Tap founder and owner, is back again on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. He has been on Brew Ha Ha several times, including this episode on July 5, 2018, again on May 28, 2020 along with Natalie Cilurzo, and again on May 6, 2021. These episodes chronicle Ron’s career with Lagunitas up to and including the Heineken purchase.

Today’s live radio show is a triple-header. We have two other guests in the studio along with Ron today. The episode with Cynthia from Homerun Pizza is here. Ryan Frank, brewmaster at Headlands Brewing, also has his own podcast episode on this page.

Since he left Lagunitas at the end of a very successful run, Ron Lindenbusch found the perfect location in Hopland to set up the tavern that he always dreamed of. Steve remembers when it was the Hopland Brewery, they had bands including some pretty famous ones. Hopland Tap also does live music. This Saturday the band is Left-Hand Monkey Wrench.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

On Tap at Museum of Sonoma County

Herlinda Heras is helping the Museum of Sonoma County develop its upcoming exhibition ON TAP about the history of brewing in Sonoma County. Ron Lindenbush was with her at the museum today to record some video that will be used in the exhibition. He personally holds a lot of the stories of the history that is the subject of the exhibit.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They are tasting a non-alcoholic beer that Ron makes. It actually tastes like beer. One is called Electro Lime. Ron explains that it is made just like beer, then the alcohol is removed. What remains is a beverage that actually tastes like beer. The non-alcoholic beer scene is completely different than it was ten years ago.

New Albion’s story: Renée DeLuca plus Don Barkley (Part Two)

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 23:24:29 +0000

Renée and Don.

The New Albion story continues here in part two of Renée DeLuca and Don Barkley’s visit to Brew Ha ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Part one of today’s show, with Renée DeLuca as the featured guest, is on this other podcast episode. Herlinda Heras’ father is also in the studio with us today.

Don Barkley was on Brew Ha Ha three weeks ago on this episode of June 27. Today he is back to meet Renée and to bring some of Jack McAuliffe’s New Albion Ale that he has brewed for the Beer Garden event this Saturday.

Don was studying fermentation science at UC Davis when he asked his professor, Dr. Michael Lewis, how he could get a job in the brewing industry. Professor Lewis told him he would have to cut his hair. Don didn’t like that idea so the professor suggested he contact Jack McAuliffe, who wouldn’t care about long hair. Jack was known for coming to the library and going over all the books about brewing, although he was not enrolled. Don tells the story of going to Sonoma to meet Jack, who initially refused Don. But when Don came back he talked to Susie Dennison and made a deal to work for a case of beer a week. Don still has the recipes.

Russian River Brewing Co. will have three race cars on display at their Windsor pub, on Wednesday, July 24. Two top fuel dragsters and one funny car and drivers, will be there to greet visitors. It’s a promotion for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals that are taking place at Sonoma Raceway on July 26-28.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

New Albion Pale Ale

Kevin Lovett is the brewer at Wolfhouse Brewing Co. He is also the son of Michael Lovett, Don’s dearest friend. Michael and Don both started at the New Albion brewery together. Now they are brewing the old recipe at Kevin’s brewery. Kevin Lovett was a guest on Brew Ha Ha on June 9, 2022, here is the episode page. In that interview with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras, we hear about how Kevin literally grew up at Mendocino Brewing Company.

Jack McAuliffe has a name for today’s beers flavored with ingredients like cinnamon or cardamom. He calls them hula hoop beers, which is hilarious.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Albion is the name of Britain in ancient Greek and t is also a poetic name for Britain. Sir Francis Drake sailed on his ship The Golden Hind and was the first European to sail into San Francisco Bay. The Golden Hind is the ship on the New Albion Pale Ale label.

The best place to get a taste of the New Albion Pale Ale is at the Museum of Sonoma County Summer Beer Garden. It’s open from 4-8pm, $15 general admission, ample shady parking available across the street.

Renée DeLuca, Jack McAuliffe’s Daughter (Part One)

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 23:23:57 +0000

Renée DeLuca and Don Barkley

Renée DeLuca, Jack McAuliffe’s daughter, is our special guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. This is Renée’s first time on Brew Ha Ha. Her father is one of the most famous figures in craft brewing history. She is visiting Santa Rosa to attend the celebration at the Museum of Sonoma County this coming Saturday, July 20 from 4pm-8pm. It will be in the sculpture garden which is becoming a beer garden for the event. Don Barkley is also in the studio today. He was our in-studio guest on this episode just three weeks ago. This is part one of the podcast of their live radio show, featuring Renée DeLuca with Herlinda Heras and Steve Jaxon. In part two of the podcast, Don Barkley joins them in the studio. That episode is right here. 🍻

Brewer’s Daughter Beer Company

Renée DeLuca now runs the Brewer’s Daughter Beer Company which is producing the New Albion brand. She was able to revive the brand in 2011. By then, Jack had retired from beer and wasn’t interested or aware of the craft brew scene. She took him to visit the Great American Beer Festival in Denver and everyone wanted to meet him. Listen to how Renée tells about how she bonded with her father over the beer. Jack had never been to a beer fest. At one point, there was an awards ceremony for a home brewer who won the Sam Adams contest. At that time, Jim Koch, the founder of Sam Adams, revealed that he had retained the business rights to New Albion so that nobody else could do something unworthy with it.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Today, the recognition has been coming from all corners. In 2019 they were in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Part of the exhibit FOOD: Transforming the American Table is dedicated to beer and New Albion is a big part of that story.

New Albion Beer Reborn

When Jim Koch invited them to come to Boston to make the beer again, she invited Don Barkley, who had the recipes. Renée tells the story of how Jim Koch returned the IP rights and the LLC to Jack. The New Albion beer will be served at the Museum of Sonoma County Beer Garden event from 4-8pm on Saturday, July 20. Brewers who will be pouring include Russian River Brewing, Moonlight Brewing, Lagunitas and Pond Farm.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Jack was in the Navy in the 1960s, where he worked as welder stationed in Scotland. There he learned to like the Porters, Ales and Stouts he found in Scotland. Discharged from the Navy in California, he decided he had to make those beers himself.

On Tap at the Museum of Sonoma County

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:23:12 +0000

Beer Historian John Burton and Eric Stanley, curator of the Museum of Sonoma County join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. John Burton also operates the Santa Rosa Bartending School.

The exhibit ON TAP has been open at the Museum of Sonoma County since April. Check it out before it closes on September 1.

This Saturday, July 20 there is a reception from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, where they will serve a very special beer. They will convert their sculpture garden into a beer garden. They will serve an original recipe from Jack McAuliffe, one of the co-founders of New Albion Brewery. Herlinda has brought some of the beer to taste today. It is a pale ale with Cascade hops. It’s not very hoppy by today’s standards but it was considered hoppy in 1977. Albion is the name of Britain in the Greek language. The Cascade Hop was the first type created in a university laboratory, in the early seventies.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

John lent the museum a lot of pieces from his collection, for the On Tap exhibit. Some bottles are as old as the 1800s. He also has a lot of pieces from the Grace Bros. brand, which was the great local brand from 1897-1966. John Burton knew Virginia and Cathy Grace.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The exhibition traces the brewing business from the arrival of German immigrants in the 1840s. This inspired the idea to transform the Museum of Sonoma County sculpture garden into a German-style beer garden for the event on July 20.

Tony Magee Tells His Story

Thu, 4 Jul 2024 23:23:26 +0000

Tony Magee tells his story.

There is no new Brew Ha Ha show today, Thursday July 4, since our home station 95.5 Wine Country Radio is taking the Independence Day holiday. So here is a chance to listen again to our interview with Tony Magee, the now-retired founder of Lagunitas. He may be elusive and seem to have gained mythical status, but Herlinda Heras has just finished interviewing him for the Sonoma County Museum’s ON TAP exhibit, along with Don Barkley and Mark Carpenter, and today he tells his story for us. This interview was recorded live on the radio on April 18, 2024.

Tony Magee, the now-retired founder of Lagunitas, is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. The last time Tony Magee was on Brew Ha Ha was this episode in 2014. Today he and his wife have a ranch where they host retired horses and also some cattle.

Herlinda Heras has been working with the Museum of Sonoma County to organize On Tap, the exhibit about craft beer history that is opening this weekend. Tony sat for a video interview for the exhibition and he is pleased to be part of it. He started Lagunitas in 1993 and grew it into one of the largest breweries in the country. In 2017 Heineken acquired the company. Tony tells the interesting back story to the acquisition. Lagunitas was beginning to sell beer outside the US, which is not easy to do. He also had grown Lagunitas to a point where the US market was starting to feel saturated with new beer brands as the popularity of craft beer grew. He started to think about a longer term plan for the company, rather than endure infinite domestic competition. Heineken was (and is) the last family-owned global brewer.

Click to visit the Museum of Sonoma County website.

Finding the Right Partner

All the other big companies are multinationals. Tony says Lagunitas never really discussed the acquisition with other companies because none of them had Heineken’s character. Hearing him tell the story, he sounds really pleased with how it all happened. He says he thought of the brewery as an art project, with an artist will eventually sell and once that happens, that’s it. He gives credit to Heineken for updating the structure of the business operation but for not changing the beer or the recipes and the brew master is still there.

This is the best time in the last thousand years to be a beer lover. -Tony Magee

Herlinda asks what the inspiration was for the brewery. For Tony, he was doing a completely different job. He was in commercial printing sales and he was a home brewer. His brother got him a home brew kit for Christmas of 1992, in January of ’93 he brewed it, and by December of 1993 the brewery was open. He recognized things in brewing that reminded him of music. As musician that helped him understand brewing.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

A lot of Lagunitas beer is IPA style and hop focused. His friend Grant Johnston who was a brewer at Marin Brewing would also homebrew. He was experimenting by adding his hops late in the boil, which boosted the flavors and didn’t let bitterness develop by boiling too long. This was how they created a hop-forward style that became the central thesis of the brewery.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

22:50, they mention Cappuccino Stout, which Tony says may be one of the earliest coffee beers in the US. (In a Kurt Vonnegut story written long before the craft beer era, there is a mention of an award-winning beer in a fictional Indiana state fair, and coffee was the secret ingredient.)

They also mention the 420 Waldos and the Lagunitas beer that celebrates the story. The Waldos were guests on Brew Ha Ha on this episode back in 2019. They remember the Beer Circus, which sounds like you had to have seen it. Listen to the end to hear the story about the time Lagunitas got shut down for 20 days and how that became the stuff of legend.

Don Barkley

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 23:23:20 +0000

Legendary brewer Don Barkley is again our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today. His last appearance on BHH was this episode of March 28, 2019.

Don founded the Mendocino Brewing Company in 1983 as the Hopland Brewery. It was the very first brew pub in the United States. They had a big hit with Red Tail Ale and their brew pub was the model for all subsequent ones.

They are brewing a revival of one of Jack McAuliffe’s original New Albion Brewing Company recipe. New Albion was the first craft brewery. Jack made all of their equipment himself. Michael Lovett and Don Barkley worked for New Albion and left to start Mendocino Brewing after New Albion closed. Don kept all of Jack’s notes and instructions, that is how they have the exact recipe for New Albion Pale Ale to make today.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

At a time when everyone else was producing lager beer, Red Tail Ale was a unique new flavor. They tried to expand the business with some outside investors, but in Don’s opinion they were never able to figure out how to make a craft brewery work. Wolfhouse Brewing in Cloverdale is making the beer although they can’t call it that.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

It is hard to make it just right. Herlinda remembers a brewer that tried to make it and it wasn’t quite right. They also made Blue Heron which was an IPA.

Admiral Maltings of Alameda

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 23:23:22 +0000

The Admirals, on the sea of malt.

Dave McLean from Admiral Maltings in Alameda is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Admiral Dave has been on Brew Ha Ha before, including this interview recorded on June 28, 2018. Dave is also the Beer Lands coordinator for the Outside Lands music festival. On Saturday June 29 they are putting on It’s The Malt, which they hope will become an annual event.

Admiral Maltings’ three partners all have backgrounds perfect for their roles in the company, in beer and agriculture. They wanted to have locally grown organic malt to use as brewers and now the company supplies many other brewers too.

Dave explains the role of malt starting with the fact that beer is made mostly from barley but as it grows in the field it is not ready to use in brewing. The malting process involves steeping the grain in water, germinating it and then stopping that process. Then the brewer takes it and does all the other steps in the brewing process. Admiral Maltings is the first floor malting facility in California since Prohibition.

They do different types of malt, to follow specifications that their customers, the brewers.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Admiral Maltings also operates The Rake pub, on the same site as the malting facility in Alameda. They only serve beers and distilled spirits that use their malts. The Rake has windows that overlook the malting floor, which is a unique feature.

“Watching malt germinate has never been this much fun!” – Admiral Maltings

Herlinda is just back from judging at the Aro Rojo 2024 competition in Monterrey, Mexico and she has brought some beers back from there, for tasting.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The festival on June 29 will feature some beers brewed with the special malt made for the event. The Rake pub menu will offer their BBQ-centric menu. The Rake is a full service restaurant so kids and dogs are ok.

Herlinda Heras, Judge at Aro Rojo 2024

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 23:25:55 +0000

Herlinda Heras

Herlinda Heras calls into the studio from the Aro Rojo 2024 in Mexico, to speak to Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today fro Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo León. She is a judge in a competition called the Aro Rojo 2024. Aro Rojo means “Red Ring” and their logo is a dragon in the shape of a ring. There are both professional and home brew competitions with a total of 715 beers in the competition. There are judges from all over the world, including Charlie Papazian, the godfather of home brew in the United States. Pete Schlossberg from Pete’s Wicked Ales is also there as a judge. About a quarter of the judges are women, this year.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Getting Through Customs with Beer

Herlinda brought a lot of beers to show at the presentation, two suitcases worth. She always brings beer wherever she travels and she has never had issues at customs. This time the passport folks waved her through but the Mexican National Guard stopped her. They were looking for beer, and she was not supposed to have more than three liters. But they didn’t open the other suitcase and they eventually let her through.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

She explained that the beer she had may have been over three liters. When she said they were commercial samples and not for sale, they let her pass. Monterrey is also the home of the largest beer factory in the world.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Freshtival 2024 with Colin McDonnell, HenHouse Brewing

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 23:24:34 +0000

Freshtival 2024 is this weekend and Colin McDonnell from HenHouse Brewing is here to tell us all about it. It takes place on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at SOMO Village. There is no beer older than seven days.

Colin explains that beer is a lot more perishable than a lot of people realize. Especially when craft beer is made with carefully chosen flavors, it need to be enjoyed while fresh. So they wanted to create a festival to celebrate freshness and to show people how tasty fresh beer can be.

The festival is also a chance to taste new flavors, and to taste familiar beers but fresher than ever. Early access tickets open at 12:30 and general admission is at 1:30. There are bands performing until 5:00. There are also several food vendors there. This is their fourth edition. Humboldt Cider will also be there, with seven different ciders. Cider is different than beer so it’s not subject to the seven-day rule. Hoppy beer doesn’t have a long shelf life.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

No Beer Older Than Seven Days

They are tasting an IPA that is only 10 days old. Even if it’s past the Freshtival limit, it’s still very fresh. There is no bar in the world where you can taste over 150 fresh beers from 63 breweries. The people who make the beer are really into it. “The Freshtival is the largest gathering of fresh beer in the known universe.” They will even be printing fresh shirts there.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Colin says, “Give me something insane to do and I’ll be inspired.” 7-day beer a very unusual task and it inspires great beer.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Beer Fest: The Good One with Gary Saperstein

Thu, 6 Jun 2024 23:23:59 +0000

Gary Saperstein, organizer of BEER FEST – The Good One, joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today on Brew Ha Ha. Gary holds the title of Development Director for Face to Face, the organizers of Beer Fest – The Good One. It takes place Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Luther Burbank Center. Visit Eventbrite for tickets. Face to Face has for 40 years been working to end HIV in Sonoma County, 1983-2023.

This year is the 31st annual edition of Beer Fest, which makes it the oldest beer festival in Sonoma County. The event is held outdoors and there will be tents and shade as well lots of beer, food and music.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Face to Face

In 1983 Face to Face started, right at the beginning of the Aids crisis. A group of angels saw a need for help and set up the organization to help terminal patients. Over the years, the agency has evolved and does much more work than before, but their mission is rooted in the history of HIV.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

There will be many local breweries attending and pouring beer at Beer Fest, including Lagunitas, Hen House, Lost Coast, Farmers, Moonlight, Russian River and many smaller labels you don’t see every day. Herlinda had her first taste of Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale at the Beer Fest.

“My favorite beer is the one in front of me.” -Mark Carpenter, founding father of Brew Ha Ha

Today, Herlinda has brought two beers fresh from the Hen House, brewery which is about to hold its annual Freshtival on June 15, 2024. One is a refreshing IPA called Frozen Envelope. The other is Virtuoso, a West Coast IPA.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Herlinda’s Next Competition: Aro Rojo in Mexico

Herlinda is leaving soon for Mexico City where she will be a judge at Aro Rojo, the big Mexican beer competition. She will also give a talk there about the history of beer in California. That’s a hot topic for them to hear about there, because of the international importance of our local craft brewing industry. They saw that Herlinda had a lot to do with setting up On Tap, the exhibit at the Museum of Sonoma County about the history of hops and brewing in Sonoma County.

Oliver’s Market is the biggest sponsor of all of Beer Fest: The Good One. They will be serving Korean street tacos for the event. Trader Joe’s is a sponsor. Visit Santa Rosa is a sponsor, always interested in promoting Santa Rosa and its title Beer City. Gary describes how Face to Face has evolved, and managed to keep its services free. They also provide mental health services. They do needle exchange and supply Narcan. This has saved over 3500 lives, according to Gary.

Jessica Christensen, Mixologist at Graton Resort and Casino

Thu, 30 May 2024 23:23:15 +0000

Jessica Christensen, Mixologist and Beverage Manager, and Robb Stites, head of Communications and Community at Graton Resort and Casino join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today.

Jessica is a Sonoma County native. She is responsible for all of the drinks at nine different bars at the Graton Resort and Casino. She started as a bartender at Negri’s in Occidental when she was 21. After a few years she worked at Calistoga Inn and Brewery. After that, she was recruited to the Graton casino and soon got into management there.

The first drink served today, after the soothing and inspiring sound of the cocktail shaker, is an Apricot Pisco cocktail. Pisco is a distilled spirit from Peru with a flavor that is close to rum.

Robb Stites had a background in public relations before coming to the casino about two years ago. He describes the philanthropy and in-kind donations that they do as an expression of their commitment to the community.

Jessica describes the Apricot Pisco cocktail that is in Steve’s glass. It is made with Pisco, Luxardo apricot liqueur, fresh lemon, some acqua fava for the foam and some simple syrup. Acqua fava is technically garbano bean juice, which can produce a foamy texture. (Sometimes bartenders use egg whites for foam, but many people prefer this vegan alternative.)

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

There are several bars in the resort; G-Bar is a sports bar and Sky Bar in the lobby has won several polls from Casino Player magazine. Sky Bar is a lounge bar at the center of the venue, Lobby Bar is a little more for craft cocktails, away from the gaming floor. There are also frequent concerts and comedy shows.

The swimming pool is open not only to hotel guests now. You can buy day passes now for a cabaña, a lounger or a day bed, those are available seven days a week. Guests can bring food in from another restaurant or order from the poolside menu. The pool bar is right nearby.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The next cocktail they taste is a new take on a traditional recipe, called a Jalapeño Margarita. It will soon be on the Lobby Bar menu. It has Jalapeño-infused tequila, plus Cointreau, lime juice and agave. Floating on top, there is an Aperol and lime citrus foam.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Jessica describes the pool menu, which is the same as last year and is designed to be quick, fresh and delicious. Kiwi, blueberry, watermelon, mango and spiked lemonade. They also have a cocktail competition called Full Tilt. The first year the competitors were mostly from north bay but this year they will open it to bartenders from all over the Bay Area. One portion of the competition will be Iron Chef style, where the competitors get a set of ingredients they have to work with. This year it will focus on agave-based drinks. The Campari group is the sponsor. 🍹

Jeffery House’s Book and Old Caz Opening

Thu, 23 May 2024 23:23:29 +0000

Herlinda Heras, Bryan Rengel and Jeffery House.

Jeffery House, founder of Ace Cider is here, so is Bryan Rengel from Old Caz Beer, on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Bryan’s last time on Brew Ha Ha was this episode back in January 2024. Jeffery’s last BHH appearance was this episode in August of 2022.

Jeffery House, founder of Ace Cider, has a new book. The Cider King is a story of how he came from England and ended up on the west coast. He got handcuffed for not having a green card but the judge gave him voluntary departure instead of deportation. A friend of his was importing cognacs and Armagnacs and various spirits, so he started working with him. He noticed an opportunity to import British and Belgian beer. Then, on his friend’s suggestion became the first to import Sonoma wine to the UK, beginning in 1981.

Bryan Rengel tells the story of how he built Old Caz with his partners, using materials that were entirely DIY, found and acquired for free. Now they are building the new location bringing in the same materials. He and his partner love cycling in the mountains and named the brewery after a very challenging road that they love to ride, which is Old Cazadero Road.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Old Caz new location Opens June 1

They are definitely opening on June 1, having passed the health department inspection last Tuesday and the City of Rhonert Park gave their official approval today. There is some work to do still. Noon on June 1, they will have a grand opening ribbon cutting. The Old Caz Cavalcade will be a 3.5 mile march from the old location to the new one. Join the cool kids for that.

The Cider King is the name of Jeffery House’s new book. It’s on Amazon and Kindle as of a couple of weeks ago. The Kindle version for 90 days is free. He will do an audio book version of it in his own voice.

He started Ace Cider with seed money from a settlement from the end of a distribution agreement he had in England.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Somebody told me they were growing apples in west (Sonoma) county. I drove up here one day to Sebastopol. It was like England with sunshine. The cows were happy, the fields were green…” In 1993 they made their first cider.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Bryan modestly announces that Old Caz Beer won Gold for Chismoso Mexican Lager at the World Cup of Beer. They had forgotten even sending in the beer. He also just found out about another gold from Rolling Stone Magazine.

Taylor Lane of Pink Boots Society plus Simone Yingst

Thu, 16 May 2024 23:23:34 +0000

The Pink Boot Society national conference

Taylor Lane is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. She is local chapter president of the Pink Boots Society. She is also a Lab Supervisor for Gallo Sonoma, and used to do the same job for Russian River Brewing. Also in the studio today is Simone Yingst from the Santa Rosa Central Library.

We also have a special guest, Simone Yingst from the Sonoma County Library. She is an adult services librarian at the downtown Santa Rosa library. There is a talk series called The Future is Fermented, happening at the library on May 22.

The Pink Boots Society

The Pink Boots Society is a national organization founded in 2007 by a woman brewer who realized that she was often the only woman in the room at beer events. They work on education, offer scholarships and support networking among its members. They have expanded their membership from beer people to people who work with any fermented beverages, and from women to also include non-binary persons. The Pink Boots Society National Conference will be in Philadelphia, June 24-26, 2024.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Taylor Lane has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Microbiology. She thought that would lead her into the veterinary or pharma field, but she discovered fermentation when she took a class in fermentation while in grad school. That made her realize that she knew all about the processes of making beer and other fermented foods and beverages. A job at Russian River would soon follow, as the lab supervisor. Taylor continues to thrive in the same role at Gallo Sonoma.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

A delivery has just arrived from Old Possum and Flagship BBQ who are putting on a birthday event soon. As we know, Flagship is now operating the kitchen at Old Possum. They were here on BHH in January to announce it.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

The subject of the talk on May 22 is Burnout in a Passion-based Business. The Future is Fermented, happening at the library on May 22.

Raven Brewery of Pilsen, Czechia

Fri, 10 May 2024 23:23:56 +0000

Herlinda Heras with Raven Brewery guests.

The brewer and co-founder of Pivovar Raven, or Raven Brewery in Pilsen, Czech Republic are our guests today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. They are Ladislav Vrtiš, co-founder, and Jiří Vašek, whose first name translates to George in English. Miroslov Puc is also in the studio but we won’t hear from him on the broadcast.

They are friends of Lana Svitankova, Herlinda’s fellow international beer judge and a recent guest on BHH. The crew from Raven Brewing in Pilzen is on a beer tour of California. First they spent 5 days in San Diego, now it’s Sonoma County and environs, including Beer City, Santa Rosa. Sierra Nevada and Russian River Brewing Co. are on the itinerary too. They just came back from a driving tour through Yosemite National Park.

Czech Pilsner and German Pilsner are different. For the Czech, they have softer water, especially in the town of Pilzen. Second, the brewing process, they use decoction to brew the beer. The Germans and US use infusion.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Pivovar Raven, or Raven Brewery

The Raven brewery was founded in Pilzen in 2015. A law was proposed to require bars that serve beer to also offer a non-alcoholic beverage at a price that is lower than the cheapest beer. But the law did not pass.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Pilsner Urquell is still a very popular brand in Czechia. It might cost $3 in Prague. In smaller cities, you can get a good local pilsner for a buck. The local bars are also the meeting place for social life and also to find service people.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The California IPAs are a bit strong, around 7 or 8 ABV. The Czech beers are lighter.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. CEO Kevin McGee

Thu, 2 May 2024 23:23:54 +0000

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. CEO Kevin McGee joins Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon, and Herlinda Heras. The last time Kevin was on Brew Ha Ha was this episode from last November. Also, AVBC brewmaster Fal Allen has been on Brew Ha Ha many times. His last appearance was this episode in September 2023. Tara Nurin is also in the studio today for the live Brew Ha Ha radio show, and her part of the conversation is on this podcast episode.

Wellness and mental health is an important topic in the brewing industry, especially after the uncertainty and stress of the last few years. Listen to Tara Nurin speaking about that today, on this podcast episode. Under the new owners of AVBC, the company expanded its suite of mental health benefits for employees. They also have opened pathways for people to have access to therapy.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Their first tasting is the Black Light, 95 calories, and it is black like a stout even if it is a light. It won the European Beer Star Award, another silver medal two years ago and it won the Brussels Beer Challenge last year. They love this beer. It’s great to have a new beer that is so successful. There weren’t a lot of good light craft beers. They started with the intention of making a good tasting beer and it happened to be light, at 3.8% ABV. It gets its black color from black rice, not from blackened malt as usual with dark beers. This was Fal Allen’s invention.

He also wanted to make a Pilsner, which is The Pilsner under ABVC’s label. Summer Solstice is another periodic beer that has some devoted fans.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co has been practicing sustainable brewing for long before Kevin became CEO. They use only water drawn from wells on their property and they return all their used water to the ground. It is a zero-effluent operation.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

They expect about 3000 people at the Booneville Beer Fest on Sat. May 4, May the fourth be with you, Star Wars fans. It is a benefit for local charities all within about 10 miles of the brewery. It is their 26th edition.

Beverage Industry Mental Health with Tara Nurin

Thu, 2 May 2024 23:23:41 +0000

Tara Nurin

Beverage industry mental health is the subject with Tara Nurin today on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon, and Herlinda Heras. Tara has been on Brew Ha Ha many times, the last time was this episode just last week.

The day before yesterday, Lana Svitankova, Herlinda and Tara were at UC Davis speaking about the brewing industry. Tara was there to discuss her book and to read a part of it. The students at UC Davis in the brewing program come from all over the world. Lana and Herlinda talked about international judging and they took questions from the students. The members of the panel at UC Davis were an all-star lineup of the craft brewing world.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

A Beautiful Mind

Last night they attended Lo and Behold’s event called A Beautiful Mind, a fund raiser for NAMI, the National Association for Mental Illness. They held a cocktail competition and a raffle and it was sold out. May is National Mental Health Awareness month. You can order the Beautiful Mind cocktail at a roster of local restaurants and the proceeds go to NAMI.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

People in the beverage and hospitality industry can suffer physical and mental ailments due to work stress. She has been developing ways to teach resilience to managers, owners on how to create holistically healthy workspaces. In addition, Tara teaches workers to understand their own needs and to be able to maintain a stable state of mental health for the long term.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Tara practices Transcendental Meditation and she also applies it to her efforts to reduce stress in the hospitality workspace.

Smith Street Taps of Singapore

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:24:54 +0000

Smith Street Taps 10th Anniversary commemorative glass.

Meng and Kim Chow, owners of Smith Street Taps in Singapore, join Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today. It is their first time on Brew Ha Ha. Lana Svitankova is also in the studio today. Her full conversation with Herlinda can be heard over here on its own podcast episode.

Meng and Kim have brought a Smith Street Taps glass like the one pictured here, as a gift for Steve. They have just celebrated their tenth anniversary. They also have another stall now, called by a similar name, Smith Street Taproom.

Herlinda met Meng and Kim in Singapore when she was judging in the Asia Beer Cup. The city is obviously very clean and well organized, and Herlinda remembers feeling safe in the city, even when she got lost at night.

Singapore’s Hawker Stalls

Smith Street Taps is located among the hawker stalls in Singapore. These are large food courts with many restaurants serving a wide variety of styles of food. It is Singapore’s way of organizing what would otherwise be street food.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Kim explains that Smith Street Taps is the first and only hawker stall dedicated to craft beer, among all the many hawker stalls in Singapore. They have craft beer on tap from all over the world.

Hawker culture in Singapore is heritage, so it is protected, promoted and highly appreciated.” -Kim Chow

Rumble in the Jungle (photo by Lana Svitankova).

Meng has opened a beer called Rumble in the Jungle, a Stout which he produced in a collaboration with Brewlander, a local brewery, and Jungle Beer, formerly of Singapore and now based in India. It is a stout flavored with chickory from India, with an 8% ABV. “Works for me!” says Steve Jaxon.

Herlinda remembers a 16 hour flight from California to Singapore, which Meng and Kim also just did. Thinking out loud, next time, she might fly 9 hours to Japan first, then fly the next leg from Japan to Singapore, another 9 hours.

The Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling is the number one local cocktail. It is a gin-based cocktail believed to have been created by a bartender at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. They still serve them there, so go get one if you’re visiting Singapore, it can’t be missed. Spoiler Alert! –> In a shaker with ice, add gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, Grenadine syrup and a dash of Angostura bitters. Serve strained into a hurricane glass.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Meng had the first craft beer bottle shop in Singapore, before Smith Street Taps. He is on his way to Boston for his son’s graduation from Northeastern University. Meng’s great wish is to find out how he can get to drive a hop picking machine like the one at the museum.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Museum of Sonoma County exhibit ON TAP is about the history of hops and beer in Sonoma County. It will remain open until September 1. Click on the green the On Tap logo (or that link) to visit the museum’s website:

Photo credits: featured image, C.Y. Shing, Flicker/PD/CC. Beer glass, Smith Street IG. Rumble bottle, Lana Svitankova.

Tara Nurin, Historian of Brewing plus Lana Svitankova

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:23:43 +0000

Tara Nurin, historian of brewing, at UC Davis

Tara Nurin, historian of women’s role in brewing history, is our guest again on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. She was on the show on this episode on February 23, 2023, with her book A Woman’s Place Is In the Brewhouse.

Lana Svitankova is also here, she is a beer judge from Ukraine and a judging colleague of Herlinda. She is visiting for some events associated with the opening of the Museum of Sonoma County exhibit ON TAP on Saturday April 27 at 4pm.

On Tuesday, April 30, at 1 pm, Tara Nurin, Lana Svitankova and Herlinda Heras will be appearing at a conference at UC Davis as part of the Professional Brewing Program.

On Saturday, April 27, Tara will be reading the chapter about Sonoma County, at the exhibit. That is the story that starts with the opening of New Albion, the first new brewery post-Prohibition, which opened in 1976. Tara tells the story of the man and two women who founded New Albion. Tara’s book tells about the women have been involved in brewing throughout history.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Lana has translated some books about brewing into the Ukrainian language. She is also a promoter of the Ukrainian style of beer, a golden ale. She describes it as a cousin of British and Belgian golden ale, the difference is that the Belgian is stronger and the British is lower in ABV and not that sweet. Ukrainians like it sweet and not very bitter.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Ukrainian Golden Ale

Until recently, a Ukrainian golden ale has been available in markets in Los Angeles. The one that Lana has brought has a name that is hard to pronounce. Lana used to work for a Ukrainian brewery called Barbar, who made golden ale and stout, mostly. Herlinda met Lana when they were judging in Finland and Poland.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

The Museum of Sonoma County exhibit ON TAP is about the history of hops and beer in Sonoma County. Don Barkley did a video interview with Herlinda, that will be playing in the exhibit. It opened with a big crowd on April 20 and will remain open until September 1. Click on the green the On Tap logo (or that link) to visit the museum’s website:

Tony Magee Returns to BHH

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:23:41 +0000

Tony Magee returns to BHH with Herlinda Heras.

Click to visit the Museum of Sonoma County website.

Finding the Right Partner

This is the best time in the last thousand years to be a beer lover. -Tony Magee

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

John Burton, Beer Memorabilia Collector

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:23:46 +0000

John Burton, beer memorabilia collector, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today. He is working with Herlinda Heras who is assisting the Museum of Sonoma County with its upcoming exhibition ON TAP, about Sonoma County hops and the history or craft brewing.

John Burton made a great collection of beer memorabilia while he worked as a bartender in Santa Rosa for a long time. He also operates a well-known bartending school called Santa Rosa Bartending.

Herlinda has organized interviews with some of the biggest names in local beer history, like Tony McGee and Mark Carpenter, for the museum. She connected them to John Burton and he will be providing some choice items for the exhibit.

Grace Bros. was a local brand that started in 1897 in Santa Rosa and the brand continued until the late 1960s. John’s collection of bottles and cans starts in their first year. John has a lot of Grace Bros. pieces.

A 1960s Grace Bros. Beer Commercial

In the show, we hear a 30-second commercial for Grace Bros. beer, from John’s collection. It was recorded probably in the 1960s in Hollywood, California. In the 1940s, Grace Bros. was the fourth-largest brewery in California. Here is the commercial:

http://brewhaharadio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Grace_Bros_Beer_30_sec.mp3

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

John Burton is a member of a beer memorabilia organization that organizes exhibits. Herlinda’s friend Ken Hartoonian also has a collection. He was a guest on Brew Ha Ha recently. John shares memories of the Grace family and how they decided to stay in Santa Rosa instead of Southern California.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

John is also the writer and publisher of some books about his collection. He has also written an instructional book about bartending, called Bartending Basics.

Herlinda is organizing a reception for all of the ‘legends’ of the local brewing industry. She will invite the founding fathers and mothers of the business. She is looking forward to the On Tap exhibition being full of really interesting, beautiful and memorable material.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Russian River Brewing is a sponsor of the exhibit, so is Lagunitas and Oliver’s Market. The sculpture garden is beautiful and they will turn it into a beer garden for one evening. The grand opening is April 27.

Battle of the Brews 2024

Thu, 4 Apr 2024 23:23:08 +0000

Richard McChinak and Ben Kerstetter from Battle of the Brews are in-studio guests on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Richard McChinak, is the Battle of the Brews co-chair, and Ben Kerstetter is the newly elected incoming President of the 20/30 Club, Santa Rosa chapter n. 50.

The 20/30 Club started doing this event 27 years ago. They only had about 20 breweries back then but now there are many more. Saturday April 6 from 1-5 pm at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. There are 20/30 chapters all over the country. They do a lot of fundraising events for under-privileged youth in Sonoma County.

As musical attractions, Battle of the Brews has Painted Waves and Voodoo Vultures playing plus a local DJ Rob Cervantes, who is a Drive Hall of Famer.

Herlinda Heras has been going to Battle of the Brews since its beginning. This is Herlinda’s eleventh time judging at this event. It’s a chance to meet all her friends in the business. The weather is supposed to be good. One year the band was Digital Underground but they had to scale it back after that year.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

There is a big Raffle Station in the middle of the show. All of the money raised goes to causes related to helping kids. The $95 admission ticket gets you all the food and drinks you can manage to enjoy, plus all the music and the whole scene. They also have cider, hard kombucha as well as non-alcoholic options.

A Great Day for Barbeque

This year the Barbeque section is different, they doubled the number of BBQs and brought in many other food vendors. There is an entire parking lot full of food vendors.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The judging is a BJCP-sanctioned event. There is also a People’s Choice award. Some brewers will bring exclusive beers brewed just for the event. There are even awards for Best Chicken and also a People’s Choice award for barbeque.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

There are so many beers and it is so much fun that it is easy to drink more than you thought you would. So plan you transportation with all the options available, except driving.

Cynthia from Homerun Pizza

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:23:38 +0000

Today’s Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras is a Triple Header! We have three great guests. Cynthia Caughie from Homerun Pizza is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras and she brought some Knuckleballs, their specialty. Cynthia was also on Brew Ha Ha in November, on this episode. Ryan Frank, head brewer at Headlands Brewing is here. Ron Lindenbusch is also in today. He is a founding father of Lagunitas and a self-titled beer weasel, however emeritus.

Ron Lindenbusch’s complete interview is on his own dedicated podcast episode, right here. This episode is all about Homerun Pizza. Ryan Frank’s talk about Headlands Brewing is also on its own podcast episode. This way, each guest gets to have a unique online destination for their own search traffic. Also, it keeps the individual podcast episodes to a nicer, shorter length.

Cynthia got to spend some time in Arizona for Spring Training, and the players loved the knuckleballs. Watch the Homerun Pizza website for evidence of how much the players like them.

Homerun Pizza is open daily.

Homerun Pizza is open Sunday Monday and Tuesday from 3:00 to 8:00; Wednesday & Thursday 11:30 to 8:00 pm and Friday & Saturday 11:30 to 9:00. Happy Hour is every night from 3-6 pm. Every Wednesday, 2 Knuckleballs for $5. It’s their signature dish, their pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese and with bacon or peperoni. They are doing a special Knuckleball, with sausage, and also a vegetarian version with tomato and basil.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Right now this year they are doing one specialty Knuckleball per month. For Valentine’s Day they did Nutella and pretzel, with salted caramel. For March, it’s the Sausage Knuckleball.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They have a dish called Homerun Fries, made with French Fries, bacon, jack and cheddar cheese and their Homerun Sauce, a spicy Ranch. Herlinda calls it Sonoma County Poutine which is hilarious!

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Ron Lindenbusch, Hopland Tap

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:22:59 +0000

Since he left Lagunitas at the end of a very successful run, Ron found the perfect location in Hopland to set up the tavern that he always dreamed of. Steve remembers when it was the Hopland Brewery, they had bands including some pretty famous ones. Hopland Tap also does live music. This Saturday the band is Left-Hand Monkey Wrench.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Ryan Frank, Headlands Brewing

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:21:49 +0000

A Headlands Brewing 4-pack with its paper collar.

Ryan Frank, Headlands Brewing head brewer, joins Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, in studio today, with Cynthia Caughie and Ron Lindenbush. Each of the other guests have their own podcast page from today, Cynthia from Homerun Pizza is here and Ron Lindenbush is here. In this episode, we hear mostly from Ryan Frank.

Headlands Brewing started in Marin County but has recently put roots down in the East Bay. They have a taproom in Lafayette and they produce their beer in Pittsburg. They are dedicated to philanthropy and they pledge 1% for the Planet. Ryan describes Earth to Beer, a collaboration among 40 different breweries. “A better world is brewing,” is the slogan.

They are tasting a Kolsch which is a beer from Koln, a light crisp soft and floral beer, an ancient German specialty. They source all of their own materials locally, including Admiral Malting in Oakland. He chose Pacific Northwest hops, to make it a California interpretation of a German Kolsch.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Headlands Brewing is located at 3420 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. It’s kid friendly, dog friendly and has great food. Their beer is available at Homerun Pizza, Earth to Beer Kolsch is on draft. They are also at Barley and Bine, and Beer Baron. Bottle Barn has some cans and they are on promotion at northern California Whole Foods stores.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Bingo at Homerun Pizza

Cynthia tells about Bingo at Homerun Pizza on the last Tuesday of the month. It’s free, kid friendly and a lot of fun. Ryan Frank gets to taste a sausage Knuckleball with the Earth to Beer Kolsch, just like they serve it at Homerun Pizza.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Headlands Brewing uses paper collars on their 4-packs. This fact starts Ryan into a description of all the choices they make in packaging to reduce their footprint, use less plastic and promote recycling. You can see the paper collars in the picture above.

April 27 ON TAP opens at the Museum of Sonoma County. Herlinda describes a lot of her efforts looking for content. Make sure you don’t miss this exhibition which will be a big hit.

2024 Pliny the Younger

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 23:23:01 +0000

The 2024 Pliny the Younger 3-pack.

Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha for the 2024 Pliny the Younger release. This is an annual event on Brew Ha Ha, for example, here is last year’s release show.

Natalie has been getting ready for this year’s release. This morning they had their kickoff meetings for staff at Santa Rosa and Windsor. Everything is ready to begin this weekend. The Pliny the Younger will be available until April 4.

The recipe is mostly his year Vinny says he has added more of a New Zealand hop called Nectaron. The 2024 Pliny the Younger is 10.25% alcohol, so the idea is to hide the alcohol with lots of other flavors.

“It’s still hard to believe.” – Vinny Cilurzo

It was back in early 2005 when the brewery was less than a year old, that they wanted to do a promotion during the otherwise slow season. Vinny decided to take the Pliny the Elder recipe and add more of everything, more hops, more malt and more alcohol. They released it without fanfare, for a few years. But in 2010, everything changed. Pliny the Younger had been rated the best beer in the world on some influential beer websites. That is when people started forming lines before opening hours. It’s great to hear Vinny tell the story again. This has become a favorite annual event for beer lovers from around the world.

Pliny the Younger has some new artwork this year, which is on the header of this web page, showing Vesuvius erupting with beer and hops.

When and Where

Both brewpubs will be open daily from 11AM to 10PM, from March 22nd through April 4th, 2024.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Russian River Brewing Co. will be a sponsor of the big beer history exhibition that is opening at the Museum of Sonoma County, called ON TAP: Sonoma County Hops and the Beer Revolution. We just had Eric Stanley from the museum on Brew Ha Ha.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

This year Russian River Brewing Co. has raised purchase limit from two bottles to three. A three bottle purchase comes in the convenient carrying case pictured above.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

RRBC has different menus at the Santa Rosa and Windsor locations. Vinny would have a Mamma Mia pizza (with halapeños) at the Santa Rosa 4th Street pub, to pair with a glass of Pliny the Younger. He remembers the time the first people met him four hours before opening time, in 2010.

ON TAP Sonoma County Hops and the Beer Revolution

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 23:23:13 +0000

Eric Stanley from the Museum of Sonoma County is our guest, here to discuss ON TAP Sonoma County Hops and the Craft Beer Revolution, an exhibition that will open on April 20, 2024. He joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, live in the Wine Country Radio studio.

Herlinda Heras has been in England and Ireland, which we heard about about over the last few episodes. Now she will be staying in town to assist with the exhibition. There are two paths to this exhibition, as Eric describes it. One is about the history of hops as part of Sonoma County agriculture and the other is about the more recent craft beer revolution. Brew Ha Ha will be a sponsor of this exhibition.

Herlinda is personally acquainted with many of the people who have made history in local brewing. She has been busy bringing several of them in to participate. For example, New Albion was the first licensed brewery after the repeal of Prohibition and it opened in the town of Sonoma. Tara Nurin will be appearing and reading from her book, since she interviewed a lot of the women who were part of the revolution, for the book. Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo will be participating as well as Ken Hartoonian, who was on this show recently and who has a big collection of brewing memorabilia. Famous brewers like Mark Carpenter, Ron Lindenbush and Don Barkley will be a part of it as well.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

About the Museum of Sonoma County

The Museum of Sonoma County has a permanent Sonoma County history exhibition. called Sonoma County Stories. Gaye LeBaron had a lot to do with it, she is a local historian and friend of Steve. The museum is located in the old Sonoma County Post Office building, which was built in 1910. It is a beautiful building, which had to be moved from its original location, in order to save it.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They are looking for sponsors for this exhibition, so if you are or work for a candidate for exhibition sponsorship, please contact Herlinda Heras.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Hops Have Made a Comeback Locally

Hop growing used to be a huge local business and recently hops have been making a comeback, as a local crop. There are several reasons for that. Starting in the 1850s this area was a leading hop region in the country, up to Prohibition. But after Prohibition it wasn’t until the 1980s that breweries came back. The exhibition will tell the story of what happened to the local hops industry, from the last crop in the early 1960s, up the re-emergence of hops in Sonoma County.

Herlinda Heras at the 2024 British Pie Awards

Thu, 7 Mar 2024 23:23:59 +0000

3.1415926535897932, or about 22/7.

Herlinda Heras is judging at the 2024 British Pie Awards and calls in to Brew Ha Ha today, and with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon. Here is an episode of Brew Ha Ha from March 22, 2018, when Herlinda had just returned from that year’s competition. The winners are listed at the 2024 British Pie Awards website.

Today we hear all about her itinerary on her current trip to the England and Ireland. She began in London, judging the National Fish and Chips competition. Then, she visited Dublin, Ireland, where she saw Teeling Whiskey, the Guiness attraction “Beer Disneyland” and a museum exhibit. Her last stop was the British Pie Awards, an annual event in the town of Melton Mobray. This is Herlinda’s 10 year as a judge in this competition.

The pies at the 2024 British Pie Awards are very traditional and the judging takes into consideration all of the characteristic virtues of combining meat and crust. The categories of pies have evolved, so that today there is a category for Vegan pies, as well as vegetarian recipes and many others.

Herlinda explains how there is a hole at the top of the pie, as in the picture here. This is part of the recipe, specifically the baking process. They place a bit of jelly into the hole which bakes into the pie.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Herlinda Heras in London for the National Fish & Chip Awards

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 23:23:02 +0000

We get a phone call from Herlinda Heras in London, she is there to judge this year’s UK National Fish & Chip Awards. The National Federation of Fish Fryers of the UK sponsor the annual event.

There are contestants from all over the UK as well as other countries, including the US, which was represented by a British couple from Georgia who have a fish and chips shop. There is the usual panorama of awards, in many categories, even the potatoes. On the Tuesday night before the event, they had a reception in the Houses of Parliament. They were actually in session and voting while she was there.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Part of the awards was a recognition of extraordinary customer service, and Herlinda heard stories about how during Covid confinement, fish and chip deliveries were almost the only contact that some people had with others.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

There is also an award for best sit-down restaurant, and many other categories. See the National Fish & Chip Awards website for all the categories and winners.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The biggest award is to the “take away” which is British for “to go” service. That award went to a shop called Ship Deck, located in Caerphilly, Wales.

Hiveworks Mead

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:24:42 +0000

The team from Hiveworks Mead is in the studio for Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras to talk about their way of making mead. Alexander Mendoza, CEO and Head Mazer, Sean Duckworth, COO and Julian Frank, CFO, are taking turns on the two guest microphones in our small converted train car.

They will be at Beer City this Saturday, Feb. 24, in Courthouse Square.

The Hiveworks Mead team all grew up in Sebastopol together and now they are partners in the company.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Skyborne

First they taste Skyborne, a simple recipe of honey, water and yeast, plus carbonation. They just wanted to make a beverage that they could enjoy with any food. The more honey you add, the higher the ABV. A lot of traditional mead could be 2-3 pounds of honey per gallon of mead. Their mead is lower in alcohol so they can use less honey.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Kind of like wine, kind of like beer

The partners started Hiveworks Mead in Sebastopol in a shed with one fermenter, and experimented until their product was a hit at some parties. That was when it was time to go pro. Even though it is classified and taxed as a wine, mead is actually made on equipment that is much more like that of a brewery. The aluminum cans use a lot less carbon dioxide, than glass bottles.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Alexander carries the title Head Mazer. Some meadmakers fancy the term. A mazer is a type of traditional medieval wooden cup, low and wide, with a rise in the middle. There happens to be a well-known annual mead competition called the Mazer Cup, based in Colorado, whose logo is shaped like a mazer. This may have suggested the idea for that term. *

* ‘Mazer’ as a meadmaker has no root word history in English nor in any of its contributing languages. Given that mead can be drunk from a mazer, calling a meadmaker a ‘mazer’ could be compared to calling a vintner a ‘glass’ or a brewer a “mug” or a Kombuchist a “tightly capped bottle.” But if people like the term, they will use it, and if enough people adopt it for enough time, it will become documented.

CCBS 2024 California Craft Beer Summit

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:23:49 +0000

Chris Keeton from CCBS 2024 calls in to Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras to talk about the California Craft Beer Summit. There will be a convention, the California Craft Beer Summit, March 12-14, in Sacramento. There is the website, ^ with all the info you need. The rest of today’s Brew Ha Ha episode is a conversation with the folks from Hiveworks Mead, which is on its own page.

Chris Keeton

Chris Keeton is the President of the Sacramento Area Brewers Guild and is also the head brewer for the Alaro Craft Brewery, which is located very close to the convention center. Morgan Territory Brewing won at ccbs last year, as they win a lot of competitions.

Beer City, Sat. Feb. 24 in Santa Rosa

The general public can purchase tickets to the event. The awards ceremony is March 13 during the CCBA Summit. The Competition will be held in the Crest Theater. They will have 197 breweries and 1300 beer entries, which makes it the third largest one of these in the country.

Judy Ashworth, the famous publican, was with Herlinda at the competition last year. Judy is a very famous figure in the craft brewing industry and she was on Brew Ha Ha on this episode back on December 19, 2019, along with former co-host Mark Carpenter.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The CCBS 2024 winners will be announced on a website after the convention. There will also be a live stream on The Brewing Network YouTube channel. The results will be published at this site: https://brewerscupofca.com/

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Craft Beer Summit is a great networking opportunity for like-minded entrepreneurs to learn more about their business. The Guilds also provide an important service to their members. For example, the fact that we can taste beer and cider at our farmers markets is due to some lobbying done by the guilds.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Fogbelt Brewing founders Paul Hawley and Remy Martin

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 23:23:48 +0000

Fogbelt Brewing founders Paul Hawley and Remy Martin are back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Paul and Remy have been on Brew Ha Ha several times, including this episode last September and this other episode the previous August.

This is a busy time for beer fans with the FeBrewary promotion and Beer City all taking place.

For Beer Week, Fogbelt Brewing is making Bacon and Beer pairings. It’s as classic as pizza and beer. They serve what they call “Billionaire’s Bacon” and also Salmon belly, served with a flight of beers.

Their annual Godwood Triple IPA has just been released. It is made with Simcoe, Mosaic, Aurora and Eldorado hops, all of them. They do three separate dry hops and a touch of caramel malt.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Ten Years of Fogbelt and Brew Ha Ha

Paul and Remy just celebrated their tenth anniversary and so did the Brew Ha Ha. They went to school together and studied moviemaking, then moved to New Zealand and ended up working for a winery and making their own beer on the side. Continuing to Australia they “became passionate” about beer. Remy studied beer and Paul studied finance and the new team was ready.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Fogbelt location in Healdsburg is a beer garden which is also in an old train, just like Wine Country Radio. Fogbelt Brewing Co. is located at 1305 Cleveland Ave. in Santa Rosa.

The Beer City Festival in Santa Rosa Courthouse Square is on February 24. There are three races, half marathon, 10 K and 5 K, which are optional. Next week the organizers will be in the studio on Brew Ha Ha.

Herlinda went to the SF Beer Week gala. It was advertised as a “space” theme, including Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. Herlinda was the only person in the gala in costume.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Fogbelt is proud to be making a lot of different beers, something for everybody. Their Redwood Lager won a Gold Medal at the Sacramento State Fair.

Fogbelt also organized a Beer Camp, an adult summer camp with lots of beer. They hosted it at Wildhaven in Healdsburg, which is a glamping resort. They had a few classes in search and rescue, cooking demos, a falconry demo, and most of it was all about beer. Paul’s dad is a falconer and taught a class about it.

Jenny Ogston from Victory House

Thu, 8 Feb 2024 23:03:40 +0000

Jenny Ogston from Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter is here to talk about their Superb Owl party this Sunday.

The Victory House Superb Owl party is this Sunday, Feb. 11. It is a ticketed event to Victory House and Chuck’s Bowling. Door open Sunday at 2:30 but the whole facility is open as usual at 9:00. As of air-time today there are some seats left at Chuck’s, although Victory House is sold out for Superb Owl. There are big screens all around and the environment of a big game is exciting.

Victory House proudly pours non-alcoholic beers from Athletic Brewing. Sierra Nevada also makes a really good non-alcoholic beer called The Trail House.

They have 24 beers on tap, at least 12 are local breweries, hard cider and kombucha too. They also have lots of appetizers and really well made fried food, cuz it’s a sports bar! There are always new items being prepared for future menu upgrades. Jenny has brought a selectin of beers including a non-alcoholic one, a Peach Sour from Cooperage, Inhume, their IPA, from a brewery in Oakland.

Herlinda Heras, Fish and Chips Judge

Herlinda’s next trip will be judging the British Fish and Chips Awards, with the reception in the Houses of Parliament. 🇬🇧 We will hear all about it from her on the Feb. 29 episode coming soon.

Epicenter has lots of TV screens and shows a lot of sports, everything from ESPN and ESPN-U games to pickleball, corn hole and extreme tag. They are open on days when schools are closed, so there’s a place to bring kids.

Poppy Bank Epicenter has soccer fields and runs adult and youth soccer leagues. There is an arcade with old-school arcade games. They also have laser tag and a giant play structure in the little kids area. Chucks has 12 regular lanes and a private VIP area with 4 lanes. Chuck’s Garage is styled like a garage where guys will hang out.

SF Beer Week 2024 with Joanne Marino

Thu, 1 Feb 2024 23:24:41 +0000

Joanne Marino is calling in to Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras, she is the executive director of SF Beer Week. Ed Gobbo from Harmonic Brewing Co. is also in the studio today. Ed Gobbo’s complete interview and podcast episode is over here on this page. (This way, both Harmonic and SF Beer Week get to have their own search traffic and shareable location.) Check out Ed’s interview, he has a lot to say. 🍻

SF Beer Week has a lot of North Bay events with Old Caz and Pond Farm, among many others. As the event has grown, more brewers than ever have a showcase.

The Gala is back at Pier 35 in San Francisco, it’s a great party that people are eager to attend again.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

The late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee was a great supporter of Beer Week. Joanne talks about how the member breweries who run Beer Week face challenges all the time to survive. It has been proven that breweries contribute to revitalization. For example, it is sad for the Dogpatch community that Harmonic Brewing is no longer there. As brewers struggle to survive, it is important to promote the industry to try to give these business more exposure and more attention.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Gala has a Star Wars theme, so wardrobe and costumes are a factor. Watch out for Herlinda on that red carpet!

There are SF Beer Week collaboration brews, Russian River will be there with Pliny, and also lots of smaller breweries like Harmonic.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Let’s have some fun!

There are still tickets available so get ‘em now! A VIP ticket gets you access to brewers like Vinny and Natalie and selfies galore.

The gala ha a space theme, so all the space movies and tv shows are fair game, including star wars, star trek star search, no not that, but spaceballs definitely

There are also non-alcoholic beverages. There is a Barrel Brothers non-alcoholic beer as a sponsor. The best part is getting back together with your community. Those are the moments we missed that we want to bring back.

Ed Gobbo from Harmonic Brewing Co.

Thu, 1 Feb 2024 23:23:41 +0000

Ed Gobbo, Harmonic Brewing Co. founder, is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. He was on Brew Ha Ha once before, on this episode of September 22, 2022.

Joanne Marino, executive director of SF Beer Week, will call in to the show. You can listen to her phone call with Steve, Herlinda and Ed on this separate podcast episode. (Separating the podcast into two allows each one to have its own search traffic and shareable location.)

Harmonic Brewing’s new location in Thrive City

Harmonic Brewing’s new location is in Thrive Center at the Chase Center, where the Golden State Warriors of the NBA play. The original Harmonic Brewing location was in Dogpatch, a neighborhood in San Francisco where they began their business. Their theme is celebrating Craft, Culture and Community.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

The first beer they taste is Prague Rock, a pun on Prog Rock. It is a Czech Pilsner style. Ed Gobbo gives credit to Admiral Maltings. which is a local facility that makes malt from locally grown barley. He likes working with them because of their careful attention to quality. It is also nice to have a local supplier which lowers the carbon footprint.

Ed and his partners were home brewers for about 10 years, and they had other careers before they started Harmonic.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Harmonic Brewing will be at San Francisco Beer Week, which is coming up soon. The entire community is excited for the return of the gala at the beginning of Beer Week. Herlinda describes how Beer Week has extended into other parts of the Bay Area. February 9 – 18. The last Gala was in 2020 just before everything shut down. We will hear more about during Herlinda’s call with Joann Marino.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

There is even going to be an app this year, to help people plan their attendance to the events. On February 10 there will be an Admiral Maltings event where they can meet the brewers and the maltsters and the farmers too. There are so many events, you have to plan your visit. Ed describes some collaborations he has done, which you can sample at SFBW.

(Photo credit: Sarah Chorey from the Harmonic Brewing Co. website.)

Herlinda Heras’ Maui Report

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 23:23:54 +0000

Today Herlinda Heras’ Maui Report takes the stage on this special podcast episode of Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon.

Herlinda Heras called in from Maui where she was travelling for her birthday. She extended her stay and she is finally back today. Herlinda had the opportunity to report on Lahaina when her friend who lives there invited her. She was hesitant to visit, not wanting to be a looky-loo. However as she was invited, she got to see, “many beautiful things to do” there.

Whereas the Sonoma County fires were huge, covering a broad area, Lahaina is rather small. A lot of old buildings from the 1700s burned and cannot be rebuilt. But the people on Maui are still operating their business and still need tourist traffic. Thanks to her very wide circle of friends, Herlinda was able to attend some exciting social events and visit some incredibly beautiful natural attractions.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Herlinda has brought a beer called Mango Stickee Rice for tasting, which as you can imagine is juicy and delicious. There is also a charity collaboration beer that lots of brewers are making, including Russian River Brewing Co.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Calling in on the phone from Maui is Leanne Pletcher, director of public relations from the Maui Tourism Bureau. They are working to encourage people to come and visit and enjoy the many other parts of the island while Lahaina is healing.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

There are breweries and distilleries on Maui too, that Herlinda encourages people to visit. Maui Brewing Co. is in south Maui, near the coast. Up country, there are small towns and parks to visit as well as a pineapple farm and distillery.

Maui Links

Here are some links about Maui brewers and distillers and about visiting and helping Maui:

Maui Nui Strong: https://www.mauinuistrong.info/

Maui Tourism, general info: https://mauitourism.org/

Go Hawaii, travel information: https://www.gohawaii.com/malama

Maui Brewing Co., makers of Mango Stickee Rice beer: https://mauibrewingco.com/

Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery: https://oceandistillery.com/

Haliimaile Distilling: https://haliimailedistilling.com/

Mahalo Aleworks: https://www.mahaloaleworks.com/

MAHALO.

Maui Brewing Co. Mango Stickee Rice beer.

Flagship Taproom and Old Possum Brewing

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 23:23:37 +0000

Old Possum Brewing Co.

Flagship Taproom and Old Possum Brewing are both in the house today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. The last time Sandro was on the show was this episode in April, 2023.

Sandro Tamburin is back in the studio with a big announcement. Flagship BBQ and Old Possum Brewing are teaming up. Flagship BBQ will become the managing partner for retail operations at Old Possum, while Sandro will continue to manage the brewery operation. They will be in soft launch in February then Friday, February 16 they have a grand opening. They will also release their Triple Hopped beer, Tonic Immobility.

As they are tasting a pilsner style from Old Possum called La Rosita, Sandro tells the story of Old Possum. He started as a wort producer supplying other brewers. But once he realized that he had also assembled all the other necessary licenses and processes to become a brewer, that’s what he did.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Flagship Taproom has been making BBQ for years. Now they will be serving Flagship Taproom barbeque food and pouring Sandro’s Old Possum beer at Old Possum’s locations.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

Sandro also has an IPA called Garibaldi, it is a dry hazy. It uses Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Flagship Taproom does fun promotions like comedy shows, live music and trivia nights that attract a fun crowd.

Pliny for President 2024

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 23:23:10 +0000

Natalie Cilurzo

Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Co. is on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras to talk about Pliny for President 2024. Herlinda is traveling today.

We begin with Natalie telling the story of how RRBC got started, from when Korbel started the brand and hired Vinny. Later when Korbel decided to leave the beer business, Vinny and Natalie got the brand and recipes, organized a business plan with investors, and opened their brew pub in 2004 in Santa Rosa.

That means that 2024 is also the 20th release of Pliny the Younger. When they had to postpone their retail release during Covid, it meant separating the wholesale distribution of Pliny the Younger from the on-site consumer retail release. The brewery is a lot bigger than it used to be and this reorganization has made the process more manageable.

Pliny the Younger 2024

The 2024 Pliny the Younger will be available at will begin to appear at many of their clients in the Bay Area on draft, at SF Beer Week Feb 9 – 18, and a few other events. The in-person release is March 22 to April 4, this year. The complete release plans are all listed at the Russian River Brewing Co. website and socials.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

Russian River Brewing Co. has also released the 2024 Pliny for President. It used to be just for fun, pre-social media. But now, it’s a lot more established, with branding, merchandise and a great slogan, “Hop Care for Everyone.” Blind Pig is Pliny’s running mate, as always. The 2020 release was sold online in cans, and people who were cooped up during the pandemic really appreciated it. This 2024 Pliny for President has flavors of 4 different hops, Simcoe, Nectaron, Amarillo, Zumo, so the beer has citrus and stone fruit flavors from those hops, but a but lower alcohol than last time. It’s at local retail stores and they will release it quarterly.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Windsor location was designed with Pliny the Younger in mind. It was important for there to be enough space for the crowds that come every year. Some travelers even park their RVs in the Windsor parking lot, with permission.

SF Beer Week is back and the opening night Gala is back for the first time since the pandemic. Russian River Brewing Co. will be there. Tickets for different kinds of entry are available at the SF Beer Week website.

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

In lingua Latina

PS: some suggested Latin slogans for Pliny for President, suitable for carving into marble:

Ex multis cerevisiis, unum = Out of many beers, one.
Lupuli pro Omnibus = Hops for Everyone.

Co-Founder of Old Caz Bryan Rengel

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:23:54 +0000

Steve and Bryan

Co-founder of Old Caz Beer Bryan Rengel joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras in the studio on Brew Ha Ha today. Bryan was on Brew Ha Ha last August on this episode, and his partner Tom Edwards was a guest on this other episode from March 31, 2022.

The first beer tasted today is called Chismosa Clara, their take on a Mexican Lager. There is an amber ale version. This is a lighter one, made to be like Modelo Especial. They are located in Rohnert Park which is growing and gaining popularity.

A hazy IPA is the next tasting, called Early Sunset. It’s an example of a creative process of starting with a special recipe that they make in kegs only, to see if it becomes popular. If it does, they will make a label and produce it. This is how they select which beers to produce more of.

Old Caz is opening a new location in SOCO Village, right in the middle of the square. It is under construction now and their goal is to use the old taproom only for special events and to move the public tasting to the new place. They have a specially designed concrete pad for heavy food trucks to park.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Herlinda Heras is calling in from Maui. She is sitting at Maui Brewing Company, looking at the ocean. She is there for her birthday and to see breweries that are participating in the Kokua relief beer project.

The Kokua Project

Kokua is an independently owned restaurant and brewery. The Kokua project is a fund raiser for victims of the Lahaina fire last August. On the other side of the island from where the fires happened, it is still quite beautiful. Being from Sonoma County, we can relate to having fires and also doing brew projects to raise funds for fire relief.

For info about the Kokua Project: https://mauibrewingco.com/kokua/

The Global Empowerment Mission Maui Brewing Fire Fund

https://globalempowermentmission.kindful.com/?campaign=1268238

TS Restaurants Legacy of Aloha https://www.tsrestaurants.com/legacy-of-aloha/

Maui Humane Society https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

Visit Homerun Pizza, home of the Knuckleball! Fresh pizza dough made from scratch daily, la pizza è deliziosa!

Herlinda Heras from Maui about the Kokua Project

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:22:52 +0000

Herlinda Heras in Maui reporting on the Kokua Project.

Herlinda Heras is calling from Maui, to talk about the Kokua Project with Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha today. Bryan Rengel of Old Caz Beer is also with us. Over here is the podcast episode of that entire show. Here is just the portion where Herlinda speaks to us from the Maui Brewing Company, looking at the ocean. She is there for her birthday and to see breweries that are participating in the Kokua relief beer project, which is raising money for Maui fire relief.

The Kokua Project

The Kokua project is a fund raiser for victims of the Lahaina fire last August. On the other side of the island from where the fires happened, it is still quite beautiful. Being from Sonoma County, we can relate to having fires and also doing brew projects to raise funds for fire relief.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Please consider making a donation to any of the following organizations for Maui fire relief:

For info about the Kokua Project: https://mauibrewingco.com/kokua/

The Global Empowerment Mission Maui Brewing Fire Fund

https://globalempowermentmission.kindful.com/?campaign=1268238

TS Restaurants Legacy of Aloha https://www.tsrestaurants.com/legacy-of-aloha/

Maui Humane Society https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

Marc Meltonville Food Historian

Thu, 4 Jan 2024 23:23:19 +0000

Marc Meltonville, food historian, is our guest on today’s Brew Ha Ha podcast, in a replay of a May 21, 2020 show. There is no new show today due to bad weather upsetting people’s travel plans, so today’s podcast episode repeats one of Steve Jaxon’s favorite classic Brew Ha Ha shows. Enjoy! 🍻

Brew Ha Ha today is an interview with English food historian Marc Meltonville, on the telephone from England, talking with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Marc is the consulting food and drink historian for the historic royal palaces in the UK. So he knows a lot about what people were brewing and eating and drinking in different periods of history.

Marc Meltonville jokes that being a Consulting Food Historian doesn’t feel like a real job. He entered the field when he was working in a museum and someone came to him asking about a Tudor food project. He mentions that during the 1918 flu pandemic, they did not shut the pubs, even when they closed over venues. The British pub licensing laws close the pubs from 3pm to 6pm and they close again at 10pm.

Herlinda mentions that a lot of our familiar alcoholic beverages actually began as medicinal cures. Marc agrees, that a lot of recipes were in the “physic” i.e. medicine books, not the cooking books.Distillation was reserved for tonics. Around the early 17th century the digestive drink after dinner became popular. Gin and tonic is an example.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Restoring Ancient Kitchens

Hampton Court and Kew Gardens both have extensive kitchen which have been recently explored, discovered and put back into use to demonstrate techniques and recipes from the past. Marc was also recently at Newland Grist Mill in Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia. They have a mill that can make its own malt, so they have built a colonial brewery with period equipment. “Two guys with a stick and a bukcket.” Marc has also worked at Williamsburg and at Mt. Vernon where they produce George Washington whiskey without modern equipment.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

His current two brewing projects involve looking at brewing processes in the 1700s. Also, he is designing an event based on recipes of Stonehenge, 4500 years ago. He used a mass spectrometer to study the residue of old containers to understand their actual. That led to what he calls a “backwards recipe” where he reverse engineered the brew based on the residue. Yeast is from fruit skins, grapes in southern Europe or apples in the north, he realized that by mixing barley, cut apples, honey and water, he got a drink, that he calls, “a drinky thing. “He made a “pre-beer beer” like they did 4500 years ago before malting of barley or extraction of yeasts. It tasted like hard cider. Herlinda says it reminds her of braggot, which is a form of mead from barley malt and honey.

In the past, food was a luxury for wealthy classes, whether in colonial America or Europe. This was true with regard to food and drink, across the centuries.

Parliament Brewing Co.

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 23:23:40 +0000

Adam Bosch, co-founder of Parliament Brewing in Rohnert Park, joins Herlinda Heras in studio on Brew Ha Ha today. He was on Brew Ha Ha once before, on this episode of September 8, 2022 along with Peter Lopez of Juncture Taproom.

Adam has brought several Parliament beers for a taste and talk. The first is a German style Pilsner that won best Pilsner at Battle of the Brews this year. The second glass is the same pils but dry hopped with Riwaka hops from New Zealand. That provides a little toasted spice flavor and makes a comparison with the other pils.

Patience, a perfect name

Adam also brought a barrel-aged beer called Patience, perfectly named, because time was key. The barrels had whiskey in them for more than 13 years, then the beer is aged in them for a year and a half. Then it was in the bottle for 4 years. At 13% ABV it is an Imperial Stout sipping and savoring, the opposite of a ‘daytime’ lager. It can be aged like a fine wine and this one is already 4 years in the bottle.

On February 9th of 2024 they will be attending San Francisco Beer Week, and this is the first year that the gala is back. For the occasion they are preparing some special releases. One is a lambic made with cherries that they get from a grower near Sacramento. They call it the Bridesmaid because it took second place in several competitions.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and in Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Parliament

Who can resist a musical pun? Parliament Brewing company deserves a little bit of Funkadelic in the break. After the break, we hear a quick history of Parliament Brewing. When his brother got out of law school, he got a home brewing kit. He fell in love with the science of beer. They and their father and some partners opened 5 months before the pandemic shutdown, and survived. Adam gives thanks to his staff and vendors and collaborators who all contributed to making it work. They changed their business plan, under the suggestion to “react, don’t over-react.”

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options. Check out the family-friendly New Year’s Eve party!

Two other hazy beers are next to taste. The first is Prism, very hoppy and fragrant 6.6% with herbal tea flavors. The second is Crash, 7.1% ABB, with Riwaka hops. Herlinda was stuck at the airport the other day and got to taste some Parliament Kaleidoscope in the airport bar. We also hear about a trip to Washington that the Bosch brothers took, to see the hops that they use.

Heidrun Meadery Meadmaker Josh McCarthy

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:23:26 +0000

Herlinda and Josh.

Our guest today on Brew Ha Ha is Heidrun Meadery head meadmaker Josh McCarthy. The Heidrun is the name of a mythical viking goat. Mead is the oldest alcohol in the world, brewed with honey.

Heidrun takes the still fermented mead and then turns it into a sparkling beverage using the traditional champagne method. They are the only meadery that we know of so far that does champagne mead.

Honey is very sweet, Josh explains. They add water to the honey to dilute it to the sugar proportion desired, and they also remove other parts like wax. Then they chill it down and handle it like wine. The bubbles are done the same way as in traditional champagne. The only difference is the ingredient they start with.

The mead is able to carry flavors of the forage that the bees covered, so you can taste radish blossom, carrot blossom and more in the mead. They do brut naturel, so they are bone dry.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Hawaiian Christmas Berry

They also have an estate at Point Reyes Station, and they collect honey there. They also bring in honeys from around the world. This honey comes from Hawaii. Josh points out that whatever flavors come from the honey are the only flavors in the finished product. They never add any other flavors, just the honey itself. Their small community of bees includes feral hives and domestic hives. They don’t like yellowjackets which come and destroy the hive. Herlinda reminds us, don’t use Round-Up which takes out the good bugs too. Honey, water and yeast make mead. Josh explains, they start like beer but treat it like wine.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

They use the same fermenting yeast that champagne producers use. It does not impart any of its own flavor. They ferment about 10 days for the wine to get through fermentation. Then they do a natural settling process, four to six or eight weeks, depending on the honey. Each variety is very different. Their tasting room is located in a greenhouse and it is a nice visit. There are many flowering plants that are for the bees, and you can taste the garden in your glass.

Every wine they make is 12.5% ABV, which is the same as sparkling wine.

Norman Greenbaum visits Brew Ha Ha

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:23:56 +0000

Today’s podcast episode is a replay of a fun episode from May 9, 2019, featuring Norman Greenbaum, longtime Sonoma County resident famous for the song Spirit in the Sky (because today, the live show is pre-empted). Enjoy this episode from pre-Covid-19 days!

Norman Greenbaum and his portuguese guitar.

Norman Greenbaum is our guest on Brew Ha Ha today, joining Steve Jaxon, Mark Carpenter and Herlinda Heras. He wrote and performed the iconic 1969 song “Spirit in the Sky.” Herlinda Heras is back from her trip to Portugal and has brought three Portuguese beers to taste.

Norman Greenbaum is a longtime Sonoma County resident. Steve asks Norman if the success of his song still surprises him. It has been in movies and commercials and continues to have its own life. Any band or singer wants to have a hit record, and he was lucky to have a hit on the charts. He says he may have been a one-hit wonder but it has been in over 60 movies and a couple dozen commercials.

The song in commercials

It was in an ad for Audi in the last Super Bowl. Spirit in the Sky was in the Budweiser Discovery Reserve American Red Lager beer advertisement. The beer was brewed to commemorate the 1969 moon landing. The song was recorded in San Francisco.

Herlinda asks Norman to tell the story of the song and he remembers various scenes and themes from old Western films. The Stovall Sisters were his backup singers, they were from Oakland where they also sang in church. Mark Carpenter remembers the environment of the late 1960s and remembers the song as a really big hit.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Beers from Portugal

Herlinda Heras has brought beers from Portugal, including an “APA” which they call an American Pale Ale. Praxis Brewery is in Coimbra which is famous for having really good water. The Praxis family younger generation has revived the brewery and Mark says it’s a great example of Europeans doing an American style. It is 6% alcohol which is reasonable. There is also an 8/5% double Bock from Vaida Brewery outside of Aveiro which is south of Porto. Herlinda has also brought a beer with a woman on the label.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Norman Greenbaum remembers that New York was a center of music recording but he was not fond of the city. He knew that Hollywood was the other center of that business so he went to LA. He started Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band and signed with a record company immediately. The Eggplant that Ate Chicago was their first hit.

Now his songs have been in countless commercials and movies. Norman does say he is flabbergasted and thanks “the Spirit in the Sky for taking such good care of me.” He never gets tired of hearing it even if he wrote it. It still sends shivers up his spine.

Norman has brought a special guitar today which is from Portugal. He bought it at the flea market in Petaluma for $25, 40 years ago and brought it to a luthier for repairs. It disappeared and 42 years later, the guy contacted him saying it was fixed! It is called a Viola de Terra made of birds-eye maple.

Elk Fence Distillery of Santa Rosa

Thu, 7 Dec 2023 23:23:48 +0000

Elk Fence Distillery co-owners Scott Woodson and Gail Coppinger join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. The Elk Fence Distillery is a recently opened small-batch craft distillery that makes American single-malt whiskey, botanical gin and vodka. It has the distinction of being the only distillery located in the city of Santa Rosa, California. Juniper, coriander, tangerine and grapefruit all go into the botanical gin.

They were supposed to open on March 14, 2020, the day that the state closed down for Covid. The Drive was on the air that day when Governor Newsome made the announcement. They had a party ready for 600 people that they had to cancel.

Real Kentucky and Pennsylvania Learnin’

They actually went to Kentucky and Pennsylvania to learn how to distill. The guy who made their equipment directed them to two schools where he knew they would learn how to operate his equipment. The gin ages in new American white oak barrels. It looks like a Sauvignon Blanc. Scott calls it Christmas in a glass.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Their tasting room is at 464 Kenwood Court in Santa Rosa, open from 11am-4pm Fridays and Saturdays. It’s across from Lithia Dodge, close to the studio. Their product is also in Bottle Barn, Wilibee’s, Oliver’s (soon) , Grossman’s and Perch and Plow.

The name Elk Fence comes from where they grow their barley, near a fence that separates 300 elk from all the dairy farmers out in Marin County where they live. Scott lives in Inverness and Gail lives in Point Reyes.

Shorty’s Bunkhouse on KWMR

Gail also does a radio show on KWMR a listener-supported community station, on alternating Thursdays, 6:30pm–8:30pm. The show’s name is Shorty’s Bunkhouse and she plays bluegrass, americana and more. Check out the sample 2-hour show on her show’s website. She started on the radio in 1997. Their signal is strong and can be heard in Sonoma County too. Steve Jaxon knows that station and likes it. He heard Robert Earl Keen playing Merry Christmas from the Family for the first time and they realize it was on her show.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Next they taste the American single-malt whiskey. They won a silver medal this year for this at the American Distilling Institute. The American distilling Institute founder is Bill Owens. (He is also the man who took a famous picture of violence at the ill-fated Rolling Stones concert at Altamont.)

Next they shake up a cocktail called The Entitled Housewife, named after Becky Robinson, a performer that Herlinda also knows. Scott’s original cocktail is made with their Golden Own barrel aged gin, Mr. Black coffee, some pecan liqueur, and club soda.

Scott and Gail are Elks and Herlinda is a Moose and may become an Elk now. The Elks Club of Petaluma should come to Elk Fence and elk it up.

Kevin McGee, Anderson Valley Brewing Co.

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:23:39 +0000

Herlinda Heras and Kevin McGee

Kevin McGee, President and CEO of Anderson Valley Brewing Co, AVBC, joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha.

The foundation of brewery dates to 35 years ago. It is the world’s first solar powered brewery. Kevin explains how they recently streamlined their lineup of IPAs, including their classic west coast IPA, Hop Ottin’. They are tasting the Coastal Ale which is a partnership with the Surfrider foundation.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. will be taking over the ale stands at the Dickens Christmas Village in the Cow Palace in San Francisco. They will be pouring 11 different beers. Some of them are seasonal, like the Winter Solstice beer.

Herlinda describes the fun and excitement at the Dickens Christmas Village, including old fashioned Victorian games and a fencing school. There are character actors and skillful character portrayals of Charles Dickens himself as well as many characters from the story A Christmas Carol. They perform plays and there is tea time, to do a proper British tea and also a Sherlock Holmes mystery attraction too.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Boontling

The name of one of their beers, Baal Hornin’ means good drinking in Boontling, the local dialect.

Since 1997, every year Anderson Valley Brewing Co. has hosted the Booneville Beer Festival. Proceeds going to hyper-local charities, within 10 or 20 miles of the brewery. Over the years they have raised over 1.8 million dollars. The next Beer Fest is Saturday, May 4, 2024.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

If you visit Booneville, don’t try to drive home too late in the day. The road is perilous, but there are lots of lodging opportunities around.

The next tasting is the Winter Solstice beer. It is rich tasting and at 6.9% ABV it is stronger than the easy drinking varieties.

Beer plus deer = beer, hence Barkley the mascot of Anderson Valley Brewing Co., a bear with antlers.

Ava Kemper, Intern at Henhouse Brewing Co.

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:24:49 +0000

Ava Kemper’s Hello Hello Hello

Collin MacDonnell, of Henhouse Brewing Co. and Ava Kemper, intern, are our guests today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Ava Kemper holds a BS in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis and is also a graduate of the UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate in Brewing Sciences program.

This year Ava has been an intern at Henhouse Brewing Co., where she developed and then brewed her own beer called Hello Hello Hello.

Collin tells about Henhouse Brewing Co.’s intentions in organizing their internship program with UC Davis. They wanted to create job opportunities for everyone and Ava’s internship is the first one under the new program. Ava describes entering the UC Davis Master Brewer’s program after starting to work in the field of her first degree, which is Environmental Science.

Ava’s beer is called Hello Hello Hello. Its name comes from the title of a song by one of her favorite artists, Remi Wolf. Herlinda appreciates Hello Hello Hello, she calls it clean and aromatic, a perfectly balanced beer.

Henhouse’s 12th Anniversary

Henhouse is coming up on its 12th anniversary. Since 2015 they have been located a short walk from where The Drive’s radio studio is located, in a converted train car. Henhouse does support many local non-profits and they feel strongly about their position in the community.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The release party for Hello Hello Hello is in the Henhouse Santa Rosa location on Friday, Nov. 17. They have also opened a room in Novato where they only play vinyl records. Collin is proud of this result of their internship program. They really wanted the internship to be a well rounded experience, not just about brewing. They wanted it to be about the beer business, so production, packaging, quality and field sales. Ava attended a Big Chicken marketing meeting and heard a presentation about financial statements too. It focusses on the entire business. Herlinda too recognizes the importance of the practical business side, including corporate contingency plans for the future.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Homerun Pizza

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:23:41 +0000

Homerun Pizza Knuckle balls

Cynthia Caughie, owner of Homerun Pizza, joins us in the studio today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras.

Collin McDonnell and Ava Kemper from Henhouse Brewing Co. are also in today. Listen to their conversation with Herlinda and Steve Jaxon on this separate podcast episode, right here. Lauren Schwing from Alliance Medical Center is also staying in the studio, to talk about their Giving Tuesday initiatives associated with Henhouse and Homerun Pizza, after telling us about that also in the previous segment of The Drive.

Homerun Pizza has been around for 20 years and Cynthia Caughie has owned it for the last five years. She was a server there for 13 years and then had the opportunity to take ownership. That happened after the Tubbs fire. Her mantra is “Community supporting community.” Check out the Homerun Pizza website and socials to see Cynthia tell all about it.

They make their pizza dough and their sauce from scratch daily. Their signature dish is the Knuckle Ball. It is like a small round calzone, pizza crust stuffed with mozzarella cheese and either peperoni or bacon. Steve Jaxon gives the authentic Napoletano pronunciation “muzzarell” for mozzarella.* You can tell he heard the dialect around his home as a child, as many Italian Americans once did.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Homerun Pizza had a party in March and will have another party before the end of the year, to celebrate their 20th year in the community.

Baseball Names

They have a menu full of items that are named after something or someone in baseball, such as the Ty Cobb Salad.

On December 5, they will experiment with a bingo night. In honor of Ava Kemper and her Hello Hello Hello beer, they will have a full keg of it there that night.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Cynthia tells about how Homerun Pizza is going to celebrate its 20th anniversary with Giving Tuesday, by doing it every third Tuesday of the month. It is a way for them to show their gratitude to the community that supported them through the pandemic.

Lauren Schwing from Alliance Medical Center says it’s a good day when she can hang out around Homerun Pizza. They will have other community partners with raffle prizes on the Homerun Pizza Giving Tuesdays. It’s a great opportunity to get a great pizza and some presents all in the name of charity.

Phil Niekro, Hoyt Wilhelm and Charlie Hough never thought of this!

Homerun Pizza also offer frozen Knuckle Balls. If you purchase an order of frozen Knuckle Balls they will make a $5 donation to Alliance Medical Center. They make their pasta sauce from scratch. “It’s like my nonny’s,” says Cynthia. They have an extensive menu of wraps, salads, burgers and more. And if you like Ranch dressing, put some on a Knuckle Ball. Yum!

* The name of mozzarella cheese comes from the Italian verb ‘mozzare’ which means to cut a piece off of a larger piece of something. In this case, the cheesemakers have their hands in some very hot water, pulling and kneading a large ball of cheese. They will pull off a piece big enough to fit in the hand, knead it into a ball, and set it aside. The action of detaching the piece gives the name to the cheese. -C. DiMatteo, The Drive Italian translator and etymologist.

Natalie Cilurzo on 2024 Russian River Brewing Co. Plans

Thu, 9 Nov 2023 23:23:35 +0000

Shadow of a Doubt

Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Co. joins Herlinda Heras and Steve Jaxon on Brew Ha Ha to talk about their plans for 2024.

2024 is going to be a big year for Russian River Brewing Co. First, it is their 20th anniversary. They opened on April 3, 2004, on 4th St. in Santa Rosa. They also released the first Pliny the Younger in 2005. The Pliny release dates are now March 22 – April 4. They do wholesale distribution on draft for retail customers in February, still.

Pliny the Younger is a super hoppy triple IPA, about 10.25% ABV. It started as a beer they made to drum up some business during the slow season. For several years they did this with no fanfare. But in 2010 people started communicating online, including at sites like RateBeer.com. The beer was rated one of the best beers in the world. Since then, it has grown into an international hit. For more about the 2023 Pliny the Younger, here is Natalie’s BHH podcast episode from last February.

They do no advertising and its success is 100% consumer driven and they only made two batches at the Santa Rosa pub, so probably about 60 kegs. They always remind their team how important it is not to take its success for granted. It’s on tap for two weeks, and people can buy a limited amount. It gets pretty crowded on weekends.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Natalie describes the base recipe of Pliny the Younger as Pliny the Elder on steroids. It uses a lot of hops but almost every year there is a tweak to the hops chosen.

Shadow of a Doubt

They taste Shadow of a Doubt seasonal porter. It’s 9.9% and is named after an Alfred Hitchcock film that was shot in Santa Rosa in 1943.

One final announcement, Pliny will be running for President again, Pliny for President and Blind Pig for Veep. On December 12, it will be released on tap and then it will be brewed quarterly through election season. Blind Pig Brewing Company was the name of Vinny Cilurzo’s first brewery, back in Temecula, California in 1994.

Sausalito Liquor Co. founder Scott Jampol

Thu, 2 Nov 2023 23:23:15 +0000

Sausalito Liquor Company

Scott Jampol, the founder of Sausalito Liquor Company, is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras.

They are a brand-new company that launched about two and a half weeks ago. They begin by tasting Marin Coastal Gin, one of their three new products. It is made with ingredients that are locally sourced for a unique local flavor. Gin has to be juniper-forward, to be really gin. It has some Albanian and Italian juniper, as well as California citrus peel, and nori seaweed.

They found a local source of seaweed foraged off the coast in northern California.

The junipers in Europe have softer berries. Scott describes the differences between wild juniper and farmed juniper from California and Europe.

Scott has been working on getting the new company ready for about three years. They have a brand new website and they can ship to 48 states. He worked in marketing for tech companies including OpenTable where he was head of marketing. He wanted to do something local and community-oriented and physical, after all his time spent in marketing where things are less tangible.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Sausalito’s Distilling History

He discovered that Sausalito had a distillery, from 1892 to 1963, when it burned down. At one time it was the largest distillery on the west coast.

The whiskeys are labeled “Unsinkable Whiskey” and there is Bourbon and Rye. The labels have a liberty ship on the label. Scott recognizes the Unsinkable mentality of northern California with his label. The bottles are 100% recycled glass.

“He’s w-r-y wry” – Herlinda

There are lots of flavors in this rye whiskey, which has finished in port wine barrels. The difference between Bourbon and Rye is that Bourbon has to be at least 50% corn, and Rye has to be at least 50% rye. Otherwise, many bourbons and ryes have different proportions of other ingredients and a broad spectrum of flavors.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They are just beginning to book its distribution network, so for the moment the best place to find them is the Sausalito Liquor Company website.

Ken Hartoonian’s Vintage Beer Show

Thu, 2 Nov 2023 22:22:33 +0000

Ken Hartoonian calls in to Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras to talk about the Vintage Beer Show at 21st Amendment Brewery on Saturday Nov. 4 from 9am-1pm.

It is called the 39th Annual Western Regional Beer Can and Breweriana Show. Breweriana is anything brewery related. It can be a can, bottle, sign, coaster, bottle cap, neon sign or even some brewing equipment. The first show was held in Watsonville, hosted by the largest rose wholesaler in the state. They have extended the spirit of that show into an event where the public is invited to browse. A lot of brewers really appreciate brewing history. For example, there are lots of vintage beer signs at Russian River Brewing Co.

When Herlinda asks Ken about the most unusual item in his vast collection, he mentions a can of 7-Eleven beer, from 1959. It came from a long-defunct brewery in New Jersey and was only made for a short time before it was discontinued.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Why Breweriana?

Some collectors are willing to pay high prices for these items but they are not persons of average wealth. These people are just looking to diversify their assets, and some items can have demand among collectors. Some companies do keep collections of old products and labels for film productions, including beer labels.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Musical Beer Commercials of the 1950s

To keep up the spirit of the 39th annual Western Regional Beer Can and Breweriana Show, this edition of the Brew Ha Ha podcast features three examples of beer commercials from the 1950s. First, at 0:48, a musical ad for Pabst Blue Ribbon with a chorus and jazz band, in the key of E-flat. Then, at 5:30, an ad for Blatt’s Beer, with music and singing this time in A-flat. Finally, after the end of the conversation, at 13:20, a Firesign moment followed by an ad for Valley Forge Beer. It features music in the key of G-flat, unless they wrote it out in F-sharp instead. We actually have no way of knowing which key they used, but it has to have been written out for the band and singers, one way or the other. This is a unique enharmonic moment in the universe of musical beer ads.

Wayne Wilson, Exalted Ruler of Petaluma Elks Lodge

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 23:23:17 +0000

The October 21, 2023 Oktoberfest event.

Wayne Wilson, the Exalted Ruler of the Petaluma Elks Lodge, joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. The Petaluma Elks Lodge is sponsoring an Oktoberfest Beer Event on Saturday, October 21. The Elks are a charitable and fraternal organization, for men and women. This event is a fund raiser for The Elks National Foundation.

Wayne Wilson describes their activities like Veterans service projects. The Elks also have one of the largest scholarship programs in the country and the National Foundation supports that. They also get involved in drug use prevention and organized sports competition.

How the Elks Began

The Elks lodge started as a bunch of Broadway actors in the 1870s. They were called The Jolly Corks. The New York Blue Laws prohibited bars from being open on Sundays. As a private club they could serve alcohol after midnight on Saturday nights. They also developed a social and fraternal organization to help their members with issues like injuries and medical problems.

The original Elks held a vote to choose their mascot animal and it came down to a vote of 8-7 in favor of Elks over Buffaloes.

They just held the Purple Pig Poker Run which is a combination poker game and car and motorcycle rally. It raises money for mental health and medical support for kids in need.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

They have sold out tickets for the Oktoberfest Beer as of now so the best way to get in is as the guest of an Elks member. Anyone interested in the Elks can just come over and meet them.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Their events are an opportunity to socialize while also supporting their many charitable activities. They also put on Sunday Football Breakfasts. They get together with several TVs in a large facility and a patio out back with a barbeque. We also hear about the Mentor Me program and the Children’s Christmas Party.

Boney Fingers from Moonlight Brewing plus Local Brewing SF

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 23:23:10 +0000

Brian Hunt from Moonlight Brewing and Regan Long from Local Brewing Co. of San Francisco join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. They are both on the show today to talk about events that are happening this Saturday, October 14.

Moonlight Brewing Co. has been around since 1992 and they are having a launch party on Saturday October 14 for a new beer called Boney Fingers.

Brews on the Bay

Brews on the Bay is also happening on October 14. It’s a beer festival happening on the USS Jeremiah O’Brien, a decommissioned naval ship in San Francisco harbor. Get tickets at eventbrite, at this link.

Local Brewing Co. of SF will be at Brews on the Bay this Saturday, Oct. 14. Brews on the Bay is focused on serving and promoting breweries based in San Francisco and in the Bay Area. Follow the links for tickets and list of participating breweries.

Boney Fingers

They taste some Boney Fingers, which is very dark, but is only 6.7% alcohol. Brian points out that it tastes like black coffee. The color comes from roasting the grains.

The proceeds from Brews on the Bay go to support the Jeremiah O’Brian.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They pour a Local Brewing SF beer called “69 Pils” which they started brewing during the pandemic. They used Australian Enigma hops, which are rarely used. Herlinda notices that it makes a strongly flavored beer even if the beer is light. Regan calls it, “nice and subdued.” It has a lower ABV at 5.1%. They won a medal at the North American Beer Awards a few years ago for this beer. Brian notices that this combination of hops provides a dry warmth and it is a delightful change from beers that tend to taste the same. They also taste Loud and Clear, their version of an IPA. They wanted it to be light bodied and not be bitter.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Asia Beer Championship 2023

Mon, 9 Oct 2023 00:00:36 +0000

Herlinda & Steve

Brew Ha Ha welcomes Herlinda Heras back to the studio after her recent trip to Singapore where she was a judge at the Asia Beer Championship. There were judges coming from all over Asia and they tasted and judged beers from Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India and more.

Singapore is on the equator so it is a hot humid place and most popular beers there are the lighter lagers and pilsners.

We hear about Herlinda’s travel accident which curtailed her travel plans, caused her to have an experience with the Singapore health care system and then to cancel the second leg of her journey. The flight was 16 hours and she was in an uncomfortable seat. She regretted not wearing her compression socks. Herlinda recommends them to anyone.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Yuzu Ceylon Beer

Herlinda has brought Yuzu Ceylon beer, with the Yuzu, a common Asian fruit, and Ceylon tea. She has a lot of praise for the food in Singapore. There were amazing flavors everywhere, even including chicken feet. Even in the mornings, she needed more time at the buffet. There were different kinds of noodle bars on different days, and so many rice recipes it’s overwhelming.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Singopore’s international airport is well known among travellers as one of the best airports in the world. Herlinda sure thinks it’s the coolest airport in the world. It is efficient, modern and comfortable. There is also a unique decor feature. In the middle of the airport they have a gigantic waterfall in a glass dome called the Jewel. Right at about 10:oo o’clock AM, a crown gathered at the Jewel because that is when the waterfall comes on.

Herlinda brought a bottle of Pliny the Elder at the judges’ reception and that attracted a lot of attention. It is amazing to see how Russian River Brewing Co.’s reputation is strong around the world.

cuVer Brewing Co., pronounced “koo-VAY”

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 23:23:52 +0000

Hendrick Verspecht

Hendrick Verspecht from cuVer Brewing Co. is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon with guest host Peter Lopez sitting in for Herlinda Heras again today. Hendrick’s first time on Brew Ha Ha was this episode of September 16, 2021, just before cuVer opened. He was also on BHH on May 5, 2022. Now they are preparing to celebrate their second anniversary, on October 7, 2023.

They begin by tasting the award-winning cuVer signature Pepperwood Saison Ale.

Peter is a busy entrepreneur who runs Juncture Taproom and is a partner in Santa Rosa Pizzeria. Today he has brought some sandwiches from Santa Rosa Pizzeria. They are all named after something iconic in Santa Rosa. This panino is called Taylor Mountain. Another is Pierre’s French Dip.

cuVer is pronounced “koo-VAY.” (Cuver is the infinitive ‘to ferment,’ its past participle cuvée, ‘fermented.’ -ed.) When the Cushing family and the Verspecht family formed the partnership, they took the first letters of their two names and made cuVer. Hendrick tells that the French expresson “cuver son vin” literally means to ferment one’s wine, but idiomatically it means to sleep off a hangover.

The Pepperwood Saison Ale was the first recipe that Hendrick ever made. It is a Belgian farmhouse ale flavored with California Bay Laurel and Meyer lemon peel. Those are ingredients are not available in Belgium so this is a real California Belgian version.

cuVer Second Anniversary: October 7

cuVer will be celebrating their second anniversary on October 7, 2023. Peter Lopez’ restaurant was one of their first customers. The anniversary celebration will feature a food truck, Lila’s Streetside Eats, and will go from 12 noon to 8 pm on October 7. They will also have a darts and cornhole tournament. They have a darts league every Tuesday night. The party will feature a competition where you can play to win cuVer merch.

They are located in Windsor at 7704 Bell Road. They are down the street from Barley and Bine. They are closed Monday and Wednesday. The other days, Tuesday and Thursday open from 5-8pm, Friday and Saturday 12 noon to 8pm and Sunday from 1-6pm.

The next beer they taste is a Belgian quadruple, which is even stronger then the Belgian Tripel.

Hendrick tells the story of how his father wanted Belgian beers after they moved to California, and he started home brewing, for themselves as much as for others. Hendrick also gives credit to Anderson Valley Brewing and North Coast Brewing and Russian River Brewing Co., who also make Belgian styles.

Fogbelt Brewing Co.

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 23:23:25 +0000

Paul Hawley and Remy Martin, co-founders of Fogbelt Brewing Co. along with Fogbelt Brewing Co. Head Brewer J.P. Bellotti are our guests on Brew Ha Ha, with Peter Lopez sitting in for Herlinda Heras. Remy and Paul were last on Brew Ha Ha on this episode of August 18, 2022 to tell the Fogbelt story as of then.

Peter Lopez brought some Calzones from Santa Rosa Pizzeria, which he promised to Steve Jaxon the last time he was here with his partner Ignacio Ruiz.

Remy, Paul and J.P. brought a case of different Fogbelt beers, some Octoberfest, two West Coast IPAs, two Hazies and their flagship lager. Fogbelt has five wet hop beers, brewed with fresh hops harvested and used immediately.

Wet Hopped Beer

They use hops from local hop farmers, to support them. They like to make as many of these beers as they can, because they happen only in hop harvest season. The comparison is to fresh herbs versus dried herbs in the kitchen. They taste Fogbelt Wet Hoptober, brewed with freshly picked hops from a local hop farm, Blossom and Bine.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Hop farming has made a comeback in Northern California. Paul helped start the Norcal Hop Growers Alliance, to help bring hop farming back to California.

They also talk about Fogbelt Beer Camp at Wildhaven. It’s like an adult summer camp, a new spin on the beer festival. Wildhaven is a “glamping” resort in Healdsburg on the Russian River, with canvas tents and firepits. They have a falconer, they teach wilderness survival, and there will be good beer and victuals.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Fogbelt also has a relatively new spot in Healdsburg that they opened about a year ago. It’s called Fogbelt Station, because it’s on the tracks and there is a caboose on site. They have 15 beers on tap. Remy and Paul both grew up in Healdsburg. Both of them also have a strong family background in wine.

Alexander Valley Hops plus Anderson Valley Brewing Co.

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 23:24:56 +0000

Melissa Luci from Alexander Valley Hops and Fal Allen of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. visit Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. Fal Allen has been on the show many times, the last time was this May 13, 2021 episode.

It is hop harvest season right now, as Melissa describes. Hops grow as long vines and need tall poles and wires to climb. A field of hops looks like a plantation of telephone poles.

Hops were grown from the late 1800s to about 1950 when the price collapsed. Alexander Valley Hops started in 2019 on a very long and skinny lot. They have an active Instagram page. The hops grow up poles that are 18-20 feet high. There is a top wire at that height. They want the plant (called bines) to reach that height by the summer solstice.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

The Lost Coast Fresh Hops Festival

On Saturday, October 14, from 2-8 PM is the Lost Coast Fresh Hops Festival, in Shelter Cove, CA. Here is their link on Brown Paper Tickets. All of the breweries up there have made a beer out of Alexander Valley Hop Farm’s Chinook hops which thlost cey will open at the festival. For fresh hops, they need about 100 lbs for an 8 barrel batch. They try to use them within 24 hours. They give flavor and aroma that is very green, something that you can’t get with dry hops. Mad River Brewing is one of the sponsoring breweries.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Fal Allen has brought a bunch of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. beers. A lot of people were IPA obsessed for a few years, and that pendulum seems to be swinging back, so Pilsners are more and more popular now. They are tasting a Russian River Brewing Co. Hop Time Pale Ale which is made with fresh local hops, once a year at hop harvest. AVBC is also participating in a cooperative brewing project to benefit Maui.

One is called Salted Caramel Porter. It’s a 9.5% ABV beer that Fal describes as a dessert beer. If you like espresso and chocolate, you may like it.

Herlinda travels a lot and she will be in New York, Lithuania then Singapore.

Alexander Valley Hops served 16 breweries this year, the most ever for them.

Santa Rosa Pizzeria

Thu, 7 Sep 2023 23:23:12 +0000

Santa Rosa Pizzeria menu.

The co-owners of Santa Rosa Pizzeria, Peter Lopez and Ignacio Ruiz, join Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Peter is a frequent guest and occasional co-host on Brew Ha Ha, here is Peter’s most recent BHH episode, from March of this year.

Peter Lopez is back with Ignacio Ruiz, aka Nacho, as co-owners of the new Santa Rosa Pizzeria. They have been open for about a month. They are active on Facebook, at this link. Nacho tells the story of how he and Peter worked together in another restaurant, then they reconnected. Peter found a location that used to be under another name. Also, Barolo’s Pizza was there for about 15 years. So the place has a pizza pedigree. In less than a month they started!

The Art of Pizza

Peter also runs Juncture Taproom and Ignacio is also the controlling partner of Art’s Place, so he is also an ideal partner for Peter. Ignacio learned pizza while working in an Italian restaurant, and he also makes pizza at Art’s Place. Art was a master and taught the art to Ignacio. Art Ibleto’s kids still control the Pasta King name, so he steers clear of things like their famous ravioli. They do have an extensive wine and beer menu.

They named all the pizzas after Santa Rosa icons, including Jerry Robinson, former Raider and All-American UCLA Bruin linebacker of yesteryear.

Jerry Robinson (84) UCLA, 1978

Peter considers his place to be a family friendly taproom, with something for everyone of all ages. He wants people to feel comfortable and safe. They even have their own Charlie Brown statue. He originally named Juncture Taproom “Confluence.” Juncture is at the corner of Mission and Montgomery, close to Howard Park and Spring Lake, where Rincon Valley and Bennett Valley come together.

There is a great band called Igor and the Red Elvises plays there, they won Star Search with Ed McMahon on TV long before American Idol and The Voice. Then, they took the money, bought a van and went on tour. They still have a cult following.

Santa Rosa Pizzeria is open noon to 8 pm, and they do deliveries from 11:30 to 8:30.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Herlinda brought a guitar pick from the Beatles museum in Liverpool and she has lots more stories from Liverpool in the later part of the show.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Bryan Rengel, Old Caz plus Herlinda in Liverpool

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 23:23:19 +0000

Bryan Rengel, co-founder of Old Caz Beer, joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras in the studio today on Brew Ha Ha. Co-founder Tom Edwards was on California Wine Country on this episode on March 31, 2022. Also in this show we will hear from Herlinda Heras who is just back from a lightning trip to Liverpool, England last weekend.

Old Caz celebrated an anniversary last weekend. They shut the parking lot down on Saturday and had a standing room only party. Old Caz Beer is named after Old Cazadero Road. They are actually located in Rhonert Park. He and his partner met at Sonoma State on the rowing team. They were also into cycling and wanted to name a brewery after a road in west Sonoma County. They settled on Old Cazadero Road, because he describes it as a “six-mile death climb” with all kinds of exposure to sun and shade. It has all of west county in one beautiful six-mile hill.

From Scuba to Beer

After college Bryan worked as an underwater welder in the Gulf of Mexico, later in Africa and then in Alaska. He was the captain of a gold dredging boat in Alaska named the Midas, which is the name of their blonde beer today. After his second summer in Alaska, his friend Tom was working at Bear Republic and they decided to start a brewery together then.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

They have been in business for five years and have had the taproom for four years. “It’s been a hell of a ride,” says Bryan.

Their taproom is open every day of the week, weekdays 3-9, Saturdays noon – 10 and Sunday noon – 7. They have food trucks almost every day. Their goal is to have them seven days a week. Old Caz makes a lot of different varieties and Bryan says they make a beer for everyone. It’s a long list. There is one called Orange Crush, an Imperial Kettle Sour. It is an 8% beer that tastes like a mimosa.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They taste their Bukovany Pivo, a Czech Pilsner. It just won Gold at the US Open. It is a crisp, clean refreshing Pilsner. Bryan says, “We only make crushable beer.” It’s another term they made up for a good beer that you will want a second and a third of.

Herlinda in Liverpool

Herlinda has arrived from SFO just today, having returned from England. She had to go to Liverpool for a chance to interview Frieda, the former manager of the Beatles’ fan club. She met Pete Best when he played in Sonoma County. He has opened a Beatles Museum in Liverpool and Herlinda made their acquaintance. She hardly did any interviews at the time. She also got a chance to meet other people associated with the band. Herlinda describes a kind of present-day Beatlemania she experienced during the trip. “I’m kind of tired, actually,” says Herlinda, without a hint of irony.

She also saw Burning Man from the sky flying in.

We don’t do things normal, we do things ‘extra credit.’ – Bryan Rengel, Old Caz Beer

Bryan describes how Old Caz got a lot of free equipment from Craigslist. His partner Tom also tells that story on his CWC interview back in March, 2022. His new space in SOMA Village is under construction and they hope it is all ready by the end of the year.

Tara Nurin: A Woman’s Place Is in the Brewhouse

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 11:36:11 +0000

This episode features Tara Nurin, author of A Woman’s Place Is In the Brewhouse. It was originally recorded on November 4, 2021. The Drive has been on summer vacation and we haven’t had new Brew Ha Ha shows. This is the last repeat episode before next week when The Drive returns to live radio, Wine Country Radio 95.5 FM, Mon-Fri 3-6. The first new episode of Brew Ha Ha will be Thursday, August 24. Cheers!

Tara Nurin

Tara Nurin, author of A Woman’s Place Is In The Brewhouse, joins Herlinda Heras and Harry Duke on Brew Ha Ha today. Mark Carpenter is away this week and Harry Duke is sitting in for Steve Jaxon. Tara Nurin is the Forbes magazine beer and spirits business writer. She has been working on this book for four years and she is finally on book tour!

She has a book signing event at Russian River Brewing Co. on December 16, 2021. Herlinda suggests she could do a special label beer for the occasion. Tara describes the book, the first to document the rich history of women in brewing. The book looks at economic, political and religious factors. There are interviews with all the prominent women in the brewing business over the last several decades, such as Natalie Cilurzo, CEO of Russian River Brewing Co.

New Albion

Most people do not know the whole story about the first new ground-up craft brewery in the US after Prohibition. It was called New Albion, founded in 1976 in the town of Sonoma. There were two women who worked with the founder Jack McAuliffe, and they did the funding and the accounting. They were hard to get for interviews but Tara met one of them, Susie, and features her story in the book.

Tara Nurin will be at Russian River Brewing Co. on December 16 (2023) for a book signing of “A Woman’s Place Is In The Brewhouse: A forgotten history of alewives, brewsters, witches and CEOs.”

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

See our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Visit our sponsor The Beverage People / Fermenter’s Warehouse for everything you would ever need to make beer and all kinds of other fermented foods and drinks, at home.

Bitter Girl Bitters plus Barber Lee Spirits

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 23:23:51 +0000

This episode features Erin Hinze from Bitter Girl Bitters and Mike Barber from Barber Lee Spirits. It was originally recorded on November 4, 2021. This is almost the end of Summer vacation for The Drive and Brew Ha Ha, so this is the second-to-last week of reruns while we don’t have new shows. Next Monday, August 21, The Drive returns to live radio on Wine Country Radio 95.5 FM, Mon.-Fri 3-6. The first new episode of Brew Ha Ha will be Thursday, August 24. Cheers!

Erin Hinze from Bitter Girl Bitters and Mike Barber from Barber Lee Spirits distillery in Petaluma join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today on Brew Ha Ha. Also, Dustin Sullivan is in, to announce the opening of his second restaurant.

Erin Hinze was on Brew Ha Ha on this episode of May 17, 2018. Mike Barber’s wife organizes the Petaluma Holiday Food Fair. There are lots of vendors including Bitter Girl Bitters, The Spice Queen and many others. You can do Christmas shopping at the Petaluma Hotel and have a cocktail too.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Bitter Girl Bitters

Erin explains that her bitters, “…are designed to make cocktails taste amazing,” using homegrown ingredients. All her bitters have a fun concept and a fun name. She brought one with coffee flavor today.

I like to say that bitters are a bartender’s salt and pepper, a concentrated flavoring additive that is meant to enhance a cocktail, to bring out the spirit and the flavors, to make it a little bit tastier. -Erin Hinze

For example, they are tasting some whiskey from Barber Lee Spirits, that has a little bit of maple shrub and some of these coffee bitters in it. The name of this Bitter flavor is Morning Wood, as it is based on coffee aged in oak barrels.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Barber Lee Spirits

Mike Barber of Barber Lee Spirits describes his single malt rye whiskey. It is 100% malted rye, a difficult and rare style for an American whiskey. It is what he started with seven years ago and is still the flagship product, among others. He and his wife have been making wine for the last seven years. His first barrel sold quickly and then he and his partners decided to build the distillery for real. They got a place and a still and they use all their own receipes and do every step themselves.

You can enjoy my entire micro-booze empire… I think it’s the coolest block in Sonoma County.” -Mike Barber.

Dustin Sullivan is opening Easy Rider restaurant in Petaluma, near Barber Lee Spirits. They have been open since Dec. 2021. He is a Californian and his partner and chef is from Virginia and knows Southern cooking. They plan to combine the best of Sonoma County farm production with Southern style recipes. For example, their Caprese salad us made with fried green tomatoes.

After the Moscow Mule, an Old Fashioned

The second cocktail is an Old Fashioned. Erin says the bitters are the aromatic finish on a cocktail. You need to sip on it to enjoy the aromatics and the combinations. “To me this is Thanksgiving in a glass.”

Mike Barber describes the other products. 90% of their production is the two main ones, the rye whiskey and a single malt corn whiskey. But they also make special small batches of all kinds of distilled spirits. They use their custom-built fat bottom pot still. For example, they have a Gravenstein Apple Brandy, Rum made with Piloncillo sugar, they are about to bottle their Grappa and they make an absinthe blanche.

Visit our sponsor The Beverage People / Fermenter’s Warehouse for everything you would ever need to make beer and all kinds of other fermented foods and drinks, at home.

Barber Lee Spirts uses Bitter Girl Bitters in their cocktails and has them for sale at the distillery. Bitter Girl’s Morning Wood is the cornerstone of their Manhattan cocktail, which is rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and the bitters.

The bitters are non-alcoholic so they can be used for non-alcoholic cocktails or mocktails. Herlinda mentions Sober Choices in Wine Country Instagram page. Erin bartends at Guesthouse, and has three signatures mocktails. One has a grapefruit basil shrub, one with pomegranate syrup and one with a ginger shrub.

So what is a shrub?

It’s not a bush. It’s a preservative method now popular among bartenders. Also called a “sipping vinegar” it is made by adding sugar and vinegar. A Maple-Cinnamon shrub, maple syrup, water and cinnamon reduced in a pan, then added champagne vinegar. She does them with other flavors, like pear and peach.

Fresh Hops with Russian River Brewing Co.

Thu, 3 Aug 2023 23:23:34 +0000

We continue the Brew Ha Ha summer vacation with this repeat podcast of an episode from October 5, 2021, all about fresh hops, with Natalie and Vinny Cilurzo, co-owners of Russian River Brewing Co. Cheers!

Fresh Hops are front and center today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Mark Carpenter, as we welcome Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company. Vinnie and Natalie are the co-owners of Russian River Brewing Co. and they have brought a pack of fresh hops into the studio today. Now is a busy time, the hops are being harvested and there are special hoppy beers being made and enjoyed.

(This was recorded during Covid-19 times.)

The Russian River Brewing Co. Winds0r location and the Santa Rosa pub are both open. They have been using the parklette on 4th Street, which was done to allow social distancing for Covid precautions, and while they won’t be there forever, they are using it and enjoying it for as long as possible. They also have some longer term construction plans to expand in Santa Rosa.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Vinnie says that RRBC has brought in a lot of fruit lately, peaches and grape pumice, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc, which they use in various fruity beers with some sour tartness. They have one called Hop Time, which is on tap and in cans in their brew pubs only. It’s the only way to get it. They made a double batch in Santa Rosa. It uses wet hops so it is a bulky job, using locally grown hops from the Crane ranch. RRBC has a sour beer club, only for fans of that style, no hoppy beers.

“Next year, we will make Hop Time with barley that Ron and Erica Crane have grown, also. So that will make it a complete local beer,” says Vinnie.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.

Irish Spirits Ambassador Susan Boyle

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 23:23:27 +0000

Susan Boyle

Again as The Drive is on Summer vacation, here is a repeat of an episode of Brew Ha Ha, originally recorded on October 6, 2022, with Susan Boyle, the official Irish Spirits Ambassador. Cheers!

Susan Boyle, the Irish Spirits Ambassador is the guest of Herlinda Heras with Peter Lopez who is sitting in for Harry Duke on Brew Ha Ha today.

First, Harry Duke is calling in from a roadside attraction on Route 66 in Oklahoma, on his road trip. Oklahoma City has a thriving craft beer scene, and he’s “not in the land of IPAs anymore.” If he sees one or two on the board, it’s a surprise. The Pilsners and Lagers are more popular there among the craft brewers. They are going from their Fall beers to their Winter beers.

Ireland’s Bord Bia

Bord Bia is the Irish Food Board, that oversees food and drink exports from Ireland. There is a renaissance going on in Irish distilling. After the low point of the 1960s there has been a great revival. Herlinda points out that Bourbon and Whiskey start off with the wort, the same way beer does, only they don’t add hops and they distill it instead of ferment.

Herlinda has brought a bottle of Guinness West Indies Porter. It is a historic recipe, which came from their corporate archives. There is a lot of brewing history in those documents. They have a whiskey called Lost Irish, a blended Irish whiskey. Irish whiskey can be aged in any kind of wood, such as chestnut or acacia, besides oak.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Susan’s portfolio includes whiskeys, cream liqueurs, white spirits including gin and Irish Poitín (pronounced “potcheen”) sometimes also called Irish moonshine. Irish cream liqueur is one of three spirits whose name and origin are regulated, along with Irish whiskey and Irish Poitín.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

This whiskey has spent time in six different casks which impart a spectrum of flavors. It is drinkable and smooth with caramel, toffee and nuts in the flavors. “Everything tastes better with friends.”

Mark Carpenter on Anchor Brewing’s History

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 23:23:06 +0000

Brew Ha Ha’s Summer vacation continues with this repeat episode all about Anchor Brewing’s history, featuring Mark Carpenter. This episode was originally recorded and published on May 2, 2019.

Today on Brew Ha Ha Steve Jaxon gets the whole story from Mark Carpenter about Anchor Brewing, its history and historical context, its production and its role in American brewing. (We were expecting guests from San Francisco’s Fort Point Beer Co. but they are stuck in traffic and will reschedule.)

Mark Carpenter (l) and the Anchor team in the ’70s.

Mark Carpenter started working at Anchor Brewing in 1971 after he met its owner Fritz Maytag. He was looking for a more interesting and rewarding line of work and found that at Anchor. Mark retired a few years ago and Anchor’s new brewmaster is Ramon Tamayo, who was also on the show recently.

Warm or Cold Beer?

Right now, Mark is tasting a Shadow of a Doubt Imperial Porter from Russian River Brewing Co. It’s warm but it’s fine, Mark says that if a beer is good it should be good at room temperature too.

“In warm countries they drink cold beer, in cold countries they drink warm beer.” The beer is named after the Alfred Hitchcock film Shadow of a Doubt which was filmed in Santa Rosa in 1943.

Mark talks about the Fort Point, an interesting brewery, says Mark. They do a Kölsch. All over Germany, the towns had their own styles of beer. Then Lager beer was invented and they all switched to that. But Kolsch is a surviving local beer from the city of Cologne (called Köln in German). An Imperial Porter means it’s a black beer. Compared to a Stout, a Porter is sweeter. It also has nice flavors. “Imperial” means it is higher in alcohol, this is 10%.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Story of Anchor Brewing Co.

So without our expected guests, Steve invites Mark to tell the whole Anchor Brewing story which starts with what a city San Francisco was in the last 1960s. They were protesting the Vietnam War and there was an abundance of great music at venues like the Fillmore. Mark remembers the background of the city where people were looking for ways to do something more inspiring than his “normal” job.

Mark would visit any American city and visit its breweries. He visited Coors in Colorado and Pabst in Wisconsin and took brewery tours. Steve is from Detroit and asks if Mark visited Stroh’s there, but he hasn’t. Stroh’s called itself “fire brewed” which was a common European process in the late 1800s where beer was heated in copper kettles heated by fire, not steam. Mark says that steam applies less heat than a gas flame which gives some caramel color and flavor that steam does not. Stroh’s was the only beer in America that was fire brewed. Stroh’s today is owned by Pabst but it’s not the same and is not fire brewed anymore.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The Importance of Good Luck

Mark always says he was lucky to get the job at Anchor. It was the smallest brewery in America at the time. They worked hard to build their reputation. Before they had volume sales, they only brewed once a month but sales steadily increased. Mark gives Fritz Maytag credit for having great business vision for the brewery, from the time he acquired it in 1965. Fritz had heard that the brewery would be closing and he went to visit it. He saw magic and potential and wound up buying it. He would say that he paid “less than you pay for a good car.”

It was a nineteenth century brewery. There was no refrigeration. It was a very crude little brewery and Fritz invested money into it. Fritz wanted to make sure that people knew Anchor not just for Anchor Steam Beer. At first they had Anchor Steam Dark which simply had caramel coloring added. Fritz wanted to develop the Porter to replace that to do it right. They even started distilling in 1993.

Herlinda Heras interviews Bob Brewer of Anchor

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 23:23:53 +0000

We have a special conversation with Bob Brewer, former Anchor Brewing employee, while The Drive and Brew Ha Ha are still on Summer vacation this year. There is sad news in the brewing industry, as Sapporo has announced that Anchor Brewing is closing. Here is the conversation that Herlinda Heras recorded on July 12 with Bob Brewer, who worked for Anchor for many years.

Bob Brewer was on Brew Ha Ha once before on this episode of February 17, 2020.

When Bob Brewer was originally hired at Anchor in 1985, he had been working for a beer wholesaler which also distributed Anchor, since about 1977. He was a draft beer installer and also did nearly everything to deliver beer, including carrying kegs around San Francisco. Bob would always say he had the best job in the world. “I get to deliver the best beer in the world to the best people in the world in the best city in the world.” He was working to support his wife who was getting a degree in petroleum engineering. She took a job in southern California and he made the move. When Mark Carpenter called to ask if he could become their distributor there, Fritz Maytag presented him with “the presumptive close” and he got the job. He also got some work experience in England, which had a completely different regulatory environment. There was a brewery which was making a beer that they called Steam, too. But he mostly concentrated on the local market. The international market was more to “show the flag” than to move lots of beer. “I don’t now whether the beer was the novelty or I was.” He worked with a famous English beer expert named Michael Jackson.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Visiting the Barley Farm in Washington

Fritz Maytag, who owned Anchor at the time, had a relationship with a farmer in southern Oregon who grew the barley that they used in the Christmas Ale. This was Fritz’ idea so that his staff could understand the origin of their ingredients. There was a famous bus trip to Yakima with Fritz and Anchor staff including Bob. They stopped at Mendocino Brewing Company for some Red Tail Ale, one of the original craft brewers. (It is now Hopland Tap run by Ron Lindenbusch, ex of Lagunitas.)

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

But “the elephant in the room” is the fact that Sapporo is closing Anchor. This feels like a loss in the family to Herlinda, and to many of us in the broad Anchor family. Fritz Maytag wanted to retire and sold the company to an investment group. They invested in the company and hired Bob as an ambassador. And then they sold to Sapporo. For most of the rest of this episode, Bob Brewer talks at length about the history of Anchor including some thoughts about the recent history and its closing.

Back to Mare Island Brewing Company

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 23:23:58 +0000

Ryan Gibbons and Kent Fortner.

With The Drive on Summer vacation, here is an encore presentation (which sounds more elegant than ‘repeat’) of this January, 2023 episode which is a personal favorite of Herlinda Heras.

Mare Island Brewing Company co-founders Ryan Gibbons and Kent Fortner join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Mare Island was a naval shipyard since the earliest days of California and Herlinda was actually born there, since her father was in the US Navy. It was the oldest naval base west of the Mississippi, and also has the oldest golf course and one of the oldest Tiffany stained glass windows in the west, in its local church. Read about the history of Mare Island here.

Kent and Ryan founded Mare Island Brewing Co. after they met in the wine business. They are both professional wine makers. It is near the city of Vallejo and the city fathers asked him if he could move his winemaking operation there. The topography wasn’t right for that option, but when they met each other again in early 2013, they found the opportunity to open the brewery, on a shoestring.

Mare Island

Mare Island used to support the town of Vallejo, which fell on hard times after the base closure. The city has supported a lot of reinvestment and development of new businesses including the brewery.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

With their experience making wine, they wanted their beers to be balanced and to make traditional recipes without chasing trends. They also took the opportunity to place historical information about Mare Island on their labels. It was a center of military production. A long list of important systems was produced there, including submarines and aircraft carriers. The cans also all feature a ship in the design, with a short version of the story of that ship on the label.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Mare Island Brewing Company locations

Mare Island Brewing Company has three locations. One is at the Vallejo Ferry terminal, in Vallejo, where you take the ferry to San Francisco. The Coal Shed Brewery is on Mare Island and the First Street Taphouse is in Benicia. They brew all the beer on Mare Island and they also host events there.

Their beers are named after ships. The labels have stories that tell the histories of the ships.

Suzanne Hagins, Horse and Plow Cider

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 23:23:00 +0000

Herlinda & Suzanne

The Drive is on summer vacation and there is no new BHH show this week. So here is a show from last April featuring Suzanne Hagins from Horse and Plow Cider in Graton, to talk about the cider they make from apples grown locally in and around Sebastopol, California. Cheers!

Suzanne Hagins from Horse and Plow Cider in Graton is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras.

Horse and Plow makes cider and also wine. All of their cider comes from Sebastopol-grown apples. They are dry and naturally carbonated and they show the quality of the Sonoma County fruit. They are based on the famous Gravenstein apples that are mostly grown in Sebastopol. It is a blend of 12 different apple varieties and is very dry.

Horse and Plow started as a winery. The tasting room is off Hwy 116 between Graton and Sebastopol.

Cider and Mead are both good alternatives to wine and beer, for festive occasions and meals. They are tasting the Horse and Plow Farmhouse Cider. It is mostly Gravenstein apples and very dry.

Visit Horse and Plow

Horse and Plow ciders are at Bottle Barn and Whole Foods, Willibees, Pacific Market and Andy’s. Hwy 116, Gravenstein Hwy, close to Andy’s, open 12-5 Thursday through Monday. They accept reservations online or by phone. There are art shows and music performances. They do tasting flights of wines, ciders, and mixed flights. It is family and dog friendly.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Horse and Plow uses many unusual varieties of apples in their ciders, more than 30 varieties.

Cider is made like wine, which made it easy for them to add cider to their operation which was already licensed for wine. Fully half of their business at the tasting room is cider.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They also taste their Rosé made from 100-year-old dry-farmed Carignane vines located in Mendocino County. They pick the fruit early to preserve the acidity. There are strawberry flavors in the wine. They have one-liter refillable growlers that can be refilled with red or white wine or cider. Finally they taste their Pinot Noir, known for being fruit forward with a silky texture.

A Look Back at 2023 Pliny the Younger

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:06:24 +0000

Harry Duke & Natalie Cilurzo.

While The Drive is on vacation and there is no new BHH show today, here is a reissue of the show from last February 2, with the very first taste of the 2023 Pliny the Younger, featuring special guest Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Co. Enjoy!

Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company joins Brew Ha Ha with the first growler of the Pliny the Younger 2023 edition.

Later, the subject changes to SF Beer Week, when Colin McDonald from Hen House Brewing and Gail Williams will also be on. (That portion of today’s live show has its own separate podcast page, here.)

Today’s episode of Brew Ha Ha continues a tradition of Russian River Brewing Co. bringing the new Pliny the Younger into the KSRO studios for its first tasting.

Here is last year’s 2022 release episode on the same occasion. Here is the BHH episode of the 2020 Pliny the Younger release. And here is the 2019 release episode too.

Cur linguam latinam non dicis?

Plinius Junior cervisia Americana celeberrima est. Hoc cervisiam multo lupulo conficit. Grati sumus quod viri et feminae cervisiam nostram amant dixit Natalia Cilurtius. *

A Triple IPA

Pliny the Younger is a Triple IPA, which means it is a lot hoppier and a little bit higher in alcohol than regular double IPA beers. It is actually a quadruple dry hopped beer. “There is a copious amount of hops in this beer, which gives it that beautiful luscious aroma.” The hops are Simcoe, Amarillo, Chinook, Citra, Mosaic, Nectaron, Warrior and Elixir. Elixir, “the strawberry hop,” was added last year. Nectaron is the new hop for 2023. It brings nectarine and candied citrus fruit flavors.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Pliny the Younger’s official release will happen from March 24 through April 6. During that time it will be on tap in Santa Rosa and Windsor. Guests will be limited to three 10-oz. pours and bottles will be available too, at the brewery. You can purchase bottles or sit down at the brewery. They started local distribution today and there are hundreds of locations serving it.

Rejection is their Valentine’s Day Ale. It is on tap and in cans at their two locations.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

* Translation:

Why not say it in Latin?

Pliny the Younger is a very famous American beer. It is made with lots of hops. We are grateful that men and women love our beer, says Natalie Cilurzo.

The Anchor Brewing Story

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:34:02 +0000

While The Drive is on vacation, there is no new Brew Ha Ha episode this week. So, here is an encore presentation of our episode from November 17, 2022, featuring Dave Burkhart, the author of the book The Anchor Brewing Story which was just published at the time.

Anchor Brewing historian Dave Burkhart and former Anchor brewing chief Mark Carpenter join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Mark Carpenter is the former co-host of this show who began working at Anchor in 1971. Author Dave Burkhart has been with Anchor Brewing Co. for thirty-one and a half years. Very early in his tenure began collecting historical documentation of the brewery. His book, The Anchor Brewing Story, has just been published.

Mark and Dave agree that Anchor has a bright future since the new owners (Sapporo) are investing heavily in the company. Dave started at Anchor on a Monday and by the following Saturday, he started researching the company. In 2010, he took the title Anchor Historian. He describes finding out about the original owner Gottfried Breckle, who first went from Germany in 1852 to Valdivia, Chile. It was “the irresistible lure of gold” that brought him to California.

Anchor’s Early History

A lot of this early family history is documented on this page of the Anchor Brewing website. Gottfried came to California in late 1953 or early 1854 and worked in the gold fields, then worked for a local brewery. He became an American citizen in 1854. He “did what everyone did in the gold rush, he reinvented himself.” Eventually he owned the Golden Gate Brewery in San Francisco, which burned down. He took the insurance money back to Germany and opened a brewery there. Then he came back to San Francisco and opened another brewery in the Russian Hill neighborhood. Then he sold it and invested in a saloon that they turned into brewery in 1871. That marks the beginning of the company that became Anchor in 1896.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

There were more than thirty breweries in San Francisco in the late 1800s and 847 drinking establishments in town, as well as many corner grocery stores in the city which also served beer in the back room.

The Anchor Pub

There is a pub now at Anchor Brewery that is a showcase for their panorama of beer recipes. One is Humming Ale, which uses Nelson hops. It’s the same recipe as Liberty Ale except that uses Cascade hops. That was the first IPA in California, although they did not want to call it that. Fritz Maytag, who was Anchor’s owner at the time of its late 1960s rebirth, wanted to make that type of beer that he remembered from his student days back east. It has a lot more hops than other beers at the time.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Anchor Steam Beer

Steam Beer is called a California Common in the beer index books. There are several possible origins of the term Steam Beer. It is a California story and without Anchor there would be none of it. Lager beer needs cold conditions, so there was no ice in the city and they needed to make beer without it. They came up with the idea of a Cool Ship, a large shallow pan with a large surface area. It was exposed to the atmosphere, there were louvered windows in the room. The mean temperature was cooler then than now. When the warm wort was pumped up into the cool ship, the difference in temperature produced steam.

Another theory holds that when they dropped the beer back to the floor below, they added yeast to it. Then they filled large wooden barrels with the beer. If a bartender opened a keg while the beer was still fermenting, tapping the keg would produce a spray that was similar to steam. Yet another idea is that bartenders would pour from different kegs of different ages. The newest beer was the foamiest. So there is some uncertainty about the term.

Today is the forty-seventh anniversary of the first brewing of Anchor Christmas Ale. There is a different tree on the label every year. This year, it is a Blue Gum tree, also known as the Eucalyptus.

Maryensztadt Brewery

Thu, 8 Jun 2023 23:23:41 +0000

Marcin & Artur visit Anchor Brewing in San Francisco.

The Drive is on vacation, so there is no new Brew Ha Ha show today. For this podcast episode we offer again this fun and revealing episode recorded last January 19, with Herlinda Heras’ two guests from Maryensztadt Brewery in Poland, Marcin and Artur. Enjoy!

Marcin Malecki and Artur Napuripski of Maryensztadt Brewery in Poland are our guests today on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. Artur is the sales manager as well as a beer sommelier and brewery historian, and Marcin is the brewery’s owner. Herlinda Heras has been a beer judge at the Polish national beer competition for the last few years, along with Artur. Herlinda invited them to California for a visit and for a collaboration at Anchor Brewing and a visit to some famous Sonoma County craft breweries.

Marcin tells about their visit to Brew Ha Ha sponsor Russian River Brewing Co. and how impressed he was with their Windsor location. They also visited Brian Hunt at Moonlight Brewing.

Grodzisz is a smoked wheat beer, which is a unique Polish style. It uses 100% oak-smoked malt. Herlinda finds it refreshing. Artur describes it as a unique style and says the malt is hard to find. Polish brewers stopped making it in 1993 but they revived it recently. Beechwood smoke has a different flavor, like ham or cheese. This oak smoke is more like a campfire and is more subtle.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Craft Brewing in Poland

The craft brewing industry is young in Poland. They began about ten years ago with an American IPA. The brewery’s name Maryensztadt is a small neighborhood in the heart of Warsaw, part of the old town. They wanted the brewery to be there, but they could not produce alcohol there. So they established the brewery in a small town very close to Warsaw. They try to make the brewery as “green” as possible, or sustainable, using as little energy and water as possible and recycling water. When they visited Russian River Brewing Co., they thought they would like to be that big in ten more years.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Marcin, Herlinda & Artur.

Marcin has always been interested in beer and was a consultant brewer before opening the brewery. Artur has been interested in beer since long before the craft beer revolution. He eventually became a beer judge and got a beer and cider judging certificate. He is studying for his mead certification too. Poland has a long tradition of making mead, and even the certifying body, JCP, does not know all about it. Poland is also a huge producer of apples, but not cider apples. There is a small but promising cider revolution going on, but the problem is getting the right apples. There is also a thriving hops production in Poland.

Herlinda told Mark Carpenter, former Brew Ha Ha co-host, about Polish beer so he went there on a vacation and met Artur. Anchor Beer was the first good American beer to be available in Poland after the fall of Communism, and many people still remember its arrival and importance at the time. As Marcin says, “…your craft revolution is really great!”

Humboldt Cider co-founder Tom Hart

Thu, 1 Jun 2023 23:45:31 +0000

Tom Hart, co-founder of Humboldt Cider is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras, with special guest Peter Lopez. Peter is the founder of NorCal Beer Geeks and he also runs the Juncture Taproom in Santa Rosa.

Tom Hart started Humboldt Cider in 2014 with his partner. They saw an opportunity for cider and started learning how to make it for local events in small batches. For a location , they renovated an old milking barn. Most recently, they started canning during the pandemic. This was an initially forced transformation of their business but it has worked well.

First to be tasted is their Drysdale Cider, made with 4 different culinary apples, golden delicious, granny smith, fuji and gala. It classifies as a dry cider on the dryness scale.

Juncture Taproom

Juncture Taproom is celebrating its 6th anniversary. He has been planning this celebration for a long time. NorCal Beer Geeks and Humboldt Cider have made a collaboration called Sally’s Jamaica. It is flavored with Jamaica flower like the refreshing Mexican beverage which is made from Hibiscus flowers. It makes a light and dry apple cider. They are bringing in all the musicians and food vendors who are with them all year too, for the celebration. Juncture Taproom is located at 4357 Montgomery Drive, at the corner of Mission.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

They are also tasting the Cherry cider, flavored with two kinds of cherries, Montmorency for tartness and Morello for color. This won gold at GLINTCAP, the Great Lakes International Cider Competition, which is the biggest cider competition in the country. It won despite their fear of heat damage before the tasting.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

NorCal Beer Geeks collaborates with VetConnect, to help veterans with all kinds of personal services, including helping them navigate available services, because sometimes some veterans are not even aware that they are eligible for certain services.

The last Humboldt Cider product tasted today is the Gravenstein Cider, made with fruit from old trees in northern California, which used to be more abundant, and which produce the best cider out there.

Visit Humboldt Cider online at their website, their Faecbook or Intsagram.

Marty Nachel, author of Beer for Dummies

Thu, 1 Jun 2023 21:48:37 +0000

Author Marty Nachel, author of Beer for Dummies, joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha, on the phone from Chicago. Marty has also written How to Judge Beer Like a Pro.

In order begin to judge beer like a pro, the first prerequisite is practice. However that’s not all. You have to know beer styles and be familiar with different off aromas and flavors as well. Herlinda agrees and adds that the scientific names of things are important to know, to understand beer at this level. For example, Brett, or Brettanomyces. (The term Brettanomyces comes from the Greek for “British fungus.”)

Marty has been in the craft brewing industry in many roles for more than thirty years. He first got interested in beer on a long weekend vacation to Toronto where he took a tour of the Molson brewing company. He had never tasted beer so fresh, and in so many styles in one sitting. The most interesting place he has judged beer is in South Africa. He was lucky to be working with a literary agent who knew the publishers of the for Dummies series. They had just done one on wine so they wanted one on beer too and Marty got the gig. There doesn’t seem to be one for Cider yet. Actually he self-published How to Judge Beer Like a Pro, on Amazon.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Marty is in Chicago which is home to some great lager style breweries. Goose Island is the local brewery with a brew pub on Clark St. Lagunitas has also opened a location in Chicago, which just reopened a few weeks ago. They made a big impression there when they opened, but since being acquired by Heineken, the novelty seems to have worn thin there.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Cooperage Brewing Co.

Thu, 25 May 2023 23:44:34 +0000

Herlinda and Fridge

Nickolas Garson, AKA Fridge, sales rep from Cooperage Brewing joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Cooperage is just about to celebrate 8 years as one of the premiere locations to get a beer in Santa Rosa. They are located on Airway Court between Piner and Hopper.

Their family-friendly location is open seven days a week, Monday through Thursday from 2 to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 pm and Sunday from noon to 8 pm. Their website and socials have the updated daily food truck schedule. They went out of their way to make the location comfortable and beautiful. The bar is a long redwood tree trunk.

Cooperage’s founder Tyler helped Nickolas get to know and to enjoy craft beer and that led to him working in the craft beer industry. Nicholas was inspired by his first taste of good craft beer back in the day. It may be hard to remember today, but at one time, average beer in America was not very good at all, with little or no attention to freshness or flavor. Well, we took care of that, didn’t we?

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Cooperage Brewing 8th Anniversary

As part of their 8th anniversary, they have a band performing on June 10, Painted Waves, a local pop-rock band. The Coop Co-op is on the 11th with vendors and DJs.
The anniversary party itself is Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th with a rock climbing wall, face painters and mechanical bull riding. The vendors include vintage clothes and shoes and they are adding more and more to the list. It is a nice opportunity to help small local businesses. They have beer and yoga sessions. The price includes a beer after yoga.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

They have been tasting Lazy Cat lager, which was originally a staff collaboration. The name is based on their brewery cat named Beyonce. It is made with Luminosa hops, which has no pine or resin character. It has a tiny citrus undertone. They are also tasting the Mexican lager.

Nicholas brought Trimcoe, a new West Coast IPA. Cooperage Brewing beers are available in grocery stores as well as restaurants and bars all around Sonoma County.

Lo and Behold Restaurant

Thu, 18 May 2023 23:02:26 +0000

Lo & Behold Crispy Pork Spareribs

Laura Sanfilippo & Sean Raymond Kelley from Lo & Behold Bar Restaurant join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha.

Lo and Behold has three partner owners, who met while working for others. They thought Healdsburg had space for a casual place, large and spacious, with a great bar. Almost a year and a half ago, they opened Lo and Behold.

Sean Kelley grew up with his grandmother’s Sunday dinners. He ran kitchens in some prominent restaurants and then went to culinary school at Tante Marie’s in San Francisco. He wants his flavors to appear familiar and comfortable, but with extraordinary flavors.

The Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience includes spirits for the first time. Tickets are still available for the event.

It’s all Healdsburg bartenders, pairing “farm to glass.” Her partner Tara has a farm where they grow the herbs and flowers that they use, a nice long list of flavors. Sean has also brought a bunch of appetizers.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

They thought Healdsburg had space for a casual place, large and spacious, with a great bar. Lo and Behold has a nice selection of Italian Amaros, or Amari, either way, which are dark herbal liqueurs that vary between bitter and sweet. Every one of the bartenders has a special, original concoction for their Healdsburg event.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Global Comfort Food

Sean describes the restaurant as Global Comfort Food. For example, fried chicken is a winner all over the world. Harry asks what it was like opening a restaurant at the end of a pandemic. Laura thinks it may have been an ideal time. Also, they have been in Healdsburg for a long time and they had a lot of customer loyalty. They also have a nice patio. When people were ready to come back out, there they were. It was hard, but they had already worked through the entire pandemic. This is the first restaurant that the partners have ever owned themselves, after running restaurants for others for a long time.

Tomorrow, Friday May 18, from 4-7 PM at Lo and Behold, there is a Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience event. It is a stand-up meet and greet with Healdsburg’s best bartenders. The bartenders will be all at their own stations on the big patio.

Browar Fortuna and Browar Grodzisk of Poland

Thu, 11 May 2023 22:22:21 +0000

Herlinda, Krzysztof and Marcin.

Marcin Ostajewski from Browar Fortuna and Krzysztof Panek from Browar Grodzisk in Poland join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha.

Krzsyztof and Marcin have just arrived from Nashville, where they attended the World Beer Cup. Both of their breweries are located in western Poland, not far from Posnan. Browar Grodzisk is based in Grodzisk Wielkopolski and Browar Fortuna is in Miłosław.

The Grodziskie style is Poland’s own, originating in the town of Grodzisk. It is a unique beer, the only one in the world brewed with 100 % wheat malt, smoked with oak wood. The brewing process is difficult and long and it has to take its time. Grodziskie is light and refreshing, with a unique flavor among beers on the lighter side.

Marcin tells about early 20th Century advertisements for this beer that refer to it as “Polish Champagne.” There are samples of old Grodziskie ads here on Browar Grodzisk website. (This reminds me of Miller High Life, The Champagne of Bottled Beers, their old slogan. -cd)

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Grodziskie

Krzsyztof is quite serious about making Grodziskie as well as possible. He did extensive research in order to replicate the old equipment and he collected information from many people. The brewery fell into disuse after communism. Beginning in the 1990s, investors came in and closed breweries that were not cost-effective. Since lagers were in demand, beer consumers demanded that. Only later they were able to bring Grodziskie back when they re-founded the brewery.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Marcin talks about their home brew competition. The only rule is that beers in competition can’t use wild yeast, which would interfere with their brewing operation. The brewery will produce the winning recipe at the next year’s festival.

Krzsyztof describes how hard it was to find the right malt for Grodziskie. They found a malter just over the border in Czech Republic.

The home brewing community developed in Poland during communism when there was not enough good beer available commercially. When they brought Grodziskie beer back into production, the home brewers society was an important source of recipes, yeast and information.

Next they taste Komes, an idea that came from Krzysztof wondering what would happen if he took their award-winning Baltic Porter, and froze it. He kept it for 2 weeks in the deep freezer. Below the ice there was a condensed liquid, made of alcohol and all the flavor elements. They tasted it and decided it was extraordinary. Then they put it in whiskey barrels. After 4 or 5 years of the project, they have several hundred bottles. There isn’t much of it, but now they do batches of about 1000 bottles.

Mercedes Hernandez of SOCO Market at Freshtival

Thu, 4 May 2023 23:58:54 +0000

Herlinda, Sayre & Mercedes

Mercedes Hernandez founder of the SOCO Market and Sayre Piotrkowski from HenHouse, are our guests on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras.

The Freshtival is this Saturday, May 6, 2023 at Somo Village in Rohnert Park. Get tickets here, they are going fast!

As the show begins they open a Moonlight Death and Taxes that is only a few days old. Brian Hunt from Moonlight and Vinny Cilurzo from Russian River were the pioneers of quality and freshness. Today the billboard outside Santa Rosa says Welcome to Fresh Beer Country.

The Importance of Freshness

Sayre talks about what they call second-half beer quality. The HenHouse company mission is to improve beer quality for the end consumer and to create wealth for our community. Freshness is the one quality metric that the consumer has access to. You can see if a beer is kept cold and you can see its date of production. These two factors are vital.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The best place to get the freshest beer is this Saturday May 6 at Somo Village in Rohnert Park. The event is sponsored by the Bay Area Brewers Guild.

Brian Hunt says, “Fresh beer is like live music. Stale beer is like listening from the parking lot.”

THE SOCO MARKET

Mercedes Hernandez describes how the SOCO Market started during the pandemic. Many Sonoma County businesses didn’t have a physical location so she invited eleven local makers to exhibit and sell together. It grew to over 60 vendors and then the city of Santa Rosa invited them to a market space in Old Courthouse Square that can have as many as 90. They have a market every month from April to August.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The SOCO Market with its panorama of jewelry, plants and clothing vendors lends a fun and colorful atmosphere for the Freshtival. The Art of Freshness Gallery will be showing artists who have created label art for local brewers.

The first beer tasted was The Art of Freshness, which is the name of a beer and the theme of the festival. They also taste Matiné Idol. For the rest, go to the Freshtival!

Today’s tastings on BHH.

2023 Freshtival with Zach Kelly from HenHouse

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 23:52:43 +0000

Zach Kelly

The 2023 Freshtival is today’s subject, as Zach Kelly, the brewmaster at HenHouse Brewery joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Fal Allen also calls in from Booneville later in the show.

The Freshtival takes place on May 6 at SOMO Village. Zach Kelly has been the brew master at HenHouse for about a year and a half now.

The Freshtival, May 6, 2023

In addition to all the breweries, many artists will be at the Freshtival, who are responsible for the art work for the labels on many craft beer cans. The Freshtival also features live bands, which makes it a great music festival as well. There is also a community market.

Visit HenHouse Brewing or Event Brite to get tickets and to see everything about the Freshtival.

They are tasting a Petit Saison beer from HenHouse which is only 4.5% alcohol. The term Saison beer refers to a beer with a low alcohol content, which would allow someone to enjoy it while also doing something else. Zach tells about how he made this beer for his wife. He experimented with recipes and since they went to New Zealand on their honeymoon, this beer uses all New Zealand hops. She didn’t know he brewed it for her, so he put on a May Day party at the brewery and presented it there. This particular beer was canned about three hours ago, speaking of fresh beer.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Zach Kelly spent about five years at Russian River, previously worked at Left Hand Brewing in Colorado, and started at Keegan Ales in New York.

This Beer Creates Opportunity

They are tasting Sonoma Sunshine, a dry-hopped Kolsch beer. (See the title picture) Their artist, Blanca, who designed the label, has also painted a mural in the tasting room.

The Brewers Guild is holding a mixer to promote The Inclusion Beer Project and the beer labeled This Beer Creates Opportunity. The project is dedicated to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and open access in the craft brewing industry.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

HenHouse is located at 322 Bellvue Ave. in Santa Rosa. They also have a location called the Palace of Barrels in Petaluma. They serve a beer called “Day Zero” which comes right off the production line. In the near future they will be opening a new location in Fairfax.

25th Annual Booneville Beer Fest

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 23:15:53 +0000

Fal Allen

Fal Allen of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. joins Harry Duke and Herlinda to discuss the Booneville Beer Fest, this Saturday in Booneville. Fal Allen is the brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Booneville, which is sponsoring the 25th Annual Booneville Beer Fest. There will be 80 breweries there with at least 180 different beers.

All the proceeds go to local non-profits in the area. They have raised over $1.25 million dollars for local charities in the last quarter century.

There are also 4 bands and 10 food vendors, along with the 80 breweries, and lots of crafts for sale. There will also be cider brewers there. You can learn all about it at the Booneville Beer Fest web page, here.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Anderson Valley just got named the most under-rated place to visit, for beer and wine. AVBC has been around for 45 years, but there are wineries in the area that are 100 years old. The hotels are booked for this event but there is no shortage of camping. Tickets are available at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company website, for this Saturday, April 29.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Eel River Brewing Company

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 20:20:32 +0000

Herlinda & Ted.

Ted Vivatson from Eel River Brewing Company is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. He is the owner and co-founder of the brewery, which is located in Humboldt, California. They opened in 1995. About two years after that, they were pioneers in organic practices.

Ted grew up in Danville, California and was deployed in Germany in the US Army and there he got to know high quality beer. After he left the service, he noticed that there was no good local beer, so he and some friends set about to make some. Today Eel River is one of the oldest craft breweries in America.

He took a temporary job in the US Forest Service while studying engineering and home brewing. It wasn’t always easy to find ingredients and equipment back then before home brewing became popular. He took classes at UC Davis and the Siebel Institute. Now, he and the other craft brewing pioneers are seeing their children move into the same business.

They are tasting a beer called Climax which is named after a locomotive train. He made it to order for a friend who asked for a “naked” beer, meaning something plain and simple with no altered ingredients.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

It was really hard to find organic hops and grain back then. They found organic hops in New Zealand and they had to send someone down there to secure the first supply. This is a very simple beer with a low ABV and only 100 calories per serving.

The next beer tasted is a California Blonde Ale which has won 5 medals at the Great American Beer Fest. They also have opened their Amber Ale. Their first organic beers were limited by what ingredients were available.

Ted Vivatson was also a pioneer in hard selzer, and Herlinda and Harry agree that his hard selzer the best tasting one around. They worked on it for about two years, to develop the right recipe. Finally they got it right. It’s the only one naturally fermented.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Griffo Distillery and Lagunitas

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 22:09:32 +0000

Herlinda, Jenny and Bryan.

Bryan Donaldson from Lagunitas and Jenny Griffo from Griffo Distillery join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Bryan Donaldson is the Brewing Innovation Manager at Lagunitas and Jenny Griffo is a co-founder of Griffo Distillery.

Lagunitas and Griffo Distillery have collaborated on a single malt whiskey accented with hops. The two companies are located a half a block away from each other. Jenny and Bryan describe the process of distilling the mashed beer with hops and then they barrel age it for three years.

They will only release 600 bottles of it. People who attend the party on Thursday the 27th of April will get some. The event will feature food and a selection of beers, at Lagunitas. Then, guests will take busses across the way to visit Griffo, for the continuation, following the creation of this whiskey. Guests will get a bottle of Still Waldos single malt whiskey. There will also be live music and specially made chocolates.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Tickets are available on the Griffo website. Tickets are going fast to the first eating at 5:30, and there will be a second seating at 7:30. There will only be 25 total tickets to each seating. There will also be tastings of the Waldos beer, which Lagunitas makes every year.

Lagunitas Waldos Special Ale Triple IPA

Bryan describes his career path, which includes a Masters in Brewing from Charlie Bamforth at UC Davis, and jobs at Lagunitas soon after. He has also developed a tea-based beverage for Lagunitas, which is completely alcohol-free. Bryan says he is most proud of Hoppy Refresher, which is a dry-hopped sparkling water.

Griffo Distillery is also constantly innovating. Their last new product was a cold-brewed coffee liqueur. Griffo also has pop-ups coming to the distillery. On April 28, Second Staff, a local catering company, will be serving Korean Fried Chicken. They are on Scott Street in Petaluma.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

This year’s Freshtival is scheduled for May 6 Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park. All of the beer there will be less than 7 days old. Information is available at the dedicated page on the Hen House website.

Indian Valley Brewing

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:52:13 +0000

Indian Valley Brewing co-founders Joe and Matt Tachis visit Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today.

Their story begins in the 1950s when their father came back from Korea and went to work for Hamm’s brewery in San Francisco. He was their west coast sales manager, there was beer around the house.

From the back room to the taproom.

They started Indian Valley in 2017. They were home brewing with their father and brothers. People liked their beer, so they started the brewery in back of Joe’s electrical shop and started distributing to bars and restaurants. Now they have a taproom in Novato, near the Novato smart train station. The whole family was there to help along the way, to work on everything.

The taproom is open every day. There are some food trucks that park nearby. They have Mexican food on Friday nights, which gets a great turnout, and pizza and trivia on Thursday nights. It is open 3-8pm Mon.-Thurs., 3-9pm on Friday, 2-8pm on Saturday and 12-5pm on Sunday. Kids and dogs are welcome.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Joe likes the lighter beers, blondes, lagers and pilsners, and Matt likes “the maltier stuff” so ales and porters. They are tasting the Hazy Blonde Ale, it’s refreshing and light. This recipe came from their original home brewing activity. Next they taste the Hopalong, their flagship IPA. This is the brainchild of their brewer Sean Cochrane.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Why they say “Keep your day job”

Joe and Matt still work their day jobs and Sean makes beer full time. The brothers still do a lot of work, since they have pro construction skills. They just finished installing a conventional system. They bought a used system that came with no information about how to operate it apart from the burners. Their brewing capacity is three barrels. Their beer is on tap for now at the taproom and they have a one-at-a-time 16-oz. canning machine. They usually have 12 or 13 taps at a time available, with some rotating in and out roughly monthly.

Some of their beers, like their father’s favorite Scotch Ale, are always there, since the customers demand them. It is malty and dry. It’s called Grumpa’s which is a grandchild’s variation on Grandpa. It won Battle of the Brews for best ale, and best in show too, the year before. At the most recent edition of the competition, they were on the new equipment which was not quite perfectly set up, and they didn’t win.

The taproom has wood panelling which keeps the room quiet, compared to rooms with concrete walls which make a noisier locale. This is a choice, so people can hear each other’s conversation.

Anchor’s San Pancho Mexican Lager

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:45:19 +0000

Anchor Brewing San Pancho Mexican lager

Dane Volek from Anchor Brewing calls in to Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras to talk about their new San Pancho Mexican lager. Dane is the new Brewmaster at Anchor Brewing, so he has the job that used to belong to Brew Ha Ha founding father Mark Carpenter.

Joe and Matt Tachis from Indian Valley Brewing in Novato are also in the studio today during Dane’s call. Their full interview with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras is available on their own podcast page, here.

San Pancho is a Mexican style lager with natural lime flavors. They did some test releases in the brew house which went well, and the folks around the brew house liked it too. The label on the can is inspired by Mexican mural art.

The recipe begins with pale malt and some flaked corn and makes a refreshing dry beer.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Anchor Brewing is also where Herlinda’s guests from Poland did a collaboration brew last January, mentioned in this Brew Ha Ha episode. Dane describes the Baltic Porter they made that day, using Anchor’s yeast. Marcin Malecki and Artur Napuripski of Maryensztadt Brewery in Poland have invited Dane to Poland to do another collaboration there.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

For this baseball season, Anchor Brewing is working with the San Francisco Giants. Their beer is at the ballpark and they might do an Anchor Day promotion this year. We also hear about the artist who did the San Pancho Mexican Lager beer label who is from Mexico City. The label is also inspired by the kind of mural art in the Mission district of San Francisco. They may also do this kind of artwork on their IPA. Anchor is getting ready for the busy summer season. The public taproom is open Wednesdays through Sundays. They have 24 taps which are about half their usual commercial beers and the others serve many other smaller batches and experiments that they also produce.

Horse and Plow Cider

Thu, 6 Apr 2023 23:46:24 +0000

Herlinda & Suzanne

Suzanne Hagins from Horse and Plow Cider in Graton is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras.

Horse and Plow started as a winery. The tasting room is off Hwy 116 between Graton and Sebastopol.

Cider and Mead are both good alternatives to wine and beer, for festive occasions and meals. They are tasting the Horse and Plow Farmhouse Cider. It is mostly Gravenstein apples and very dry.

Visit Horse and Plow

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Horse and Plow uses many unusual varieties of apples in their ciders, more than 30 varieties.

Cider is made like wine, which made it easy for them to add cider to their operation which was already licensed for wine. Fully half of their business at the tasting room is cider.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Heidrun Meadery

Thu, 6 Apr 2023 23:45:43 +0000

Gordon Hull

Gordon Hull from Heidrun Meadery in Pt. Reyes Station joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Heidrun Meadery is a 26-year-old company. They are open 7 days a week, from 5 to 11. They specialize in Mead, which is wine made with honey instead of grapes. Their mead is unique because it is sparkling, made the same way as champagne. They also make different flavors of mead from different varieties of honey. They also have beehives and make honey that they use to make mead. Their meadery is a converted dairy farm.

A Unique Style of Mead

They are the only producer of champagne-style mead in the world. They make a base wine that is still, in stainless steel tanks. Before bottling they add sugar and get a secondary fermentation to create a natural effervescence. Mead is the oldest fermented beverage in the world. It predates beer and wine by thousands of years.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

In the studio they are tasting a mead that Gordon sent them, made from honey that comes from Tanzania, which has a very distinct flavor. The honey comes from the African bees which are very aggressive. Because of that, the people who extract the honey use smoke to distract the bees, and the smoke plays a part in the flavor of the honey. It has a distinct, peaty, pine-resin flavor. He describes it as a cross between a fine champagne and a peaty Scotch whiskey.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Heidrun Meads are available at Bottle Barn.

In Norse mythology, Odin is the highest god and lives in Valhalla. He lives by drinking mead which comes from his mythological goat called Heidrun.

Flagship Taproom, Ghost Town Brewing, Civilization Brewing

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 23:45:45 +0000

Matt, James & Cassius.

Herlinda Heras visits Ghost Town Brewing in Oakland, plus we have three other guests on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today. Matt Inlow from Flagship Taproom, Cassius Camus from Battle of the Brews and James Holt, owner of Civilization Brewing are also in the studio.

The Battle of the Brews is Saturday April 1, from 1 to 5 pm. It is the 26th annual beer event hosted by the Active 20-30 of Santa Rosa. In addition to a fund raising event it is a BJCP Judged beer event. It has also evolved into a barbeque competition. It is held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. In the Grace Pavillion Building there will be 65 different breweries and a large stage with a succession of bands. There will be food and drink galore, too.

Flagship Taproom

Matt Inlow from Flagship Taproom will also be at Battle of the Brews. This will be the brewery’s third time there. At the Flagship Taproom they have a great menu, and since the Battle of the Brews needs 500 servings of an item, they chose their rosemary smoked pork tenderloin sandwich, for the competition. Picture smoked pork tenderloin, with freshly made aioli sauce, melted brie and arugula all on a soft brioche bun. They have a wood-fired smoker for tri-tip, chicken thighs and pork ribs.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

There are three locations of Flagship Taproom. A group of friends opened the first one opened in Cotati in 2016. There are 20 rotating beer taps and they do barbeque. They also like events, so they have trivia nights, tap takeovers, comedy shows, with indoor and outdoor events. They are also in downtown Santa Rosa, at 446 B Street. Then at the end of April 2022 they opened a location on the Windsor Town Green. They are at 1001 McClelland Drive.

Ghost Town Brewing

Herlinda Heras calls in from Oakland where she is visiting Ghost Town Brewing. It is near the Oakland Coliseum where the A’s play. Ghost Town has been around for about 10 years but became famous during the pandemic after they started canning their beer. Herlinda will be a judge at the Battle of the Brews. Herlinda has been a beer judge at several international competitions and it is fun for her to be judging in her own backyard for once.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

The next beer they taste is called Super Lemon Haze. Their different hazy beers are named after different bud strains, like Pineapple Express and Moon Rocks. It’s a simple beer with great aroma and fruity flavor from 100% Citra hops. It is always a top seller.

Civilization Brewing

Civilization Brewing is located at 490 Mendocino Ave. at the corner of Ross St. (where the old Local Barrel used to be). They have decorated it with a lot of “weird stuff” from junk shops and antique dealers. They have arcade games and big statues, and an old cathode ray tv tube for playing the really old video games. The last beer is the Peach Rhubarb Sour.

2023 Pliny the Younger with Natalie Cilurzo

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 23:23:01 +0000

Harry & Natalie.

Natalie Cilurzo brings the 2023 Pliny the Younger from Russian River Brewing Co. to Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today.

This is the 19th presentation of the new Pliny the Younger. This version is a little bit different than the one that premiered in February. The Pliny the Younger base recipe is fairly stable, at about 10.25% ABV, but there is a tweak to the hops and this year that is a new hop from New Zealand called Nectaron. Vinny decided to put a little more bittering hops into the second mix. The hop aroma is brilliant and beautiful and the flavors really shine through.

The New Release Schedule

In February they did a limited release. The first Friday in February used to be the launch date. Last year they had to postpone distribution due to a Covid outbreak, and what they found out was that their accounts appreciated the rollout this way, so they will continue to release for wholesale, draft only, in February and then in person, on draft and in bottles, for their brewpubs only, in late March.

Natalie describes about a four-month process they have to manage for the release event. There is merchandise galore to design and order, the label, packaging, timing and logistics for all that, wristbands, et cetera. There are 28,000 unique wristbands, marked with date and location, with four pull tabs. The first three tabs are redeemable for one 10-ounce pour. The fourth, or B tab, allows the bearer to purchase two bottles to go. A lot of people enjoy the social event, including meeting people in line.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

There are usually 20 beers on tap at Russian River Brewing Co. in addition to Pliny the Younger. They are releasing Hopfather IPA and a sour peach beer, tomorrow.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Herlinda and Natalie were at the California Craft Brewers Association conference this week. On the last day, the final talk had Natalie, Vinny and Ken Grossman on stage talking about the beer business and then they served a taste of Pliny for everyone, which was a big hit.

There is a cheese tasting too, for people waiting in line. The California Artisan Cheese Festival is at the Fairgrounds, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove and others will be there.

Kapu Bar New in Petaluma

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:23:00 +0000

Herlinda and Bee.

Kapu Bar house manager Bee Baker is our in-studio guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today.

Kapu Bar has taken over the Tuttle’s Drug Store location in downtown Petaluma. They have done extensive redecoration and it is a marvel to see. The first weekend they were open in January they had over 1000 people through the front door. Business has been brisk and there is a line out the door almost every day.

The first use of Tiki décor was Don the Beachcomber’s, which opened in Los Angeles in 1934, after Prohibition ended but well before the beginning of WWII. Tiki designs became popular in California after the War, when returning servicemen brought back more and more Polynesian-inspired designs. There have been many famous Tiki-styled restaurants and bars, which Bee describes as “escapism.”

At the bar they make all of their syrups in-house from scratch. From the kitchen, they have an extensive menu that even includes Spam, and of course there is special glassware and ceramic ware to match the drinks.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Tiki Design

Kapu Bar’s designer, Bamboo Ben, is the grandson of one of the head designers of the Disneyland Tiki Room, as well as the Swiss Family Robinson House and the Jungle Cruise. They have plans to adapt an outdoor area as well. Bamboo Ben’s son Blake has carved Tikis out of the reclaimed wood from their outside fence. They wear “aloha” shirts and they don’t spare the accessories and decorations. Here is a look at the interior, on the Kapu Bar website.

“It doesn’t get more West Coast than a Tiki Bar.” – Herlinda

They have Poke Nachos on the menu. They source the freshest Ahi they can source, which their chefs cut and dress for Poke, with all their flavors. It is one of their most popular menu items. Bee has also brought a lot of other treats, including the spicy Chinese style peanuts. They are boiled with ginger, onion, star anice, citrus peel, bay leaf and peppercorn. After boiling they are tossed in a ginger-scallion sauce, with a bit of sesame. They are tasty but messy. There is a discussion of their extensive menu which is also online, here. The Banana Split “is for the young at heart.”

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Kapu Bar is located at 132 Keller St. in Petaluma. For reservations, go to Open Table. The bar is first-come first served, with no reservations.

Peter Lopez and Tyler Laverty in studio

Thu, 9 Mar 2023 23:30:42 +0000

Peter and Tyler.

Peter Lopez and Tyler Laverty join Harry Duke on Brew Ha Ha today. Co-host Herlinda Heras is visiting England and will call into the studio. We begin with a phone call from Herlinda who is in England to be a judge in the British Pie Awards.

Herlinda Heras is in England judging the British Pie Awards again. We also hear about her travels to breweries in different places. She also got lost and ended up in the oldest pub in England. It is in Nottingham, under an 800-year-old castle. She is in the town of Milton Mowbray which is not very far from London. She will also visit a brewery in Wales. We will hear all about it when she is back on Brew Ha Ha next week.

Tyler Laverty is back on the Brew Ha Ha to remember the Third Street Aleworks Taproom. Their last day of operation was yesterday. We have covered the closing of the Third Street Aleworks in a couple of recent podcasts, in this episode and also here.

Peter Lopez was there yesterday and “it was definitely a lovefest.” The taproom is closed but the beer label will continue. They will produce beer for distribution to retail and hospitality markets in northern California.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

How the Transition Began

During Covid, they started distributing more and more in cans and kegs. As they adapted and changed, that has continued to be successful. However, the downtown business environment is difficult. Crowds are smaller and spending is down. There are a lot of factors, but ultimately, when the lease was up, they decided to continue making changes and adapt as a brand.

They are optimistic about having expanded their distribution and they are focusing on a couple of core brands. They hope to have their new production facility up and running next year. They plan to have a small taproom at the new brewery too.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They will continue to make Bodega Head IPA and Annandale Pale Ale, Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Italian Style Pilsner, Mr. Mosaic Double IPA and Raspberry Tart Pastry Kettle Sour. They have won a lot of medals at GABF and Beer World Cup. Blarney alone has won 13 medals.

Their beers are available in lots of major retail locations throughout Sonoma and Marin Counties as well as Bottle Barn.

Tara Jasper, SipSong Spirits

Thu, 2 Mar 2023 20:23:22 +0000

Herlinda & Tara Jasper

Tara Jasper, owner and creative force behind SipSong Spirits, is back on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today. The last time she was on Brew Ha Ha was this episode of July 30, 2020. Tara grew up among the coastal redwoods of northern California. After studying culinary arts and raising a family, she started making gin. She begins by shaking up a cocktail with SipSong Spring Gin, one of her seasonal gins and they toast to all the hospitality and medical workers.

All their botanicals are harvested in early spring in Sonoma County. There are all kinds of juniper. In Finland, they use juniper as part of the flavoring of Sahti. Our ornamental juniper berries are shaped like mace balls. The ones in Finland were soft and become sappy and stick when you break them open. SipSong gins often win blind tastings among gin fans. She enjoys the idea of making gin without a lot of fussing around like in a busy kitchen, and then being able to share her work all over the place.

The Ah-Ha Moment

When she started making gin, she didn’t know if she could make a gin that she would enjoy more than her favorite gin. Monkey 47 was her favorite at the time. It was $65 for a 375 ml bottle. In a blind tasting of her gin against that one, she preferred her own. That was her “ah-ha moment” when she decided she wanted to get a still and start making gin.

“We have some amazing local distillers in this area. We’re very lucky. It’s so cool. This is no longer wine country. This is booze country,” says Tara Jasper.

She met someone who had the same still she wanted, but only used it part time. Since then, she has been using it, sometimes on short notice when the Spring blossoms are ready.

Fight Like A Girl

Tara is also a pilot and she holds tastings in an airplane hanger. She is also active in women’s health care awareness, especially regarding the BRCA gene and how important it is to know if one is a carrier. Tara is a breast cancer survivor and she supports Fight like a Girl, a breast cancer support community.

There is an old Prohibition law that makes shipping of spirits illegal. During the pandemic, that law was suspended but only temporarily. She suggests that people express their preferences to their elected officials, to allow shipping of spirits permanently.

Indira gin won a double gold, which means every judge gave it a gold. It is flavored with botanicals and people love it in a Gibson. Another friend has suggested that she make gin with hops.

Mike Schnebeck from Fort Point Beer Co.

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 23:23:18 +0000

Mike Schnebeck of Fort Point Beer Co.

Mike Schnebeck from San Francisco’s Fort Point Beer Co. visits Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today. Fort Point is an independent San Francisco beer company. They have become one of San Francisco’s best known independent breweries by following their calling to make craft beer more accessible.

Herlinda begins by describing the Fort Point SF Beer Week Dim Sum beer and cider pairing. She mentions their Kolsch beers, which is their specialty. The owners started with Mill Valley Brewing Company, which started in 2010 and then Fort Point started in 2013.

Fort Point has two locations, one is the Ferry Building taproom and the other main taproom is on Valencia St. in the Mission district. There they have a San Francisco seafood menu in addition to their beers.

The Fort Point Mission

Fort Point’s mission “…is to make really balanced approachable and nuanced beer,” what they call good beer for everyone. They take classic existing styles that they add a twist to. Mike worked for Beer Works based in San Diego, where he developed his interest in craft beer. Beer Works gave him an opportunity to brew beer. Today they are the largest independent brewer in the city.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Mike’s title of director of brewing innovation is basically an R&D position. He shifted into this more creative role after managing the day-to-day operation. Some of his current recipes date back to his time at Beer Works. They will make about 27,000 barrels this year.

Fort Point’s signature beer is the KSA, Kolsch style ale. He thought their Park Pale Ale would be the flagship but the customers had other preferences. He did visit Cologne, Germany to study the local beer, which is where Kolsch style beer comes from.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Fort Point has just launched 2 ciders, Super Dry and Super Natural, a Rosé-inspired cider. A lot of breweries are expanding their product line. Several have added selzers but Fort Point has chosen to add cider to their production.

They liked dry cider. Many ciders sold as dry were not really that dry. They spent some time developing their recipe to make it dry the way he wants it. It is “bone dry” says Herlinda.

At the Dim Sum event, the dry cider went very well with all the Asian dishes. The cider went very well with dishes like Crispy Pork Rib and Peking Duck.

SUPER NATURAL CIDER

The Super Natural cider is described as Rosé-inspired. They add hibiscus and rose hip to the cider base, which give a nice light pink-orange color. The ciders have been out for about a month so far, so they are starting to appear on shelves in stores like Hole Fudes. They are, or will be, available on draft in local restaurants.

They also taste a hazy IPA called Lobos. It’s funny how hazy beers are popular now, but Mike explains that the industry has figured out how to make those beers now. Mark Carpenter, who was head brewer at Anchor for more than 40 years, remarked that he worked hard to make the beer clear and never hazy, and the reversal of tastes is surprising and ironic. In England they have hazies called Scrumpies.

There is a beer called Yuzu KSA which is their Kolsch with Yuzu, a kind of Japanese grapefruit with interesting flavors.

Spirits Sales Overtake Beer, with Tara Nurin

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 23:22:27 +0000

Tara Nurin

Tara Nurin calls in to Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras, to talk about spirits sales and her article in Wine Enthusiast magazine. It shows Spirits replacing Beer as the largest share of the alcoholic beverages market. It’s not a majority of spending, but a plurality by a small margin. The article is on the website of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Its title is “Move Over, Beer: Spirits Are Now Alcohol’s Biggest U.S. Money Maker.

The article states that, “sales for 2022 show spirits now claim a record-breaking 42.1% of revenue in the alcohol market, compared to beer’s shrinking 41.9% and wine’s stagnant 16 %.” Of course, beer is at a disadvantage in counting dollar share, compare a $10 pack of beer to a $100 bottle of some luxury spirits. Beer will still sell more volume due to its nature.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

There may be some influence from the pandemic on this result. However, spirits have been gaining market share for the last thirteen years. Also, previous generations were less prone to experimentation and innovation as people are today. Also, there are more ready-to-drink beverages which are very hot right now, such as hard selzers. The more expensive of these are spirits-based, as opposed to malt-based. The new drinks are known as “RTD” which stands for Ready To Drink. The fact that this term is also applicable to beer and wine is possibly lost on the authors of the term.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

RTDs are growing faster than other segments of the alcoholic beverage industry. New products are launching with higher and higher prices, which may be a bad sign for brewers.

Beer City Festival in Santa Rosa

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:52:47 +0000

Tonic Immobility from Old Possum Brewing

Matt Wilson from the Santa Rosa Beer City Festival is here, so is Sandro Tamburin from Old Possum Brewing, to join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha.

This year’s Beer City Festival is on Saturday February 25, in Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, from 11am to 4pm. Local brewers will be there, such as Russian River, Bear Republic, Hen House, Lagunitas, Old Possum and Third Street Aleworks.

Brews News

There is big news in the beer business this week, since Bear Republic has sold most of its assets and brands to Drake’s Brewery, which is based in San Leandro. Peter Lopez, founder of Norcal Beer Geeks, calls in to talk about the deal. Peter is also proprietor of Juncture Taproom in Santa Rosa. Racer 5 was the first IPA he ever tasted and he respects how Richard Norgrove led the charge to make northern California the hop capital of the world. “Now I know we have found a great partner,” says Richard Norgrove. “The merger with Drake’s can be a win-win, for sure,” says Peter.

Beer City Festival

The Beer City Festival has running events in the morning, before the beer events later on. There are three races, a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K. The beer event is from noon to 4pm, but the races start at 8 am. There is a VIP tasting from 11 to noon. Tickets are available online, $60 for Beer City admission and $20 for designated drivers who aren’t partaking. There are separate entry fees for the races, see the Run Beer City website, here. There are games, performers, food and music, and it is pet and kid friendly.
Old Possum will be there with its flagship Garibaldi IPA.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Tonic Immobility is the new Old Possum beer, being released on Friday. Tonic immobility is the scientific name of how the Possums pretend to be dead. It is 10.2% alcohol by volume, which is very high. Sandro is experimenting with a new hop called Pink, from Idaho. Stay tuned.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Herlinda asks Matt about Ghost Town Brewing, which has won some big awards recently, and will be at the Beer City festival in Santa Rosa. There are circus performers in the crowd, and there will be bands playing music, to create atmosphere. The event is in a public area and it’s open to the public, and so are the food trucks. Only the tasting is ticketed. It’s also a good day to follow the beer trail.

Barebottle Brewing co-founder Lester Koga

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 22:04:42 +0000

Barebottle Brewing Company co-founder Lester Koga is in the studio with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today.

There are three Barebottle Brewing locations and the one in Bernal Heights is very family friendly, which Lester explains. He visited Germany and France frequently and discovered the German beer gardens. These are large public parks with different stalls offering beer, sausages, pretzels, etc. It is an integrated communal space where alcohol is present as a normal part of life and not some kind of heavily regulated vice.

Family and Pet Friendly in Bernal Heights

In the Bernal Heights location the brewing operation is right in the same space with the hospitality space. He wants his guests to be able to bring their kids and their dogs. Conscious of the business side of brewing, they also noticed that their brand was popular in the south Bay Area so they opened a location in Santa Clara. Lester mentioned having been a guest on KNBR, a Bay Area sports station, and he considers that to be a sign of how craft brewing is deeply integrate with the local culture.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

A dark beer goes with chocolate so that is a pairing that they do, in a collaboration with Zocalo, a local chocolate maker.

Next they taste a west coast IPA that Barebottle Brewing made in collaboration with Ghost Town. They just canned it yesterday. Lester likes Ghost Town for how they accentuate the bitter flavors in their beers.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Wine too!

Barebottle Brewing makes a wide variety of beers and he has brought several into the studio today. They also make wine, also under the Barebottle label. There is a sparkling pet nat from Anderson Valley, and also Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They use about 14 tons of grapes per season and just did some Syrah and cool climate whites, Albariño and Vermentino from Buelton in Santa Barbara County. They also have some Barbera from Amador County.

SF Beer Week 2023

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 22:52:56 +0000

Colin McDonald from Hen House Brewing and Gail Williams join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras to talk about SF Beer Week 2023. Colin was also on Brew Ha Ha last year at this time, to talk about Hen House’s annual Big Chicken release.

SF Beer Week started in 2009 and ran every year except for the Covid year. It is back now, including a lot of interesting creative events and de-centralized parties. From Sonoma to Monterey counties, from the city to Livermore, there are events spread out across the East Bay, North Bay, the City, San Ramon Valley and Silicon Valley.

Big Chicken

Hen House’s Big Chicken is produced and shipped so that it can be consumed as fresh as possible. Fog Belt is doing artisanal bacon with their beer. There is even a Beer and Cookie pairing at Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco on Feb. 14. Since SF Beer Fest overlaps Valentine’s Day, there seem to be a lot of chocolate pairings with beer. Hen House is making a special beer called Valentine’s Day Nightmare.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

They are sampling a Hen House Pilsner that is light and beautiful with Jasmine flower flavors, called Star Turn. It is soft, bright and crisp with a little honeysuckle sweetness.

Equity and Inclusion in Brewing

They also have a collaboration called Activate, with Crowns and Hops Brewing in Inglewood, a brewery that is black-owned, woman-owned and veteran-owned. Gail tells about how there was an effort to get more black-owned breweries and so they support education and investment for that purpose. They wanted to make taprooms more welcoming and broaden the customer base. The Bay Area Brewers Guild Equity and Inclusion Committee made a collaboration among brewers from 6 breweries, at Drake’s in San Leandro. It is called “This Beer Creates Opportunity” and it will fund a diversity-focused endowment at UC Davis.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The beer they are tasting is a Saison, named after the beer that was made for seasonal workers in France. Saison means season. It has some light flavors of black pepper and coriander. Hen House has also done Big Chicken again this year, it is their celebration of quality, freshness and hoppy beer. They like to get as much locally-sourced ingredients as possible. They have more than 180 locations where it is available, on their Instagram page.

The SF Beer Week has a calendar-driven display of all the events happening in all the Bay Area locations, for the duration of Beer Week.

Click the logo to visit SF Beer Week dot org.

Pliny the Younger 2023

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 22:47:05 +0000

Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company joins Brew Ha Ha with the first growler of the Pliny the Younger 2023 edition.

Later, the subject changes to SF Beer Week, when Colin McDonald from Hen House Brewing and Gail Williams will also be on. That portion of today’s live show will have its own separate podcast page, here.

Today’s episode of Brew Ha Ha continues a tradition of Russian River Brewing Co. bringing the new Pliny the Younger into the KSRO studios for its first tasting. Here is last year’s episode on the same occasion.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Pliny the Younger’s official release will happen from March 24 through April 6. It will be on tap in Santa Rosa and Windsor. Guests will be limited to three 10-oz. pours and bottles will be available too, at the brewery. You can purchase bottles or sit down at the brewery. They started local distribution today and there are hundreds of locations serving it.

Rejection is their Valentine’s Day Ale. It is on tap and in cans at their two locations.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Omurasaki Sake plus Hana Restaurant

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:48:23 +0000

Herlinda, Michael & Keita.

Michael John from Omurasaki Sake Co. and Keita Tominaga of Hana restaurant join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Keita was last on Brew Ha Ha on this July 2022 episode.

Michael John is VP of Development for Omurasaki sake brewery of Japan & California and chef Keita Tominaga is chef at Hana restaurant in Rohnert Park. Michael has just come off a plane and Keita is taking a quick break from the kitchen to be here.

Sake is brewed more like beer, even if sometimes people still refer to it as rice wine. Michael suggests that it’s made like a beer and drinks like a wine. Sake is actually now part of the curriculum for sommelier certification.

Keita Tominaga reports that Hana is thriving and so is Pabu, their partner restaurant in San Francisco.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Ross Koda’s family has had a farm since his grandfather immigrated from Fukushima, Japan in 1908. He wanted to send his California organic rice back to his family in Fukushima, to be brewed into sake. The sake is called Uka which means metamorphosis, emergence or transformation which the butterfly on the label represents.

How Sake is Made

Michael gives a summary of how sake is made. The process begins with a rice milling machine that mills off the brown exterior of the grain. The high-grade Sake production mills 50% of the grain off, they to further and mill off 60% for this Sake. There is a chart of sake production on the Omurasaki Sake website, on this page.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The Uka dry and black label are the same except they use different yeasts. Everything else being equal, the two yeasts give different flavors and aromas.

The Uka dry is shy, light, etherial, dry, crisp. The Uke black label has more body, is silkier, deeper, more floral, more profound, according to Herlinda.

Keita talks about trying to spend some more time behind the sushi bar at Hana, rather than being “stuck” in the kitchen. Hana is open Tuesday through Saturday 4:30pm to 9pm and 4pm-9pm Friday and Saturday. Reservations are preferred, especially Friday and Saturday, so call the restaurant or book on Open Table.

Michael mentions that sake uses the same yeast as beer. He started this job in 2003 and has visited Japan many times since then. In his first year they brought in 18 products from 11 breweries and the business is still going strong.

There is a sparkling sake too, with bubbles that are natural.

Maryensztadt Brewery of Warsaw, Poland

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 19:14:32 +0000

Marcin & Artur visit Anchor Brewing in San Francisco.

Marcin tells about their visit to Brew Ha Ha sponsor Russian River Brewing Co. and how impressed he was with their Windsor location. They also visited Brian Hunt at Moonlight Brewing.

Visit our sponsor Victory House at Poppy Bank Epicenter online, for their latest viewing and menu options.

Craft Brewing in Poland

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Marcin, Herlinda & Artur.

Mare Island Brewing Company

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 22:17:45 +0000

Ryan Gibbons and Kent Fortner.

Mare Island

Mare Island used to support the town of Vallejo, which fell on hard times after the base closure. The city has supported a lot of reinvestment and development of new businesses including the brewery.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Mare Island Brewing Company locations

Their beers are named after ships. The labels have stories that tell the histories of the ships on the label.

Civilization Brewing brewmaster Ron Holt

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 23:47:07 +0000

Ron Holt

Ron Holt from Civilization Brewing Company is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras.

Olompali Lager is named after the closest state park to their Petaluma brewing facility. They have also brought their signature Pilsner. The brewery is brand new. They just opened their taproom on Oct. 31. They got started as North Bay Brewery Tours. Ron talks about how he got to know a lot of people in the business and gained a lot of knowledge about beer during that time. He got to see inside and outside of a lot of breweries.

The Civilization Brewing Co. Taproom

The taproom is located at 490 Mendocino Ave. at Ross St, in Santa Rosa, across the street from Three Disciples. “If your grandma’s living room was cool…” is how Ron describes it. There are food purveyors nearby and they sell snacks. They are active on Instagram where their address is @civilizationbrewingcompany. They will have events every week night. Tuesday they will do beer pong, Wednesday old movies and video games for Popcorn night. Industry night is for people who also work in the hospitality industry. Friday they will have themed vintage vinyl LP night.

The name takes its inspiration from the historical theory that organizing the production of grain and beer was a driving force in the development of early civilizations. They were home brewers who just wanted to make really good beer.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

The next beer, called Sweet Fire, is flavored with apricot and habanero peppers. The flavor is very subtle and it matches the aroma. They also have Azacca Bold as Love west coast IPA and one called Ego Death, double IPA. That one comes with a Timothy Leary quote. They work with Sandro Tamburin to make the wort then they do their fermentation and packaging in their own location.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The last beer, called Ego Death, is about 8 to 8.5% ABV. This beer comes with a Timothy Leary poem, “O voyager, the time has come for you to seek new levels of reality…” We are all one, so Cheers!

John Mallett from Bell’s Brewery in Michigan

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 22:49:48 +0000

Bell’s Beer is now available in California and John Mallett from Bell’s Brewery calls in to Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha to tell about it. He is an old friend of Vinny and Natalie Cilurzo. They have a history of working together, including founding the Hops Quality Group.

Bell’s Beer has not been available in California, until now. John is very pleased to be able to get into the northern California market. The brewery has won some of the same awards that Russian River Brewing Co. has won. The brewery has grown steadily since its founding in the 1980s. He has been at Bell’s since 2001. Their website tells the whole story of their beers available today, as well as their entire history. They also do a lot of community support and outreach.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The Beer Finder on the Bell’s website is a search tool that will point you to where to find all of their beers. The page is a database lookup, so you can enter search terms such as location, type of beer, type of retail location and distance from your zip code. The database will then return search results to suggest where to go to get the beer. There are 30 different locations around Sonoma County where Bell’s Beer is available. Bottle Barn also has some of their beers.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Flora Luna Apothecary with Phaedra Achor

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 22:22:43 +0000

Herlinda Heras & Phaedra Achor.

Flora Luna Apothecary founder and chief mixer Phaedra Achor is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras today.

Herlinda is back from Poland, where she was a judge again at the Polish national beer competition. We hear about the beers she judged and some smoked cheeses she tasted.

Phaedra Achor has been making bitters for a long time. Her line is on sale at Bottle Barn and other locations but she has also finally opened her own lounge which serves mocktails. She began as Monarch Bitters but she rebranded as Flora Luna Apothecary after the pandemic and she has also added syrups to her product line. She makes all her products, which are botanically based, in Petaluma, in small batches, hand crafted. Aside from the sugar and water base for the syrups or the spirit base for the bitters, all of her products come from botanical sources.

Bitters started as medicinal products, in the early 1800s. Some are used as a digestive. Bitters are made with barks, roots and aromatic botanicals. Barks and roots are inherently bitter and when you extract the bitter compounds, they deliver their flavor.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

The Apothecary is located at 122 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. The lounge is a showcase for her products. She does not need alcohol licensing since her products are not alcoholic drinks. Despite the presence of all the wine, beer and spirits business in Sonoma County, there is hardly any space for people who choose alcohol-free beverages.

Mixers are what make non-alcoholic drinks interesting, as well as alcoholic ones. Some mocktails can be not very interesting. The Apothecary has a whole menu of non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks. They are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday. The place is tiny, she has 18 seats.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Phaedra will show how to make cocktails, low-alcohol drinks and mocktails which are non-alcoholic drinks, to be served hot or cold. The first cocktail uses ginger that macerates in some bourbon, with whiskey and ice. The whiskey is from Griffo Distillery in Petaluma, which is finished in stout beer barrels. These ingredients go into the shaker with the ice:
• 1½ ounces of bourbon whiskey,
• ½ ounce of apple cider,
• ¾ ounce of tart cranberry juice,
• ½ ounce of tangerine juice,
• ½ ounce of Flora Luna Cardamom Clove syrup,
• 4-5 drops per cocktail of Flora Luna coffee-cacao-peppercorn bitters,
• ¼ ounce of Little Apple Treats Lemon Coriander shrub. (A ‘shrub’ is a drinking vinegar.)

(Measuring cocktail ingredients is important to keep the cocktail’s flavors balanced.)

Phaedra has also mixed a mocktail using Free Spirits Bourbon, which is flavored like bourbon whiskey but is non-alcoholic. Free Spirits makes non-alcoholic substitutes for spirits that go into her mocktails. You can also make the same cocktail with a half an ounce of bourbon instead of an ounce and a half.

Third Street Aleworks News with Tyler Laverty

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 22:33:58 +0000

Third Street Aleworks News with Tyler Laverty leads off today’s show. He is back on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras after appearing here just one month ago. He is here to deliver the news that after 26 years in the same location, they have decided not to renew the lease at the downtown pub location. However, they will continue to produce and distribute beer. They have been building a production facility already for about a year. They will self-distribute locally and have established local distributors in other counties.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Tuesday, March 14 will be the last day of operations. They will also continue to participate in San Francisco Beer Week and Santa Rosa’s own Beer Passport in “Feb-Brew-ary” and they eventually plan to have a new taproom. Third Street Aleworks is iconic. It was the first brew pub where both Harry and Tyler had a beer when they each came to Santa Rosa. They opened on March 8, 1996, so they will celebrate their 27th anniversary.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Big Picture IPA

They are tasting one of Third Street Aleworks’ west coast IPAs. This is called Big Picture IPA, which uses Amarillo, Simcoe and Strada hops, which they put right on the can, so people know what went into it. One of their owners, Matt Vella, designs all of their labels.

Distribution will be crucial for their new success. And, as long as they are still open downtown, Bayou on the Bay will continue to provide food at the taproom, seven days a week. They will have cans of their dry stout again, which they sold out of a month before they won the gold medal at GABF and the Beer World Cup.

Poppy Bank Epicenter & Victory House

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 22:16:43 +0000

Jenny Ogston and Wes Skelton from Victory House and Poppy Bank Epicenter are in studio with Harry Duke today on Brew Ha Ha. They are also expecting a phone call from Herlinda Heras who is in Krakow, Poland, where she is judging a big beer competition.

Jenny Ogston is the GM of Poppy Bank Epicenter and Wes Skelton is the front-of-house food and beverage manager of Victory House. Poppy Bank Epicenter has several areas devoted to different kinds of sports and recreation. There are all these different attractions: Sports City, an entertainment arcade with bowling, pool and darts; Victory House, AnyTime Fitness and Sky Zone, a trampoline park. Victory House is a restaurant and sports bar full of big screens with a great menu of food and beverages. Wes describes Victory House as a giant sports bar.

Tamarind Mango Mule

They taste a cocktail that Wes invented, called Tamarind Mango Mule. It has Tamarind vodka, fresh lime juice, mango purée and ginger beer. There are at least 24 beers on tap there too. They have Modelo, Third Street Aleworks, Parliament, Hen House, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas and many more.

Herlinda Heras calls in from Krakow, Poland. She is judging the national beer competition there along with other judges from many other countries. She will bring some Polish beers back to Santa Rosa. Herlinda will also have some guests from Poland on the show in the near future.

The Victory House opens at 6:30 am for the World Cup final games this weekend. They have lots of NFL games on the big screens. Generally, the 49ers take priority when they are playing, but there are other teams that have followings too.

New Year’s Eve

Poppy Bank Epicenter has a New Year’s Eve Family Party, which is a great place to bring the family, so the grown-ups can have a nice time together while the children are busy playing games. They do the balloon drop at 9pm west coast time, for the benefit of the families.

3 Disciples Brewing plus Barrel Proof Comedy

Thu, 1 Dec 2022 21:48:02 +0000

Casey Williams (l) & James Claus (r)

James Claus, co-owner and brewmaster of 3 Disciples Brewing is here, and so is Casey Williams of Barrel Proof Comedy, to join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today.

Casey Williams has been doing comedy shows at 3 Disciples and still does shows at Barrel Proof Comedy. He spent fifteen years in the carting business and was doing comedy shows on the side.

“Beer is our religion.”

3 Disciples Brewing is located in Santa Rosa (next to the Tipsy Taco). They celebrate their fifth anniversary next year. Matt, Luke and James are the three disciples and their mottos is, “Beer is our religion.”

Sally Tomatoes is still an event center, even if the restaurant is closed. James describes how they turned their location into one of the best music and comedy venues in Sonoma County. They moved brewing operations from Sebastopol to Santa Rosa about a year and a half ago. It is a great space and they are working on getting their operation moved to 1018 Santa Rosa Plaza for the last year. It is the old Two Tread location and came with equipment. As of Jan. 1 they will be moved in entirely. James is very happy with the new venue.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

There is big Brews News today, which they describe as two doors opening. As 3 Disciples are leaving the old venue, Casey is taking it over. 501 Mendocino Ave. will now be called Barrel Proof, an entertainment venue for comedy and music. It is also a great location and Casey knows its potential. Barrel Proof will still sell 3 Disciples beer. They also have the Tipsy Taco next door and food trucks that come by. The new 3 Disciples location does have a kitchen. “I can promise you it will be great.” Barrel Proof has a goal of opening by the third week in January.

Sebastopol Origins

3 Disciples started in Sebastopol seven years ago. Two years ago they moved into 501 Mendocino but they have outgrown it. Ron Sly does the artwork on the 3 Disciples cans. They have known Ron for a while, he used to be in the same home brew club. When Covid happened, breweries needed to distribute beer in cans, so they needed good art. James new Ron was perfect for that gig. Let There Be Light Pilsner, a German style beer, clean and light, with German hops. It’s only 5% and it’s a Pilsner. 3 Disciples started with three Belgian styles. Since the people like IPAs now, they had to make a lot of that.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

They second beer is their new West Coast IPA, 3D IPA. 6.5% with Idaho 7 Centennial and Cascade hops. He gets lemon and pineapple flavors. The Cascade hops give citrus notes and the Centennial gives pineapple flavors. The next one is called Galaxy Invaders, a hazy IPA. It is primarily Galaxy hops from Australia, and the 2022 vintage. The hops are fresh from a month ago, where it’s summer down under. The fourth beer is called Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic and features Galaxy invaders from outer space. Then there is a kettle sour called Fruity Kettles, made with apricot, peach, tangerine, vanilla and milk sugar.

Anchor Brewing History Book

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 23:50:35 +0000

Anchor’s Early History

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

The Anchor Pub

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Anchor Steam Beer

Today is the forty-seventh anniversary of the first brewing of Anchor Christmas Ale. There is a different tree on the label every year. This year, it is a Blue Gum tree, also known as the Eucalyptus.

Ed McGrath, Ace Cider + Adam Ray, Beer City

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 21:10:06 +0000

Ed McGrath from Ace Cider and Adam Ray, founder of Beer City are both guests on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. We have had Ed McGrath on Brew Ha Ha most recently on this July 2020 episode.

Brew’s News with Herlinda is sponsored by the Beer City Festival, which was going to be in Calistoga in November this year but instead will be held Easter weekend, April 16th, 2023. Also, Santa Rosa will have a Beer City festival on February 25th, 2023, downtown in Old Courthouse Square.

They begin the show by christening the new KSRO studio with an heirloom cider. It’s a dry cider that tastes a bit different every year. It is 9% ABV, Herlinda calls it “sneaky.”

Gravensteins!

This is an heirloom cider made from local Gravenstein apples. The French ciders have less alcohol and uses more traditional cider apples. During Prohibition all the American cider apples were chopped down because they’re not for eating. Today there is a west coast style cider, called Blackjack, made from west coast apples. There are also distinctive ciders coming from New York and Michigan. Ace Cider founder Jeffery House has been a guest on Brew Ha Ha before.

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

They have another cider called Ace High, a card playing reference. It is semi dry and has subtle fruit flavors. Ace doesn’t add food coloring or sugars so the colors are all natural. Blueberry doesn’t give color, so the other berries do.

Beer City is less than a year old. Adam Ray tells about how the idea started in Santa Rosa, about how to create an attraction.

Ed McGrath is happy to have introduced cider to more people than anybody. Cider is gluten free, since there is no grain.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Cider for Thanksgiving

Cider is the perfect pairing for a lot of Thanksgiving foods; not the sugary non-alcoholic kind, but the real fermented cider. Ace has also made a seasonal pumpkin cider (although the pumpkin is nearly flavorless and what we are actually tasting in all of these things is the spices, not the pumpkin).

Hendrick Verspecht

Brew Ha Ha gets a visit from Hendrick Verspecht from cuVer Brewing. He has been on Brew Ha Ha before. Today he brought some beer to the studio. He brought their three Belgians. Pepperwood Saison, a Belgian Saison with meyer lemon peel and bay leaf, and two types of Belgian abbey ales, a golden one and a dark one.

Tyler Laverty, Vinnie Cilurzo, Brian Hunt

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:10:57 +0000

Tyler Laverty, Vinnie Cilurzo and Brian Hunt are all guests today on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. Tyler Laverty is brewmaster at Third Street Aleworks. Vinnie Cilurzo is brewmaster and a co-founder of Russian River Brewing Company. Brian Hunt is the founder, co-owner and brewmaster at Moonlight Brewing Company. This is a powerful bunch of beer guys AND they all just won medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

They can’t resist joking about playing fast and loose with the “official” brew descriptions of the BJCP, which are online here. Listen to these beer heavyweights, check out the BJCP descriptions they’re referencing, taste some of the beer, and then see what you think. That’s the scientific method as applied to this show. This kind of audience involvement shows the power of radio and beer together. Taste and see. And tell your friends!

Visit our sponsor Victory House online for their latest viewing and menu options.

Brian Hunt describes the Moonlight beer called Wee Nibble that won a medal. His brewmaster Zach Greenwood wanted to make a Petit Saison which ended up winning.

Vinnie Cilurzo describes the beer that won a medal for Russian River Brewing Co. called Intinction.

Tyler Laverty describes the challenging business environment and the recent changes at Third Street Aleworks. They have had to close the restaurant and now they have popups providing food. Bayou On The Bay has taken up residency and he brought a Cajun Birria style taco, and the Cajun Cali Burrito, from their menu.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Moylan’s Brewery + Mother Road Brewing Co.

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 22:47:54 +0000

Dylan Prater of Mother Road Brewing Co.

Brendan Moylan, founder of Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant, Moylan’s Distilling and the now-closed Marin Brewing joins Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha. Peter Lopez is sitting in for Harry Duke today.

Mother Road Brewing Co. of Flagstaff, AZ

Harry Duke, finishing his interstate tour this week, is calling in from Flagstaff, Arizona with Dylan Prater on the line, who is the manager of Mother Road Brewing Company in Flagstaff. John Steinbeck called Route 66 The Mother Road in The Grapes of Wrath. In November Mother Road Brewing Co. will celebrate their 11th anniversary. Their two core beers are the Tower Station IPA, the number one selling independently owned IPA in the state, and the other is Conserve and Protect Golden Ale. A portion of its proceeds go to the Arizona Game and Fish Dept. The taproom in Flagstaff is also the original brewery, although they also brew beer in another nearby location. Dylan describes their quest to provide “radical hospitality” to make it a place you will want to visit.

Brendan Moylan

He started the first brewery after attending St. Mary’s College. “I just knew I wasn’t going to be an accountant and I had to have a plan.” He was one of the founders of Marin Brewing Company in 1989 when there were only 25 breweries in California. Today there are thousands. Today he has Moylan’s Brewery. They are located in Novato right off the 101. One of their signature beers is a Scotch Ale. Beers from Scotland will be light on the hops. Moylan’s Distillery opened in 2003/2004. They are located behind the Buckhorn in Petaluma. Their whiskey has won many awards.

Moylan’s Brewery with Brendan Moylan

Moylan’s is huge inside and has a menu with things like a half-pound hamburger, an epic corned-beef Reuben sandwich, bangers and mash with a lot of mash, fish and chips and all kinds of pizzas and salads. Marin Brewing Co. used to have a lot of beers on tap and Moylan’s also has a lot, they have 12 on tap now. They just installed a 2000-pound mill on the second floor. Marin Brewing Co. had a 32-year run.

Herlinda mentions that Anchor’s Liberty Ale was the first IPA, they just didn’t call it that. Brendan mentions that the youngest beer consumers today are interested in having a constant rotation of new beers. Moylan’s has an active Facebook and Instagram, and they are open 7 days a week until 9pm. They plan to bring back live music next year.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Bear Republic, Grace Bros. plus Tara Nurin & Harry Duke

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 23:28:06 +0000

Richard Norgrove and Josh Grace

Bear Republic brewer Richard Norgrove and Josh Grace of Grace Bros. Brewing join Herlinda Heras in studio. Peter Lopez is sitting in for Harry Duke who will call in later and Tara Nurin will also call in to talk about the award her book just won. Tara Nurin was a guest on Brew Ha Ha on this episode of October 21, 2021, and talked about her book.

First, Tara Nurin calls in to talk about about her book about women in brewing winning an award. Tara has been on Brew Ha Ha many times including this October 21, 2021 episode where she described the recently published “The Woman’s Place Is In The Brewhouse.” The book has just won the first prize from the North American Guild of Beer Writers. She really likes hearing stories from readers who identify with the many successful women in brewing. It was also a great experience to do the research interviews and meet a lot of her heroes. Tara has some stories coming out on the Food Network website too.

Richard and Josh tell the origin story of the Grace Bros. Beer, which was making beer in the early 1900s. He works in the business of buying and selling wineries, which often includes trademarks. In the course of another business deal, he found the Grace Bros. Beer trademark was available. He describes the process of recovering the trademark, which is on the beer that they are tasting today. Grace Bros. was one of the largest breweries 100 and more years ago, in Sonoma County. They stopped making beer in the 1960s and now they are relaunching the beer with Bear Republic. A portion of the profits go to the historical society and to veteran’s assistance.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Russian River Hop Time Harvest Ale made with 100% Sonoma County hops and barley, and malt from Admiral Malting. They are canning it now at Russian River Brewing Co.

Where the Hell is Harry?

Harry Duke is calling in for an installment of “Where the Hell is Harry?” this time from Flatonia, Texas, which is between San Antonio and Houston. He was at the Alamo earlier and posted pictures on The Drive’s face book page and ended up at the oldest saloon in Texas, The Buckhorn, in San Antonio. When he asked for a local beer he had one called Texican from Blue Star Brewing Co. of San Antonio, a light Mexican style lager, which was perfect for the hot weather there. Harry describes seeking out Classic Rock stations while driving across the southwest. At one point, at night, doing 80 MPH (the speed limit there) Freebird came on… And gas is $2.85 a gallon, but the tradeoff is, you’ve got to be in Texas.

Grace Bros. Beer

They had a big release party for the new Grace Bros. beer. They sold out in the first day. The beer is a classic, light easy-drinking beer (under 5%), as it was originally. They tried to imitate the ingredients and process and they got to experiment as home brewers in order to get the recipe right. Grace Bros. started brewing in 1897 and apart from Prohibition, it was idle from 1953 to 1958, then again until 1967. But in the heyday of the 1940s, when it was most popular, this was the beer. They were careful to use just the right hops, which is California Cluster. It’s a Bavarian type lager, even if in those days, it was basically just called beer. The pub is in Rhonhert Park on Roberts Lake Road and the beer is on tap. They might release it in Spring or earlier in Summer next year.

Harmonic Brewing founder Ed Gobbo

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 22:22:49 +0000

Harmonic Brewing co-founder and brewmaster Ed Gobbo is our guest today on Brew Ha Ha with Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras. He begins by telling how three buddies started Harmonic Brewing. Ed was a chemical engineer for a pharma company and his two friends worked in Internet advertising. They were making beer for a party of 100 friends and the whole thing just took off from there. The brewery is located in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco, and also in Thrive City at the Chase Center, where the Golden State Warriors play. They make a full range of beers, but mainly, what they love to drink. For example, the Mexicali lager is lightly hopped, with Mazueca hops which have a hint of lime.

How Local Is That?

They look at themselves as a community brewery. Harmonic Brewing got in touch with the Warriors because they are tied into the community. They did a lot of community events together and then were invited to a location in the stadium. They also use malt from Admiral Malting in Oakland.

The name Harmonic brewing comes from the partners’ love of music, they are also musicians who play together. The brewery “the mother ship” in Dogpatch has a different food truck every day, Tuesday through Sunday. That is dog friendly, they do not have a kitchen. In the Chase Center with the great view, it’s service animals only.

Harmonic Brewing’s Dogpatch taproom is located at 1050 26th St., San Francisco, CA. Tuesday 4-8, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 3-9 and Saturday noon-9 and Sunday 12-6.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

They were looking for a location all over the city but the Dogpatch location seemed the most ideal. It is industrial and is attached to a metal shop. They built all the metal furniture there too, and the metal tap handles. The community is awesome. There is an active neighborhood association and everyone knows everyone else. Since they moved in they have found the neighborhood to be fertile ground for collaborations with like-minded brewers. Their setup at Thrive City in the Chase Center is made to handle high traffic in short bursts.

Samplings of Harmonic Brewing

Ed has brought some different Harmonic Brewing products, including the ones in the picture above. They also use malt from Admiral Malting which uses a specially developed strain of barley that grows in California. They personally convinced some farmers to grow a strain of barley with a lower protein, for the brewers. The result is very flavorful beers, like this one called Yeast of Burton.

You Love to “C” It uses 100% Citra hops. They are also proud of the Dogpatch water, which comes straight from Yosemite via the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct, and is very clean and pure tasting.

Ed’s family is from Istria, in Italy, near Croatia. His parents are from Croatia and his family also has an Italian palette that comes from all the Italian foods like mozzarella and prosciutto that they make.

There is a San Francisco festival called Brews On The Bay, and it is Ed’s favorite festival. It is held on a former warship. The breweries set up on the ship and they enjoy a view of the bay and the city.

Alex Barlow of Triple Point Brewing

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:15:19 +0000

Triple Point Brewing founder Alex Barlow joins Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Alex has been a judge with Herlinda at some international beer competitions. One of his beers won at the Portuguese competition where Herlinda was a judge earlier this year. Triple Point Brewing is still fairly young. It is the successor to another brewery which didn’t make the cut financially but which was successful otherwise, including a good location and good partners. Alex also ran a beer sommelier school in England. He worked for Bass for 18 years and did consulting for 14 years doing beer education and training.

Herlinda and Alex were in the middle of judging a beer competition together when the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing reached them. He says it felt strange to be away when it happened and they all shared a toast to her memory. Triple Point Brewing is located in Sheffield, which has a population of 660,000, 20 breweries and a student population of about 60,000. It is surrounded by countryside and there is cycling and climbing all around Sheffield, in Yorkshire.

They focus on Lagers and the new style hoppy pales. Alex also likes the west coast pale ales and IPAs so they make some of those too. Their biggest selling beer is the Hellas Lager. They have a Fest Beer ready for Octoberfest, with Bavarian hops. He compares it to toast with marmalade on it. Anyone could enter at the Iberian Beer Awards, and he did enter and win, but with a different brew.

Russian River Brewing Co. is open in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more info.

Herlinda has opened a Grape Ale from Dos Corvos in Portugal. This is the style that won in Iberia, but the brewery is from Poland, which was surprising. Alex likes being able to make good tasting beer by experimenting with ingredients. There are three different ways to make Grape Ale. One is aging beer in wine casks, which is fairly common. More recently people use wine must and age beer on that. Otherwise, they mix grape juice with the beer wort and then ferment them together. That third one is Herlinda’s favorite way. You can combine those techniques too.

Juncture Taproom plus Parliament Brewing

Thu, 8 Sep 2022 22:46:00 +0000

Peter Lopez and Adam Bosch

Juncture Taproom owner Peter Lopez and Adam Bosch of Parliament Brewing in Rhonert Park join Harry Duke in studio on Brew Ha Ha today. Peter Lopez reports that they are still alive! His gratitude goes to the neighborhood regulars and his staff. Half of his original staff is still with him. Junture Taproom and Lounge is located at the corner of Mission and Montgomery in Santa Rosa. They have 3500 square feet inside and a huge patio that overlooks Santa Rosa Creek. They have a large projection screen with surround sound. It’s a great place to watch a game. The menu is simple but tasty. They have 20 beers in rotation on tap, including several popular ones from Parliament Brewing.

Parliament Brewing in Rhonert Park is a family operation. Adam Bosch runs the tasting room and does sales and distribution, his father Alan mainly does the books and his brother Justin brews the beer. There are always new projects with a new business. He found that they had to start distributing beer in cans, which is growing. They also provide more beers in kegs for bars and restaurants. Their tasting room in Rhonert Park is located just south of the Costco. They have outdoor seating and plans to build more, to be able to hold up to 200 people. They have food trucks, including Tacos San Juan, Buns Only, Camacho, War Pigs, Lila’s Streetside Eats. Tuesdays is Trivia Night with Tacos San Juan and the other food trucks are in rotation, so not on the same day of the week.

Juncture Taproom’s rotation usually has 2 taps each for cider, sours, barrel aged beers, old-world pilsners and lagers, and seasonals. In the winter they may have more Stouts and Porters and in the summer time, more Hefeweizens and Pilsners or Lagers.

Kaleidoscope

They taste Kaleidoscope, a hazy IPA that is Parliament Brewing’s flagship brew. Peter says it’s so good that they keep it on tap at Juncture Taproom Adam’s brother Justin discovered brewing science in college and invited him to to California to work with him. He is happy with the career choice. Kaleidoscope, at 6.9% AVB, it will not overwhelm you to have more than one. They made the recipe together, Adam chose the ingredients and Justin is in charge of the process. The name Parliament refers to a group noun sometimes used for owls and also for a community of people who collaborate. Kaleidoscope is considered to refer to butterflies (see the can art).

More Parliament Brewing Tastings

The second beer is a west coast IPA called Smosaic, which is a portmanteau of the names of the two kinds of hops used to make it, which are Simcoe and Mosaic. The AVB is 7.2%, it is more clean, piney, citrusy, the standard west coast IPA. It is balanced and the bitterness is not too strong.

The third beer is called “Seven and Citra” made with Idaho 7 hops and Citra hops. It is more bitter, well-hopped, and at 7.8% Adam calls it the bigger brother of Kaleidescope.

There are a lot of local stores in Sonoma County where they are available in cans and on draft in some. They also make a smoothie style kettle sour, with fruit added, they have Pilsners, as well as Stouts and others.