One of the more interesting beer stories I've written....now in the Spring issue of Edible Silicon Valley

Damien Fagen and Jesse Friedman of Almanac Beer
(Almanac Beer photo)

One of the best things about writing about brewing is that most beers have a story behind them. Thankfully, I got to write about a beer with one of the more interesting back stories. A San Jose non-profit called Garden to Table goes around to picking fruit from private property owners that would otherwise go to waste. Almanac Beer uses some of this local fruit for their Valley of the Heart's Delight sour ale. It's shows how a local, untapped food resource can be taking by forward thinking individuals and transformed into something special and unique.

I want to thank Zach Lewis of Garden to Table and Jesse Friedman of Almanac Beer for their time and assistance with the story, and of course, thank my editor Kerri Stenson of Edible Silicon Valley for her enthusiasm. I think it's one of the best article I've published, and you can read it now in the Spring issue of Edible Silicon Valley right here:  The Valley of the Heart's Delight is Still Bearing Fruit

Santa Clara Valley Brewing in Edible Silicon Valley

Tom Clark (left) and Steve Donohue (right) of Santa Clara Valley Brewing

It's a short piece, but now Silicon Valley foodies have been introduced to Santa Clara Valley Brewing in Edible Silicon Valley magazine. Both Santa Clara Valley Brewing's Tom Clark and Steve Donohue were fun and engaging to work with for the article.  You can read the online version here.

Clandestine Brewing in Edible Silicon Valley

Clandestine Brewing

posed one of the more challenging breweries to write about. Most breweries have just one brewmaster, a standard line-up of maybe 5-6 beers, and it's own history.  Clandestine has four brewers, numerous beers in a constantly changing line-up, and it's own intriguing history. Add that all four brewers bring their unique stamp to the place and that Clandenstine is part of the recently developing South Bay Brewing scene and it was particularly difficult to parse all that rich material into something under 1,000 words.  The result, which I'm proud of, but doesn't due the brewery justice, is in the current print version of Edible Silicon Valley, and here is a link to the online version. 

Fleeting Images of Clandestine Brewing

Before sharing a few pictures I took at Clandestine Brewing, I want to thank them all for their time and cooperation for an article I wrote on the past, present and future of the new brewery to be included in the next issue of Edible Silicon Valley. I spent some on Saturday morning with dWiGhT Mulcahy (yes, that's how he capitalizes his first name) as he brewed a Kolsch, and then the next day on Sunday with Rob Conticello and Colin Kelly as they brewed a Belgian Wit. They provided a lot of great material to tell the story of one the Bay Area brewing scene's most intriguing and unique new breweries.

Dan Gordon talks about 25 years at Gordon Biersch in Edible Silicon Valley

One of the many things I did this summer was interview Dan Gordon for an article published in the current issue of Edible Silicon Valley.   I'm especially appreciative of Dan Gordon's time in discussing his 25 years at Gordon Biersch and personally showing me around his brewery.   The result is what I think is one of the best things I've written in my brief part time writing career.  You can read the article online here.

How California's Drought is Affecting the Region's Breweries in Adventure Sports Journal

The article I wrote for Adventure Sports Journal on how California's Drought is affecting the region's breweries is out.  You can read it online on the Adventure Sports Journal website.  It's been a busy month for "real" writing, as I've finished up an article on Gordon Biersch for Edible Silicon Valley for the upcoming fall issue.  Nice to know someone besides my mom actually reads the stuff I write.

"Strike Brewery Pitches Local Beer in San Jose" in Edible Silicon Valley

Strike CEO Jenny Lewis and Brewmaster Drew Ehrlich in an empty
corner that not too long from now will be their brewery

As the local Silicon Valley foodie culture sits up and takes notice of the small yet thriving craft beer scene in the South Bay, hopefully I've given them a little push with an article I wrote for Edible Silicon Valley on Strike Brewing's pending brewery opening.  The full version is in the print version as well as a digital version on the Edible Silicon Valley website, and a abbreviated can be found here.