Super Secret Sect Meets in Boonville for the Immaculate Concoction.
If you know about the small, secluded nook of Anderson Valley at all, you know it for either its world-class beers or unspoiled natural beauty. But there is another side to the Anderson Valley, one of diligence, dedication, and somber reflection. This side of the valley is rarely seen by most visitors and is little know to many of the locals. There is amongst the rolling hills and towering redwood trees a quiet group of dedicated men and women that have pledged their lives to the betterment of mankind’s existence on this lonely, blue planet. This is the Anderson Valley Society for the Study, Proliferation and Advancement of Small Scale Monastic Brewing Sciences and Technology (AVSSPASSMBST). This reclusive group of stalwart perquisitors of knowledge gather but infrequently. One such assembly occurred on a recent near-spring-like weekend in the hamlet of Boonville. This aggregation of socii was to formulate and then execute the brewing of one of the most difficult and dangerous beer styles on earth, that of the really humongous Belgian Double. What follows is a photo essay of this mysterious society’s creative endeavors.
The release party will be held Saturday, April 28th, at Toronado, 547 Haight Street, in San Francisco, from 4-8 pm.
5 th Annual Legendary Boonville Beer Festival Announced For April 21 st
Boonters (local residents of Anderson Valley) and beer aficionados agree that the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival is … well, simply put, "the bahlest steinber hornin’, chiggrul gormin’, frattey seepin’ tidrick in the heelch of the Boont Region", or anywhere else for that matter. We’re harpin’ about the upcoming 5th Annual Legendary Boonville Beer Festival , of course, and it’s scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 21 st at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in beautiful, downtown Boonville. Fifty craft breweries are expected to be on hand to pour their excellent brews for an appreciative crowd of over 1,000 knowledgeable beer and ale fanciers. Plenty of good food and soft drinks will be available and, musical entertainment will be provided by local legends "The Bleeding Blues Band", with AVBC’s Chief Maintenance Engineer Rod "Don’t Quit Your Day Job" DeWitt on drums. Also scheduled are legends in their own minds, "The Rolling Boil Blues Band" anchored by Celebrator Beer News publisher Tom Dalldorf and other industry stalwarts. We’ve also invited back Greg Schindel, "The Train Singer," who was such a hit at last year’s Boonville Beer Festival with his acoustic guitar, train conductor’s uniform, and repertoire of railroad-themed songs. Greg will be strolling the grounds and serenading beer sippers during interludes on the big stage.
AVBC Expands Production Capacity
April 4, 2001 – Boonville, CA – Due to the popularity of their Poleeko Pale Ale and other brands Anderson Valley Brewing Company has had to add additional fermentation capacity. The makers of the legendary Boonville Beers have purchased three new 100 barrel fermenters to meet the additional demand. This addition comes close on the heals of the installation of their new 100 barrel cooper brewhouse late last year. These new fermenter will give Anderson Valley about 20 percent more capacity. Brewery President, Ken Allen explains "when we brought the Poleeko Pale ale out in six packs last year we knew that we would see an increase in sales, but the response has been phenomenal, people just love it." The new tank will be put into service in time to supply beer for the busy spring and summer months.
AVBC Retires a Bit of Brewing History
April 4, 2001 – Boonville, CA – After more than 13 years of dutiful service, Anderson Valley Brewing Company is retiring its original bottling machine. The 1946 Liquid Carbonics 12 head filler was purchased from Sprecher Brewery in Milwaukee in 1988. The Liquid Carbonics machine was originally set up to fill 12 ounce soda bottles, but AVBC retooled it to fill 22 ounce bottles. Anderson Valley was one of the first American micro-breweries to sell beer in the 22 ounce package. The 22 ounce package size was a hot item in the 1990s, but sales in that category have slowed some in recent years. "The six pack is a larger percentage of our sales now, but the 22 ounce is a nice package and it still does very well for us," says President Dr. Ken Allen. So much so that Anderson Valley Brewing has purchased a "new" 1978 Crown, Cork and Seal Uniblend 28 head rotary filler. Dr. Allen points out that "our old filler served us well, I kind of hate to see it go, but this new Uniblend filler does more bottles with fewer people and less oxygen pick up – this will help keep our shelf price stable and make the beer fresher for the consumer." The old Liquid Carbonics filler will most likely go to Ukiah Brewing Company or another small scale bottling operation in the area.