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INDEX 2007

• Copper Bar Installed

Archive Index:  Past releases and stories from AVBC

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Designs, Handmakes And Installs Their New Copper Bar

Boonville, CA, December, 2007 After several months of preparation, our long-awaited bar is now completed and installed in the AVBC Visitor's Center. The bar was custom made by AVBC employees to fit the space it occupies and compliments the four copper kettles acquired back in 1999. A little background on the bar components: The copper plate comprising the top was brought to Boonville in fall of '95 from Germany by Dr. Kenneth Allen, his son Loren Allen, and Rod DeWitt, along with other pieces from which the present brew house was built. This plate was originally the sides of these brew kettles, which were re-fitted with state of the art stainless steel bottoms and calandrias with the help of Huppmann GmbH, the original manufacturer of the brew house equipment. The brewhouse retains the original hand hammered copper tops and trim and the stainless steel upgrade is not visible except through the kettle doors. The curved side plates were rolled flat, edges squared up, then formed into the bar top. Another use of this copper plate can be seen as countertops in the brewhouse. The wooden fascia is native Anderson Valley black oak harvested by Dr. Allen at his ranch on Hwy 253 in the hills between Boonville and Ukiah. The oak was milled into slabs, cured for a few years, and resawn into the beautiful paneling that highlights the vertical surfaces of the bar. A clear finish was all that was needed to bring out and accent the wood's grain. A steel framework supports the bar. Incorporated within the framework is a refrigerated keg-box intended to keep hand-made cask conditioned ales to be dispensed by a traditional hand-drawn beer engine. Shelving, coat hooks, and electrical outlets complete the assembly. The unique design of the bar is a result of the collaboration of Allen, owner; Rod DeWitt, plant engineer; Jim Wellington, all around genius; and with input from the Brewing and Visitor Center staff . The next phase will be to build the taps, which will be suspended from the ceiling above the bar, and using more of the vintage German copper piping and parts. Stay tuned!!