RIP, Bob Ryan

I just found out that Bob Ryan, the former owner of Ryan's Beverage (now North Wales Beer) in North Wales, died about a month ago. His passing was probably not noted by many, but Bob had a very significant impact on my life: he bought my first piece of beer writing.

I was working at a small pharma company in Fort Washington at the time, late in 1993. My friend Tom Lawler walked into my office and tossed a piece of paper on my desk; it was a one-page, one-side newsletter from Ryan's Beverage (Tom lived about four blocks from there at the time). "You can do better than this," he said. I looked at it, and he was right, I could. So I did. I ran up a two-sided newsletter on a cheap desktop publishing suite I had (DOS-based, can you believe it?), a story on Saranac and Matt Brewing, put a snazzy masthead on it, and gave it to Tom. I had a cover letter that said, essentially, I'd like to do this for you. If you like this one, it's free; if you'd like more, I'll do them for $25.

Bob liked it. I wrote newsletters for Ryan's for seven years, and their craft and import business grew. I'll take a little credit for that, but mostly it was Bob's hustle (and the energy of his wife, Connie). Bob was always smiling, always thinking, and made the most of his little sidestreet space. I got up there fairly often; did tastings, did book signings once Pennsylvania Breweries came out, helped out with beer selection occasionally.

Finally, the newsletter got to be more work than it was worth for me as I got busier with better-paying gigs, and I had to tell Bob I couldn't do it anymore. That was after the shakeout in 1996, and the business was tougher. Eventually, Bob came to me and asked advice on what to do. I gave him the best thoughts I could, but he wound up selling (to a guy from my local beer store!). I heard from him occasionally after that, but with him out of the business...

Then this morning I got an email from Connie; she'd seen my name on LinkedIn, and wanted to let me know that Bob passed away last month, from Parkinson's. It's a sad moment. Bob, more than any other one person, is responsible for what I do now, for how I got here, for all the great experiences I've had, and for all the help I've been able to give to craft beer and rye whiskey.

Cheers, Bob! I hope you're getting a chance to rest.

Larry Mellisen: Go With God

Just found out yesterday that Larry Mellisen, an incredibly talented chef who worked wonders in the tiny kitchen at McMenamin's Tavern in Mt. Airy, died back in August from complications stemming from diabetes. I immediately e-mailed Rich Pawlak; Rich and I had hung out with Larry at the bar, and marveled over the dishes he put out of that little space.

I remember the first time I ate at McMenamin's. It was on my birthday, and Cathy and I had dressed up, barhopping around Philly: Manayunk Brewing, Michel Notredame's place, London Grill, and then I told her I wanted to go to McMenamin's for dinner, because PJ was now serving food. Okay, and we went, and...ate ham sandwiches with chips from a carving board at the end of the bar. They were damned good sandwiches, but I heard about that for a while: why did we get all get dressed up to go eat sandwiches in a damned bar?!

Two years later, I took her back, for my birthday. We had seafood risotto and squash blossom beggar's purses, and some kind of Golden Monkey bread pudding. Larry waved from the kitchen. And I said, so, how about that? We can come back here any time, she said. I wish we'd come back more often.

Rich has a great memory of Larry up at his blog. Have a look, and think of Larry the next time you have a great meal at a bar. Rich is right: he was ahead of his time.

Jeff Becker

I just got the news that Beer Institute CEO Jeff Becker died at home yesterday after a long fight with cancer. He was a great leader for the industry: he was energetic, optimistic, and not afraid to stand up to New Drys -- just yesterday I came across my notes from a Pennsylvania legislature hearing on underage drinking I attended in 2007; Jeff testified that we didn't need new laws so much as a new way of presenting moderate drinking to young adults, a policy I whole-heartedly agree with. Jeff Becker was smart, engaged, and honest, and he was not owned by any one part of the industry; exactly the kind of person the beer industry needed. He will be missed, greatly, both for his sincerely winning personality and for the good he did the industry.

There's a great interview Andy Crouch did with him here. I join Andy in thinking in sympathy of Jeff's family and friends, and so should we all. We lost one of the good guys.

Gary Bredbenner memorial at the Grey Lodge Tuesday night

Tomorrow night, August 18, the Grey Lodge is hosting a memorial service for Gary Bredbenner, who died way too young last month. The memorial service is for those who could not get to the funeral up in Danville.

Everyone who knew Gary is welcome. The memories begin at 6:30 in the upstairs bar. Nothing official, but I'd say dress in Phillies or Eagles gear, or your favorite beer shirt, and come thirsty for the hoppy beers Gary loved. We'll send him off into the Great Brewpub of the Beyond in proper style.

(Anyone know where the Hammer of Glory is? Can we borrow it?)

Bill Brand Died This Morning

San Francisco-area beer writer -- and journalist, and father, and husband -- Bill Brand died this morning from injuries in an accident two weeks ago. I never met Bill, though we had corresponded, but his writing was a mixture of passion and professionalism -- tempered with an adamantine intolerance for bullshit -- that shone through the midden of "beer writing" like a streak of gold. We'll miss him. My deep sympathies to his family, and commiseration with the beer community. Raise a glass tonight, folks.

Memorials: work to be done

We need to get to work.

Beer writers need to get a Michael Jackson memorial scholarship put together. We have several ideas; let's settle on one and implement.

The loss of Jay Misson is still raw, but we should grab things now and create his brewing memorial. Jay taught a huge number of people how to brew (and how to work, and how to play, and how to live): why not a lager brewing scholarship? Probably under way, but if not...let's coalesce, people.