Dan has an extraordinary brewing pedigree. He shoveled out his first mash tun in 1979 at the age of 18, in Helena, Montana, while earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science at UC Davis. Dan was Valedictorian of the Siebel Institute Course in Brewing Science and served his apprenticeship at the Ayinger Brewery nr Munich. In 1992 he became the first American since 1978 to pass the Master Brewer Examination of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London. He then spent time as an engineer for brewery manufacturer JV Northwest where he built or consulted on the breweries for many of the 1980s craft-beer pioneers.

He has also been a Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. Dan won the Association of Brewers 2003 “Small Brewer of the Year” Award, the 2005 and 2006 “Mid-Size Brewer of the Year” Awards as well as the 2006 Russell Schehrer Award for Innovations in Brewing.

New Glarus Brewing Company brewed their first beer in October 1993. The brewery began in an abandoned warehouse with used brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan removed a copper kettles from a brewery in Germany that was slated to be demolished. When the retiring brew master learned his beloved brew kettle might live on, he sold all of his equipment to the Carey’s for its scrap value alone.

In May 2006, New Glarus Brewing Company broke ground on a new $21 million facility on a hilltop on the south edge of the village of New Glarus, Wisconsin. The new 75,000 sq. ft. facility increased production to 100,000 barrels. The new facility was designed to look like a Bavarian village and is also now a popular tourist destination. They are now rated as the 21st largest craft brewer and 32nd largest overall brewing company in the U.S.A.

New Glarus produce a spectrum of beer styles that have garnered the acclaim of the international brewing community. Perhaps most notable of New Glarus’ repertoire are the Belgian and Germanic beers that add to the rich European heritage of the area. The brewery’s Wisconsin Belgian Red is a tart and sweet Kriekbier brewed with whole Montmorency cherries, Wisconsin wheat, and Belgian roasted barleys. The household standard though is Spotted Cow, a session-able farmhouse ale brewed with flaked barley and Wisconsin malt. With a sweet, crisp flavor profile, this brew is today Wisconsin’s #2 most consumed draught beer behind Miller Lite!

Dan Carey

Spotted Cows

Another vote for Pliny

The Perfect Landlord

The Beers

Dan, which five beers will you be taking with you?

1. New Glarus Spotted Cow (USA – 5.1%)
   “Simply tastes good. I love it on hot summer days from an ice cold mug.”
2. Augustiner Helles (Germany – 52%)
   “Brilliant, golden and effervescent. Smells like noble hops and malt but is not too bitter. Easy drinking. Goes great with pretzels!”
3. Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn – Schneider Weisse Original (Germany – 5.4%)
   “Should be on everybody’s list. I first drank it as an apprentice brewer near Munich in the mid 1980’s. Enough said!”
4. Russian River’s Pliny the Elder (USA – 8.0%)
   ““So balanced! Malty, aromatic and bracingly bitter. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the marriage of Czech Pils and American DIPA. Vinnie is a genius!”
5. Timothy Taylor Landlord (UK – 4.3%)
   “This beer shows the greatness of England. Sometimes you Brits forget what you have!”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“Spotted Cow, of course. I have devoted by career to this marriage of drinkability and flavor.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“Wiener Schnitzel and fried potatoes with Augustiner Helles – with a fresh Pretzel. Wisconsin Bratwurst, sauerkraut, brown mustard with Spotted Cow and my wife’s home made spaghetti and garlic bread with a bottle of Chianti. Sorry, there’s more to life than beer!”

(Dan, that’s three meals but we will let you off, seeing they are beer and food matchings!! Just this once)

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

1. The Technology of Brewing and Malting by W. Kunze
2. Brewing Yeast and Fermentation by C. Boultan and D. Quain
3. The Bible sounds like a real winner!
4. The Toyota Way by Liker

And a non-beery book?

“The Hobbit.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Neil Young’s Decade.”

(And that’s two albums!)

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“A Hot Shower, one of man’s greatest inventions and a really cold refrigerator for my Spotted Cow.”

Cheers Dan! For more information on New Glarus’s beers see their website.
Have you tried Dan’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.
This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our Desert Island Beers series.

Born and bred in Leeds, Leigh has been writing about beer and food on his blog, The Good Stuff, since 2005, which makes him one of the longest serving food and beer bloggers in Yorkshire. And he sure knows his stuff.

Leigh Linley of The Good Stuff

In conjunction with Dough Bistro (and soon also the famous Beer Ritz beer shop in Leeds) Leigh hosts beer and food evenings, as well as contributing to Leeds CAMRA’s Full Measure magazine and editing the ‘Tavern Tales’ section of Culture Vulture, which looks at pubs and pub Life rather than the beer in the glass.

Having witnessed Leigh once get on a train to Leeds only to realise it was actually a train to Sheffield, we can attest to the fact he’s a solid drinking companion (that’s what a Twissup session will do to a man!).

When not drinking and writing about beer and circumnavigating Yorkshire’s railways he writes fiction, watches Leeds United (through his fingers) and causes minor havoc on the streets of Leeds with his border terrier, Wilson.

The Beers

So Leigh, which five beers will you be taking with you?

1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (U.S.A – 5.6%).
   “My gateway beer, as it happens. From this one American icon my obsession with beer – enough to make me want to do as much as I can to help the industry – was birthed. It still tastes so good today, although Torpedo takes some beating. For me, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, and it’s a taste that still hasn’t been replicated.”
2. Magic Rock Brewing Co. Human Cannonball (Huddersfield, U.K. – 9.2%)
   “For my stronger beer, Human Cannonball just fits the bill so perfectly at the moment. My current obsession, Human Cannonball hides the ABV so well amongst all that sweetness, but the bitter finish makes it so finely poised. Ruinously drinkable.”
3. Rooster’s Wild Mule (Knaresborough U.K. – 3.9%)
   “For a refreshing taste of home in the desert heat.”
4. Buxton Brewery Co. Black Rocks (Buxton U.K. – 5.5%)
   “One of the best – if not the best – Black IPA I’ve ever tasted. Wonderful stuff.”
5. Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (U.S.A. – 10.0%)
   “Another beer that I think still has no serious rival. And it satisfies my sweet tooth.

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“At the moment, Human Cannonball, for the reasons above. But Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the one closest to my heart; we have a long history.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“Now this is a difficult question… seeing as though it’s a Desert Island, I’m going to plump for a simple Fruit De Mer platter of fried whitebait, small fish, prawns, octopus and squid – and I’ll have Lemon wedges too. This meal is my default when I’m on holiday, and there’s nothing better for finger food that tastes so good. Plenty of salt, plenty of lemon – enough to make your lips tingle – and the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – is hard to beat, in my eyes!””

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Beer (edited by Michael Jackson, 2007). Who’d have thought this little ‘beginner’s guide’, published by Dorling Kindersley, would cram so much great information within it? I got this when I started to get into beer seriously and constantly refer to it to this day. Food matching, Countries of Origin, Tasting Notes; it’s all here. I love my well-thumbed copy – simple it is, but it’s awesome.

Travels with Barley (Ken Wells, 2004). What I like about this book is that it’s just as much about context, people, and drinking culture in the US as it is about beer. Ken sets out to find ‘The Perfect Pint’, and with him we understand that it’s not what’s in the glass – but who you are with or where you are – that make it so.”

And a non-beery book?

“The Bear Comes Home” by Rafi Zabor. I bought this years ago in a charity shop solely because of the cover, and am so glad I did. It’s about a Bear (that’s right) who plays Sax in a jazz band. It chronicles a period in his life, his relationships and the right to play his music, but is so much more than that. Although he’s a bear, he’s often the most human character in the book, and after the first chapter you forget he’s a bear. It’s just a great, deep book. I love it.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. A cliché, I know, but I have so many fond memories of this as a child (my parents loved the Mac), and as I grew up and looked into it more, I began to understand the maelstrom of complex emotions within. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to record that music under the personal turmoil the band were in; but it just sounds so good! It’s perfect.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Without a doubt – a hot shower.”

Big thanks to Leigh, and here’s to a pint at Elland Road soon (once you’re off the island of course). Look out for Leigh’s food and beer events, as well as his blog which is mouthwatering and inspirational in equal measure.
This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

When asked how he got started and why Maui, he says it was pretty simple — he loved good beer, was an investment consultant in California and came to Maui on a vacation and fell in love with the spirit of the island. From there it was simply figuring out how to be there. Being that there was nothing like Maui Brewing Co. in the state, he saw an opportunity.

Garrett Marrero Maui Brewing Hawaii

Garrett says there are clearly challenges to brewing in such a remote location, principally shipping; with fuel and utility costs constantly on the rise and insurance, labour, and taxes all substantially higher in Hawaii than anywhere else in the U.S.A. (other than possibly Alaska!!)

Garrett also chose cans instead of bottles. He says this was for several reasons principally he believes the can is a better vessel to protect beer! He says it’s not that canned beer is automatically better—the bottle, can, or keg, are merely vessels to transport the beverage, but that a poorly brewed beer is not going to get better by being in any one of those packages; but a can will protect high-quality beers better than a bottle. Also he is able to source cans locally as there is a can making plant on Maui and as big supporters of buying local and supporting local labour this was also an important factor.

The Beers

So Garrett, which five beers will you be taking with you?

1. Maui Brewing Co. Mana Wheat (Hawaii, U.S.A. – 5.5%)
   “I know I know…its one of mine, but it’s a great go-to beer for anytime of the day. The addition of Maui Gold Pineapple adds just a hint of fruit flavor and killer aroma. A beer for anytime of the day, especially in the heat!”
2. Brouwerij Girardin Gueuze Girardin 1882 (Belgium – 5.0%)
   “The first beer I had in Belgium and it has always stuck with me. Takes me back to Ghent and a meal of local salami, mustard, and cheese. Fond memories.”
3. Port Brewing Co. Pizza Port (Ocean Beach) Foam Ball (San Diego, U.S.A – N/A)
   “This is a lesser known beer, not packaged so maybe my island has growlers, but its brewed by Yiga at Ocean Beach Pizza Port, an English style Pale, very well-balanced and clean. The Port guys are good friends so again, good memories. I figure being stuck on an island you’d need memories to hang on to.”
4. Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose (Germany 4.6%)
   “Crazy beer, low alcohol, tart, slightly salty, coriander, refreshing and complex at the same time. Very unique and offers quite a bit of flavor to hold you over.”
5. Pabst Brewing Company Pabst Blu Ribbon (Illinois, U.S.A. – 4.7%)
   “Tall boys, sorry, I know you said beer, but I’m assuming the water might not be good to drink and PBR is probably the next best thing to stay hydrated, sometimes you just need water with a bit of alcohol. IF I was going to drink a domestic lager, this would likely be it.”

All hail the canned ale!

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“My Mana Wheat, it’s a labour of love and a project that we put a lot of time into to bring attention to the demise of local agriculture. Soft spot in my heart for her.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“I’m going to have to go with the Duck Tacos from Stone World Bistro paired with my Gueuze Girardin. Just awesome. Spicy, duck fat, and tart sweetness from the Gueuze.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“I’d take Brewing Up A Business by Sam Calgione. To stimulate all the things I’d be doing if I wasn’t stuck on a desert isle. And Brewmasters Table, Garrett Oliver. To dream about all the food and beer I’d be enjoying…if I again, wasn’t stuck on a desert isle.”

And a non-beery book?

“There are books that aren’t about beer? Kidding, I’ve been meaning to read a book that was recommended to me by a good friend, “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. Seems like a good time to catch up on this task!”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“That’s tough, I can’t take my iPod? If not, Bob Marley Legend.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Aah, that’s easy, my iPhone, and since I’m not likely to have reception, at least I’ll have a ton of music and Angry Birds to get me through the days”.

Amongst other beers, Garrett brews the deliciously Desert Island appropriate, CoCoNut Porter. Other Maui beers include Island Root Beer made with pure Maui cane sugar, Maui honey and Maui vanilla beans.
Thanks Garrett! For more information on Garrett and Maui’s beers visit Maui Brewing Co’s website. Mana Wheat is available in the UK through Ales By Mail.
This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

8 Wired was recently announced at The Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards as Champion Brewery for 2011. 8 Wired contract brew at Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim: contract brewed in the sense that 8 Wired does not own its own equipment but rent Renaissance Brewing’s. The beer is brewed by Søren, whose day job is a brewer for Renaissance.

For all non-Kiwi’s, No 8 Wire is a specific gauge of wire originally used for electric fencing. In New Zealand it’s use though is widespread, Kiwi’s having used it to fix just about anything. Over the years it has become a symbol of Kiwi ingenuity so Søren chose the name because he thought it fitted his company pretty well.

Soren Eriksen 8 Wired Brewing. Photo by Jed Sloane.

Søren has always been a big traveller and says he was always interested in the local beer, in which sense he was always a beer geek, but nonetheless by his own admission all he did was seek out the same style of bland lager with a different label. That began to change in 2005 when living with his now wife, Monique, in Perth, where he was finishing a master’s degree in biochemistry. They were frequent visitors to the Little Creatures brew pub in Fremantle when Søren started to realise there was a lot more to beer than the usual fizzy yellow stuff.

For Christmas that year, Monique bought him a Cooper’s homebrew kit: basically a plastic bucket, a can of malt extract and some yeast. He was hooked. After moving to New Zealand in 2006 he became more serious and got in to all-grain home brewing. However it wasn’t until 2008 his thoughts really took shape as along with Monique he did a road-trip through the USA and stopped by every brewpub they passed and that’s when he decided he wanted to give professional brewing a go.

In September 2008 he quit biochemistry – he was researching Kina (sea urchins) at the University of Auckland. The initial plan was to open a brewpub on the upper North Island and to get commercial experience they moved to Blenheim where Søren had landed a job with Renaissance Brewing Co. The plan was to stay for three months but years later they are still in Marlborough.

The Beers

So Søren what five beers will you be taking with you?

1. Russian River Brewing Co. Pliny the Elder (U.S.A – 8.0%)
   “The best IPA ever made and I love hops!”
2. Russian River Brewing Co. Consecration (U.S.A – 10.0%)
   “The best sour beer ever made and I love sour beers!”
3. 8 Wired Brewing Co. Batch 18 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (New Zealand – 12.5%)
   “The best Imperial Stout I have ever tasted, if I may be so modest.”
4. Ardbeg Distillery Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky -10 year old (Scotland – 46%)
   “Whisky is distilled beer right? This is my favorite of the mainstream malts and on my regular duty free shopping list.”
5. ???????????
   “After all that I’m gonna need something quaff-able. Maybe an Epic Pale Ale, Little Creatures Pale Ale or an Emersons Pils.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“Russian River Consecration. This is the most difficult beer to make of the selected and it is just perfect. It pushes the boundaries right to the edge but maintains perfect balance. A work of art and truly inspirational.”

Pliny the Elder Russian River

Russian River Consecration

Ardberg limited edition - Soren's Xmas Pressie!

8 Wired Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“I reckon I can catch my own fish on the island (which I would eat marinated raw, Pacific Island style) so I’d bring something a bit more sturdy: A great burger perhaps. Awesome but unpretentious.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Brewmasters Table. One of the best beer books I have ever read. Food and beer. Two of my favorite subjects. And The Bible. I’ve never read the real thing, the most published book of all times. I have to see what the fuss is all about.”

And a non-beery book?

“I used to read a lot but haven’t had time or interest lately. I like to read books that are entertaining but also have some grounds in reality and teach the reader something about life, science or history. A book by Dan Brown or Khaled Hosseini perhaps.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Only one? Pink Floyd The Wall. Hours of listening pleasure that also have a story to tell.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Apart from beer and food? Season 6 of Seinfeld. Best season of the best TV show ever made without contest.”

Thanks to Søren for stopping by our desert island (and for the pics from his interesting twitter feed!), we know he is busy!
Borrowing kit from Renaissance can’t always meet demand for 8 Wired’s beer so recently the most popular brew, HopWired, has been outsourced to Steam Brewing Company Brewing Co. 8 Wired currently export to the United States, Australia, Denmark and the UK (where the aforementioned Batch 18 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is available).

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

I asked Tony for a brief bio. and this was it!

For a bio I can only tell you a few things with any certainty…
1. I was born at a very early age…
2. I live in Point Reyes Station, CA, USA…
3. I started Lagunitas Brewing on my kitchen stove in 1993….
Anything that I might write down beyond this would be pure conjecture….

Chairs to you and yours!

Tony Magee
Sea Eeefukin Owe
Lagunitas Brewing
Petaluma, Lyydikandiiic, and the World

Anyway after some research I can tell you that Tony did indeed found Lagunitas in 1993 in Forest Knolls, California and moved it a year later to nearby Petaluma, when they quickly outgrew their original West Marin premises.

Tony Magee, Lagunitas Brewing

Lagunitas are best known for iconoclastic interpretations of traditional beer styles, and irreverent descriptive text and stories on their packaging. Their flagship, IPA, is consistently the best-selling IPA in the state of California and Lagunitas is one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the United States, increasing production from 27,000 barrels in 2004 to 106,000 barrels in 2010 when they were the second fasting growing brewery in the country, behind Dogfish Head. The brewery announced a $9.5 million expansion in 2011 which will increase brewing capacity to 600,000 barrels.

On a lot of the labels at Lagunitas, it says, “Beer speaks, people mumble.” Tony still does all the design and names all the beers, the slogans and stuff and describes himself as the point source for all these things.

A native of Chicago Tony played in a reggae band and worked in the printing industry for nearly a decade before he became addicted to home-brew and decided to share it with the world. He had been a musician back in Chicago, and not necessarily a successful musician, and was looking for something else to do for a living, and in 1987 he found an opportunity to sell printing for an L.A. firm in San Francisco. There he discovered Anchor Beer and then Sierra Nevada.

His little brother had bought him a home-brew kit for Christmas in ’92. He first brewed using it in February, ’93, and it was like a seizure; he was smitten and by December he had the brewery open. Lagunitas was named after the tiny town in Marin County where Tony lived at the time, north of San Francisco and that’s also how the dog ended up on the label; after Dogtown, the name of an extinct railroad stop also in Marin County.

Tony regularly gets out to the bars that serve his beers and still goes in and plays a couple of sets of acoustic blues on guitar. He says it gives him a way to meet people and he also enjoys performing again, and nobody ever asks him for a demo tape!

The brewery also hosts music events in its beer garden at its location on North McDowell Boulevard, but a new venture in recent months located on the side of the business, is an amphitheatre to cater for dedicated music fans. The amphitheatre evolved when the business was excavating for a new brew house foundation and had a lot of dirt that needed to be disposed of.

Tony explains that “This was the nearest, cheapest place to dump it, and once it started taking shape it evolved into the mini-amphitheatre.”

The Beers

So Tony, what five beers will you be taking with you?

1. Lagunitas Brewing Company – Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale (U.S.A. 9%)
2. Pabst Brewing Company – Pabst Blue Ribbon (U.S.A. 4.7%)
3. Brasserie Rochefort – Rochefort Trappistes 10 (Belgium 11.3%)
4. Hofbräuhaus Traunstein – Hofbräuhaus Traunstein Weissbier Dunkel (Germany 5.2%)
5. Anchor Brewing Co. Liberty Ale (U.S.A. – 5.9%)

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?
“I’m trying to picture a big beer board with every beer I could ever think of……the beer I wouldn’t want to live without would probably be the Liberty Ale from Anchor…. I would want this one above all others because drinking it is like drinking history.. a delicious swig of history.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“A soft mozzarella batann with a sage whisp, followed by contuzzi del corrazzo (no cucumber!), a lamb shank rotunde on a bed of Turkish risotto, ending with a romilarde of quint asparagus over a chocolate fundibulum… Yummo!”.

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“One, Hemingway’s ‘The Foam also Rises. Two, Friedrich Nietzsche’s ‘Nausea’.”

And non-berry? “John McPhee’s ‘Annals of the Former World’”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Brian Eno’s ‘Discrete Music”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“One high-quality paper clip.”

Thanks Tony, though we’re unclear as to what the paper clip is for?!?!

We’re working through Friedrich Nietzsche at the moment and finding that a bottle of Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball helps considerably! For more on Tony check out Lagunitas Brewing Co’s website. Or check out this clip in which Tony reviews the history of Lagunitas.

Have you tried Tony’s favourite beers? Let us know and again very many thanks to him for taking time out of his busy schedule to be our castaway for the week.

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

A great traveller, writer and adventurer Santa also loves his beer. Born in ancient Lycia, now Turkey, and originally christened St. Nicholas, Santa was originally a Roman Catholic bishop who helped the needy. The knowledge of his gift-giving has grown such that he has now become a legendary character and in his retirement he now brings Christmas presents to children around the world.

Santa was born around AD 280. He lost both his parents as a young man and then used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. He later served as bishop of Myra.

Several uncorroborated and clearly erroneous sources state St. Nicholas is believed to have died on December 6, 345A.D. but over the years, stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He was a popular saint in Europe until the time of the Reformation in the 1500s, but however, remained an important figure in Holland where the Dutch continued to celebrate the feast day of Saint Nicholas, December 6.

Dutch immigrants then took St. Nicholas or as he was then known, Sinter Klaas, with them to America in the 1700s. Eventually the nickname Sinter Klaas became Santa Claus and Santa finally adopted this name by deed poll and instead of giving gifts on December 6, decided to leave it for a few weeks and combine it with the New Year holiday and distribute gifts as part of the Christmas holiday. The rest as they say is history.

There is still some mystery about Santa as even those people who are sure he lives in Lapland are often unclear as to exactly where in the frozen North that is. Their vagueness is understandable, as the region of Lapland embraces Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia.

If you write a letter to “Santa Claus, Lapland” it will be delivered to a post office that sits astride the Arctic Circle just north of the town of Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, although I understand that Santa can now be emailed and is also known to have given his fax number to one or two children.

The Beers

So Santa after 25th December you’ll have plenty of time for drinking on our desert island, right? What five beers will you be taking with you?

1. Hartwall (Heineken) Lapin Kulta Joulu (Finland – 4.6%)
   “I guess my first choice would have to be Lapin Kulta, the beer from Lapland but no longer brewed here. It was originally brewed in the nearby fur-trading and gold-panning town of Tornio founded in 1873 by Torneå Bryggeri Aktiebolag (Tornio Brewery Limited Company). Tornio Brewery started to use the brand-name Lapin Kulta (“Lapp Gold”) in 1963. Since August, 2010 I think the beer has been brewed in the southern Finnish town of Lahti. I don’t often get out to the shops but if my elves can get it I do prefer the lightly malty, tawny-coloured Lapin Kulta Joulu”
2. Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier (Austria – 14%)
3. “My second choice has to be Samichlaus; it’s just great having a beer named after you which reminds me they have never got back to me about use of my name and copyright etc. I’ll chase it up. It’s extremely strong but I just love this creamy, peppery, warming, brandy, chestnut-coloured lager. It originated from a brewery founded in Zurich in 1836 by the Hurlimann family but in 1996, after Martin’s retirement, the brewery was acquired by a rival, Feldschlösschen, from the spa town of Rheinfelden, near Basel. It’s now brewed in Austria by under the licence of Feldschlösschen- Hürlimann-Holding, Switzerland.

   “It’s brewed just once a year on the anniversary of my supposed death, December 6 and then aged for 10 months before bottling and is perhaps the rarest beer in the world but I never have a problem getting a small supply! I prefer it with chocolates, especially Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate, I always keep a few boxes of that back for myself as well!”

4. Brasserie St. Feuillien St. Feuillien Cuvée De Noël (Belgium – 9.0%)
   “My third choice is St Feuillien Cuvée De Noël. Named after an Irish missionary, this strong ale has a deep, claret colour; a marzipan aroma and great flavours reminiscent of nuts, dates, lemon peel and cinnamon”.
5. Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs Abbaye des Rocs Spéciale Noël (Belgium – 9.0%)
   “My fourth choice is another strong Belgium beer, Abbaye des Rocs Spéciale Noël. Named after a former monastery in the same part of Belgium and produced in a tiny brewery established by a former tax inspector. I love this ale very fruity and port-like. Talking about tax did I mention about a letter I recently received from those bastards at the I.R.S. in America, where I am trying to establish non domicile tax status!”

   Greetings from the I.R.S.
   we have your tax form and it’s a mess.
   You lied on every other line,
   please re-submit or pay the fine.

   I see some things on your return
   that make me ask, what do you earn?
   Why do you think, that we’ll believe,
   that you only work on Christmas Eve?

   So you employ some elves and gnomes,
   and claim mileage to a billion homes.
   Then you put toys, beneath a tree,
   which you deduct because they’re free?

   From sliding down some chimney flue,
   you then deduct the laundry too?
   About the bills from all these vets,
   you can’t deduct for your reindeer pets.

   You claim you get a billion cards,
   and all without a postage charge.
   Your North Pole office rental rates,
   they must be paid within the states.

   So call your friendly C.P.A.
   They’ll do it right and make my day,
   and please believe that we’ll be friends,
   when you re-file and make amends.

   With apologies to Jeff Liebermann.”

6. Anchor Brewing Co. Anchor Merry Christmas (U.S.A. – 5.5%)
   “My final beer has to be Anchor Merry Christmas. I love this ruby creamy beer with its caramel, honey front, and mild spice notes; the brew provides a great way to welcome the month of December and the dark brown beer’s spicy and sweet scent makes me think Christmas has come early; shit talk about been confused!. They brew it and age it in large wood barrels and it is sold in both six-packs and magnum bottles. I’ll take it in one of the large wood barrels thanks.It goes great with Christmas and rum cake.

   The other reason for including this beer as one of my top five brews is that whenever I drink it I am immediately transported to that wonderful city, San Francisco, and that view from my sleigh above the Golden Gate Bridge. So if I found myself depressed or lonely on my island, a swig of this would also remind me of the many enjoyable Christmas Eve’s I have spent above this great city”.

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?
“ It would have to be Anchor Merry Christmas.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“That would have to be sliced smoked reindeer heart, with a tablespoon of grated horseradish, with whipped cream on full grain bread with parsley leaves, but for Christ’s sake don’t let Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blizten hear that I said that”.

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Beer by Michael Jackson as additional firewood and I think I better steer clear of religious tomes so I think I’d also take Santa Claus a Biography by Gerry Bowler. I have never read it but hopefully would find time on my Desert Island and I’m told it’s a dammed good read and he also makes me out as a pretty decent chap”.

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Easy – The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album 1964. I just love “Little Saint Nick” and “The Man with All the Toys” and of course “Christmas Day” with the lead vocals from Al Jardine– I don’t think I’d ever get tired of hearing this.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“A PlayStation 3 with a trolley load of Shoot ‘Em Up Games plus Grand Theft Auto 4; that would be great thanks”.

Merry Christmas everyone, and David at Allgates for calling in a few favours in Lapland. Thanks Santa!

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

In 1995, Rob founded Allagash Brewing Company and began his venture with the release of the award winning Allagash White, which is modeled after the traditional wit beers of Belgium. From a humble first year of 120 barrels Allagash now brew over 20,000 barrels of beer a year including barrel aged beers, four philanthropic beers and a selection that use Allagash’s own proprietary brettanomyces yeast strain.

The state-of-the-art brewery includes a coolship room, which has allowed Allagash to experiment with traditional, Belgian style spontaneous fermentation. Today, they continue to grow and remain committed to brewing inventive, high quality beers in the Belgian tradition. In 2010, Allagash brewed approximately 23,445 barrels of beer (726,795 gallons).

The Beers

Hi Rob, and welcome! You’re a big fan of Belgian brewing heritage, but which beers do you want to take to the desert island, and why?

1. Orval, Brasserie d’Orval (Belgium – 6.2%)
   “Orval. A classic example of Belgian brewing. The great yeast complexity, nice malt profile and an ever evolving flavor profile. One of a kind.”
2. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (California – 5.6 %)
   “Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Clean, hoppy and delicious. One of the most consistent craft beers brewed today..”
3. Allagash White (Maine, USA – 5.0%)
   “Allagash White (Belgian style wheat). I may die without it. A beer that continues to interest me after 17 years of drinking it. Quite a feat.”
4. Brooklyn Lager (Brooklyn, USA – 5.0% ABV)
   “Brooklyn Lager. Who wants to worry about broken glass on the beach. This is a great beer AND, it comes in a can.
5. Cantillon Gueuze (Brussels, Belgium – 5.0%)
   “It doesn’t get any more Belgian than this. I really admire their drive to continue brewing spontaneously fermented beers, even when no one wanted them.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“Allagash White, because no one understands how difficult it is to brew a consistent white beer, more than me. The complexity and drinkability keep me coming back.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“Spaghetti Bolognese.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

”Beer by Michael Jackson. The other bible.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Terrapin Station by The Dead.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“My guitar.”

Thanks Rob!

Rob Todd pouring Allagash White on tap at the Allagash Brewery

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

Having worked for Barnsley Brewery as Head Brewer for two years, Dave decided to go it alone, purchased a ten barrel brewplant from the Forester & Firkin brewpub in Stafford and moved it’s the edges of the town.

Following a lot of hard work by Dave and his assistant brewer Steve Bunting, and despite some initial set backs, the brewplant was commissioned and production of Acorn Brewery Barnsley Bitter began on 4th July 2003, using the same yeast strain as the original Barnsley Brewery, founded in the 1850′s.

The Beers

Hi Dave, thanks for holidaying on our desert island! So, which beers do you want to enjoy during your stay, and why?

1. Hawkshead Bitter, Hawkshead Brewery (Cumbria – 3.7%)
   “Best session beer outside Barnsley! Slovenian hops are a must in any brewery!<>li>
2. Yorkshire Terrier York Brewery (North Yorkshire, UK – 4.2 %)
   “We toasted our first ever brew with a bottle of Terrier.”
3. Batemans Dark Lord (Lincolnshire, UK – 5.0%)
   “Dark and very enjoyable!”
4. Osset Silver King (South Yorkshire – 4.3% ABV)
   “Fine example of a successful craft brewer, Ossett Brewery
5. Boddingtons Bitter (Lancashire – 3.5%)
   “Back in the 80s it was the beer that started my affair with real ale.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“Has to be Hawkshead Bitter. This brewery is a perfect example of how to grow a business, re-invest and succeed.”

Hawkshead Bitter by http://ralph-dot.blogspot.com/

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Definitely a last supper. Steak pudding, chips and gravy. Living in Barnsley they have never heard of this classic dish!

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

”It would have to be Garrett Oliver’s book as I was a chef before being a brewer and it may just relight my passion for cooking. And The Bible, it’s that long since I’ve read it I might just get the jist of it this time.”
And a non-beery, non-philosophical book, something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“Porterhouse Blue, Tom Sharp at his humorous best.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Rum, Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues. Shane McGowan at his best.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“All Blackpool FC programs from last season (Premier League!). I can never tire of reading them.”

Thanks Dave! Enjoy the desert island, it’s your pennance for Blackpool’s5 nil humiliation of our team at Elland Road this year! For more information on Acorn you can find their beers in many pubs and supermarkets, and online at http://www.acorn-brewery.co.uk/ (we recommend Gorlovka stout!)

Dave Hughes of Acorn Brewery

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

Steve started brewing with Bass in 1965 after spending 5 years at medical school in London trying to avoid becoming a doctor. Luckily for beer lovers Steve soon realised that “the problem with medicine is that you always tend to see the worst in people, whereas in brewing, the opposite is, in my view, the norm!”

Steve Wellington shows us around the old White Shield Brewery

A decade ago Steve rescued Worthington White Shield from potential oblivion and did enough to convince Molson Coors to let him plug away with one of England’s India pale ale love stories on ancient wooden and copper brewing kit in the tall red brick chambers of the White Shield Brewery at Burton.

“Brewing with a large company is not all brewing; I once asked why, when having spent a relatively short time doing what I loved (brewing), was I shuttled around in every other department including management services, export sales, technical services etc, etc, etc… The reply was fairly predictable – “It’s to make you a more rounded manager with experience of the whole company”. I guess I became a human resource when all I wanted to be was a brewer!”

“I mustn’t complain though since I have spent the last 17 years brewing in a small brewery, The William Worthington Brewery, within the major conglomerate, resurrecting beers that had become somewhat unfashionable, but to me and many others, sublime.”

Molson Coors didn’t stop there though, and when Steve’s beloved White Shield brewery had reached the end of its aged days, the brewing behemoth – against the usual tide of big beer companies – opted to built Steve a brand new microbrewery in listed buildings near the all new National Brewing Museum.

And here Steve continued to produce both new beers and beer recipes that hadn’t been seen for years until his retirement was announced earlier this year.

So Steve, with all this free time on your hands, you’ve plenty of time for drinking on our desert island, right? What five beers will you be taking with you?

The Beers

1. Worthington White Shield (UK – 5.6%)
   “I am allowed to take just one of my own and so please forgive my parochial choice for my all time favourite beer: Worthington White Shield, preferably in bottle since, being bottle conditioned, I don’t have to worry about shelf life. It has remained pretty much unchanged since appearing first in 1830. Consumed with ripe Stilton Cheese, there can be no finer combination. It is an India Pale Ale and Pete Brown, the acclaimed beer writer, sailed to India with a small cask of slightly higher gravity White Shield and wowed the Indians and expats with the well travelled cask. Interesting to relate that the cask sent by air in 24 hours was significantly inferior to the cask that spent 3 months on the high seas. For those who want to learn more, I highly recommend the book that described his adventures – Hops & Glory.”
2. St Feuillien Bier d’Abbaye (Belgium – 8.5%)
   “My second choice, also an ale, is St Feuillien Bier d’Abbaye from Brasserie St Feuillien, Le Roeulx, Belgium. It is an amazingly wonderful full bodied ale that I found myself drinking from 10.30 in the morning until 23.00 the same day without becoming inebriated nor having a hangover the morning after. I put this down to the skill and knowledge of the Brewmaster, Benoit, who I discovered I had met in Burton on Trent some 30 years previously.”
3. Singha (Thailand – 5%)
   “My third choice is a lager beer and has been very much influenced by my love of Thai food. Singha Beer from Boon Rawd brewery in Thailand just takes me back to that magical country every time I open a bottle. It is so fresh and complements the wonderful tastes of Thai food perfectly.”
4. Budweiser Budvar (Czech Republic – 5%)
   “My fourth choice is also a lager beer and in my view one of the great beers of the world: Budweiser Budvar (not the one from Florida by the way!). This is my beer of choice on a warm summer evening at a garden party if my host has managed to acquire some! The balance of taste is amazing and it is a beer that, if discontinued for any reason, I would have to question whether life was worth living any more.”
5. Guinness (Ireland – 4.1%)
   “My final beer has to be, arguably, the most recognized speciality beer in the world – Guinness. There are two reasons for including this iconic beer in my top five brews. Whenever this luscious liquid slides down my throat, I am immediately transported to that wonderful city of fun, Dublin. If I found myself depressed or lonely on my island, a gulp of the black stuff would remind me of the many enjoyable days and nights I have spent in that wonderful city of cities. Also, should I be lucky to find oysters, nothing else but Guinness would do!
   The other reason for choosing Guinness is that, should I be rescued by passing natives, no other beer would be as recognisable as a payment for rescue!”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“I think you’d guessed quite rightly: Worthington White Shield.”

St Feuillien makes an appearance at the Brussels beer festival

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why?

“I have already intimated my choice of food. A Thai meal would be heaven, even eaten every day; I doubt I would ever tire of the freshness, spiciness and healthiness of this greatest food on earth. On my island, I would have a good chance of harvesting some of the necessary tropical ingredients as well.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Having known Michael Jackson fairly well, I would choose his book, Beer, as an exercise on how to describe taste in words that actually brings the taste alive.

The Bible has been rammed down our throats since school consequently with so much time on my hands it might be interesting to study the Koran and find out what Islam is all about.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Beethovens Pastoral Symphony – I don’t think I’d ever get tired of hearing this.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“My Yamaha Tyros Keyboard (with generator I assume!) Who knows with all the time in the world, I may master it!”

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

Dave Sweeney of Bank Top Brewery

The Beers

Hi Dave! Which 5 beers (or ciders!) would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

1. Little Creatures Brewing Little Creatures Pale Ale (Australia – 5.2%)
   “Only found in bottles in this Country, but drank it on draught in Australia. Outstanding use of Australian Galaxy Hops.”
2. Fyne Ales Jarl (Scotland – 3.8%)
   “Great use of Citra Hops; tropical fruits in a glass!”
3. Bank Top Brewery Pavilion Pale Ale (Bolton – 4.5%)
   “I’ve got to agree with Brad from Lymestone Brewery, a great beer and it did help me get over Bolton’s Cup Final defeat against Stoke!”
4. Lindemens Kriek (Belgium – 3.5%)
   “They seem to have mastered fruit beers, all others fade into insignificance in comparison.”
5. Phoenix (Oak Brewing Company) White Monk (Heywood – 4.5%)
   “Tony Allen, a great brewer, I suspect Cascade hops used in abundance!”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?

“Little Creatures Pale Ale – memories in a bottle – whisked straight back to Australia!”

Little Creatures Pale Ale bottle

We weren't joking about the wrestling!

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why?

“Starter: Mushroom Soup, Main Course: Beef Wellington with roast potatoes and vegetables, Dessert: Rum and raisin ice cream, cheese and Biscuits. Just the best meal, basically a posh Wigan pie!”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“The Malt Stars of Warminster, by Robin Appel, and Michael Jackson’s Little Book of Beer”

And a non-beery, non-philosophical book, something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“Any Jeffery Deaver novel, especially the Bone Collector – also made a good film.”

The record

You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Hooty and The Blow Fish – Cracked Rear View – A fantastic album with outstanding lyrics, good for soul searching. Under rated album by an under rated band! Darius Ruckers’ vocal skills are soulful.”

The Luxury Item

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Golf Club(s) to improve my bunker play on the golden sands of the desert island.”

Thanks Dave! Bet you enjoyed a few pints exacting revenge over Bolton this season! For more on Bank Top visits http://www.banktopbrewery.com/

This article syndicated with All Gates Brewery blog as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.