Desert Island Beers #29 – Fal Allen

This week’s Desert Island Beers features Fal Allen the Brewmaster for Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Northern California. From 2000 to 2005, Fal worked as General Manager and Head of Production for Anderson Valley returning in 2010 as Brewmaster.

Between 2005 and 2010 Fal was the Brewmaster and brand ambassador for Archipelago Brewing Company in Singapore (a division of Asia Pacific Breweries). During that time he developed many new and unusual beers brewed with local South-East Asian spices and other ingredients.

Fal started brewing professionally in 1988 for Red Hook Brewery in Seattle and in 1990 moved downtown to Pike Place brewery where he was the head brewer for 8 years. In 1998 he was awarded the Brewer’s Association’s Russell Schehrer award for innovation and achievement in craft brewing.

He has spoken internationally on a range of brewing subjects from cask conditioned beers to QA/QC procedures, to brewery installation. He has been a beer judge at the Great American Beer Festival for the last 12 years and has judged several times at the World Beer Cup. He has also judged beer internationally in New Zealand, Singapore and Japan.

Fal’s writing credits include co-authoring the Brewer’s Association’s book on Barley Wine, a four part series on microbiology and lab procedures and more than 40 articles in periodicals including American Brewer, The New Brewer, Zymurgy, Master Brewer’s Technical Quarterly, The Malt Advocate, The Scandinavian Brewer’s Review and The Washington Law Review.

Fal holds degrees from both the University of Hawaii and the Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology

Fal Allen

A devilish beer choice

Anderson Valley

Eastern influence?

The Beers

So Fal which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

1. Duvel Moortgat Duvel (Belgium – 8.5%)
   “Clean, strong with a wonderful bready aroma and nicely effervescent – The perfect breakfast beer –a technical & flavor marvel.”.
2. Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Bahl Hornin’ Wee Geech Pale Ale (Draught) (U.S.A. – 4.4%)
   “A light pale (ABV of about 4.5) that is highly hopped (about 45 IBUs) that uses lemon grass to spice up the flavour. Delicious and easy to drink one after the other.”
3. Chimay Triple / Blanche (White) / Cinq Cents (Draught)(Belgium – 8.0%)
   “Delicious and creamy smooth with complex Belgian yeast flavours (and so easy to drink too many of).”
4. Cantillon Gueze (Belgium – 5.0%)
   “Wild, sour, funky and drinkable with flavors and aromas like no other beer. Barnyard!”
5. Bear Republic Brewing Co. Shadow Car Black IPA (also Draught)(U.S.A. – 7.8%)
   “This one covers the dark roast character and the hoppy hoppy twang. A well made beer; drinkable and very tasty.”

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

“I guess I regard the Duvel most highly for it’s flavour, power and technical might – but if I had to pick only one to drink it that would be a hard choice. It would be between the Duvel and the Wee Geech. I think that the Wee Geech might win out as it is spicy and hoppy and with the lower alcohol very easy to drink.”

The Meal

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

“Well, if I have all five of those beers would dinner really matter? But since you’re offering …. Indo-Malay Nasi Padang; consisting of Beef Randang, Babi Buah Keluak, Ayam Betutu, Sambal Goreng, and curried Jackfruit over Nasi Puthi with lots of green chili sauce. For desert Durian!!”

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

“No brewing books thank you ……

1. Shakespeare’s First Folio
2. R. Crumb’s Illustrated Old Testament”

And a non-beery book?

“Graham Greene’s The Quiet American”

The record

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

“Does a compilation box set count? If so then Funadelic’s Picture Disc Box Set Volume II (1992), but if not ….. James Brown’s the CD of JB (1985). Its gotta be somthin’ funky, otherwise I might get bored with it.”

(And that’s two albums!)

The Luxury Item

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

“It there WiFi? No? A coffee pot and a lot of coffee beans.”

Thanks Fal! For more information on Fal and Anderson Valley beers visit their website and to see what Fal himself is up to his blog here. This article is syndicated with Allgate Brewery as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

Have you tried Fal’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.