Mcbrew's Blog

New Corduroy Pillows Making Headlines

Not relevant but it made you laugh and that was the goal. Now, it’s time to get serious, really serious. No, I mean it this time. And, just like Moses makes his tea, Hebrew’s it, we brewed a really bad beer just for you. There is another delay in the release of a highly sought after beer, sorry.

So, let’s get right to it shall we? At about the time you receive this email we will be putting up for sale a beer first made for “Pizza Port’s Strong Ale Festival,” a beer named after the brewer, “Bad Boy.” This Double IPA weighs in at 9% abv and uses all Premium British “Maris Otter” malt. Tons of new wave hops are generously used throughout the brewing of this heavy hitter. Enjoy growlers in the brewery and glasses in the pub starting today, Friday Feb. 8^th.

The release of “Exponential Hoppiness” will be delayed, again and will be out sometime during the week of February 19th through the 22^nd. For those of you flying in please change your flights to a week later. For those of you that don’t already know, we do not sell growlers of Exponential Hoppiness, bottles only, with a limit of 4 bottles max per person per day. Glasses of this fine elixir will be available in the pub.

On February 8th and 9th Pizza Port in Carlsbad, CA is hosting the 4th annual Brewbies Beer Fest to benefit Keep A Breast. In 2013 the event will expand to a two day festival which hosts raffles, local beer sampling, we are sending “Pink Nelson” called “Nipple,” and even a custom KAB pink beer brewed by Pizza Port themselves!

Date: February 8th 5 – 10pm & February 9th 12 – 5pm

Location: Pizza Port is located at 571 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Tickets: $25 in advance/$30 day of, and can be purchased here!

We just put a vintage keg of “Exponential Hoppiness” on in the pub for your drinking pleasure. This keg is from Feb. 2012 but still has a ton of hoppy goodness. And, so it isn’t the only vintage beer on, we also have a keg of “Chez Monieux” on draught in the pub. Enjoy.

Some important facts to remember: Bottle sales in the pub are discontinued while the brewery is open. So, get your bottles and growlers in the brewery, noon to 6 pm Tues. – Sat., and limited bottle sales when the brewery is closed and the pub is open. No growler fills in the pub,

We have an improved web site. Since “Apple” and “Flash” can’t seem to get along, we had to make some improvements to our old site. The new site is mobile phone friendly as well as Apple friendly. Feel free to tell us what you think!

We just brewed some “Hoppy Birthday” which should be out in around a month. More on that as the date gets closer. Our Barleywine, “Good” is due to be released any day, probably early next week.

That’s it for now. See you over a great beer.

Do you know what’s red and bad for your teeth?

A brick.

Inside Every Cynical Person is a Disappointed Idealist

Don’t be confused. This is another newsletter from your favorite brewery in Alpine. And in this newsletter you’ll be informed of things you never really gave any thought to unless you have insomnia issues. Or, you may find out something so earth shatteringly fulfilling you’ll cut off the soles of your shoes, sit in a tree and play a flute, who knows. I, for one, am grateful I’m not getting all the government I’m paying for.

Hey, check out our new and improved web site, http://alpinebrewing.com We have made the transition to a more mobile friendly format and added a page so you can see what is on tap in the pub and up for growler fills in the brewery. All the other information is there; the pub menu and hours, the merchandise available, the beers, webcam and more…

On this glorious day, in the New Year 2013, we are releasing for your pleasure, a new beer never before concocted in our laboratory of fermentation. We were asked to brew an anniversary beer for O’Brien’s Pub called 19/10 IPA. It represents the 19 years O’Brien’s has been around and the 10 years Tom and Lindsay Nickel have owned it. It is a 7.4% abv all Columbus hopped “Alpine-style” IPA of marvelous flavor and aroma. Available only in the pub for pints and pitchers and not for growler fills. Look for it on tap at the finer beer establishments around town in the coming week.

It is with a heavy heart I am here to tell you of a delay in the release date of “Exponential Hoppiness.” The release must be pushed back because the cold weather slowed down the activity of the yeast. So, keeping with our mantra of “no beer will be released before it’s time,” we foresee a release sometime in the week of February 12th through the 15^th. An exact date and time will not be announced due to the issues of parking, traffic congestion, angry next-door business owners and overcrowding. Please remember there will not be any growlers sold and there will be a 4 bottle limit per person per day, no exceptions. Sorry, it will not be around during Super Bowl Festivities.

Alpine Beer Company has a major theft to report. Due to the cramped conditions around the brewery, we moved a large 1,000 gallon brite beer tank to the property we intend to develop on Tavern Road and Taberna Vista way. Someone stole the tank! I am surprised in that it weighs over 1,500 pounds, crap. If you have any information please contact either the brewery at 619-445-2337 or contact the San Diego County Sheriffs at 858-565-5200.

Here’s to making it easy to be cynical, cheers.

Inside Every Cynical Person is a Disappointed Idealist

Don’t be confused. This is another newsletter from your favorite brewery in Alpine. And in this newsletter you’ll be informed of things you never really gave any thought to unless you have insomnia issues. Or, you may find out something so earth shatteringly fulfilling you’ll cut off the soles of your shoes, sit in a tree and play a flute, who knows. I, for one, am grateful I’m not getting all the government I’m paying for.

Hey, check out our new and improved web site, http://alpinebrewing.com We have made the transition to a more mobile friendly format and added a page so you can see what is on tap in the pub and up for growler fills in the brewery. All the other information is there; the pub menu and hours, the merchandise available, the beers, webcam and more…

On this glorious day, in the New Year 2013, we are releasing for your pleasure, a new beer never before concocted in our laboratory of fermentation. We were asked to brew an anniversary beer for O’Brien’s Pub called 19/10 IPA. It represents the 19 years O’Brien’s has been around and the 10 years Tom and Lindsay Nickel have owned it. It is a 7.4% abv all Columbus hopped “Alpine-style” IPA of marvelous flavor and aroma. Available only in the pub for pints and pitchers and not for growler fills. Look for it on tap at the finer beer establishments around town in the coming week.

It is with a heavy heart I am here to tell you of a delay in the release date of “Exponential Hoppiness.” The release must be pushed back because the cold weather slowed down the activity of the yeast. So, keeping with our mantra of “no beer will be released before it’s time,” we foresee a release sometime in the week of February 12th through the 15^th. An exact date and time will not be announced due to the issues of parking, traffic congestion, angry next-door business owners and overcrowding. Please remember there will not be any growlers sold and there will be a 4 bottle limit per person per day, no exceptions. Sorry, it will not be around during Super Bowl Festivities.

Alpine Beer Company has a major theft to report. Due to the cramped conditions around the brewery, we moved a large 1,000 gallon brite beer tank to the property we intend to develop on Tavern Road and Taberna Vista way. Someone stole the tank! I am surprised in that it weighs over 1,500 pounds, crap. If you have any information please contact either the brewery at 619-445-2337 or contact the San Diego County Sheriffs at 858-565-5200.

Here’s to making it easy to be cynical, cheers.

Fed Ex Has No Love

Some of you may recall the Symposium Beer we brewed for the American Homebrewer’s Association (AHA) several years ago. The event was held in the bay area back in mid-2009. All the ingredients for the beer were donated by different companies and we brewed and bottled the beer.

Anheuser Busch donated a pallet of 22 oz. bottles and shipped them, via Fed Ex shipping, to us in Alpine from St. Louis. We signed a bill of lading and went about our business. We received a shipping bill a couple of weeks later for around $3,500 for the pallet of bottles. A normal shipping charge at the time would have usually been around $300.

I was extremely concerned and called only to be told I wasn’t the shipper so I couldn’t do anything. So, I called AB and spoke with the appropriate person and thought I had things settled. I sent and received several emails from various people from AB, Fed Ex and other involved parties. After several months of inactivity, we started getting collections phone calls and letters. Collection calls continued for about a year, then we were hit on our credit rating, very disturbing.

The very first contact with Fed Ex and several occasions thereafter, the entire project was explained to the people from Fed Ex about how every company involved had donated their wares or services for the AHA. They declined every opportunity to turn this into something positive for anyone. We almost closed our doors as a result.

Their latest involves shipping beer from Alpine to a Vermont Brewery. We shipped a couple of 5 gallon kegs back to Hill Farmstead Brewery for their employee party with a future exchange down the road.

The kegs made it all the way to New Hampshire where they were x-rayed and held up as “illegal alcohol.” Both Alpine Beer and Hill Farmstead have legal rights to ship between the two companies but Fed Ex requires special paperwork.

I shipped the kegs from a Post Annex so no paperwork is available there. We, both Shaun Hill and I were willing and able to provide any necessary license information they required but no one person would hear our case. We pleaded, we begged, explained how it was not illegal for the two entities to ship beer to each other, with no results. Many supervisors were consulted.

So, the beer was shipped 99% of the destination and will be shipped all the way back. The exact same thing happened to Lost Abbey.

Please reconsider using any of the Fed Ex empire of businesses.

Without Much Ado but a Whole Lot of Poo

Greetings from everyone’s favorite microbrewery in Alpine! We have some pretty special brew releases to announce and some general update information to share with you. The infamous FedEx has done it again; wait ‘til you hear what they did this time. We will be making some interesting “Anniversary Beers” for some interesting establishments coming up. All that and a sawbuck might get you a small double cinnamon dolce latte.

The release of “Crazy Hazel” was just last week. This delicious elixir is made with hazelnut meal, Belgian candy sugar and plenty of caramel malts. Amber in color and 6.2% abv makes for a tasty treat of a beer. Though not bottled, we offer growler fills and on draught in the pub.

And, the cooler temperatures means the heavy beers are more appropriate for this time of year. So, we have “Odin’s Raven” available for your immediate consumption. This beer won a bronze medal at the 2012 “World Beer Cup” in the Chocolate Beer category. We do not currently bottle this beer but do offer growler fills in the brewery and on draught in the pub. Yes, it’s dark, strong at 11% abv, and yummy. Odin’s Raven float anyone?

Today is the release of the world’s most celebrated beer “Hoppy Birthday.” Available for growler fills and on draught in the pub. This is technically a Pale Ale, but we make it like an IPA, with lots of hoppy goodness from hops like Citra and Nelson. 5.25% abv

One last release to tell you about. We made a beer for a San Francisco landmark call The Toronado Pub to commemorate their 25th Anniversary. We called it “Toronado 25^th Anniversary IPA” but found another brewery, Russian River, made a beer and called it that as well. So, we now call what some were calling “Double Nelson” “Keene Idea.” Dave Keene is the owner of The Toronado Pub in San Francisco. We will be releasing this special 9% abv Double IPA sometime late next week. A very limited amount of kegs will be made available for growler fills in the brewery, no bottles, and on draught in the pub. Some will make its way to San Francisco as well.

We will be constructing two Anniversary Beers in the near future. One with Tom Nickel of O’Brien’s Pub and Nickel Brewing in Julian and one for City Beer Store in San Francisco. O’Brien’s will be celebrating 19 years of existence and 10 years of ownership by the Nickels. The beer will be an all Columbus hopped 7.5% IPA brewed on December 20th, yum. The other Anniversary beer we’ve agreed to brew (they don’t know we’ve agreed yet), City Beer Store in San Francisco will be celebrating 7 years of bring great craft beer to the bay area with a special beer we make just for them for their May Anniversary.

For reasons never to use Fed Ex for any services whatsoever, please go to our website newsletter blog and read how they continue to prove to be a company no one should ever use.

My time here is up, good cheer over the holidays!

I’ll leave you with some interesting facts:

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
(Hardly seems worth it.) 

If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
(Now that’s more like it!)

The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
(O.M.G.!)

A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes.
(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)

A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy.)
(I’m still not over the pig.)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour
(Don’t try this at home, maybe at work)

The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male’s head off.
(Honey, I’m home. What the…?!) 

The flea can jump 350 times its body length.. It’s like a human jumping the length of a football field.
(30 minutes..lucky pig! Can you imagine?) 

The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. Why you should know this is yet to be revealed.

Peace

Nelson is Back, “Ha Ha”

It seems like an eternity since I sent a few words of encouragement to the world at large. Inspiration sometimes is fleeting, and I lost a step or two recently. But, back with a vengeance we will attempt to tease you with tasty descriptions of our recent releases and some more yummy brews on their way. Nelson was gone but now it’s back, so guess what I’m drinking right now? The universe, in its infinite darkness that makes us wonder if we’re alone, aligned properly a few weeks back so our “out-of-this-world” beer is on tap again. Look for more Duet and Nelson next year, like a lot more! Anyone for a “Flanders Red?”

We have released, for your ghoulish pleasure, our spiced holiday ale “Ichabod 2012.” Available in 22 oz. bottles, no growler fills, and on draught in the pub. For those that don’t know, Ichabod is supposed to be an annually produced beer that always uses “pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg” but has a different base beer. Annually has been an issue. But, this year’s version has a base of a nice chocolaty Porter. It comes in at 6% abv and is creamy, dark and smooth with the spices and pumpkin kicking in as a nice compliment. We have always had a hard time getting the pumpkin to contribute its flavor. So this year we used 240 pounds of pumpkin puree from Oregon. We used it in the mash tun, the boil kettle and the fermenter too! That amount of pumpkin is about 5 times more than our previous versions. Dam it, I want pumpkin flavor. I even called Dick Cantwell from Elysian Brewing, the pumpkin beer king, to get sourcing and advice. Elysian only ordered about 12,000 pounds of pumpkin puree, wow.

“New Millennium” extra pale ale is fresh and delicious and available for growler fills and on draught in the pub right now! This dry-hopped gem is made with Millennium and Galaxy hops for an out-of-this-world drinking experience.

Okay, so we ran out of “Nelson,” our golden rye IPA made with New Zealand hops. But, it is back on, fresh and as good as ever. I said it tasted like candy after my first gulp returning from its hiatus.

This is potentially some of the biggest news to ever come out of Alpine Beer Company. With the signing of a couple of hop contracts we have positioned ourselves to produce an additional 2,000 barrels of Duet and an additional 2,000 barrels of Nelson starting in late 2013. A “barrel” is two kegs. We plan on new packaging with a 16 oz. bigmouth twist off can along with 22 oz. bottles and kegs. There is little more I can currently say about how we are going to pull this off but know there is a lot of work to be done to assure the quality and standards are met while stepping up production. And, with Water being the largest ingredient in beer, it becomes the primary flavor contributor and is a highly important part of beer itself. Let’s just say we found a killer water source and a place to make more beer, yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

We brewed “Ned” the other day and if all goes well we’ll see it shortly after the new year. “Ned” is our Flanders Red and is aged in used red wine barrels long enough to get the special bugs to impart their tartness and sourness, yum.

The next beer to join our tap list is “O’Brien’s IPA.” Already in the fermenter, it should be out within three weeks.

With the “Great American Beer Festival” happening this weekend comes the possibility we could see some medals. Keep your fingers crossed. And for those attending, we will have beer on the festival floor: Duet, Bad Boy and FiringsQuad.

I know you want more but that’s all I got, for now. Keep good thoughts and good things happen. Smile, it will always make them wonder.

For our weekly pub specials, that run Friday night and into Saturday if we don’t run out, check our Facebook page under “Alpine Beer Company.” It has some new pictures up that look so cool.

Know we are doing our best here at Alpine Beer Company. If your experience isn’t what you expected, for that we are truly sorry. We do the best we can most of the time. We work hard and sometime stuff happens, try to excuse us. We’re honest and integrity is a wonderful attribute, our goal is to show that.

Love to all, keep each other safe. See you on your next visit over a good beer. Peace.

We have traced the source of the under carbonated bottles of Pure Hoppiness to the power failure we experienced on July 31st. We tried our best to recover by alternate means after our carbonating stone got plugged up. We thought we had slightly low carbonation at the worst but it appears some people feel otherwise. We will be trying to re-distribute bottles back to all the retail stores so they can handle exchanges. Pure Hoppiness bottles purchased in the brewery can be exchanged. They will be the new, Belgian style 22oz. bottles. New bottles will be available at the brewery on Tuesday, August 21st, elsewhere some time after that. Sorry for any inconvenience.

We Are Here To Kiss It Where It Hurts

Dreaming big can make good things happen, and sometimes it does. The big collaboration beer with New Belgium is available and, well, over the top. The world is our palette and we brewed scenic, inspired beers to complicate your taste buds much like a dramatic play with a dynamic light show would portray. At least the pub is super air conditioned so the heat wave only hits the electric bill, not your brow.

The original plan with the collaboration beer with New Belgium was miss-reported and for that I apologize. The beer is ready and out in this world as you read. If fact, we will have some on draught, in the pub, by the time you receive this. Let’s go over the specification on this beer: The brains of the Alpine brew team flew to Fort Collins to “help” brew a big, super hero inspired, double IPA with the brew brains of New Belgium Brewing. The pre-determined hops and malt were on hand and all we had to do was “push the mouse button” to start the staggeringly impressive amount of beer to brewing. So, using our vast knowledge of “IPAology”, we crafted a beer kind of like a blend of Pure Hoppiness, Duet and Exponential Hoppiness but different. It came out at 9% abv, uses Melanoidin and Acidulated malts with an amazing 2 tons of hops in the dry hopping alone. To put this in perspective, we make about the same amount in a year as they made in about 20 hours. The beer was triple dry hopped and had major amounts of labor involved in the multiple steps it took to pull this off. We tried some last week and I haven’t had a drinkable, over the top hopped IPA like this ever. Belches from this beer result in a new life experience and I crave my next one. The “Alpine” influence is real and right up front. I frankly could not believe we could have that much impression on such a large system. Great news!

Toronado Pub in San Francisco is celebrating their 25^th Anniversary this weekend and we brewed a special beer just for the blessed event. The pub with the notoriously rude bartenders set the bar for craft forward beer bars for two and a half decades, and they like us. So, to show we love them too, we brewed what could be considered “Double Nelson” and it’s called “Toronado 25^th Anniversary Ale.” The beer came in at 8.88% abv and is clear, clean and shockingly floral. The Nelson Sauvin hops shine and the alcohol is so unnoticeable that it too could be considered dangerously delicious.

We slipped in our Belgian “Quad,” “FiringsQuad” and it’s now available for growler fills, as well as in the pub. The original plan to bottle some of this 11% abv rendition of one of the highest respected beers in the world fizzled out due to the massive amount of new beers coming out soon. Rich, spicey and estery, check it out in the pub to see if a growler floats your boat.

In respect for the New Zealanders being hit with Winter, we brewed Tuatara, our hot weather pale ale that is built like an IPA. It weighs in at 4.20% abv on purpose. Look for its release on Friday, August 17^th. Pints and pitchers in the pub and growlers in the brewery will be available.

Next beer available after that will be “Hoppy Birthday.” We are entering some beers into the “Great American Beer Festival” and that means some off-season beers have been brewed and will be coming out soon. “Bad Boy” will be out shortly after “Hoppy Birthday” and then “Good,” our Barleywine slapping you silly with at least 15% abv. And then a classic bodacious brew will pound you into submission.

Look for our specials posted on Facebook, “Alpine Beer Company”. Our weekend special start Friday around 5 pm and run through Saturday evening IF we don’t sell out Friday. All our specials are listed there every week!

Brewery Hours: Tues – Sat Noon to 6 pm for growler fills, bottle sales and merchandice. Pub Hours: Tues – Thurs 11 am to 10 pm, Fri – Sat 11 am to Midnight, Sun Noon to 9 pm.

Would you rather wear your seatbelt or ride in a wheelchair, your call. Get back to me on that.

Peace and Love from Alpine Beer Company!

Life Isn’t Tied with a Bow, But It’s Still a Gift

To allow our hard working staff some much needed time with their families, Alpine Beer Company, both the Pub and the Brewery, will be closed for the Fourth of July. Don’t drive to Alpine with your salivating tastebuds in anticipation of a hot pulled pork sandwich just to find locked doors. So, stock up today or wait until Thursday to refill growlers and sate your thirst over a pint or two.

Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain

We haven’t been sitting on our hands around here. No sir, we have been brewing beer. Just keeping up with our regular lineup has been daunting and difficult. Thank you, fresh beer is best. But, that has been making it difficult to come out with a classic like Tuatara or O’Brien’s IPA. But we did find a way to squeeze in a new beer. “FiringsQuad” is a Belgian Quadruple and is going to come in at 11 % abv. Its dark, it has plenty of dark Belgian candy sugar in it. The flavors and aromas of rich, dark fruity-esters backed with sweet malt complexity and the spiciness of the Belgian yeast will surely appeal to those who crave big, dark Belgian beers. We anticipate “FiringsQuad” to be out in about three weeks. We have it on good authority that the recipe is very much like the finest of Belgian Quadruple made at the monasteries of Europe.

Churchill’s in San Marcos is doing a special this Friday featuring a few of our beers and some New Belgium beers along with a killer list of special dishes. The event kicks off at p.m.

Shawn and I flew to Colorado a couple weeks ago to brew a collaboration beer with the fine folks at New Belgium Brewing Company. We brewed a Double IPA almost equal in volume to our annual production. Seven brews of 200 barrels each were brewed starting at around 9 am and the last brew wrapped up around 6 am the next morning. It’s called “Super India Pale Ale” in the vein of super heroism. It will be 9% abv and we used an incredible 2 tons of four different hop varieties just in the dryhopping. The current plan is to release it for the opening of the Great American Beer Festival through New Belgium’s national distribution system. We wanted to use “Lex Lupulin” for the name but, as it turns out, O’Dell’s Brewing also of Fort Collins has a beer called “St. Lupulin” and they had a problem with the use of the name.

Remember that seatbelts are less confining than a wheelchair. If you don’t have a sense of humor you probably don’t have any sense at all. No one ever says “It’s only a game” when they’re winning. And just think, in about 40 years there will be thousands of old women running around with blurry tattoos and rap music will be the oldies. Drink beer while you can, it’s not available anywhere else.

More Exciting Than a Near Miss from an Asteroid

Did you know about the two small asteroids that narrowly missed the earth this week? Does the thought of the end of the world on Dec. 21^st terrify you? Can those earthquakes in Italy mean the end of the world as we know it is almost here? Relax, grab a beer (mine’s Captain Stout) and pull up a chair as I persuade you there is a reason to live, thrive even. There is special beer ready to drink at the brewery you’ll want to know about. There is an excellent pub special again this weekend and a much anticipated rant long overdue, too. We try not to disappoint anyone.

From out of a black hole, miraculously escaping and arriving in exquisite condition, we are pleased to announce the re-release of “Barrel Aged Odin’s Raven” in 22 oz. bottles. This batch is 100% barrel aged, not blended, and has a more pronounced bourbon influence. Bottle limits of 4 in the brewery and no samples available there. As soon as we run out of “Token” in the pub we will put some “Barrel Aged Odin’s Raven” on for samples and tulips. We will run out of “Token” today, sometime.

 The beer that has garnered the most phone calls lately has been “Bad Boy,” our other double IPA. When doors open today, Friday June 1^st, you may purchase “Bad Boy” in growlers in the brewery, 6 max, and pints in the pub. Now there’s a reason to brave the elements and trek to outpost Alpine. Bring your mountain bike for before you drink this 9% bully.

Okay, so the “Bad Boy” was ready yesterday, but we didn’t want to subject you to yesterday’s harsh brewery conditions. We brewed “Good,” and incredible Barleywine, that requires 2 mash-ins and boils for 4 hours. The heat and humidity was too hot for mere mortals. The bulk of “Good” will be converted to “Great” once it transfers into bourbon barrels and sits for a year.

Another of our fine lineup of beers newly available is “New Millennium” an out of this world pale ale at 5% abv. We dry hop this light pale ale with Millennium and Galaxy hops for an out of this world flavor and aroma experience. Growlers readily available in the brewery and pints and pitchers in the pub.

Dinner and dessert specials in the pub start around 5 pm Friday nights and last into Saturday, if it doesn’t sell out on Friday. This weekend special consists of handmade creamy Chicken Gnocchi served with garlic bread for $15.95. We’re pairing “New Millennium” with this special at happy hour prices all night. Also new for the evenings will be deep fried zucchini sticks for $7.95. And for dessert, “chocolate peanut butter banana bread pudding” for a mere $6.95, and pair it with some “Barrel Aged Odin’s Raven” to bring it all together.

To see more ranting go to our blog, blog.alpinebrewing.com,  or our website, alpinebrewing.com newsletter  and see what Alpine is being subjected to.

That’s all the news fit to print for now. Remember, it’s not the end of the world just because the Mayans didn’t finish their calendar past Dec. 21, 2012, they just ran out of space on the rock. Wearing seatbelts will save your life. Give bicyclists some space, share the road. And bicyclists, ride single file to the right, those cars are bigger than you are, they win. And please, someone convince book store Beth to give it up so we can expand the pub! Peace.

Rant Special:

I recently sent a letter to my County Supervisor, Dianne Jacobs, about our situation at our brewery concerning the re-design of the streets, sidewalks and such. I pointed out that it is possible we may be going out of business. Yes, actually not able to do business here anymore because of the inability to get grain into our silo any longer. You see, the county, in all of their infinite wisdom and consideration, redesigned the curb and driveways making it impossible for our grain delivery truck to park close enough to blow the grain through hoses into our silo. With no grain comes no beer, period.

Now, let me point out, since the letter was sent, we have received a grain delivery. But, it requires the truck to park on the neighbor’s driveway. By blocking the driveway for over an hour, I have to contact the residents and motel patrons and get them to move their cars before the truck arrives at 8 am. And, I have to get on the roof of the brewery and pull the phone lines out of the way of the truck as he backs into place. Parking on and using the neighbors property is not cool and I try hard to be a good neighbor. Finding a solution to avoid using the neighbor’s property is not existent. 

An aide to Ms. Jacobs called to “say” she was concerned. That is the extent of their response.

A Mr. Michael Long from the county did meet with both property owners at the sight. His entire demeanor was uncooperative, argumentative and demeaning. I tried to get him to look down our driveway to see the issue of where they placed our driveway on the west side of the brewery. He wouldn’t and could care less. His final slap came from his comment to both property owner “You all signed off on this. I don’t know why you’re complaining.”

The fact is,these issues were address in Alpine Planning Group meetings and were never rectified. Even during construction of curbs and gutters the flaws were pointed out and the response from the job foreman was one of “I’ll pass that on, its not right.”

Make no mistake, there is no “sign-off” for anyone concerning the rape of Alpine. SDG&E came through this region raping and pillaging and hired CHP to be their bully bodyguards. The county tried to get what they could from the “inconvenience” but are the designers of the streets. They are the ones that design the layout of driveways, sidewalks, parking areas and the like. They are the same people that had to be asked to move so I could drive a forklift into our western driveway and yet left the original driveway out of their “plan.” 

Just in front of the brewery and pub there are 5 serious safety issues that should concern everyone. Driving over curbs to get in and out of our driveway is ridiculous. Pouring sidewalks that don’t match up to existing sidewalks and creating tripping hazards is criminal. Removing all ADA access from on and off their sidewalks is asking for a lawsuit. Putting the driveway to our eastern parking lot off-center so cars coming into the parking lot drive into the side of the parked cars.

So, to make the most impact to those responsible, DO NOT REELECT DIANNE JACOBS! Send the message that stupidity should not be rewarded. Business as usual is not cutting it here in Alpine.