Readers of this column will remember several mentions of Lagunitas in past reports. There was the "Little Sumpin' Sumpin'" story from Lagunitas employee Jim at the Salute! Beer Festival in Ventura. And there was the schooner of "Wilco Tango Foxtrot" at GOOD in Silver Lake. So it was with great anticipation that the VCBE entered the hallowed ironwork gates of the Lagunitas TapRoom and Beer Sanctuary in Petaluma on a recent late summer evening.
The TapRoom showcases the beer, and offers tasty nosh and occasional live music. It's definitely a party atmosphere. (For a hint at the results of one infamous St. Patrick's Day party, visit the Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale page.)
The VCBE and four friends shared two rounds of beer. Here's what they drank:
- Farmhouse Gueuze X2 - new beer mixed with old and aged in chardonnay barrels (see the VCBE's article on Gueuze).
- Little Sumpin' Sumpin' - Summer wheat beer
- Censored - a copper ale
- Port-Aged Hairy Eyeball - A specially-brewed version of a seasonal beer
- Fusion II - A "Black" or "Northwest" IPA, very big in the Pacific Northwest
- Bourbon Stout - aged in bourbon barrels
- Lucky 13 - "Mondo large red ale"
- Wet Kat - the weekly firkin, wet-hopped
When our server introduced herself as Kat, we asked, "Any relation to the beer?" And she said yes, she'd grown the hops used in the beer in her backyard. Kat then produced two brewers who happened to be working that night: Jeremy Marshall and Mark Hughes.
Jeremy is the guy who talks about the beer in the virtual tastings. His business card identifies him as "Imperial Stormtrooper." Mark's business card identified him as "Cask Conditioning Alchemist." Jeremy has been brewing at Lagunitas for 8 years, and Mark for 2; both have degrees in brewing from U.C. Davis. Mark mentioned that he'd done an internship at Wickwar Brewery in Glouchestershire, U.K., "making real ale."
Jeremy said he only hires Davis or Siebel grads, unless you've got "mountains of experience," like recent hire Eric Lamb, who's been brewing for 17 years. "We're going to produce 100,000 barrels this year," Jeremy explained. "We've got an average of five brewers working at any given time. We make beer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is the essence of a production brewery."
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: The VCBE and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) remind you to drink responsibly. Labor Day is the 2nd deadliest holiday with 487 fatalities in 2008, 40% of which were alcohol related. Check the alcohol by volume (ABV) of the beer you're drinking - you can find Laguintas's on their website. Stay safe and avoid being arrested for drunk driving by utilizing public transportation or taking a taxi.
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