Boonville, California - Sept. 7

Yesterday was bottle shipping day, today is keg delivery day for GABF kegs. Unfortunately, it isn't that easy though. A quick stop down to the new brewpub site turns out to be a four hour meeting and the same old story from the earthquake retrofit contractor (who was hired by the building owner since they are paying for the work). He tells me that they are two or three weeks behind schedule because of this or that. It now looks like our new brewpub will open in December, which was set for November, which before that was set for September, which before that was set for July. I keep telling myself, If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. On the bright side for the consumer, I'm creating a lot of new beers recipes on my homebrew system. Like I wrote on an earlier post, this year's GABF is more about getting a brewery built.

The drive to the metropolis of Boonville — where the famed Anderson Valley Brewing Company is located, and my drop-off point for kegs for the 2003 GABF — is only a 45-minute drive from my house and it is beautiful! Once I got my kegs unloaded at the brewery, I gave Fal (Allen) three 22-ounce bottles of my Belgian style ales (somehow I forgot the fourth one), and he invited me into the brewery to grab some low fills of Anderson Valley Beer. With disappointment he said, "All we have is IPA and Stout!" I told him I'd take whatever he had to offer. As I walked out to my car with a case of beer I thought to myself, I made out pretty good here. I brought three bottles of beer and in return I got an entire case. Those folks in Boonville are so giving!

Next, the merchandise.