The Rare Barrel has become one of the country's foremost producers of sour beer. That's no surprise if you've had the opportunity to try their beer - it's clean but just funky enough, it's purposeful, and the fruited offerings beautifully display all of the best in the fruits they use. Batch after batch, The Rare Barrel is consistently impressing thanks to their willingness to dump bad beer and only use the best their massive barrel collection has to offer. Just last year, the brewery dumped 25% of its stock because of a fluke off flavor that just wouldn't go away. Rather than attempt to blend away this imperfection, the guys decided that to live up to their standard the only viable option was to dump. And dump they did. Hundreds of gallons of beer were poured down the drain. Doing things like this ensures that when anyone walks in to the brewery they are going to love what is poured in to their glass or is in the bottle they are taking home. Even more importantly, it protects and furthers the cause which is sour beer by providing quality and consistency with a style that is only now in its infancy here in the states. Please enjoy our chat (even the "interlude") and grab some Rare Barrel to drink while you do!

Cheers,

Craft Commander

"We want to stand for something." It's the take away from the conversation. Almanac Beer, going in to it's fifth year stands for California, the idea that local is best, that quality supersedes quantity, and that beer is coming to knock wine off its throne in the kitchen. Using Northern California's local produce (sourced through collaborations with local farms) and a local house strain of yeast is allowing Almanac to provide a sense of terroir - a sense of place - the image of California popping up in your head when you look at, smell, and finally taste their beer. Still, what's most impressive is the way they truly view their beer as art. An expression of themselves. A look inside their soul. This is what craft beer needs to continue it's growth and sustain it's place in the market.

Jesse, while proud of what Almanac has been able to produce - saying that his favorite Almanac beer is always the last one released - truly believes that it can always be better, that nothing will ever be at its best, and that he will never see the day when he can say that his beer is perfect. Not exactly the "big beer" marketing strategy but it speaks to the essence of this movement; that we are constantly meant to evolve, progress, and improve ourselves and what we do. This is what I love about craft beer and what I love about Almanac.

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Alex Wallash - Founder The Rare Barrel

Jesse Friedman - Founder/Brewer at Almanac Beer Co.