![]() ![]() Blind Pig has been well documented so let’s talk about the way it felt to be so young, newly married and running a business. TOMME: You broke into the business in 1993? At the time there was very little craft beer and location wise it was another challenge. Without further ado, I present my friend Vinnie. But 25 years later, I’m proud to say he’s always made me a better brewer and for that I am thankful to have made his acquaintance and that I am certain we will continue to find time to sit down and discuss the world of beer in meaningful ways. Sure, we’ve aged a bit and there’s more salt than pepper in the little hair we still have. Over the years, we’ve shared our passion for making the best beers possible. ![]() ![]() His love for The Botanist means it’s always easy to get him to stay for just one more. Casual conversations over Gin and Tonics have become a bit more plentiful of late. While during the earliest parts of our careers, we focused on how to be better brewers, nowadays, it feels like more of our conversations center around how to be great business owners in the great state of California. In a stroke of fate from the brewing Gods, Vinnie and I shared the stage that day as two of the first to medal in what now has become one of the most hotly contested categories. In 2003, the Great American Beer Festival awarded the very first Double IPA medals. So, in many ways we were sounding boards for each other at a time when little documentation was available to brewers who wished to attempt this style of brewing. As he was carving out his brewing niche in Northern California, I was doing much the same in Southern California. Many of our earliest conversations centered on sour beer production methods and things each of us were doing. Often, we would catch up at beer festivals including the Great American Beer Festival where our booths were typically in the same aisle. More often than not, these paths shared parallel trajectories. We entered into the business a couple of years apart with both of us being very young and enthusiastic brewers eager to find our paths. Neither of these cities was a shining beacon for craft beer in the early 1990s. Vinnie grew up in Temecula, CA, about 60 miles north of San Diego where I grew up. So how did two guys from Southern California gravitate towards a shared path of awesome beer? In short, I think it’s a strong sense of being cut from a similar cloth. It also feels that nearly everything has been written about him already!īut as someone who has been lucky enough to share copious pints of Blind Pig, travel half away around the world with him and work collaboratively on some incredible beers, I must confess, I probably have pinched myself more than a few times wondering how the hell did these opportunities come to fruition? It’s kind of like an out of body experience, “That’s Vinnie Frigging Cilurzo sitting there and, you know, we’re just chewing the fat on what makes Simcoe hops so great.” There’s nothing he hasn’t accomplished and doubtful there is anything more he could do to prove his largeness. When asked to interview Vinnie for Beer Paper, I thought, what is it about my longtime friend that you don’t know? As one of the most famous and recognizable brewers in the world, it’s clear that one day he’ll have his own star on the brewing walk of fame. He’s part of the single name club and truly the one and only Vinnie you need to know if you want to KNOW what great beer tastes like. ![]() Often described in glowing terms like “brilliant brewer, the nicest guy in the business and a damn fine washoe player,” I’m lucky enough to call him a great friend and someone who has been with me on my own brewing journey which now eclipses 25 years. All Photos Courtesy of Russian River Brewing Company ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |