As I do each year, it's time to look back on those individuals that we lost in 2018 and their significant contributions to the industry. Many thanks to additional feedback from Tony Forder, Tara Nurin, Nancy Rigberg, and Don Russell to help make this the most complete list I could.
First up, however, is one that I missed last year.
4/12/17, John Bryan, 52, stroke
~ He made his mark in the beer world with Boulevard and Firestone Walker and was dearly missed by friends, family, and the beer community after his untimely passing. [link to Flatland KC and link to Forbidden Root]
4/28/18, Jack Glunz, 82, infection
~ Fascinating back story here for Jack, who amongst a life of accomplishments, brought Leinenkugel to Chicago in the 1980s through his family's beer distribution business. [link to Chicago Tribune and link to Chicago Sun-Times]
5/7/18, Jerry Turner, 75
~ He owned the Evansville, IN fixture, Turoni's, and was a beloved figure on the local scene, even having started a brewery side of the business too back in 1996. [link to Indiana On Tap]
7/1/18, Jim Pickett, 53, stroke
~ Jim's life in beer sales spanned Brooklyn Brewery to Pipeline to Gotham Artisanal to USA Beverage Company. [link to The Plain Dealer]
7/27/18, Kazuko Komatsu, 70, cancer
~ She was a significant figure in British Columbia's beer scene and, more generally, the broader business scene. The entrepreneur owned Pacific Western Brewing and served as director of The Brewers Association of Canada. [link to Canadian Beer News]
10/13/18, Bill Coors, 102
~ His last name says it all, the grandson of Coors founder Aldoph Coors. [link to Denver Post]
12/8/18, Katie Loeb, 57, cancer
~ Last but not least, back home here on the Philadelphia bar scene, while perhaps not exactly associated directly with the beer world, many brewers and others in the industry have shared time and drinks with cocktail guru, Katie Loeb. She left a lifetime of expertise that thrilled those on both sides of the bar. [link to Philly.com]
If you care to look back on the previous 11 years that I've been doing this year-end wrap, consult the links here for: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
As in past years, I'll repeat a soothing message: Be still sad heart and cease repining; Behind the clouds the sun is shining, Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life a little rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary. ~ Longfellow
© Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge, 2016. All content is owned and uniquely created by Bryan J. Kolesar. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Kolesar is strictly prohibited. Excerpts, images, and links may be used with advance permission granted and only provided that full and clear credit is given to Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Contact Kolesar at TheBrewLounge@gmail.com
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