Bay Area Beer Writer Dies
Longtime beer writer and advocate will be missed
William Brand, a beer writer and tireless advocate of good beer, died early today as a result of injuries suffered in a Muni train accident in San Francisco Feb. 8. He was 70.
Brand died at San Francisco General Hospital, surrounded by family and friends, according to a friend of the family.
Brand, a longtime reporter for the Oakland Tribune continued to write an occasional beer column and was a profuse blogger even after his retirement from the Tribune. His blog, “What’s on Tap” had daily musings about all things beer in and around the Bay area and beyond. Brand was a frequent attendee at many beer events, taking notes and steeping himself into the good beer culture. He was a serious and prudent student of good beer, and will deeply be missed by all of us in the industry.
A memorial service is planned and details will be announced later today.
From Jay Books Beer Blog:
An impromptu memorial event has been scheduled to honor and remember Bay
Area beer writer Bill Brand, who passed away on February 20, after being hit
by a Muni Train the evening of February 8. Though there will be a family
event and undoubtedly other events from the other areas of Bill¹s rich life,
this one is intended to be for the beer community to celebrate Bill¹s
contributions and impact on the Bay Area beer family. It will take place
beginning at 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, March 1, which is an hour before The
Trappist¹s regular opening time. Chuck and Aaron have graciously agreed to
host the event at The Trappist in Oakland. The Trappist is located at 460
8th Street in Oakland, near the 12th Street BART station.
Some details are still being worked out, but the format will likely be to
provide an opportunity for everyone in the beer community who knew Bill and
were impacted by his tireless efforts to share their memories of Bill and
hoist a pint or two to his memory. I believe Chuck and Aaron are trying to
get a keg of Anchor Porter, Bill¹s favorite beer for Sunday. I¹ve been asked
to MC and start the ball rolling and then we¹ll open it up to people to take
turns sharing their memories and stories of Bill with the assembled party.
Think of your favorite story of Bill you¹d like to share for a few minutes.
Over the course of the day, I suspect an amazing portrait of Bill will
emerge as more and more of us pay our respects to his memory. Please join us
if you¹re able.
Special thanks to Gail Ann Williams and Steve Shapiro from Beer by BART and
also Mike Condie for putting this all together; and, of course to Chuck and
Aaron for allowing us to use The Trappist.