On Sunday it was announced that craft beer pioneer Alan Sprints, owner and creative force of Portland's idiosyncratic Hair of the Dog Brewery had passed away at the age of 66 from bladder cancer.
You can read more about Alan from the beer writers who knew him best like: Beervana, New School Beer, The Washington Beer Blog
Tributes poured in from around the brewing industry
It is impossible to overstate how much influence the never very big HotD Brewing and Alan had on the American Craft Brew Scene. He opened in 1993 after a tenure as a chef, homebrewer/educator and a short stint as a Widmer keg washer/brewer (he had to legally promise not to brew a wheat beer). From the jump, Hair of the Dog pushed the bounds of what beer could be. He fervently believed that beer could be cellared as much as wine. (See the Fred link for his vintage guide dating stretching back to batch 1 in 1997) His vision for bold and inventive beers spread to much of the brewing community before he closed the brewery in 2023 by unleashing his cellar on the world) A few of the greatest hits: Adam - based on a historical Dortmund strong beer style that became the brewery's flagship Fred - named for beer pioneer - Fred Eckhardt - a 10% American barleywine heavily featuring the American hops that Fred praised Doggie Claws - an 11.5% barleywine that served as the brewery's Christmas beer. There were many others to choose from (Dave, Eve [frozen from Adam], X From the Wood, X From the Stone, etc).
It is impossible to overstate how much influence the never very big HotD Brewing and Alan had on the American Craft Brew Scene. He opened in 1993 after a tenure as a chef, homebrewer/educator and a short stint as a Widmer keg washer/brewer (he had to legally promise not to brew a wheat beer). From the jump, Hair of the Dog pushed the bounds of what beer could be. He fervently believed that beer could be cellared as much as wine. (See the Fred link for his vintage guide dating stretching back to batch 1 in 1997) His vision for bold and inventive beers spread to much of the brewing community before he closed the brewery in 2023 by unleashing his cellar on the world) A few of the greatest hits: Adam - based on a historical Dortmund strong beer style that became the brewery's flagship Fred - named for beer pioneer - Fred Eckhardt - a 10% American barleywine heavily featuring the American hops that Fred praised Doggie Claws - an 11.5% barleywine that served as the brewery's Christmas beer. There were many others to choose from (Dave, Eve [frozen from Adam], X From the Wood, X From the Stone, etc).
