The news has been on top of this… that’s for sure. From one outlet shouting how they were quick with the ‘scoop’, and another shouting how they’ve got the ‘exclusive’ on this story, you can certainly read about this story elsewhere. But I have to write this, because they’ve missed the point. When I got off the phone with Danny Gold yesterday morning and pulled out my notepad to start getting the details of this post figured out, I had a whole different story on paper than they have. I’m not saying they’ve got their facts wrong, they’ve got that part nailed – but you’re missing one of the biggest parts, and one of the biggest reasons that I love Danny and what he does. This is about Quaff Brothers.
Let’s cover those details, first
Quaff Brothers Joins Quaff On!
The meeting between the two entities happens when Danny first left Party Source. It wasn’t just luck that he got to leave with the Quaff Brothers name when he left, Party Source had every right to fight and try to keep it. But this is Danny Gold. Danny’s a guy that built the brand (and much of what he does) based around an idea that craft beer can be about a lot more than what is in your glass. The community that he strives to build and maintain carries on into the relationships he builds with other people too, and I think that’s one of the biggest reasons that Party Source and he parted on such good terms.
So – Danny keeps the name, and then the wheels start turning on how to use it, and how to implement this idea into something else, something long term. Upon beginning the trademark process, he was led to a meeting with Indiana’s Quaff On Brewing because of their earlier use of the name. This meeting transitioned from “how can I still use this name” to “why don’t you work with us… for us?”
It all leads to this weekend when it all becomes official. Quaff Brothers will become the barrel aging arm of Quaff On (which you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the next year as they move into the Cincinnati market) – it all enables Danny to do what he does incredibly well – create barrel aged masterpieces. In this new world of his, though, he’ll be able to do things on his schedule, without having to wait for collaborators to create and age the beers.
So, on the surface – that’s what’s happening. He’s starting a barrel aging program at a brewery/distillery/event space in the woods in Indiana. That’s the surface, mind you… but there’s more.
It’s The Brotherhood
It would have been easy (and made a lot of sense) for Danny to just move along in his career, move into a barrel aging roll with Quaff On! And forget about Quaff Brothers, but he isn’t – and he never wanted to. The whole conversation started because he wanted to keep something about this project alive, and that’s not just the name.
It’s the idea.
If you think for a second that you won’t eventually find Listermann’s brewing team, or Scott LaFollette or Mike Dewey hanging out in the woods of Indiana you’re crazy. It has to happen, because it’s why it all exists. Quaff Brothers is about the side of craft beer that people try so hard to put into words… what makes beer different? The brotherhood was created to tie us all together into something that most industries don’t have. As the community of Cincinnati grew the brotherhood just became stronger.
The move into Quaff On doesn’t mean that any of this changes, it only gives the brotherhood a home base. It gives Danny an easier opportunity to work with new breweries on new projects. To answer the question that so many people love to ask – Is this a Cincinnati Brewery? – No… Quaff On isn’t a Cincinnati Brewery, but Danny Gold will always be a massive part of Cincinnati Beer, and I for one am proud to look at what his idea has become and to know that the Brotherhood is something that can’t be taken away… it also doesn’t hurt that with his new role, he’s able to stay based here in Cincy… meaning a piece of Quaff Brothers will always be here.
That – Is the story.
What’s Coming?
The beer that Danny first tried that showed him the light for what the barrel aging program could be built on was called Fool’s Russian – and that’s the beer that they’ve currently got stashed away in barrels at Quaff On. It’s making it’s way to FOBaB this year, and it will eventually see some packaging. For now, the focus is on building. It takes time to build up a stockpile of barrels and get them all filled, but when Quaff On starts selling their beer in Cincinnati in 2018, they’ll certainly be ready to show you some stuff that is going to be exciting.
There are a few projects that Danny did with some local places that you’ll probably still see in some capacity – not to mention some of the older projects that still pop up from time to time (I just saw a new stockpile of Chicago Breakfast Stout on some shelves yesterday.)
Keep your eyes peeled… there are big things coming from these guys – and I’ll have more stuff in the coming future, here… and “other” places.