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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Jack McAuliffe, who brewed a craft beer revolution, dies at 80
New Albion offered something profoundly different: handmade ales using just water, barley, hops, and yeast. Mr. McAuliffe and his partners, Suzy Denison and Jane Zimmerman, ran the label out of a rundown warehouse in Sonoma, Calif., making just 400 barrels a year, about as much as Coors could produce in a few minutes. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The very idea of small-batch beer was such an anomaly that Mr. McAuliffe struggled to find equipment and ingredients. Instead, he fashioned much of the production line himself from materials he had scavenged from a junkyard. Advertisement Unable to buy traditional hops in small quantities, he opted for a new variety, cascade, whose notes of fruit and pine didn't appeal to the big breweries -- but which, thanks to Mr. McAuliffe, became a prized part of the craft brewing repertoire. His DIY ethic likewise became a defining characteristic of craft brewing, said Theresa McCulla, a former curator at the National Museum of American History who documented the history of beer in America. Advertisement 'He really showed Americans that if you can build it and sheetrock it, and weld it, then you can brew your own great beer,' she said in an interview. Mr. McAuliffe called his brewery New Albion as an homage to a long-closed predecessor in the Bay Area, as well as to the name Sir Francis Drake gave the region when he sailed along the coast of Northern California in 1579. A drawing of Drake's flagship, the Golden Hind, appeared on New Albion's labels. New Albion was profiled in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and demand for its beers grew rapidly. Still, Mr. McAuliffe was unable to secure bank loans to fund expansion, and the brewery closed in 1982. Though New Albion lasted less than six years, practically every craft pioneer who came along afterward has cited the brewery as an inspiration, among them Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada, Jim Koch of Sam Adams, and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. 'They say that when the Ramones first played in England, members of the Clash were in the audience, members of the Sex Pistols were in the audience, then away they went,' Calagione said in an interview. 'While the Ramones launched a million bands, Jack McAuliffe launched 10,000 American craft breweries.' John Robert McAuliffe was born May 11, 1945, in Caracas, Venezuela, where his father, John James McAuliffe, was a code breaker for the US government. His mother, Margaret (Quigley) McAuliffe, was a teacher. After World War II, Jack's father joined the State Department. The family lived in Medellín, Colombia, and later in Northern Virginia while his father taught at American University in Washington. Advertisement In high school, Jack became enthralled with welding and worked in a shop as an apprentice. He enrolled at Michigan Technological University but quit to join the Navy. He was posted to a base in Scotland, where he repaired submarine antennas. In his free time, he developed a fondness for British ales -- especially full-bodied porters and stouts -- and began brewing his own at home. After he was honorably discharged from a base in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. McAuliffe decided to stay. He received an associate degree from the City College of San Francisco and worked for an engineering company in Sunnyvale, Calif., all the while dreaming of making his beloved British-style ales in the United States. Finally, in 1975, he met Denison and Zimmerman, who each put in $1,500 in seed money to start New Albion. Mr. McAuliffe was a demanding brewmaster, and Zimmerman left the company. But Denison stayed on, eventually running most of the daily operations. 'He totally trusted me,' she said in an interview. 'He might go into San Francisco to pick up hops or something and leave me completely in charge.' After the brewery closed, Mr. McAuliffe sold his equipment to a new brewery, the Mendocino Brewing Co., where he worked for a time as a brewmaster. He soon quit, he said, because after being a captain, he couldn't stomach working as a deckhand. But he continued supporting the craft brewing movement, in one instance working with Fritz Maytag, the owner of the Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco, on securing legislation to allow brew pubs to serve food. Advertisement Mr. McAuliffe later lived in Nevada and Texas before settling in Arkansas. Along with his daughter, he leaves his sisters, Cathy and Margarita McAuliffe; his brother, Tom; two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Craft beer did not take off as a national phenomenon until the late 1990s, and many in the new generation of drinkers had never heard of New Albion. That began to change in 2012. Koch, of Sam Adams, contacted Mr. McAuliffe to tell him that not only had he bought the trademark to New Albion, but he also wanted to resurrect the beer as a limited release. After leading a nationwide tour reintroducing New Albion to craft-beer fans, Koch gave the proceeds from the beer and the rights to the New Albion name to Mr. McAuliffe. And in 2019, the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, featured items related to New Albion in a permanent exhibit on craft brewing, including an original bottle of its ale and a photograph of Mr. McAuliffe. McCulla, who designed the exhibit, interviewed Mr. McAuliffe for an oral history of craft brewing in 2019. She asked him what he thought of his legacy. 'Damnedest thing I ever saw,' he said. 'It's really hard to believe that this happened.' This article originally appeared in
Irish Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
€40m in cash evidence held by An Garda Síochána, Oireachtas Committee hears
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) when members questioned him on how much money the organisation held in bank notes, which is evidence. In response, Mr Harris confirmed the amount held across the garda estate was in the order of €40 million. While the money will eventually be returned to the exchequer, this will only happen when the different investigations relating to the cash amounts conclude. Mr Harris said there is a 'robust' system in place, called a property in evidence management system (PEM), which gives An Garda Síochána 'assurance around accounting for all of the things' retained, including money, firearms and drugs. However, Mr Harris said he did have a concern that "if an individual member or staff member of An Garda Síochána has criminal intent, those systems can be defeated'. 'Also of concern was the amount of cash that we are holding. That is an obvious concern for us,' Mr Harris said. 'That's why there's been so much work gone into why are we holding it, and what are the routes to make sure it's more secure, and how do we, as quickly as possible, get rid of it. 'Similarly with firearms, so many with drugs,' he added. The Garda Commissioner told the committee there were sufficient controls in place to ensure evidence did not go missing. However, he caveated that reassurance, by outlining to the committee one incident that saw cannabis stolen from a Garda station. According to Mr Harris, two kilos of cannabis was taken from a locker in a Carlow Garda Station in late 2023. ADVERTISEMENT 'That was drugs which should probably have been secured within the PEM system, and they were stolen from a locker,' Mr Harris said. Fianna Fáil TD and vice-chair of PAC, Paul McAuliffe, called for greater transparency, stronger security around evidence held by An Garda Síochána in light of the news that €40 million is currently in storage. '€40 million in cash is a significant amount of money. The public deserves assurances that this money is being held securely, transparently, and strategically,' Mr McAuliffe said. 'There must be a formal financial management strategy established to ensure the money does not lose value while it sits idle, potentially for years, awaiting the outcome of legal processes. This money must be protected not just physically, but financially. €40 million today will not be worth €40 million in five years if it's gathering dust instead of interest.' During the committee hearing, Mr McAuliffe said it was important that PAC was satisfied with the security of the money being held. 'I don't think there is another organization in the state that would have €40 million euro in bank notes, and that the Public Accounts Committee wouldn't have a good line of sight of what the security measures are, and the steps that are in place to protect it,' he said.
Sunday World
24-06-2025
- Sunday World
Teen who drowned at Dublin beach left regular spot because water was ‘too shallow'
The deceased's father, Alan McAuliffe, said he had contacted gardaí after becoming concerned when his son did not turn up at Dundalk railway station Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan. A young Louth man drowned last year on his first time swimming in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, after he switched from his regular bathing place in nearby Malahide because the water was 'too shallow,' an inquest has heard. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner Court heardwastold the body of Luke McAuliffe (19), of Loughanmore, Gyles Quay, Dundalk, Co Louth, was removed from the water by an Irish Coast Guard search team north of Balbriggan on April 30, 2024. The deceased's father, Alan McAuliffe, said he had contacted gardaí after becoming concerned when his son did not turn up at Dundalk railway station where he had arranged to meet him that evening. Mr McAuliffe said he originally thought his son had missed his train or fallen asleep on it when he did not arrive on the scheduled service. However, he became worried when another train came and went without any sign of him. Mr McAuliffe contacted gardaí in Balbriggan after he was able to trace his son's location to the town from his Snapchat account. He told the inquest that gardaí informed him that a body matching his son's description had been found near the Martello tower to the north of Balbriggan. In reply to questions from coroner Clare Keane, the witness said his son had previously been going swimming for a couple of weeks in Malahide on his own. However, Mr McAuliffe said his son did not like swimming in Malahide because the water was 'too shallow'. He believed his son may have gone swimming in Balbriggan because the gym in the town which he sometimes attended was small and might have been too busy. He described his son as 'a fair swimmer' who had 'no fear of water' and would jump into the sea on the spur of a moment by stripping down to his boxer shorts. Mr McAuliffe said Luke was a typical 19-year-old who was full of life who was 'absolutely loving' working as an apprentice electrician. At the time of his death, the deceased was attending training college near Howth Junction in north Dublin. Mr McAuliffe said he was unaware of any struggles in his son's life and noted he had a girlfriend, and was planning a holiday and his future. Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan. News in 90 Seconds - June 24th Another witness, Gerard McKenzie, told the hearing that he was concerned about seeing a swimmer in the water near the lighthouse at Balbriggan Harbour. Mr McKenzie said he was a regular swimmer, although not in Balbriggan, and he would not have gone bathing at the location because it was windy and the water was 'choppy' with large waves that were 'very high' where Mr McAuliffe was. He recalled that there was nobody else swimming in the area on the day. Mr McKenzie said only the swimmer's head was visible in the water when he first noticed him but then saw him lying on his back with his arms out when he appeared 'tranquil'. He said he relaxed at that point as the swimmer was alive and seemed to be enjoying the water. However, Mr McAuliffe said alarm bells rang automatically with him a short time later when he had moved towards the beach in Balbriggan and could no longer see the swimmer. The inquest was told he rang the emergency services after he found clothes on the pier in Balbriggan Harbour but there was no identification material with them. Luke McAuliffe (19) died last year after getting into difficulty whilst swimming in Balbriggan. Garda Ciara MacPhee gave evidence that a body was located in the water at 7.20pm. Garda MacPhee said a jacket with a phone and wallet was recovered from the sea further up the coast at Bell's Beach. They were subsequently identified as belonging to the deceased. She told the coroner that where Mr McAuliffe had been swimming was not an unusual location in Balbriggan to find swimmers. However, she said there would have been a current on the day and there was a breeze which had made the waters choppy. Noting that a post-mortem had confirmed that Mr McAuliffe had died as a result of drowning with no alcohol or drugs in his body, Dr Keane recorded a verdict of accidental death. Offering her condolences to relatives of the deceased, the coroner said she could only imagine their 'absolute shock' at Luke's death.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Heartbroken dad was waiting for son who died first time swimming in Balbriggan
A young Louth man drowned last year on his first time swimming in Balbriggan, Co Dublin after he switched from his regular bathing place in Malahide because the water was 'too shallow,' an inquest has heard. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner Court heard the body of Luke McAuliffe (19) of Loughanmore, Gyles Quay, Dundalk, Co Louth was removed from the water by an Irish Coast Guard search team north of Balbriggan on April 30, 2024. The deceased's father, Alan McAuliffe, said he had contacted gardaí after becoming concerned when his son had not caught a train after arranging to collect him from Dundalk railway station on the evening of April 30, 2024. Mr McAuliffe said he originally thought his son had missed his train or fallen asleep on it when he did not arrive on the scheduled service. However, he became worried when another train came and went without any sign of him. Mr McAuliffe said he contacted gardaí in Balbriggan after he was able to trace his son's location to the town from his Snapchat account. He told the inquest that gardaí informed him that a body matching his son's description had been found near the Martello tower to the north of Balbriggan. In reply to questions from coroner Clare Keane, the witness said his son had previously been going swimming for a couple of weeks in Malahide on his own. However, Mr McAuliffe said his son did not like swimming in Malahide because the water was 'too shallow.' He believed his son may have gone swimming in Balbriggan because the gym in the town which he sometimes attended was small and might have been too busy. He described his son as 'a fair swimmer' who had 'no fear of water' and would jump into the sea on the spur of a moment by stripping down to his boxer shorts. Mr McAuliffe said Luke was a typical 19-year-old who was full of life who was 'absolutely loving' working as an apprentice electrician. At the time of his death, the deceased was attending training college near Howth Junction in north Dublin. Mr McAuliffe said he was unaware of any struggles in his son's life and noted that Luke had a girlfriend and was planning a holiday and his future. Another witness, Gerard McKenzie, told the hearing that he was concerned about seeing a swimmer in the water near the lighthouse at Balbriggan Harbour. Mr McKenzie said he was a regular swimmer, although not in Balbriggan, and he would not have gone bathing at the location because it was windy and the water was 'choppy' with large waves that were 'very high' where Mr McAuliffe was. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week He recalled that there was nobody else swimming in the area on the day. Mr McKenzie said only the swimmer's head was visible in the water when he first noticed him but then saw him lying on his back with his arms out when he appeared 'tranquil.' He said he relaxed at that point as the swimmer was alive and seemed to be enjoying the water. However, Mr McAuliffe said alarm bells rang automatically with him a short time later when he had moved towards the beach in Balbriggan and could no longer see the swimmer. The inquest heard he rang the emergency services after he found clothes on the pier in Balbriggan Harbour but there was no identification material with them. Garda Ciara MacPhee gave evidence that a body was located in the water near the Martello tower north of Balbriggan Harbour at 7.20pm. Garda MacPhee said a jacket with a phone and wallet was recovered from the sea further up the coast at Bell's Beach which were subsequently identified as belonging to the deceased. She told the coroner that where Mr McAuliffe had been swimming was not an unusual location in Balbriggan to find swimmers. However, she said there would have been a current on the day and there was a breeze which had made the waters choppy. Noting that a postmortem had confirmed that Mr McAuliffe had died as a result of drowning with no alcohol or drugs in his body, Dr Keane recorded a verdict of accidental death. Offering her condolences to relatives of the deceased, the coroner said she could only imagine their 'absolute shock' at Luke's death.
Irish Independent
19-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘It is wrong' – Ceann Comhairle urged to meet Oireachtas broadcast staff working on ‘contract basis'
In a letter, party whip Paul McAuliffe suggested she meet the Oireachtas staff who manage broadcasts of Dáil, Seanad and committee proceedings as soon as possible to resolve their grievances. He said he was writing on behalf of Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members in relation to the workers' pay and conditions and an upcoming contract review for their employer, PI Communications. Political pressure has ramped up for the workers who claim some earn around €12,000 a year and have no income during summer and Christmas breaks. In the letter sent on June 17, Mr McAuliffe said members of the Dáil were asked to sign a petition to support this group of 'essential workers'. 'It seems extraordinary that this group are only employed on a contract basis,' he said. 'It is not as if their work is temporary as it is through their good work that all of the Dáil's deliberations, debate and discussions get communicated to all of the public. 'This is crucial work for every elected representative and goes to the core of our democracy.' He said it is crucial and 'only fair' that their grievances are addressed as soon as possible. Mr McAuliffe told the Irish Independent it is up to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to make a decision, as it tenders for the service, and the ceann comhairle is the chair. 'I believe it is wrong that these staff are not on the same terms as other who contribute to the parliamentary community, including ushers and catering staff,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT A PI Comms spokesperson said it provides a range of video and streaming services to public and private sector organisations of which the Houses of the Oireachtas is one. He said the company is contracted on a pay per public minute model for coverage of live proceedings and can only bill for broadcasts that are capable of public transmission. The spokesperson said all part-time employees in this group have a guaranteed entitlement to a fixed amount of work each full sitting week, certainty of income for their contracted work, and are free to work on other projects or for other employers. He said they earn substantially more than the national living wage, with attractive bonus arrangements, and get paid leave and sick pay. They are eligible to enrol in pension schemes, have collective agreements that are recognised, and are provided with training and other staff benefits, he added. 'Furthermore, all salaries and payments are regularly benchmarked and are commensurate with roles, skills, experience and responsibilities,' he said. He said the company is currently engaged in trade union negotiations with the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission. 'We operate in a very competitive sector and are immensely proud of both the service and value we provide our clients and the access, opportunity and supports we provide to our valued staff, many of whom are also engaged in roles for other employers,' he said. 'We are surprised and disappointed that some who have commented on our operations did not first fact-check the accuracy and veracity of ill-founded claims.'
