San Diego has established itself as a paradise for those who enjoy quality beer, and one of the area's most notable successes is Stone Brewing Co., the Escondido-based brewery that has experienced a meteoric rise since it first launched in 1996. Now, the company's founders are giving a first-hand account of the company's history with a book, "The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance." Co-written with Randy Clemens, an author and the company's public relations coordinator, the book provides an inside look at the company's first 15 years.
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, the brewery's signature beer is its Arrogant Bastard Ale, a hoppy concoction introduced in 1997, back when, according to Koch, strong, bold beers were not popular.
The beer's name and taste encapsulate the company's bold, "do it your way philosophy," a take on business that makes it clear that the company and its people are passionate about what they do and, more importantly, do well. The independently-owned company has remained true to its core beliefs, which in addition to producing craft-quality beer include a commitment to sustainability, business ethics and the use of innovation to stay on the cutting edge of the brewing business.
It's a formula that has served the company well.
Stone Brewing Co. has established itself as a business who is a hit with beer connoisseurs. BeerAdvocate magazine named it the "All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth," Koch was knighted by the Belgian Brewers Federation and it has a total of five Great American Beer Festival medals, including a gold for its Stone Levitation Ale in 2007.
On the business side, Stone was the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States last year, and has averaged a 43 percent year-to-year growth over the past 15 years. It was included in the Inc. 500 list two years in a row, and last year announced a series of large projects, including a 55,000 square-foot production facility, a new hotel and headquarters and a farm, a new bistro and gardens at Liberty Station and a company store in the South Park area of San Diego.
The following is a Q-and-A with Clemens.
How would you describe this book?
"The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance" covers a lot of ground! At its core, it's the story of Stone, how it came to be, and how it's continued to grow at quite a clip over the past 15+ years. More than that, though, it covers the history of beer, and acts as a primer explaining how beer is made, including an in-depth look at the ingredients and the process behind brewing. It covers the backstories behind each beer Stone has ever produced, pairing advice, recipes from the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, and 18 recipes for Stone beers scaled down for homebrewing.
Where did the idea for this book come from?
Shortly after finishing the manuscript for my other book (The Sriracha Cookbook), I began wondering what I wanted to work on next. Having been a fan of Stone Brewing Co. for some time and having dined in the bistro on many occasions, I thought, "Why not put together a cookbook with recipes from Stone?!" I went straight to the top and sent a pitch to Stone CEO and co-founder Greg Koch. Surprisingly, he got back to me a few hours later, warm to the idea, but not completely convinced. We ended up meeting several times and bumping into each other coincidentally in San Francisco, fleshing out a larger scope for the project, and I finally won him over.
How daunting was the process of putting together this book? When did you start and how long did it take?
It was definitely a labor of love, and we were up against a tight deadline, wanting to have it out around the time of the Stone 15th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival. (We actually missed a deadline…or two… and it got pushed back until late September rather than mid-August.) As daunting as it was at times?trying to wrangle up Greg and Steve for interviews, looking through old boxes of photos, testing recipes, editing (and re-editing), and bringing together the many little pieces that really make the book special?I am so glad to have been a part of it. Getting to hear these great stories about Stone's past and getting to know Greg and Steve (not to mention plenty of others who helped make Stone what it is today!) over the course of a year and a half was an absolute pleasure.
How did you decide what to include and what to leave out?
We really wanted to paint a complete picture while keeping it all entertaining and conversational, but also educational and eye-opening. If it fit the bill, we kept it in!
What was the motivation for including homebrew recipes?
How could we not?! What a great thing to share! Homebrewing is what gets all great brewers started, and if we can inspire someone to go down that road and create something with their own hands, maybe even change it up and make it their own, then I say we've done a great thing!
What do you hope people come away with after reading the book?
A further appreciation of the craft beer world as a whole, and the passion that exists behind it. I've never met a more gracious community of people than craft beer drinkers, and it's incredible to be a part of it. The deeper I dig, the more treasure I find, and I hope that rings true for those who read the book. And hey, if you're inspired to try a recipe or give homebrewing a shot… well, nothing would make me happier. And I'm willing to say nothing will make you happier, either!
***
Before settling on Stone Brewing Co., some of the names that Greg Koch and Steve Wagner considered included:
• Old Shoe Brewing
• Midnight Brewing Co.
• 1516 Brewing Co.
• Rebellion Brewing Co.
• Miracle Brewing Co.
• KoochenVagner's Sublime and Beautiful Great California Paradox Ale Brewing and Trading Company Incorporated
• Stone Ales
? Source: "The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance"
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, the brewery's signature beer is its Arrogant Bastard Ale, a hoppy concoction introduced in 1997, back when, according to Koch, strong, bold beers were not popular.
The beer's name and taste encapsulate the company's bold, "do it your way philosophy," a take on business that makes it clear that the company and its people are passionate about what they do and, more importantly, do well. The independently-owned company has remained true to its core beliefs, which in addition to producing craft-quality beer include a commitment to sustainability, business ethics and the use of innovation to stay on the cutting edge of the brewing business.
It's a formula that has served the company well.
Stone Brewing Co. has established itself as a business who is a hit with beer connoisseurs. BeerAdvocate magazine named it the "All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth," Koch was knighted by the Belgian Brewers Federation and it has a total of five Great American Beer Festival medals, including a gold for its Stone Levitation Ale in 2007.
On the business side, Stone was the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States last year, and has averaged a 43 percent year-to-year growth over the past 15 years. It was included in the Inc. 500 list two years in a row, and last year announced a series of large projects, including a 55,000 square-foot production facility, a new hotel and headquarters and a farm, a new bistro and gardens at Liberty Station and a company store in the South Park area of San Diego.
The following is a Q-and-A with Clemens.
How would you describe this book?
"The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance" covers a lot of ground! At its core, it's the story of Stone, how it came to be, and how it's continued to grow at quite a clip over the past 15+ years. More than that, though, it covers the history of beer, and acts as a primer explaining how beer is made, including an in-depth look at the ingredients and the process behind brewing. It covers the backstories behind each beer Stone has ever produced, pairing advice, recipes from the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, and 18 recipes for Stone beers scaled down for homebrewing.
Where did the idea for this book come from?
Shortly after finishing the manuscript for my other book (The Sriracha Cookbook), I began wondering what I wanted to work on next. Having been a fan of Stone Brewing Co. for some time and having dined in the bistro on many occasions, I thought, "Why not put together a cookbook with recipes from Stone?!" I went straight to the top and sent a pitch to Stone CEO and co-founder Greg Koch. Surprisingly, he got back to me a few hours later, warm to the idea, but not completely convinced. We ended up meeting several times and bumping into each other coincidentally in San Francisco, fleshing out a larger scope for the project, and I finally won him over.
How daunting was the process of putting together this book? When did you start and how long did it take?
It was definitely a labor of love, and we were up against a tight deadline, wanting to have it out around the time of the Stone 15th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival. (We actually missed a deadline…or two… and it got pushed back until late September rather than mid-August.) As daunting as it was at times?trying to wrangle up Greg and Steve for interviews, looking through old boxes of photos, testing recipes, editing (and re-editing), and bringing together the many little pieces that really make the book special?I am so glad to have been a part of it. Getting to hear these great stories about Stone's past and getting to know Greg and Steve (not to mention plenty of others who helped make Stone what it is today!) over the course of a year and a half was an absolute pleasure.
How did you decide what to include and what to leave out?
We really wanted to paint a complete picture while keeping it all entertaining and conversational, but also educational and eye-opening. If it fit the bill, we kept it in!
What was the motivation for including homebrew recipes?
How could we not?! What a great thing to share! Homebrewing is what gets all great brewers started, and if we can inspire someone to go down that road and create something with their own hands, maybe even change it up and make it their own, then I say we've done a great thing!
What do you hope people come away with after reading the book?
A further appreciation of the craft beer world as a whole, and the passion that exists behind it. I've never met a more gracious community of people than craft beer drinkers, and it's incredible to be a part of it. The deeper I dig, the more treasure I find, and I hope that rings true for those who read the book. And hey, if you're inspired to try a recipe or give homebrewing a shot… well, nothing would make me happier. And I'm willing to say nothing will make you happier, either!
***
Before settling on Stone Brewing Co., some of the names that Greg Koch and Steve Wagner considered included:
• Old Shoe Brewing
• Midnight Brewing Co.
• 1516 Brewing Co.
• Rebellion Brewing Co.
• Miracle Brewing Co.
• KoochenVagner's Sublime and Beautiful Great California Paradox Ale Brewing and Trading Company Incorporated
• Stone Ales
? Source: "The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance"