Meet the President Continued from Page 1


continue to make homemade wine, Mendiola moved to San Diego with his family at the age of 12. In 1993, he purchased his first homebrewing equipment from Home Brew Mart and never looked back. After attend- ing the Master Brewer’s Program at UC Davis, Mendiola worked for two years as an assistant brewer at Rock Bottom in South Denver before com- ing to Rock Bottom La Jolla as Head Brewer in 1999. Winning six awards at the Great American Beer Festival, five at the World Beer Cup and numerous accolades from local and state fairs, Mendiola has found success in the San Diego Beer Community. He notes that most people are surprised to learn that Rock Bottom brewers are able to brew


their own recipes, and that every Rock Bottom only serves the beer produced at that particular location. Thus, part of Mendiola’s duties as a Senior Brew- master include traveling to oversee the brewers in Downtown San Diego, San Jose, Downtown Denver and the Chop- House Denver.


Brews in the News Continued from Page 3


expected to raise at least $50,000 for the Japanese Red Cross Society. The second collaboration, named Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Troegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout, was brewed from the winning recipe of this year’s Stone March Madness Home- brew Competition.


I Fought the Law...


The state Senate approved legislation on July 14th that will relax regula- tions imposed on local brewery tasting rooms, and the bill has been sent to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk. Cur- rently, breweries are subject to the same strict health and safety codes that govern restaurants and food production facilities, while winery tasting rooms are exempt. Just last April, two local breweries were hit with cease & desist orders after unknowing failure to com- ply with demands from the San Diego Department of Environmental Health. Now, there is light at the end of the tun- nel as Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher pushed AB 1014 through the Legistat- ure, prompted by a conversation with Mike Hess of Hess Brewing. Do your part by writing your own letter of sup- port to: Office of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, Attn: Nick Pappas, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0075


DATE Legislative Affairs


Governor Edmund G. Brown State Capitol, Suite 1173 Sacramento, CA 95814


Re: AB 1014 (Fletcher) – Request for Signature


Dear Governor Brown,


On behalf of California Craft Beer Drinkers, I write to express our strong support for your signature on Assembly Bill 1014, which would greatly im- prove the regulatory oversight of craft brewery tasting rooms.


I would appreciate this important effort from the legislature to align beer tasting safety regulations with those for wine tasting. Current law requires breweries to expend significant resources to be compliant with regulations written for restaurants and food preparation facili- ties, regulations that have no relation to the health and safety of customers in a tasting room. Assembly Bill 1014 aligns beer tasting regulations with those for wine tasting, improving cus- tomer safety while lowering costs for local breweries.


This bill will greatly help my local breweries and California’s burgeoning microbrewery industry continue to pro- vide great products, jobs, and tourism opportunities across the state. I, as a local consumer, strongly support these legislative efforts and urge a signature for Assembly Bill 1014.


Sincerely, NAME


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