A Toast to Jim Kennedy
A Toast to Jim Kennedy
BY
Gary Corbin
Honorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap
What's that beer in your hand? A Portland-based micro? A British ESB? A dry Irish stout? If it's anything other than fizzy, straw-colored American lager, you have Jim Kennedy to thank for it. Jim co-founded Admiralty Beverage with his wife Bobbie in 1985 with a simple, passionate vision: to bring the great beers of the world to Portland. Having spent over 20 years in his family's stevedoring business, Jim had traveled the world and tasted all the great beers. "He loved them!" Bobbie told me. Jim loved the imports, and he also was an early booster of the micros. But it wasn't an easy sell. Jim had to first educate publicans and sales staff on what the products were. On weekends, Bobbie said, Jim hauled around samples of Belgians and micros to pubs and stores, telling people, "Here, try this!" It was unconventional, but it worked. "Widmer and Deschutes, to name two, wouldn't be where they are today without him," said Hair of the Dog's Alan Sprints. "Belmont Station would never be there if it wasn't for him," echoed proprietor Joy Campbell. Jim's legacy transcends good beer. "He was a visionary, leader, and educator, about beer and all the good things in life," said Martin Gredvig of Columbia Distributing, which bought Admiralty in 1995."Jim was like a father figure to a lot of people," Sprints said. Kurt and Rob Widmer agreed. "He held and attended his own wake so he could say good-bye to people," Rob said. "That was pretty special." Jim, who would have turned 64 on March 27, succumbed to cancer in July, 2002.
Beer News:
Laurelwood's 5th Anniversary is this week and they are celebrating the only way we know how. Today and Wednesday (March 21 & 22) enjoy Happy Hour beer prices all day- that's $2.75 pints. Laurelwood also thought they'd bring out one of you're all-time favorites...GREEN ELEPHANT ORGANIC IPA. Don't miss it.
- McMenamins Pubs & Breweries has opened its newest bar, Back Stage. The bar, located behind the Bagdad Theater (3702 S.E. Hawthorne, Portland), has several pool tables, a full bar featuring McMenamins ales, wines and spirits and seating for up to 50 people, encompassing a space behind the Bagdad silver screen with ceilings nearly 7 stories high.
American Premium Beer Challenge winner was crowned last weekend. According to Larry Connor
the most interesting things were the following:1) Our average scores for this year were significantly lower than last year's Great American Light Beer Challenge (I can provide data for this as well if you would like). I'm going to try to come up with some normalized data to even it out.2) The winner is Coors Original. A recipe that hasn't changed in recent years, as opposed to Bud Select who placed in the middle of the pack.3) Dollar for Dollar Pittsburgh beers are the clear winner. Old German Premium Lager and Iron City from Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Took 1st and 2nd respectively.4) However, for overall taste Portland seemed to be right up at the top with 2/2 of the Portland beers in the top 4 (2nd and 4th).
BY
Gary Corbin
Honorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap
What's that beer in your hand? A Portland-based micro? A British ESB? A dry Irish stout? If it's anything other than fizzy, straw-colored American lager, you have Jim Kennedy to thank for it. Jim co-founded Admiralty Beverage with his wife Bobbie in 1985 with a simple, passionate vision: to bring the great beers of the world to Portland. Having spent over 20 years in his family's stevedoring business, Jim had traveled the world and tasted all the great beers. "He loved them!" Bobbie told me. Jim loved the imports, and he also was an early booster of the micros. But it wasn't an easy sell. Jim had to first educate publicans and sales staff on what the products were. On weekends, Bobbie said, Jim hauled around samples of Belgians and micros to pubs and stores, telling people, "Here, try this!" It was unconventional, but it worked. "Widmer and Deschutes, to name two, wouldn't be where they are today without him," said Hair of the Dog's Alan Sprints. "Belmont Station would never be there if it wasn't for him," echoed proprietor Joy Campbell. Jim's legacy transcends good beer. "He was a visionary, leader, and educator, about beer and all the good things in life," said Martin Gredvig of Columbia Distributing, which bought Admiralty in 1995."Jim was like a father figure to a lot of people," Sprints said. Kurt and Rob Widmer agreed. "He held and attended his own wake so he could say good-bye to people," Rob said. "That was pretty special." Jim, who would have turned 64 on March 27, succumbed to cancer in July, 2002.
Beer News:
Laurelwood's 5th Anniversary is this week and they are celebrating the only way we know how. Today and Wednesday (March 21 & 22) enjoy Happy Hour beer prices all day- that's $2.75 pints. Laurelwood also thought they'd bring out one of you're all-time favorites...GREEN ELEPHANT ORGANIC IPA. Don't miss it.
- McMenamins Pubs & Breweries has opened its newest bar, Back Stage. The bar, located behind the Bagdad Theater (3702 S.E. Hawthorne, Portland), has several pool tables, a full bar featuring McMenamins ales, wines and spirits and seating for up to 50 people, encompassing a space behind the Bagdad silver screen with ceilings nearly 7 stories high.
American Premium Beer Challenge winner was crowned last weekend. According to Larry Connor
the most interesting things were the following:1) Our average scores for this year were significantly lower than last year's Great American Light Beer Challenge (I can provide data for this as well if you would like). I'm going to try to come up with some normalized data to even it out.2) The winner is Coors Original. A recipe that hasn't changed in recent years, as opposed to Bud Select who placed in the middle of the pack.3) Dollar for Dollar Pittsburgh beers are the clear winner. Old German Premium Lager and Iron City from Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Took 1st and 2nd respectively.4) However, for overall taste Portland seemed to be right up at the top with 2/2 of the Portland beers in the top 4 (2nd and 4th).
posted by PDXBeer at 1:45 PM
3 Comments:
I'm very happy to see Jim Kennedy get some recognition outside the beer geekery. Jim was always incredibly generous, not just to me personally, but to homebrewers and beer fans throughout the region. Vistors to Admiralty would find themselves wandering away with unusual bottlings from Europe, or glassware we'd never seen before. Not long after they moved shop into NW Portland, Jim threw legendary feasts to celebrate the winter seasonal beers (all new and very exciting in those days), with deep-fried turkey and wurst and a seemingly endless supply of great beers.
In another year, Jim not only came up with a great selection of beers for a Brew Crew dinner, but threw in a supply of aged, bottle-conditioned stout that had us all gasping.
Oregon's (hell, the PNW's) beer scene would look very different if Jim hadn't been around, and my own life would have been reduced for not knowing such a wonderful human being.
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