Alan Sprints retires, Hair of the Dog closing

Sad news I guess. All the best to Alan, just found his RB profile.

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Absolute legend. Sad I won’t get to visit his brewery, but such is life.

Interesting that he won’t pass it on but I guess either the family doesn’t want to continue or perhaps they want to do something on their own, without the burden of such a legendary name and legacy.

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Honestly fabulous beers. Never seemed to make enough to go around, which was part of the charm. I saw a fresh batch of Adam, Fred & Doggie last year & bought a mixed case, but it’s all gone. Sad I never had any “of the wood” variants.

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Slight chance I’m in Portland this spring. One last chance.

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Oh wow. Glad I managed to get a visit in and try a number of their beers.

I have 2 beers left.

Fred 47 - $1.99 at Trader Joe’s, say around 2007 in Citrus Heights, CA.

Adam 72 - $5.55 at Ledger’s Liquors in Berkeley, CA in June 2009

Dang bad news - was going every year to the Portland festival and hitting the pub every year til the pandemic - now this

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It is especially surprising bc I remember his son working in the brewery whenever the last PDX summer gathering was happening. In my head, I thought this meant that a heritage for the brewery was being established. But it seems that kids of brewers don’t want to enter the family business (e.g., Bell’s).

I’m thinking hard if I can sneak in another trip to PDX before he closes up shop.

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Sad but very understandable.

I managed to visit HotD three times and every visit was fascinating. Met also Alan briefly at London one time. I have rated ~13000 beers and Matt 2013 which I had December 2013 at brewery is still my highest rated beer.

Hopefully their legacy lives long and I can still enjoy some vintage bottles at Portland after covid is over and I am able to travel there again…

Janne

I’ve spent a lot of time with Alan, Wendy and the whole crew. I think he’s ready to retire and just didn’t find a right way to keep it going. The area has become really rough with a huge homeless encampment right next to it, it looks like a FEMA camp. I have hundreds of HOTD beers, some going back to the 90s. When I moved to Portland, my first thought was about getting to go to HOTD all the time. And I have. It’s really hit me hard to think that it will be gone. Alan is a great guy, generous and kind. If anyone wants a proxy to pick up HOTD beers, let me know. I will be by there many times before it closes. Also, if anyone visits Portland, hit me up.

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You got a free place to crash!

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Coming to Portland next October/November if covid situation is better and definitely I will be interested in rare HotD vintage bottles for a trade…

Janne

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That definitely improves the chances.

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Oh wow, this is sad news. Was planning on going later in the year, may try to make an earlier trip to have a last couple visits. Always a highlight to have beers and conversation here.

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The HoD vintage guides are still on line - if you got ancient brews, date them now.

what time of year are you thinking of going?

I am not sure how long Alan will stay open, but he said sometime this Summer it will close. They will hold bottles at the brewery for a long time. I can hold them as well.

PANDEMIC MODE ON

buy everything

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It will probably be 1st week of July for anniversary/birthday trip. Hopefully they are still open then. If that trip changes to somewhere else, I’ll probably make a solo trip there in April or May.

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Looks like one last Fred Fest May 13-15. I’m planning to drive up from the Bay so I can load the car up with one last haul.

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Unfortunately looks like I’ll miss going to HotD before they are closed. Airfare is too insane now, so we’ve changed where our July trip will be. I should be going to PDX solo in October. Highly doubt they’ll still be open then.