Mike Sober is a big man in every way: His sheer size; his astounding facial mane; and his overwhelming reverence of craft beer. Beyond the irony of his last name, perhaps Mike’s most striking feature is his total, bigger-than-life appearance. . .he looks as though he should be on stage with old-school rockers Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and the beardless Frank Beard of ZZ Top.

He is as regular as any regular who has ever warmed a stool at the Auburn Alehouse, especially since he lives in Roseville with his wife of 39 years, Terri, who works at the True Value store on Nevada Street in Auburn. So when Brewmaster Brian Ford thought about creating his first triple IPA, “Honoring Mike by putting his image on the ZZ Hop came to mind immediately, ” he said. “The hoppier the beer the better as far as Mike is concerned, and this beer genuinely reflects his personality and his love of craft beer.”

Mike engineers trusses for a building components prefabrication company in Roseville, and if he is not riding his Italian-made Bianchi bicycle, his time is consumed with all things craft beer: He tore out the grass in his backyard, installed 10-foot poles and grows his own hops, producing just a couple of pounds of Cascade and Centennial varieties. He makes about 50 gallons of home-brewed beer each year, but , “I’d prefer to come to Brian’s place,” he said.

“I first got into beer in the Army when I was in Germany in the 70s,” Mike explained. “That’s when I learned that German beer was really good and American beer was crap. I started trying a lot of craft beers in the early 90s.”

Mike calls himself “The Hop Hunter” and as evidence, he maintains a flurry of Internet resources, including a Facebook page of the same name. Along with friends Mark Zahn and Rick Sellers, Mike created an organization called S.O.B.E.R. (Sierra Organization of Beer Enthusiast Recruiters, and the trio also launched the web site www.pacificbrewnews.com. If that’s not enough, Mike also writes about his beer experiences and random thoughts at www.thehophunter.blogspot.com.

When he travels, as you might imagine, Mike and Terri explore hot beer regions in the west. Last summer the pair traveled to Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado to find new brews. “It was an epic tour,” Mike said. “Colorado was the best. . .we visited 24 breweries and collected 26 growlers.”

Within the next few years the Sobers hope to travel to Belgium, “For three reasons,” Mike explained: “To taste beer, to go bicycling and to learn more about the history of both world wars. . .I’m very interested in that.”

Biking in the foothill is another of Mike’s passions. “My all-time, favorite bike ride is to the Alehouse, about 20 miles from Roseville and a climb of 1,100 feet in elevation,” he said. “It works up a nice thirst, and, of course, I get a ride home.”

Mike first met Brian Ford at Pistol Pete’s in Auburn when Brian was building Beerman’s in Lincoln. “Both our wives have a love of beer and we forged ahead based on that,” he said, adding, “Brian is a fantastic guy and a world class brewer—it has thrilled me to know him.”

While ZZ Hop is being released at the Auburn Alehouse on February 10, there will be a preview release on February 9 at Mike’s favorite Roseville haunt in Old Town. The reason is Mike and Brian will be in the Bay Area to participate in San Francisco Beer Week.

ZZ Hop is the first Auburn Alehouse brew to honor a customer. Besides his likeness on the label, there is another tribute to Mike: the slogan “Drink to be Sober,” a remarkably fitting double entendre.

If you’ve ever visited the Auburn Alehouse, chances are you’ve seen me hanging around.  I’m the huge metal sculpture that not only dominates the center of the building, but also serves as the icon representing the restaurant and the craft beers we brew.  Just because I am mute doesn’t mean I have nothing to say, so I’ll be using this blog to let you know what I’m thinking.  Check back often because I love to rant!

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Are you like me and have noticed that brew pubs seem to be popping up everywhere?  When the Auburn Alehouse opened more than four years ago, we were the only true craft beer pub in the area.  And even though at least three other joints are or plan to make beer here, we’re still the only authentic Craft Brewery in town.

Here’s the difference.  At the Alehouse, brewing craft beer is our passion. . .it’s why we exist!  We have invested heavily in sophisticated brewing equipment and the facilities to house it in our quest to make a wide variety of premium ales and lagers.  Our staff is professionally trained and has extensive knowledge, experience and passion for the art of Craft brewing; this is the career they have chosen for their life’s work.

It’s quite a different picture with the other so-called brewers that operate locally.  Basically, they are posers, making beer on premise for reasons other than the quest to produce outstanding craft beers.  They are working a subterfuge in order to obtain an ABC license to serve spirits (hard alcohol), an automatic award if you brew on premise with a specific license.  Placer County dispenses just a few spirits licenses to restaurants each year, so some people seeking to open restaurants brew the minimum quantity (or do they?)—100 barrels—in order to score a license to sell spirits.

These joints end up serving inferior beer, often made by inexperienced staff or they simply pay the excise tax and dump the beer down the drain.  Most don’t have the proper equipment or even a brew master.  Some even stoop to using extract kits with pre-boiled mix to which they add hot water and yeast, we call them “Betty Crocker”  brewers.

Our feeling is if you’re going to call yourself a brewer, you’d better put out a good beer, or everyone else who is serious about it suffers.  It is essential that the public be able to distinguish between true crafter brewers and imposters!

There is a new vitality and energy in Old Town that is undeniable. The result is many of our colleagues are reporting that their businesses are on the rebound, with some of our neighbors enjoying record years. We’re delighted to contribute to such a vibrant place, and we’re especially gratified for the health of our own business.

In 2011 and we enjoyed robust business on all fronts, especially in our wholesale beer business. There has been such strong demand for 22 ounce bottles of Gold Digger IPA, Fool’s Gold Ale and PU 240 that we significantly increased production in this year’s fourth quarter. And for 2012, we’re forecasting double digit growth. . .again!

Another factor contributing to demand is we have aggressively sought to distribute our products outside of Placer County. We’ve reached the point where Don Bates and I will be focusing our distribution efforts in Placer, Nevada, El Dorado and Sacramento Counties. Thanks to a new agreement with High Water Distributing, both our bottled beer and draught beer now will be delivered fresh in more than a half dozen new counties in the Bay Area and NorCal.

As we look forward to another rewarding year in 2012, we want to make sure that our customers and friends understand that we appreciate all of their business and support that has helped sustain and propel our business. Thank you so much, and please accept our best wishes for all the promise of the New Year!

— Brian & Lisa Ford

The "Sando". A brewery scramble with ham, bell peppers, & onions on a grilled Ciabatta topped with bacon, melted pepper jack and cheddar cheese. Side of Old Town country potatoes.

“We’ve seen plenty of weekend demand in Old Town, so ‘Breakfast at the Brewery’ is designed to offer an alternative for both fans of the Alehouse, and breakfast” explained Brewmaster Brian Ford.  “Our Breakfast menu is hearty and robust, like you’d find at a roadside diner or your mom’s kitchen table on Saturday morning. For more info and pictures from the first day of breakfast, read on!

You’ll find items like “the Hillbilly”, our slant on biscuits and country gravy, as well as “the Cure” that will certainly set you right after an evening of craft beer enjoyment. My personal favorite is the Irish Porridge with brown sugar and a “float” of Irish Mist. We’re very excited about opening our doors early on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Pics from the first breakfast!

Check out the food.