Raise A Toast To Greg

It is with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of brewing legend Greg Noonan after his brief fight with cancer. His enthusiasm for craft brewing was infectious and will continue to influence artisan brewers forever. Dog-eared and wort stained copies of his books can be found on the shelves of many serious home brewers and in most microbreweries. To meet Greg for the first time was like running into a long lost friend. He would talk endlessly into the wee hours about beer and brewing with perfect strangers generously offering all he knew for the asking. Helping many brewers make the jump from hobby to professional, he happily offered all of his knowledge and experience while mentoring those that were following in his footsteps. There is no doubt that the outstanding reputation Vermont brewers enjoy today was built upon the foundation Greg laid more than two decades ago. However, his contribution to the craft went well beyond the technical, he never let us forget the pure joy that comes from a well crafted beer shared with friends. So many remembrances have been offered by those touched by the life of this brewing pioneer, but one posting to the Beer Advocate website by Rock Art Brewery owner Matt Nadeau sums up how many of us feel; he writes, “A great loss, but better, a great man to have known for as long as I did. I wish you the best, and I hope you can change the old saying, ‘There is no beer in heaven, that’s why we drink it here’ because if anyone can it will be you my old friend...Peace.”