SHOW CRAFT BEER
Dead Canary
Co-owners Simon Olney and Jim Harte
Ol’ Republic Brewery
By Simon Olney Ol’ Republic Brewery was opened in 2012, in the historic mining town of Nevada City, California by brewers Jim Harte and Simon Olney. With an extensive culinary background and a 15-year career in the wine industry, Harte’s knack for creating flavor profiles is amazing. His wineto-beer metamorphosis is central to the brewery’s success. But great beers are just part of the story. British-born Olney imported English pub culture to the mix. The Ol’ Republic tasting room has become Nevada City’s town parlor. Inspired by old-world-renowned styles, Harte and Olney handcraft lagers like Dead Canary, a Dortmunder Export, which won the 2016 California State Fair Commercial Beer Competition Best of Show. They brew a Munich-style Helles lager called Hell Beer, a Bavarian-style Schwartzbier called Bläk, and their version of a California Common named Frontier Amber among other classic German styles. Their ales include an English-style IPA Lucky Joe, the Irish-style Celtic Red and Resolute, the blackest Export Stout you will ever encounter.
To date, the brewery has not been able to meet demand from fervent followers, but it is expanding rapidly and is on-track to produce 3,000 barrels in 2016 and expects to brew 9,000 barrels per year by the end of 2017. Their draft and packaged beers are available from the Tahoe Basin, down the I-80 and Hwy-50 corridors through Sacramento, to the Bay Area. Lead State Fair judge, Mike Moore sums it up nicely, “Ol’ Republic really is a gold nugget in the northern California area and Nevada City. They are literally brewing a lager using the same methods and achieving the high quality of the pre-prohibition era. Back ten years ago there were only four breweries in California making lagers. There are now 65 breweries just in the Greater Sacramento area. Ol’ Republic is winning these awards because of their commitment to not take any shortcuts, and that results in great beer. You won’t find a nicer, more passionate group of people anywhere.” 1
COMPLETE COMPETITION RESULTS AT CAStateFair.org 63