Icebreaker Podcast: Glynn Phillips of Rubicon Brewing

California Groundbreakers

Here's our third "Icebreaker" mini-podcast focused on California Groundbreakers in the beer industry, in advance of our live "Brewmasters" event on October 11 . November 1, 2017, marks the 30th anniversary of Rubicon Brewing, the oldest operating brewery in Sacramento (and the 6th oldest in California). But owner Glynn Phillips couldn't make it that far. On August 7, he told the public he was shutting down. It was one of the worst days in his life. Two months later, Phillips sat down with us -- bringing along a big-ass bottle of unfiltered Rubicon IPA to drink -- and talked about the rise and fall of Rubicon. How he got into brewing beer as a minor and met Rubicon founder Ed Brown at his friend's house. How making Rubicon IPA was like dropping a bomb on Northern California's beer scene. How the brewery went gangbusters but then the craft-beer competition got tough. How he made the fateful decision to close -- but why that may not necessarily mean the end of Rubicon. Phillips says he's in better spirits than back in August -- and certainly the big-ass bottle of IPA helped to make this conversation a good, cheerful and uplifting one. PODCAST TIMEFRAME * O to 1:40 min - Intro to Phillips and Rubicon Brewery * 1:40 min - Phillips' most memorable beer (of course he was underage) * 4:30 min - Getting to know Ed Brown, Rubicon's founder, on the basketball court * 7:35 min - Sacramento's beer scene when Phillips bought Rubicon * 10:15 min - The bomb-dropping impact of Rubicon IPA * 13:20 min - Phillips' good Sierra Nevada Brewing story about the "Friday paycheck and a case of beer" * 16:25 min - The pros and cons of running a food-serving brewpub * 22 min - Gangbuster beer sales till 2010 and then . . . what happened? * 24:10 min - The fateful decision, the announcement, and the results * 27 min - A Rubicon comeback? And Phillips' Phase 2 in beer * 30 min - Phillips' take on California's craft beer scene -- and advice for those who want to work in it * 34:25 min - How (or if) he'll celebrate Rubicon's 30th anniversary on November 1