Our Work is never done, part II
In last week’s blog, we shared Board member Lisa Morrison’s first-person account of hand delivering the ACBHOF awards to the children of Bert Grant, one of The Hall’s inaugural inductees.
This week, Lisa recounts her visit with inductee Charles Finkel…
“After meeting with two of Bert Grant’s children in Vancouver BC) to present them with his posthumous awards for the very first induction to the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame, our next stop was with Charles Finkel in Seattle!
We had ACBHOF trophies for both Charles and his phenomenal wife, Rose Ann, for their contributions to craft beer. From the very first imports Rose Ann brought in for her specialty grocery store, Truffles, to the much larger portfolio they featured with Merchant du Vin (that inspired countless home and craft brewers) and on to their classic Seattle brewpub, The Pike, this dynamic duo each deserved their own award. And that’s what they got.
After the “business” of presenting the awards, Charles had invited us for lunch at his beautiful house. Silly me. I was thinking a light nosh. I was wrong. And not disappointed!
Simply put, Charles, in typical form, astounded. He prepared a five-course meal for us, including a cantaloupe and prosciutto dish with edible flowers from his garden, a vegetarian chili with a specialty toasted pasta (and a side of sautéed ground bison if we were so inclined), and dessert of banana split—a healthier version with mixed berries and a light cream.
We enjoyed discussing many topics, catching up on beer news, and learning of his many continued pursuits. I especially enjoyed hearing of his recent trip to our shared childhood stompin’ grounds of Oklahoma.
Charles and Rose Ann were always so supportive of me (and, honestly, everyone in beer), especially after my book came out in 2011. It truly was an honor to present Charles with his and Rose Ann’s awards commemorating their inductions into the inaugural class of the ACBHOF.”
Now a small request: If you liked reading about these presentations and think what the ACBHOF doing is a good thing, we sure would appreciate some support to help with ongoing expenses. We are a 501(c)(3) so your donation might be a tax deduction. Either way, and no matter how small, your donation would most definitely be appreciated!
https://www.americancraftbeerhalloffame.com/home-2
ACBHOF Board member Lisa Morrison with inaugural inductee, Charles Finkel. Charles is holding a picture of his late wife, Rose Ann, who is also an inaugural inductee.