One of the very first American craft brewers, Jack McAuliffe, died at his home in Arkansas on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at the age of 80. He is credited with starting Sonoma, California’s New Albion Brewing in 1976. His contribution to the beer world we know today was immense.
“Jack’s place among United States craft brewers as a change maker and inspiration will be a part of the beer world for generations,” said Renee DeLuca, Jack’s daughter, who operates the Brewers Daughter page on Facebook and keeps her father’s legacy alive.
When New Albion Brewing opened in 1976, Anchor Brewing was the only other brewery in the nation that resembled what we now refer to as a craft brewery. Jack McAuliffe was a true pioneer and is credited with inspiring many early craft brewers, including Ken Grossman, who opened Sierra Nevada Brewing in 1980.
“We are saddened by the passing of Jack McAuliffe, founder of New Albion Brewing Company,” Sierra Nevada Brewing posted on social media. “Jack was a great influence and friend to our owner, Ken Grossman. He had a lasting impact on the craft beer industry, Sierra Nevada, and the many people he called friends. He will be greatly missed.”
For Jack, it all began when he served in the U.S. Navy. While stationed in Scotland, he discovered flavorful beers. He came home with a desire to make beers like the ones he’d enjoyed in the United Kingdom. When he opened his brewery, he chose a name that reflected the role that the island of Great Britain played in his beer journey: Albion is an ancient word for Great Britain.
New Albion Brewing only lasted six years. Building and operating a small-scale brewery in those days was exceedingly difficult. Jack and his partners had to cobble together a brewery and bottling line from scrap materials. Think, repurposed commercial kitchen and dairy equipment. Ultimately, finding investors proved the most difficult task. People simply did not understand what he was doing.
In the craft beer revolution, Jack McAuliffe fired the first shot. Not just a pioneer, he preceded and inspired the people that we call craft beer pioneers. Although New Albion’s lifespan was relatively short, Jack’s impact was immense. You can read more about Jack’s passing and the story of New Albion Brewing on Brewbound (not paywalled).
