Nothing Is Certain but Death and Taxes

One of the first professional brewers I ever met was Brian Hunt, owner of Moonlight Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California. It was in the basement brewery of the long closed Hogshead Brewpub in Old Sacramento when he was there delivering kegs for their guest taps. I was sniffing around the brewery looking for my first pro job and struck up a conversation with him about being a probrewer in a time when so few craft breweries existed.

Moonlight Brewing and Brian Hunt have had an enormous influence on my brewing style and love of lager beer. Lunatic Lager, Reality Czech Pils and Death and Taxes SF Style Black Lager were some of the very first craft lagers I came across and set the standard for me as far as what a craft brewery making lager in a world of ales could be.

As we were brewing our very first Black Lager, Nothing Is Certain, I couldn’t help but think of Death And Taxes and how Moonlight Brewing was making killer lager while every other brewery was diving into the world of ales. The beer is meant to be an homage to Brian, Moonlight, and all the contributions he and his brewery have made to spread the love of well-made beer across Northern California. Over the years and over many beers I’m proud to call Brian a friend and peer in the industry. And I am happy to report we have a keg of Moonlight Brewing’s Death And Taxes on tap right now so you can enjoy both side by side.

• Peter Hoey
  Brewmaster / Cofounder of Urban Roots