The Beer Retard - R.I.P. Brian McElhatton

When I lived in San Francisco, I wasn't the beer fanatic I am now. Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Guinness were my regular beer choices. Okay, maybe I'd throw in an Anderson Valley Boont Amber or a Bear Republic Racer 5 if I was feeling adventurous. But I wasn't going to Toronado and attempting to try every beer ever made or taking bus trips up North to visit breweries. Back then, it was more about finding a comfortable spot with a pool table, a jukebox and any kind of beer on tap. Preferably a place close to where I lived, a place where I could go any day of the week either by myself or with a friend and always feel welcome. I think it's what they call a local. From 1998-2005, my local was the Dovre Club at 26th and Valencia in the Mission.

I had a lot of great times at the Dovre. My friend Kai and I shot a ridiculous amount of pool there and drank an equally ridiculous amount of Guinness and Anchor Steam. I must've heard the Pogues song "Dirty Old Town" about a million times there. I also met a lot of interesting people at the bar, everything from hard-drinking, Irish construction workers to Latino pool hustlers. I could go on and on telling stories about some of these people and the funny, crazy, memorable stuff that went down at the bar.

One of the things that made the Dovre so great was the laid-back, friendly personality of the owner, Brian McElhatton. He and his brother, Elvis, always made you feel welcome once you'd come into the bar a few times. They treated their regulars like extended members of the family and it really made you feel a loyalty to the bar. I remember shortly after the first time I'd been to the Dovre, I ran into Brian on the street one afternoon and he greeted me warmly with a smile and a "what's going on" even though I hadn't had much interaction with him in the bar yet. He was just a good guy.

This morning, I was shocked and saddened to learn that Brian passed away in January. He died of brain cancer at age 38. So fucking sad. There's an excellent article in today's SF Chronicle about Brian and the history of the Dovre. I'll be lifting a glass to him tonight.