Merle Gilmore - RIP

The beer world lost Michael Jackson only a few days ago, but today the Portland beer world lost Merle Gilmore, who is far more important to me. Who was Merle? I would have to confess that I didn’t know Merle nearly as well as I should have, so it’s hard for me to try and sum him up.

Merle was a master homebrewer, fabulous mead maker, confectioner extraordinaire, and tireless volunteer in the world of Portland craft brewing. Merle was the kind of guy you would invite for Thanksgiving dinner and would show up with a rib roast, a few pies, and some incredible beers because he didn’t like to show up empty handed. My wife loved the fact that he wouldn’t ignore people in a conversation when it fell into heavy beer nerd mode; he would always do his best to keep everyone in the conversation. Anyone who attended one of Fred Eckhardt’s Chocolate and Beer Tastings knew and had sampled Merle’s fudge (exemplified by his Habanera Fudge that had to be tasted to be believed).

I learned about Merle’s death about an hour after he died. He had fought a two year battle with leukemia and in the end it beat his body but it never conquered his spirit. I had known Merle for some time through our mutual connections in the beer world, but our first real interaction with each other was when I traded him five pounds of homemade sausage for two cases of beer. We both walked away from the deal thinking we had gotten the better end of the bargain but neither of us felt we had “taken” the other. Amongst those two case of beer were two six packs of Saxer’s Jack Frost Dopplebock. When he gave them to me, he pointed that these were from the original Saxer lots, not the ones brewed later at Portland Brewing. At the time I had no idea how valuable these beers were, but I was told before I drank them all and I kept one bottle of it for a special occasion, and what better occasion than this.

Someone on my club’s listserve had suggested that we all toast a pint of great beer to Merle. I did that this afternoon with friends at the Lucky Lab, but it seemed so inadequate a tribute to such an incredible person. What beer can you drink to memorialize and adequately pay a real homage to someone like Merle? Frankly, I don’t have enough great beers to describe or memorialize him, but when I cracked this last bottle of Jack Frost and thought about Merle, I thought about how fitting a beer it was. The beer was incredibly alive, with a deep, rich, complex character. The body was sweet, intense and complex, but incredibly accessible. The finish was long lasting and it beckoned you to go back and experience it again. It was a joy to be around and to experience, kind of like Merle. A beer can never describe a person as incredible as Merle, but, perhaps, it can shine a small light on his goodness and kindness.

Merle, you will be missed. I only hope the angels appreciate your company and fudge as much as we did.