Jack McAuliffe, co-founder of New Albion Brewing Company and a pioneering figure in America’s craft beer revolution, has died.
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His daughter, Renee M. DeLuca, shared on Facebook that he passed away Tuesday at his home in Arkansas. He was 80.
DeLuca revealed that her father had been nonverbal for a while.
“Jack’s health had been declining in the past few months, but never his unflagging sense of humor and wry smile,” she wrote.
She asked everyone to toast her dad, calling him “the father of the craft beer movement in the United States.”
“Jack’s place among United States craft brewers as a change maker and inspiration will be a part of the beer world for generations,” DeLuca wrote in part. “His legacy continues, and my great fortune in finding Jack, and getting to know and love him is a gift I will always be grateful for and will live on forever in my heart. He was my birthfather, but over time, he also became my Dad,” she concluded.
How Jack McAuliffe Helped Spark the Craft Beer Revolution
The New Albion Brewing Company, also co-founded by Suzy Denison and Jane Zimmerman, introduced Cascade hops into American pale ales. Known for their floral, citrus, and pine notes, these hops set a new standard for flavor in U.S. craft brewing, according to the National Museum of American History.
Inspired by McAuliffe’s time in Scotland with the U.S. Navy, the brewery embraced traditional ingredients and small-batch techniques to craft authentic European-style beers, according to the museum. Denison, a former United Nations secretary and mother of three, played a pivotal role in funding and managing the brewery. She worked alongside McAuliffe to keep it running until its closure in 1982, the museum added.
“Today dubbed the ‘father of craft brewing,’ Jack is known by everyone in the industry,” McAuliffe’s online obituary reads in part. “He was a member of Fayetteville Lovers of Pure Suds, better known as “FLOPS.” Today, Jack’s place is held in the “Brewing a Revolution” exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History for his contributions to the art of craft beer brewing.”
McAuliffe’s obituary also highlighted his many passions, including fishing, hunting, sausage making, and smoking a variety of foods—even cheese. A licensed pilot, he was also a skilled engineer and talented programmer.
Jack McAuliffe was predeceased by his parents, his brother Dennis McAuliffe, and his son-in-law, Paul DeLuca.