Philly Beer Week Co-Founder Passes Away

Philadelphia Beer Week Co-founder and local beer “gatekeeper” Bruce Nichols passed away Monday, November 30th after a brief fight with leukemia. Even if you did not know him personally, you’ve probably been touched by his accomplishments.

The president and co-owner of Museum Catering, Nichols brought beer writer Michael Jackson to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of of Archaeology and Anthropology for the first time in 1991. An event repeated for 17-years and cited as triggering Philadelphia’s beer culture.  By the time of Jackson’s passing in 2007 Nichols had become passionate about beer. Nichols joined forces with Tom Peters of Monk’s Cafe and Don “Joe Sixpack” Russell to begin Philly Beer Week. An event that in 3 short years has become one of the biggest beer-focused events in the world.

Nichols was 62.

More on Bruce Nichols

Bruce Nichols – Philly Beer Icon – Passes Away [Carolyn Smagalski – Bella Online]
We lost a good friend on Tuesday [Tom Peter’s – Monk’s Cafe]
Bruce Nichols, RIP [Jack Curtin – Liquid Diet/Beer Yard]