The sad news began to trickle out late last week: Canteen beertender Mike Thrall, a fixture in the craft beer community for many years, had lost his battle with throat cancer.

The Crew received confirmation that Mike died last Thursday morning, which Canteen shared in a Facebook post today (Monday).

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved friend and colleague Mike Thrall. Mike passed peacefully on Thursday, August 10, after a yearlong battle with throat cancer. He fought bravely, with the customary grace and energy that we knew him for. Customers and co-workers alike loved Mike for his awesome smile, positive vibes and his enthusiasm for life. If you knew Mike, you know what we mean when we say he was a great husband, father, friend and colleague. We’ll always cherish the memories and are grateful we got to spend so much time with such a great person. Our love and deepest sympathies go out to Mike’s wife Marti and their two sons. We are always here for you. And Mike, you will always have a prominent place in our hearts and at our table.”

There will be a celebration of life for Mike on Sunday, August 27, at 1 p.m. at the brewery.

All of us in the Crew send our deepest sympathies to Mike’s family and friends. We knew him for many years as one of the good guys who served us pints across the bar, but really started getting to know him back in 2020, of all years.

I still recall heading over one morning to check out the new Palmer/Left Turn patio for our Patio Challenge series of polling articles. Mike was the only other customer there at the time, grabbing a bite to eat before his shift at Canteen. We talked back and forth from our separate tables (remember those days?), sharing a laugh and wondering when the world would get back to normal.

It was out of nowhere in 2022 when Mike, who was not a smoker, learned that he had throat cancer. Day Drinking for a Cause, an annual charitable event that Canteen had established earlier in the year, soon found its cause. We talked to Mike before the first event aimed at helping him and his family with the medical bills.

There were smiles and hope back then. We had our I Like Mike buttons with his face, grinning ear to ear, and later T-shirts and more. There was the Enthrall IPA that was brewed up and canned by Zach Guilmette and his staff.

By the time Day Drinking returned for round two, we learned that Mike’s cancer had taken a turn for the worse. And yet, there he was, smiling and showing and strength the day of the event.

As the updates slowed, we began to fear the worst. One of the Crew spotted an Instagram post from the friend-of-a-friend on Friday. I sent an email to Canteen general manager Jamie Schwebach and she confirmed the sad news.

“The cancer won,” she wrote. “He fought long and hard. He went home on hospice on Tuesday and died with his family early Thursday morning, not in pain.”

This has already been a difficult summer for the craft beer industry, and not just on the financial side of things. Kilt Check owner/brewer Mike Campbell died in June, and now, with Mike’s passing, we are reminded that no collective of people is ever free from such tragedies.

Now we can only be like Mike, and try to keep a positive outlook, keep on fighting, keep on smiling.

We will raise ’em high in your honor this week, brother, and may your memory burn bright for many years to come.

— Stoutmeister