(Stockton, CA) – Another Monday, another brewery sale impending in Northern California . . .

[6/17 Update: Check out the Brookston Beer Bulletin for the dirty truth on what went down.]

It looks like another NorCal brewery ownership run is about to bite the dust. This is according to most recent Brewmaster, Steve Altimari: “Well all things eventually come to an end of one sort or another. As of 6/12/10 I am no longer working for Valley Brewing Company, my employer for the last 13 years. The brewery is being sold and I am not a part of the new owners plans, so I bid everyone a fond goodbye and see you on the flip side. A very special thank you goes out to Matt McDougall, my fellow brewer, for his years of support brewing with me, hopefully we will both be back at the helm of a brewery in the very near future.”

The Bruery‘s Patrick Rue wrote in a comment: “Sorry to hear about this, Steve! You’re a great brewer and many of us look forward to where you’ll land next.”

Altimari’s work at Valley Brewing spans almost 16 years and his recipes have been a hit with beer people. He’s got a number of beers above the 90th percentile for their style though it is his Uberhoppy Imperial IPA that has made the brewery a household name among beer geeks. Valley even won a silver medal for London Tavern Ale at this year’s World Beer Cup and won a gold medal for Old Inventory Barley Wine at last year’s GABF, two beers for which the brewery isn’t well-known.

If Altimari’s phone isn’t ringing off of the hook today with offers, it’d be quite a surprise.

Chalk this one up as “developing…”