In this edition of Publicanista!:
I. ARTISTIC AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS AS GRAVITY HEAD 2006 "REALITY ABV" KICKS OFF.
II. GRAVITY HEAD BEERS ON TAP NOW, AND WHAT'S TO COME.
III. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
IV. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
V. UPDATED BOTTLED BEER NEWS WILL RETURN NEXT TIME.
VIII. EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
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I. ARTISTIC AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS AS GRAVITY HEAD 2006 "REALITY ABV" KICKS OFF.
Gravity Head 2006, our 8th annual celebration of the brewing world’s biggest and best, got under way last Friday and will run until all 54 kegs of rare and sought-after beers are depleted.
Aside from occasional minor glitches, all seemed to go smoothly this year. On Friday evening, FOSSILS and LAGERS club members gathered in Prost, the new banquet room, and on Saturday, Pat, Larry and the annual delegation from Dayton set up camp there. Thanks to all of you for testing the new wing.
The fan balloting for slot 17 was tight, with New Holland Dragon's Milk narrowly edging Founders Devil Dancer. By Saturday afternoon, the dragon had been milked dry ... Gravity Head fans speak: New Holland Dragon's Milk will fill the 17th starting slot.
All was in readiness on Thursday evening ... "Twas the night before Gravity Head ...
The starting bell sounded ... We're under way and Report from the front: Gravity Head 2006.
The Bloomington-based correspondent for Indiana Beer enjoyed a session ...
Check out "Indiana Beer" coverage of Gravity Head 2006.
Here are a few photos, courtesy of Royal Court Photographer Jim Bell:
Jason Masingo mans the grill at the annual Saturday morning Gravity Head tailgate party.
Tapping the JW Lees Vintage Harvest pin.
The scene later at Rich O's ...
... and Sportstime.
Another satisfied customer basks in the glow of Gravity Head 2006.
During Gravity Head 2006, updates and running commentary will be provided at the POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BLOG, while the PUBLICANISTA! NEWSLETTER will continue to be published here on Thursdays.
II. GRAVITY HEAD BEERS ON TAP NOW, AND WHAT'S TO COME.
Listed below are the Gravity Head groupings as of Wednesday afternoon, March 1.
Of the 54 beers scheduled to appear between opening day and the conclusion of this eighth edition of the festival, six have departed. 18 currently are on tap, including the hand pull. Others are stacked and ready to make their appearance, while some remain in transit.
On Friday, March 3, the second of two JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale pins will be pouring, but there has been a change.
Owing to a shipping error, the most recent vintage of Lagavulin Scotch aged ale remains in a New Jersey warehouse. We received instead a Sherry aged specimen, which we're happy to drink now, leaving the previously announced pin for aging until next year's festival.
Appearing Friday: JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, (Sherry barrel aged; 2005; pin), 11.5% abv.
Because not all listed Gravity Head beers can be served at the same time, see the blackboards for the daily selection.
***CURRENT GRAVITY HEAD DRAFT LINEUP
Bell’s Batch 7000, 12% abv
Dark Horse Sapient Trip, 8.6% abv
De Ranke Guldenberg, 8.5% abv
EKU 28, 11% abv
Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine, 10.5% abv
Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, (2004) 13% abv
Founders Dirty Bastard, 8.3% abv
Gale’s Christmas Ale, (2005) (cask-conditioned firkin; hand pulled)
Great Divide Hibernation Ale, 8.1% abv
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% abv
NABC Thunderfoot Imperial Stout, 10% abv
North Coast PranQster, 7.6% abv
Rogue (John's Locker Stock) Skull Splitter, 8.5% abv
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine, (2002) 11.5% abv
Samichlaus Bier (2001) 14% abv
Stone Double Bastard Ale, 10% abv
't Smisje Kerst, 11% abv
Unibroue Maudite, 8% abv
***NEXT WAVES MASSING AT THE REAR
UNITED STATES
Browning's Brewery Imperial Stout, circa 9% abv (firkin)
Clipper City (Heavy Seas) Below Decks, 11% abv
Founders Blushing Monk Belgian Razz, 9.5% abv
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, 9.1% abv
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% abv
Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine, 10.2% abv
Ringneck Brewing Old 21 Imperial IPA, 8.5% abv
Ringneck Brewing Bourbon Aged "FOTB” Barley Wine, circa 11% abv
Rogue XS Imperial Stout, 11% abv
Rogue XS I2PA, 9.5% abv
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, (2005) 11.26% abv
Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss Wine, 10.2% abv
BELGIUM
Gouden Carolus Classic, 8.5% abv
Gouden Carolus Tripel, 9% abv
La Rulles Cuvee “Best Wishes”, 7.3% abv (moved from Saturnalia MMV)
N'Ice Chouffe, (2004) 10% abv
't Smisje Dubbel, 9% abv
Urthel Samaranth Quadrium, 11.5% abv
Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock, 9.2% abv
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, 7.4% abv
NETHERLANDS
Christoffel Winter Bock, 7.2% abv
UNITED KINGDOM
Gale’s Prize Old Ale (2004), 9% abv
JW Lees Moonraker, 7.5% abv
***IN TRANSIT, WITH ETA
Avery "The Beast", 14.9% abv ... ETA circa March 16
Avery "The Reverend", 10% abv ... ETA circa March 16
Chouffe La Gnomette, 9% abv ... ETA March 16
Rocky River Neptune's Nemesis, 8% abv ETA circa March 11
Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA, 13.6% abv ... ETA March 16
***IN MEMORIAM (FLOATED)
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter, 9.5% abv
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, (Willoughbys crusted port barrel aged; 2004; firkin), 11.5% abv
NABC Stumble Bus, (2005) circa 10% abv
New Holland Dragon’s Milk, 10.5% abv
Old Engine Oil Special Reserve, (Invergordon Scotch barrel aged; 2005), 8.5% abv (firkin)
Urthel Hop-It Belgian IPA, 9.5% abv
For those readers who are contemplating Gravity Head attendance for the first time, please be aware that we’re very serious when we command you to plan your life, arrange transportation from the venue at the conclusion of your gravity session, and/or have a designated driver. Typically, a cab ride to Louisville costs $30, which isn’t very much when split two or three ways … and it’s far less than the cost of the consequences.
For us to continue the tradition of Gravity Head, it is absolutely imperative that everyone in attendance plays the game by the same rules, and foremost among these is your personal responsibility as an adult drinker to refrain from driving while intoxicated!
III. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Here are recently posted articles:
A Southampton Saison that aged very well.
Not only that, but it helps with scurvy.
Both Zagrebs come to mind.
Our NABC beers.Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with assistance from Jared Williamson.
Bob's Old 15-B ... We're calling it a robust, brown Porter precisely because style definitions were meant to be bent.
Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.
Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.
Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?
Hoptimus ... Double IPA as a regular daily offering? Ya gotta believe.
Guests from near and far.
Market pricing.
Staples: These pour all the time and will be available throughout Gravity Head 2006.
Alpha King (wholesaler outage as of 2/21; will be temporarily replaced by Sierra Nevada IPA until Three Floyds supplies resume).
Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)
V. UPDATED BOTTLED BEER NEWS WILL RETURN NEXT TIME.
You're drinking gravity beers now, anyway.
Remember to check the chalkboard in the front room at Rich O’s for bottled specials and seasonals. These are the bottled beers not carried on the everyday bottled list, and represent a wide variety of flavors and textures for your tasting enjoyment.
VI. EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
General business hours:
Sportstime Pizza opens at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Rich O’s opens at 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and at 1:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. We are not open on Sunday except during special events. The same food and beer is available at all times in both rooms, so you may have lunch and a beer in the Sportstime Pizza dining area during those hours when Rich O’s isn’t open. The brewery is available for a look-see if one of us is around and we’re not busy.
Rich O's: The front dining rooms at Rich O's are designated as non-smoking areas. The bar area and Red Room are open for smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes). We strongly discourage clove cigarettes, which are divisive even among smokers.
Sportstime: Smoking is permitted in the entirety of Sportstime Pizza.
2006 events:
Saturday, April 29
Alefest 2006 at Keg Liquors in Clarksville (2 pm to 6 pm)
From the irrepressible owner, Todd Antz, comes this explanation:
"Please join us for our first ever beer festival, which we have dubbed Alefest 2006. Falling on the Saturday between Thunder and the Derby, we will have brewers and importers from around the world on site for a huge event. So far we have New Albanian Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN), Bluegrass Brewing Company (Louisville, KY), Kalamazoo Brewing (brewers of Bell's Beers), Barley Island Brewing (Noblesville, IN), Wetten Importers (Delirium, Gouden), and Eurobrew Importers (Xingu, St. Peters). There will be food, music, and plenty of great beer. We even have a silent auction planned with all proceeds going to Bridgepointe Goodwill Services. Tickets for this event will be $25 in advance, and $30 the day of the event."
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Saturday, May 13 (tentative)
Fifth Annual FOSSILS Breweriana Sale
There’ll be a new look to this growing event, with dealers vending beer collectibles of every sort imaginable all day on Saturday instead of Sunday, and doing so in the new Prost special events room (entrance through Rich O’s Public House).
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Friday & Saturday, May 19 & 20
Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison, Indiana
No solid information yet, but when out friend Steve Thomas is in charge of the libations, it can’t be anything but good.
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June 2
Publican announces DaveFest 2006.
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Saturday, August 12
Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin.
It’s one the top three beer fests in the nation, a perennial box-office sell-out, and certainly the big event with the most relevance to NABC. Web site information is dated, but will be revised later in 2006.
Credits:
Thanks to Jim Bell for his photographic prowess, which we share with you from time to time.
Readers who aren’t as familiar with our business should go to http://www.newalbanian.com/ and http://www.richos.com/ for more information.
NABC is a member of the Brewers Association and Brewers of Indiana Guild.
Questions or comments about editorial content should be directed to Roger A. Baylor: potable@richos.com.
THE END.
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