In this edition of Publicanista!:
I. PERMANENT REVOLUTION? GRAVITY HEAD 2006 "REALITY ABV" SHOWS NO SIGNS OF ABATING.
II. GRAVITY HEAD BEERS ON TAP NOW, AND WHAT'S TO COME.
III. FROM THE HAND PULL: CASK CONDITIONED NOTES.
IV. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
VI. UPDATED BOTTLED BEER NEWS WILL RETURN NEXT TIME.
VII. EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
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I. PERMANENT REVOLUTION? GRAVITY HEAD 2006 "REALITY ABV" SHOWS NO SIGNS OF ABATING.
Gravity Head 2006, our 8th annual celebration of the brewing world’s biggest and best, got under way on February 24 and will run until all 54 kegs of rare and sought-after beers are depleted. See below for current lineup status.
We're only now approaching what normally would be the starting weekend, having moved Gravity Head two weeks forward to stay out of the way of Jeff and Kate Lewison's baby due date of late March.
Do you think that the revised starting date worked better, worse, or didn't matter? Let me know.
Here is a marvelous shot of Kevin Lowber, courtesy of Royal Court Photographer Jim Bell:
On the 25th of February, the Bloomington-based correspondent for Indiana Beer enjoyed a Gravity session: Check out "Indiana Beer" coverage of Gravity Head 2006.
Previous topical blog updates are here:
Late Friday Gravity Head update.
Gravity Head 2006 update: 6 down, 48 to go.
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 evening, March 8.
Of the 54 beers scheduled to appear between opening day and the conclusion of this eighth edition of the festival, 17 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.
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
Bluegrass Brewing Company Professor Gesser's Mind Numbing Ale, circa 9% abv (to be tapped Thursday afternoon)
De Ranke Guldenberg, 8.5% abv
Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine, 10.5% abv
Founders Blushing Monk Belgian Razz, 9.5% abv
Founders Dirty Bastard, 8.3% abv
Gale’s Christmas Ale, (2005) (cask-conditioned firkin; hand pulled)
Gouden Carolus Classic, 8.5% abv
Great Divide Hibernation Ale, 8.1% abv
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, 9.1% abv
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% abv
JW Lees Moonraker, 7.5% abv
Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock, 9.2% abv
La Rulles Cuvee “Best Wishes”, 7.3% abv (moved from Saturnalia MMV)
N'Ice Chouffe, (2004) 10% abv
Rogue (John's Locker Stock) Skull Splitter, 8.5% abv
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine, (2002) 11.5% abv
Stone Double Bastard Ale, 10% abv
Unibroue Maudite, 8% abv
***NEXT WAVES MASSING AT THE REAR
UNITED STATES
Clipper City (Heavy Seas) Below Decks, 11% 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 Tripel, 9% abv
't Smisje Dubbel, 9% abv
Urthel Samaranth Quadrium, 11.5% abv
Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, 7.4% abv
NETHERLANDS
Christoffel Winter Bock, 7.2% abv
UNITED KINGDOM
Gale’s Prize Old Ale (2004), 9% 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)
Bell’s Batch 7000, 12% abv
Browning's Brewery Imperial Stout, circa 9% abv (firkin)(accident victim)
Dark Horse Sapient Trip, 8.6% abv
EKU 28, 11% abv
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter, 9.5% abv
Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, (2004) 13% abv
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% abv
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, (Sherry barrel aged; 2005; pin), 11.5% abv.
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, (Willoughbys crusted port barrel aged; 2004; pin), 11.5% abv
NABC Stumble Bus, (2005) circa 10% abv
NABC Thunderfoot Imperial Stout, 10% abv
New Holland Dragon’s Milk, 10.5% abv
North Coast PranQster, 7.6% abv
Old Engine Oil Special Reserve, (Invergordon Scotch barrel aged; 2005), 8.5% abv (firkin)
't Smisje Kerst, 11% abv
Samichlaus Bier (2001) 14% abv
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. FROM THE HAND PULL: CASK CONDITIONED NOTES.
Time for a review.
Currently, the featured cask ale is Gale’s Christmas Ale, a Gravity Head 2006 listed selection. During Gravity Head, we've already depleted a firkin of Old Engine Oil (by hand pull) and two pins of JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (the latter poured from the countertop).
Browning's Imperial Stout was to have been the next selection, but fate intervened when the bung blew and the contents of the firkin spilled.
For the sad details, see Browning’s Imperial Stout firkin suffers fatal blowout.
Unexpectedly, there's an unlisted "gravity" replacement ready to take the Imperial Stout firkin’s place on the hand pump after the Gale’s Christmas Ale is depleted: Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Ale, a 10% “winter ale” recently arrived from B. United International via Cavalier (Indiana).
After the Thomas Sykes, a non-gravity British firkin of Wye Valley Victory Ale will be hand pulled.
When both the Thomas Sykes and the Wye Valley have passed, we'll be ready for a variety of NABC cask-conditioned ales to appear, among them at least two of an experimental nature (think: cute little wooden pins where the JW Lees came from) and a purpose-brewed, cask-only batch of English-style "strong" bitter that has yet to be named.
Got it?
For more information on cask-conditioned ale:
Horse Brass Pub (where our friend Biscuit works)
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
Warm, Flat and Boring -- the Truth About Cask Ale, from Rate Beer.
IV. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Here are recently posted articles:
Blessed Beer: BBC Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout launch.
The lure of Franconia is strong even when the Schlenkerla's not smoked.
V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME. 
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.
Arrogant BastardSprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)
Bullpen:
Don't expect these any time soon; too many Gravity beers are yet to be tapped. However, by April 1, look for some to begin pouring. There'll also be discounted partial/leftover kegs appearing roughly the same time.
Bell’s Rye Stout
‘t Smisje BBBourgondier
Schlenkerla Fastenbier
Spezial Rauchbier
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine
Upland Castle Rock Irish Red (circa March 14; for St. Paddy's Day)
VI. 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.
VII. 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: 
Weekly on Wednesday evening @ 7:00 p.m.
Drinking Liberally (New Albany & Southern Indiana) meets in the Red Room each Wednesday. Contact organizer Rich Morris for details.
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
NEW DAY: Fifth Annual FOSSILS Breweriana Sale
11 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Prost special events room at Rich O's.
Featuring: Pre-prohibition to Contemporary Breweriana ... Local breweries to International ... Antique Bottles, Signs, Mirrors, Glassware, Trays, Clocks, Lamps, Books, and much more.
Dealer space is only $15.00, and clubs are welcome! For information contact Kira Tash.
Rich O's will be open for business as usual, and Roger is also staging his bottled beer inventory reduction sale at the same time as the breweriana sale - there will be some closeouts, some overstocks, and some surprises from the cellar.
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Friday & Saturday, May 19 & 20
Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison, Indiana
NABC will be vending beer at this inaugural fest in Madison. Here's a description, from The Madison Courier newspaper:
The Ohio River Valley Folk Festival will bring echoes to Madisonians living in the 21st century — echoes of how their ancestors worked, wrote and sang music, fashioned distinctive crafts and prepared foods unique to the people of a river town.
The new festival ... is scheduled for May 19-20 along Vaughn Drive from West Street to Poplar Street.
The festival will feature folk music, old-time storytellers, a special tent for children, juried folk arts, and refreshment stands that will strive to offer food and drink like Madisonians of the 19th century might have consumed.
Our friend Steve Thomas is in charge of the libations, so 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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