In this edition of Publicanista!:
I. THE FIFTH ANNUAL FOSSILS BREWERIANA (AND ROGER'S BOTTLED BEER GARAGE) SALE IS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 13.
II. BISTRO NEW ALBANY WILL BE SERVING A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY MEAL THIS SUNDAY, MAY 14.
III. NABC BREWERY NEWS: FESTIVE APPEARANCES, AND THE LEGENDARY CONESMOKER RETURNS.
IV. ALPHA KING OUTAGES BEGINNING TO ANNOY.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: OLD ENGINE OIL (SCOTCH BARREL AGED) AND GALE'S POA.
VI. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
VII. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
VIII. EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
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I. THE FIFTH ANNUAL FOSSILS BREWERIANA (AND ROGER'S BOTTLED BEER GARAGE) SALE IS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 13.
See: I'm goin' in ... time to prepare for the breweriana sale at Rich O's this Saturday, May 13.
Previously, we tried to stage this event on Sunday, with mixed results, but with the advent of the Prost special events room, it's now possible to run the breweriana sale on a normal business day, with more space for vendors.
On Saturday, May 13, the sale will run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Prost. As in the past, items will include pre-prohibition to contemporary breweriana from local breweries and international -- such as antique bottles, signs, mirrors, glassware, trays, clocks, lamps, books, and much more.
Because this year's breweriana sale is on Saturday during regular business hours, I'm free to conduct my (generally) annual garage sale and inventory reduction sales event, featuring a crazy quilt of bottled beer choices -- old, new, borrowed, blue, etc. -- and it's all perfectly legal.
Among the beers already earmarked for sale Saturday, there are the usual odd clearance items, i.e., current beer list items that are about to be axed (Anchor Porter, perhaps a couple others) or just didn't sell as expected during special guest appearances (BBC Hell for Certain and Great Divide Hibernation Ale, among others).
I'm reducing the inventory of vintage ales. Expect to see many Gale's Prize Old Ale years and Stone (most prominently Old Guardian, 9th Anniversary & Vertical Epic '05). There are portions of cases of vintage Aventinus, Carnegie Porter, Founders Devil Dancer and Two Brothers Bare Tree.
I bought a case each of the five Bell's "wheat series" ales last fall, and having never found a way to showcase them properly, have determined to let them go, too.
Culling continues, and obviously, amounts of some are very, very limited and will be sold first come, first serve only.
Don't forget that (a) Rich O's will be open from 11:00 a.m. during the breweriana sale, and (b) the monthly FOSSILS meeting will start after the sale ends.
II. BISTRO NEW ALBANY WILL BE SERVING A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY MEAL THIS SUNDAY, MAY 14.
Bistro New Albany (148 E. Market St., New Albany) will have special Sunday hours on Mother’s Day and a marvelous feast, so go to “Preview of Mother's Day at Bistro New Albany” for a look at Sunday’s multi-course, fixed-price menu, to be served in two seatings (11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., reservations only) – and kindly note bNA’s current hours, which are subject to alteration as the Daves learn more about business patterns downtown.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Dinner: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday (shortened bar food menu until June 1st, when the much anticipated evening fine-dining menu will be inaugurated)
Closed:Monday and Tuesday evenings, and Sunday (except for special events like the Mother’s Day meal).
At bNA, at least four NABC drafts join two BBC ales and two to four rotating guest taps. Food is casual bistro fare with numerous fine-dining touches generally absent from the local dining scene. The courtyard ambience is suburb, and reviews overwhelmingly positive at the outset.
III. NABC BREWERY NEWS: FESTIVE APPEARANCES, AND THE LEGENDARY CONESMOKER RETURNS. 
On Saturday, Jesse and Jared will be representing NABC at the 11th Annual St. Louis (Missouri) Microfest.
On the 19th and 20th, I'll be manning the taps alongside Upland Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) at the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison, Indiana -- and speaking of Upland, someone you all know quite well recently accepted employment there:
Eileen Martin heading to Bloomington and a job at Upland.
Yes, ConeSmoker is back, and henceforth will be formulated according to the recipe previously billed as NobleSmoker:
Malts: 85% Weyermann beechwood-smoked malt
Hops: All German noble hops
Yeast: London
ABV: 7.5%
IV. ALPHA KING OUTAGES BEGINNING TO ANNOY.
For the fifth time in 2006, World Class Beverages is depleted of draft Alpha King, the signature Pale Ale brewed by much-beloved Three Floyds Brewing Company.
Given that it's only May, that's a hefty percentage of outage, and although I understand perfectly well the problems of supply and demand when it comes to relatively small but popular breweries, at some point the tolerance ratio begins to tip toward annoyance.
There'll be two kegs of the Breckinridge 471 IPA (see below) as substitute until more Alpha King comes this way.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: OLD ENGINE OIL (SCOTCH BARREL AGED) AND GALE'S POA.
Cask season is winding down, and in spite of what I reported last week, we've not yet tapped the next two naturally conditioned choices form the British Isles:
Next (Friday, May 12): Old Engine Oil Special Reserve, (Scotland; Invergordon Scotch barrel aged; 2005), 8.5% abv (firkin)
Immediately following: Gale’s Prize Old Ale (England; 2005), 9% abv (firkin) -- quite likely the final POA we'll see owing to the brewery being bought out and "rationalized."
For more information on cask-conditioned ale:
Horse Brass Pub (where our friend Biscuit works when not skipping town)
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
Warm, Flat and Boring -- the Truth About Cask Ale, from Rate Beer.
VI. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Here are recently posted articles:
Eileen Martin heading to Bloomington and a job at Upland.
Corporate bored rooms of the swillocracy.
News from the Brewers of Indiana Guild.
Reuters: “Hungary workers get shock at bottom of rum barrel.”
A Passage to Rogue (Part 4): Citizens of Rogue Nation.
VII. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME (UPDATED MAY 12).
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.
ConeSmoker ... Elegant Franconian smoked malt, an above average “noble” German hops presence and warm fermentation -- new twists on an old style.
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.
Hoosier Daddy Crimson & Cream Ale ... A mysterious red beer for a mysterious red state - full-bodied, sweet and dry in the finish.
Guests from near and far.
Market pricing.
Staples:
Breckinridge "Small Batch" 471 IPA (subbing for Alpha King)
Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)
Rotating (limited engagement):
Avery "The Reverend" (belated Gravity Head 2006 arrival)
De Dolle Special Extra Export Stout
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Rogue (John's Locker Stock) Love & Hoppiness
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine (young 'un for the fun of it)
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine
Weihenstephaner Weissbier Dunkel
Bullpen:
VIII. 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.
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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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Tuesday, May 16
In Prost (banquet room): Progressive Pizza and Preservation: Paint Your Historic House Beautiful.
Learn the basic guidelines for selecting the appropriate colors for historic buildings. Bonus tips from the presenter on interior and exterior finishes and techniques to give you professional results. Free and open to residents of New Albany and surrounding communities.
Sponsor: Porter Paints.
6:15 PM – 8:30 PM.
Participants purchase own beverages. Limited to 30 participants. Reservations required by calling Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana – 284 4534.
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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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Saturday, May 27
Misha Feigin.
Musician, writer and storyteller Misha Feigin returns to Rich O's for good singing and good playing, starting at 9:00 p.m.
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June 2
All systems should be go. By mid-May, there'll be a beer list.
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, who also writes The Potable Curmudgeon and NA Confidential blogs.
THE END.
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