In this edition of Publicanista!:I. NABC BREWERY NEWS: FESTIVE TIDINGS FROM ST. LOUIS, AND ON THE ROAD THIS WEEKEND IN MADISON (IN).
II. DAVEFEST 2006 JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WITH LAMBIC BY THE GLASS TO FOLLOW LATER IN JUNE.
III. FRENCH BIERES DE GARDE TASTING WILL BE HELD AT BISTRO NEW ALBANY, WITH FOOD, ALE AND GITANES (IF MIKE STEPHENS SELLS THEM).
IV. BISTRO NEW ALBANY HOURS AND DA VINCI DOWNTOWN THIS SATURDAY.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: OLD ENGINE OIL (SCOTCH BARREL AGED) AND GALE'S POA -- AND ST. RADEGUND ON THE WAY.
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. NABC BREWERY NEWS: FESTIVE TIDINGS FROM ST. LOUIS, AND ON THE ROAD THIS WEEKEND IN MADISON (IN). 
NABC's brewers, Jesse Williams and Jared Williamson, have returned from Missouri with glowing accounts of our reception at the 11th Annual St. Louis (Missouri) Microfest last weekend.
Jared tells all here: This just in: Jared reports on yesterday's Microfest in St. Louis.
Next up as the summer beer festival season begins to unfold is the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival this Friday and Saturday (May 19 and 20) up the road in historic Madison, Indiana.
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.
Our longtime friend Steve Thomas has assembled a lineup of libation vendors, and NABC will be manning the beer taps alongside our brethren from Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington. I'll be working the folk festival with the help of frequent Rich O's customers and FOSSILS members Jim and Debbie Frazier, with Dennis Stockslager providing crucial logistical support.
II. DAVEFEST 2006 JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WITH LAMBIC BY THE GLASS TO FOLLOW LATER IN JUNE.
DaveFest 2006 will be our first consumer's choice beer festival. What is DaveFest 2006? Here's your answer.
Later in June, a revamped lambic celebration will take place in Prost, our special events room by Rich O's:
UPDATED: Third annual "Lambic by the Glass" coming on June 24, and here's the revised scoop.
III. FRENCH BIERES DE GARDE TASTING WILL BE HELD AT BISTRO NEW ALBANY, WITH FOOD, ALE AND GITANES (IF MIKE STEPHENS SELLS THEM).
The final event I'm planning for June is a tasting of French Bieres de Garde, something that's been on the back burner for several months: Dreaming about Northern French ales? I am.
Here's the exciting new twist: This event currently is being planned in conjunction with the Bistro New Albany, and it will take place at bNA and include a reservation-only multi-course French-themed meal. There will be a fixed price that includes ale.
Chef Dave Clancy is mulling menu possibilities, and I'm looking at a stock of Northern French ales that includes St. Sylvestre Gavroche, Thiriez Blonde, Amber and Extra, Jenlain, Cuvee des Jonquilles (Biere de Garde de L’avesnois), La Choullette de Noel and Les Sans Culottes.
All that's left is to pick a date. Stay tuned.
IV. BISTRO NEW ALBANY HOURS AND DA VINCI DOWNTOWN THIS SATURDAY.
New Albany's steadily evolving DaVinci Downtown festival is this Saturday, May 20. For a map and schedule, click here. Needless to say, there's only one place downtown to enjoy draft NABC beer between fest events.
Here are 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).
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 so far have been overwhelmingly positive.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: OLD ENGINE OIL (SCOTCH BARREL AGED) AND GALE'S POA -- AND ST. RADEGUND ON THE WAY.
Cask season is winding down, but a few firkins are yet to be tapped:
On the hand pull now: 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."
After these: A bit more cask-conditioned NABC St. Radegund Bitter, and then we'll see.
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:
Bell’s Wheat Project intro/closeout at Rich O's.
Beer event recap: FOSSILS Breweriana Sale (Saturday, May 13).
Tony scores again with ConeSmoker, St. Radegund's artwork.
Think outside those national boundaries!
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
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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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
DaveFest 2006
What is DaveFest 2006? Here's your answer.
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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.
Friday, October 13
Lupulin Land Harvest Hop Festival
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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