In this edition of Publicanista!:
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SPORTSTIME'S 20th ANNIVERSARY PARTY BEGINS SATURDAY, JULY 14 AT 3:00 P.M.
II. PRECIOUS FEW SEATS REMAIN FOR THE BASTILLE DAY BIERE DE GARDE DINNER AT BISTRO NEW ALBANY (SUNDAY, JULY 15, 6:00 P.M.)
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. A DIVERSE SELECTION OF ROTATING BOTTLES CURRENTLY ADORNS THE BLACKBOARD.
VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
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I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SPORTSTIME'S 20th ANNIVERSARY PARTY BEGINS SATURDAY, JULY 14 AT 3:00 P.M.
It will surprise some readers and patrons to learn that Sportstime Pizza came first.
Before Rich O's Public House (1990), before I became a part of the business (1992) and before the New Albanian Brewing Company (incorporated in 1994, and brewing 2002), there was Sportstime, occupying the space that previously had been a Noble Roman pizza franchise.
Rich O’Connell -- eventual namesake of the public house, husband of Sharon and the father of current co-owners Amy and Kate -- took over the Noble Roman operation in the summer of 1987. He pronounced it hopeless, began reshuffling the deck, severed the franchise agreement and changed the name to Sportstime Pizza. Around that time I began drinking (bad) beer there with my friends at the time, and eating the first of several thousand pizzas. Shortly thereafter, through sheer coincidence, Rich added bottled Pilsner Urquell to the menu and contracted to buy the whole building.
In 1990, two of his long forgotten cronies opened Rich O’s BBQ, which passed to Amy’s control within weeks when they became bored with trite notions of labor and effort. In 1992 my tenure at what became the Public House began, and then Amy and I were married, and then her parents divorced … and in 1994 we formed the New Albanian Brewing Company with Kate, who later married Jeff. In 2002 brewing began, the following year Amy and I were divorced, and if this whole story sounds like something lifted from the pages of the afternoon soaps, I can assure you that all of it is quite factual.
Through these many roller-coaster plot twists, Sportstime has endured, and while lately we’ve made a conscious decision to market the NABC name as a means of increasing its visibility as a brand name for the house beers, it’s obvious that the Sportstime brand isn’t going away and has an enduring appeal for several generations of customers. For this, we’re thankful – whichever name one chooses to call us.
On Saturday, July 14, we’ll devote the day to a birthday party in Prost, with business as usual elsewhere in the building. Old photos and accounts are being collected, and if readers have any that they’d be willing to share just for the day, please let us know. Did you work for us at any point during the past two decades? If so, and there are no lawsuits pending, we'd like to hear from you, too. There’ll be beer and food specials and a few surprises, although my effort to engage Def Leppard for the day didn’t work out.
Roz Tate, are you and the 600 Hitlers reading?
Remember, this one’s about the venerable Sportstime dining area, which often gets short shrift compared to the cachet of Rich O’s and the brewery. But we've not forgotten our upbringings, and July 14th will be an observance of our roots. Both old-timers and newbies are invited to poke their heads into Prost and glimpse the progression.
II. PRECIOUS FEW SEATS REMAIN FOR THE BASTILLE DAY BIERE DE GARDE DINNER AT BISTRO NEW ALBANY (SUNDAY, JULY 15, 6:00 P.M.)
Act very quickly if you haven't already reserved a place at the Biere de Garde dinner on Sunday. The price is $65 per person (service non compris), and reservations can be made by calling Bistro New Albany at 812-949-5227.
View the event poster & menu here.
2nd annual Bastille Day Biere de Garde Dinner at Bistro New Albany on Sunday, July 15.
III. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Here are recently posted articles:
Update: Beer hunting by motor coach in the Pacific Northwest.
Velocity's Bar Hopper finds Cumberland Brews to her liking, and I agree.
Belgian beercycling 2000: Belgian beercycling 2000: The final beercycle ride, and postscripts.
Belgian beercycling 2000: Brugge and the DTs.
Belgian beercycling 2000: A pause for perspective before the tour concludes.
Relative calm before the deluge ... good or bad?
Time warp: Pizza, beer and Glasnost?
IV. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
Our NABC beers.
NABC began brewing in 2002, and we’re proud to be New Albany’s first active brewery since 1935. From very deep within the confines of NABC’s garage brewery, Jesse Williams and Jared Williamson conjure 8-barrel batches of regulars, old favorites and new formulations.
Always check the blackboards to see what’s on tap. For more information about NABC beers, go here.
Bob's Old 15-B ... We're calling it a robust, brown Porter precisely because style definitions were meant to be bent.
Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.
Croupier ... IPA dedicated to the workers at the Caesars Indiana riverboat casino in nearby Harrison County.
Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?
Mt. Lee ... California Common ("Steam"), named for the Hollywood mountainside with the famous sign. First brewed in 2006. It has been lightened in gravity and a.b.v. by roughly 10% for the current first summer of 2007 batch.
Kaiser 2nd Reising ... Our version of a pre-Prohibition pilsner, as once was brewed in places like New Albany by German immigrant brewing companies like Paul Reising.
Guests from near and far (market pricing).
ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.
(Alpha King will now often be rotating with Bell’s Two Hearted Ale . Why? Go here)
Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)
ON TAP NOW: Rotating selections (limited engagement).
Barley Island Dirty Helen Brown
Cantillon Bruocsella Grand Cru
Rogue John's Locker Stock #16 Imperial Porter
Rogue "John's Locker Stock" #25 Dad's Little HelperIn the bullpen (ready for duty when called upon to serve).
V. A DIVERSE SELECTION OF ROTATING BOTTLES CURRENTLY ADORNS THE BLACKBOARD.
There are limited supplies of some, more of others, and still some set aside with no room in the cooler. Look for an updated bottled beer list within the next week.
Avery Samael’s Ale COLORADO 12 oz
Avery “The Maharaja” Imperial IPA COLORADO 22 oz
Clipper City Peg Leg MARYLAND 12 oz
Dogfish Head Burton Baton DELAWARE 12 oz
Dogfish Head Fort DELAWARE 22 oz
Dogfish Head Olde School DELAWARE 12 oz
Dogfish Head Pangaea DELAWARE 22 oz
Founder Devil Dancer (2007) MICHIGAN 12 oz
Founders Rubaeus MICHIGAN 12 oz
Grotten Brown BELGIUM 750 ml
Hambleton Toleration Ale ENGLAND 16.9 oz
Hoppin’ Frog BORIS OHIO 22 oz
Jolly Pumpkin Bière de Mars MICHIGAN 750 ml
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial MICHIGAN 750 ml
Lindemans Pomme BELGIUM 12 oz
Nogne Imperial Stout NORWAY 16.9 oz
Saison Voisin (Brasserie des Geants) BELGIUM 750 ml
Shmaltz He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale CALIFORNIA 22 oz
Stone Pale Ale CALIFORNIA 12 oz
VI. CALENDAR OF 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.
Smoking.
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.
Wi-Fi.
Both dining areas are hotspots. Please observe proper etiquette when using our Wi-Fi service, and do not disturb or offend others with the Anheuser-Busch web site or other examples of web-borne smut.
2007 events: 
Weekly on Thursday evening @ 7:00 p.m.
Drinking Liberally (New Albany & Southern Indiana) meets in the Red Room each Thursday. Contact organizer Lacy Davis for details.
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Saturday, July 14
Sportstime Celebrates 20 Years
It will surprise some readers and patrons to learn that Sportstime Pizza came first. Before Rich O's Public House (1990), before I became a part of the business (1992) and before the New Albanian Brewing Company (incorporated in 1994, and brewing 2002), there was Sportstime, occupying the space that previously had been a Noble Roman pizza franchise.
Read more here: Sportstime Pizza will be 20 years old on July 14, and we're having a party.
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Sunday, July 15
Bastille Day Biere de Garde Dinner at Bistro New Albany
On Sunday, July 15, Bistro New Albany & NABC are co-sponsoring a 2nd annual Bastille Day Biere de Garde dinner, to be held at Bistro New Albany on the patio (6:00 p.m.; we'll move inside if there's rain or undue heat). Chef Clancy's five-course French menu will include hors- d ‘oeuvres, soup, salad, and entree and dessert, and will be paired with beers selected by the Publican (that's me) from Brasserie Thiriez, Brasserie Duyck (Jenlain) and Brasserie Artisanale La Choulette. As a bonus, we'll have draft vintage French cider from Normandy: Cidre Bouche Brut E. Dupont 2002. The price is $65 per person, and reservations can be made by calling Bistro New Albany at 812-949-5227. You may view the event poster & menu here.
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Saturday, July 21 (changed from the 28th)
Indiana Microbrewers' Festival
Annual funfest in Indianapolis, and a required stop on the NABC summer brewery fest tour.
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Saturday, August 11
Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Saturday, August 18
Keep your eyes open for information about a downtown New Albany music festival on this date. If current plans come to fruition, NABC will be planting special kegs of "reserve" beer at strategic locations, i.e., Bistro New Albany, Connor's Place & the Speakeasy.
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Saturday, August 25
With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."
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Friday, August 31
Sandkerwa NA begins
Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.
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Friday, October 19
Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins
Love and hoppiness, in all their myriad forms, as dispensed from all available taps.
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Friday, December 14
Saturnalia MMVII begins
Our fourth celebration of the winter solstice, with seasonal and holiday drafts.
Credits:
Thanks to Jim Bell for his photographic prowess, which we share with you from time to time, and which features prominently at the NABC web site.
Readers who aren’t as familiar with our business should go to http://www.newalbanian.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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