Thursday, October 18, 2007

Publicanista! Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming and New Albanian Art Show edition.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: LUPULIN LAND HARVEST HOPCOMING IS UNDERWAY.

II. RAISING ART FROM THE DEAD: IT'S NEW ALBANIAN ART SHOW WEEKEND, TOO!

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. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

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I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: LUPULIN LAND HARVEST HOPCOMING IS UNDERWAY.

Harvest Homecoming is over ... now it's time for Harvest Hopcoming.

We’ll again be exceeding OSHA’s legal limits on IBU’s per square foot of floor space when Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming 2007 begins on Friday, October 19. It is our sixth harvest hop celebration, and a good occasion for Kentuckiana’s hopheads to unite over a pint or two of America’s most bitter beer and to banish thoughts of abominations like Milwaukee’s Blech to the nether regions formerly reserved for silver-bulleted sinners, Miller Lite miscreants, and Auggie Busch’s backyard brunch chardonnay sippers.

Hops act as the spice of beer. Hops balance the inherent, malty sweetness. Hops provide the seasoning. Hops cleanse the palate and leave you begging for more. Hops make it interesting, and perhaps healthy as well: According to researchers for Japan’s Kirin Brewery, isohumulones, agents of bittering in hops, may help curb the development of fat in the human body.

Misconceptions about hops are annoying, persistent and entirely understandable. If one is to judge by the non-flavor profile of America’s best-selling mainstream lagers, it is certain that the majority of beer drinkers in our purportedly great nation are suffering from severe lupulin deprivation. It’s way past time to reverse that trend … just as bitterness, aroma and flavor.

Meanwhile, in all my years at NABC/Rich O's/Sportstime, I can't recall a time when it was so hard just to keep up, and so it's taken plenty of effort to put this year's Lupulin Land hop fete together ... but here it is.

Note that after three computer crashes in a month's time, I've not had the opportunity to restore contact with the web site, and so the official program is not available on-line (yet). I hope to have this issue resolved by Monday.

The lineup ...

Everyday Hop Accents
Alpha King
Arrogant Bastard
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
NABC Hoptimus
Pilsner Urquell
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Louisville area (and Schlafly) cask-conditioned ale schedule:
Cumberland Brews Matt’s Red opens on Oct. 19, and when it is depleted, will be followed by Bluegrass Brewing Company (St. Matthews) Daisycutter Organic IPA. Depending on how long it takes to deplete Matt’s Red, Daisycutter may wait until after Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA, which absolutely will be pouring on Wednesday, Oct. 24 with Scott, our Schlafly rep, in attendance. He’ll probably be bringing bottles of Schlafly’s excellent IPA for sampling, so plan on coming out. Browning's Brewery She-Devil India Pale Ale follows, and we know that Bluegrass Brewing Company (Main & Clay) IPA will be delayed; look for a special tapping promotion in early November.

Lupulin Land imports on tap now:
Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
Coniston Bluebird Bitter
Gaspar
Geants Saison Voisin
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted
Houblon Chouffe
Poperings Hommel
Urthel Hop-It
Wintercoat Double Hop

Lupulin Land microbrews on tap now:
Boulder Cold Hop
Clipper City Loose Cannon Hop 3
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
NABC Oaktimus
Rogue JLS Glen 2007
Stone 10th Anniversary Ale
Two Brothers Heavy Handed India Pale Ale (wet hop)

Lupulin Land microbrews yet to come:
Founders Reds Rye
Founders Centennial IPA
Great Divide Fresh Hop
Mad Anthony IPA
NABC Elsa von Horizon Imperial Pilsner (poured on the Randall dry-hopping machine)
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale (wet hop)
Stone Ruination IPA
Two Brothers Cane & Ebel
Two Brothers Hop Juice (two different batches)
Upland Dragonfly IPA (special dry-hopped version)

II. RAISING ART FROM THE DEAD: IT'S NEW ALBANIAN ART SHOW WEEKEND, TOO.

The Publican says: Come out and take a look, and buy something!

Another edition of the art show also is underway in Prost, the special events and banquet area of the Public House. As noted previously, these shows are entirely generated by NABC employees, their friends and families, and you need to see it to believe it. As further incentive, NABC house beers are being offered at $3 a pint all weekend (sorry, Hoptimus, Oaktimus and Elsa excepted). Consider taking some of the money you've saved and purchase something from the artists.

Here's the description, courtesy of chief organizer Kevin Dennis.

So it goes!

October 18,19, and 20: Raising art from the dead@The New Albanian Brewing Company

The show will be just two weeks before Halloween, so come dressed to impress! Zombies encouraged ... mmmm Brains... Art of all forms by all ages and from multiple places around the country; mostly local, though ... New Albany REPRESENT! Fire performances by The Phoenix Collective ... Kinetic Sculpture -The Contraption, an interactive sculpture worthy of writing home to mom about. Glass blowing by Daniel Holland and possibly a few guest appearances; Yoga performances ...

The tentative music and performance schedule:

Thursday 18th
7:30-8:30 Jared Williamson
8:30-9:30 Pokey LaFarge
9:30-10:30 Amos
10:30-Close Stephen Powell

Friday 19th
6:00-7:00 Poetry Session Ian, Sean Corb,etc..
7:00-7:30 Glen Brown and his wife Yoga
7:30-8:30 Jared Williamson
8:30-9:30 Tommy Potts
9:30-10:00 Phoenix Fire Collective
10:00-11:00 Ben Traughber
11:00-Close Daniel Brown

Saturday 20th
7:30-8:30 Simon
8:30-9:30 Ben Traughber
9:30-10:00 Phoenix Fire Collective
10:00-11:00 Daniel Brown
11:00- Close Amos

III. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.

There's a backlog; go to the web site to catch up, and don't forget that real planning is now underway for the PacNW beer and brewery tour, May 2008.

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.

Flat Tyre ... Lovibond got you down? That's okay -- just improvise. It was intended to be brown, and now it's amber.

Hoptimus and Oaktimus ... Massive and assertive. Stern. Double IPA. Silver medal winner at the 2007 St. Louis Microfest. When aged with oak chips, another shade emerges.

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.

Phoenix Kentucky Komon ... Retro style indigenous to Louisville; dark, smooth with a touch or roast, and sour.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples. Note that Alpha King will now often be rotating with Bell’s Two Hearted Ale . Why? Go here.

Alpha King

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Arrogant Bastard

Guinness Stout

Lindemans Framboise

Pilsner Urquell

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

Spaten Premium Lager

Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)

Upland Wheat

ON TAP NOW: Rotating selections (limited engagement).

Lupulin Land beers ... see above.

In the bullpen (ready for duty when called upon to serve).

Chimay Triple

Glazen Toren Saison d' Erpe Mere

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

V. 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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Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming fest begins

Love and hoppiness, in all their myriad forms, as dispensed from all available taps.

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins Friday, October 19.

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Monday, October 29

Culinary Costume of American Artisanal Ales - a beer dinner at Prost

Aspiring young renegade chefs Andy and Josh are conspiring with the Publican to create a special pre-Halloween culinary treat, to be held in NABC's Prost banquet room.

They're constructing a menu, and have made outstanding pairing recommendations using beers from NABC, Ommegang, Allagash, Jolly Pumpkin, Dogfish Head and more.

Culinary Costume of American Artisan Ales: A Beer & Food Pairing.

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Friday, December 7

Saturnalia MMVII begins

Our fourth celebration of the winter solstice, with seasonal and holiday drafts. Note the date change; it has been moved forward one week.

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Friday, February 29, 2008

Leap Year Gravity Head Number Ten

'Nuff said for now. The tenth anniversary of Gravity Head is slated to begin on the 29th of February, so make designated driver and bunking arrangements now.

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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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