Thursday, December 27, 2007
Publicanista! December 27, 2007.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Publicanista! December 20, 2007.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE.
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SATURNALIA CONTINUES.
II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: T-SHIRTS ARE HERE.
III. FROM THE HAND PULL: JAIPUR IPA UP TO BAT.
IV. ITINERARY FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST BREWTOUR '08 RELEASED.
V. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
VI: DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
VII. NEW BOTTLED BEER LIST HAS BEEN RELEASED.
VIII. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
----
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE.
NABC, Rich O's and Sportstime all will be closed on these upcoming days, in addition to the usual Sundays off:
Monday, December 24 - Christmas Eve
Tuesday, December 25 - Christmas Day
Monday, December 31 - New Year's Eve
Tuesday, January 1 - New Year's Day
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SATURNALIA CONTINUES.
(Note to Dave: The Harpoon still is in transit. To get you through, I've ordered two kegs of Rogue Chocolate Stout, to be tapped ASAP)
Our annual draft festival of Christmas beers, winter seasonals and choices that strike me as festive will proceed throughout the month of December, and probably well beyond. With Gravity Head slated for February 29, “permanent festival” might be the best way to describe matters.
View the official Saturnalia MMVII program here (pdf). There'll be updates posted here and at my Potable Curmudgeon blog.
Based on an informal poll of the keg weights, I'd say that several of the Saturnalia beers currently tapped are poised to pop soon, so there should be some play by week's end.
Of the ones already gone, some will return later owing to multiple keg allotments.
16 currently tapped ...
BELGIUM
Biere de Miel (Dupont)
De Ranke Pere Noel
Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
N ’Ice Chouffe
GERMANY
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen
JAPAN
Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
UNITED STATES
Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”)
BBC Hell for Certain
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Winter Storm
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Still to come:
BELGIUM
De Dolle Stille Nacht
De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch
De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique
Delirium Noel
Kasteel Rouge
DENMARK
WinterCoat Yule Ale
WinterCoat Vildmose
GERMANY
Uerige Sticke (gravity pour keg)
ITALY
Moretti Birra La Rossa
JAPAN
Hitachino Nest XH (aged in Shochu distilled sake casks)
UNITED STATES
Barley Island Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Winter White
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Harpoon Winter Warmer
Oaken Barrel Epiphany
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue JLS Santa’s Private Reserve
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter
Upland Winter Warmer
Depleted ... but some of these will be reappearing later:
BELGIUM
Gouden Carolus Noel
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux
ENGLAND
Young's Winter Warmer (vintage 2006)
GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock
UNITED STATES
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza (cask-conditioned firkin)
Rogue HazelNut Brown Nectar
II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: T-SHIRTS ARE HERE.
NABC Hoptimus, “These Machines Kill Fascists” and Sportstime 20th Anniversary tees are all in stock, along with (for the first time) brewery (logo + “I’m for It”) shirts in longsleeve. NABC’s t-shirts are okay as stocking stuffers, but work even better when you just wear the damn things.
III. FROM THE HAND PULL: JAIPUR IPA UP TO BAT.
Cooler weather means we’re back in cask-conditioned “real ale” season. Here are the next selections for dispensing by the hand pump:
(NOW) Thornbridge Hall Jaipur IPA … U.K.; 5.9% abv.
Thornbridge Hall St. Petersburg Imperial Stout … U.K.; 7.7% abv.
For more information on cask-conditioned ale:
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
Warm, Flat and Boring -- the Truth About Cask Ale, from Rate Beer.
IV. ITINERARY FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST BREWTOUR '08 RELEASED.
The probably daily regimen can be perused here: Pacific Northwest Brew Tour, May 6 – 14, 2008. Next we'll be pricing the journey. If you're interested and haven't yet contacted me, please do so and you'll be placed on the mailing list.
V. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Saturnalia MMVII official program and new bottled beer list.
Private beer tastings the subject of C-J article.
VI. 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.
Bonfire of the Valkyries ... Smoked black lager; Saturnalia listed.
Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.
ConeSmoker ... Elegant Franconian smoked malt, an above average “noble” German hops presence and warm fermentation -- new twists on an old style.
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?
Hoptimus ... Massive and assertive. Stern. Double IPA. Silver medal winner at the 2007 St. Louis Microfest.
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.
Naughty Claus ... Spiced ale for Christmas (see above); Saturnalia listed.
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.
Arrogant Bastard
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Guinness Stout
Lindemans Framboise (wholesaler is out-of-stock at the present time)
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).
See Saturnalia LIST, above.
In the bullpen (ready for duty when called upon to serve).
Partials will return, but not for a while. Through December, it's all about Saturnalia.
VII. NEW BOTTLED BEER LIST HAS BEEN RELEASED.
The new bottled beer list will be effective on Friday, December 7. The vintage collection has been folded into the listings by country, and separate listings have been added for Belgian Lambics and French Bieres de Garde. This will be the last update in the current format. In early February, I hope to inaugurate a new bottled beer list with far more information than the current listing. Read and print the list here: NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
VIII. 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.
----
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.
----
Thursday, December 27
Pants Down Potluck Port Circle
This year's gathering of the Pants Down Potluck Port Circle is Thursday, December 27.
----
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.
Credits:
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.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Publicanista! December 6, 2007.
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SATURNALIA RETURNS.
II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE:HOLIDAY FLOOD OF HOUSE BEERS.
III. FROM THE HAND PULL: MORE CASKS ARE QUEUED.
IV. ITINERARY FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST BREWTOUR '08 RELEASED.
V. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
VI: DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
VII. NEW BOTTLED BEER LIST HAS BEEN RELEASED.
VIII. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
----
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: SATURNALIA RETURNS.
Saturnalia begins at 1:00 p.m.on Friday, December 7. Our annual draft festival of Christmas beers, winter seasonals and choices that strike me as festive will proceed throughout the month of December, and probably well beyond. With Gravity Head slated for February 29, “permanent festival” might be the best way to describe matters.
The previously published pre-order list for Saturnalia MMVII underwent a few alterations before finality was achieved, but arguably fewer changes than I feared. Cross your fingers; some kegs are still in transit. A few probably won’t make it until January.
Now, back to the list. Unavoidably scratched were Scaldis Noel, St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel and Urthel Bock, all Belgians, and Brooklyn Brewery Winter Ale, Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser and North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout.
I chose not to attempt replacing the Belgians, because currently there is a backlog of Belgians in the pipeline (Ichtegem Grand Cru, Moinette, Moinette Bruin and Saison Dupont among them), and these will simply be plugged in when the time comes.
The chance arose to get Moretti, an old favorite in bottles but one that we’ve never had on draft, so it was added to the list.
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout and Samuel Adams Winter Lager were added to the ledger from the States. I’m disappointed that Old Rasputin didn’t make it. We’ll keep trying.
View the official Saturnalia MMVII program here (pdf). There'll be updates posted here and at my Potable Curmudgeon blog, but they'll not begin until the 18th of December.
17 starters ...
BELGIUM
De Ranke Pere Noel
Gouden Carolus Noel
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux
ENGLAND
Young's Winter Warmer (vintage 2006)
GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen
JAPAN
Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
UNITED STATES
BBC Hell for Certain
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza (cask-conditioned firkin)
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
Rogue HazelNut Brown Nectar
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Still to come:
BELGIUM
Biere de Miel (Dupont)
De Dolle Stille Nacht
De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch
De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique
Delirium Noel
Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
Kasteel Rouge
N ’Ice Chouffe
DENMARK
WinterCoat Yule Ale
WinterCoat Vildmose
GERMANY
Uerige Sticke (gravity pour keg)
ITALY
Moretti Birra La Rossa
JAPAN
Hitachino Nest XH (aged in Shochu distilled sake casks)
UNITED STATES
Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”)
Barley Island Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Winter White
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Winter Storm
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Harpoon Winter Warmer
Oaken Barrel Epiphany
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue JLS Santa’s Private Reserve
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter
Upland Winter Warmer
II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE:HOLIDAY FLOOD OF HOUSE BEERS.
Concurrent with Saturnalia, NABC will have ten house-brewed beers on tap (see below for list).
I botched the Naughty Claus listing in the Saturnalia program. The spices/seasonings used in this year's version do NOT include ornage peel. There are cinnamon, fresh ginger and vanilla beans in 2007, and the character, while similar to 2006, is different.
NABC’s local connection Logo Designs is busy creating fresh allotments of t-shirts for the holiday season. There’ll be Hoptimus and “These Machines Kill Fascists” tees, and, for the first time, brewery (logo + “I’m for It”) shirts in longsleeve. Finally, another small release of the past summer’s Sportstime 20th anniversary tees (men’s and women’s styles) is coming out. NABC’s t-shirts are okay as stocking stuffers, but work even better when you just wear the damn things.
III. FROM THE HAND PULL: MORE CASKS ARE QUEUED.
Cooler weather means we’re back in cask-conditioned “real ale” season. Here are the next selections for dispensing by the hand pump:
(NOW) Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza Special Ale … Michigan; Saturnalia listed; 9% abv.
Thornbridge Hall Jaipur IPA … U.K.; 5.9% abv.
Thornbridge Hall St. Petersburg Imperial Stout … U.K.; 7.7% abv.
For more information on cask-conditioned ale:
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
Warm, Flat and Boring -- the Truth About Cask Ale, from Rate Beer.
IV. ITINERARY FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST BREWTOUR '08 RELEASED.
The probably daily regimen can be perused here: Pacific Northwest Brew Tour, May 6 – 14, 2008. Next we'll be pricing the journey. If you're interested and haven't yet contacted me, please do so and you'll be placed on the mailing list.
V. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
Saturnalia MMVII official program and new bottled beer list.
New production facility for Cumberland Brews.
Barista credentials helpful, too.
Private beer tastings the subject of C-J article.
"Moss the Boss": Self portrait, circa '96.
VI. 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.
Bonfire of the Valkyries ... Smoked black lager; Saturnalia listed.
Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.
ConeSmoker ... Elegant Franconian smoked malt, an above average “noble” German hops presence and warm fermentation -- new twists on an old style.
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?
Hoptimus ... Massive and assertive. Stern. Double IPA. Silver medal winner at the 2007 St. Louis Microfest.
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.
Naughty Claus ... Spiced ale for Christmas (see above); Saturnalia listed.
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.
Arrogant Bastard
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Guinness Stout
Lindemans Framboise (wholesaler is out-of-stock at the present time)
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).
See Saturnalia starters, above.
In the bullpen (ready for duty when called upon to serve).
Partials will return, but not for a while. Through December, it's all about Saturnalia.
VII. NEW BOTTLED BEER LIST HAS BEEN RELEASED.
The new bottled beer list will be effective on Friday, December 7. The vintage collection has been folded into the listings by country, and separate listings have been added for Belgian Lambics and French Bieres de Garde. This will be the last update in the current format. In early February, I hope to inaugurate a new bottled beer list with far more information than the current listing. Read and print the list here: NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
VIII. 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.
----
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.
----
Monday, December 17
NABC, Rich O's and Sportstime will be closed to recover from the annual holiday party!
----
Thursday, December 27
Pants Down Potluck Port Circle
This year's gathering of the Pants Down Potluck Port Circle is Thursday, December 27.
----
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.
Credits:
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.
