Publicanista! ... April 26, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: SAY GOODBYE TO GRAVITY MADNESS 2007.

II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: PREVIEW OF THE REMAINING "BREWER'S BEST FRIEND" BEERS (MALCOLM AND ELSA).

III. PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH JOHN'S LOCKER STOCK FROM ROGUE.

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

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: SAY GOODBYE TO GRAVITY MADNESS 2007.

Well, almost. All listed selections that weren't scratched are tapped or floated, with the exception of a handful of "encore" beers, i.e., multiple keg purchases.

“Normalization” of the draft selection is proceeding apace, with the usual rotation being phased back in as the Gravity kegs disappear. Take solace: There’s less than eleven months until Gravity Head 2008.

II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: PREVIEW OF THE REMAINING "BREWER'S BEST FRIEND" BEERS (MALCOLM AND ELSA).

NABC’s Jared Williamson submits this preview of upcoming attractions (repeated from the last edition). Note that there has been only one Rate Beer review of Jasmine the Mastiff, but it's a fine description of the first "Brewer's Best Friend" release -- which is going fast.

The final two beers of our "Brewer’s Best Friend” series have finished fermenting.

Malcolm's Old Setters Ale
Elsa Von Horizon Imperial Pilsner

Malcolm’s has already been placed half in firkins and half in barrels (all with oak chips) for secondary fermentation in the barrel. Most of the old ale we will try to sit on for a year (Gravity Head 2008, maybe one for 2009), but some will be released in limited amounts this year.

The plan: Some time this summer, when the Elsa is ready, all three will be on tap at the same time (a firkin of Malcolm’s, a pin of Jasmine sweet stout, and Elsa through Randall*).

Maybe I’ll bring Jasmine in for a meet the mastiff session; she is a crowd pleaser (the other two dogs are not so people friendly).

Currently we are brewing Jenever, true to the original recipe from last
year. Hoptimus is in kegs and will be back on tap soon. We will be doing a keg of Oaktimus from this batch for Lupulin Land 2007.

* Randall is NABC’s “dry hopping from the tap” machine, as invented and sold to us by Dogfish Head.

For more information about NABC beers, go here.

III. PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH JOHN'S LOCKER STOCK FROM ROGUE.

Here is Rogue's description of the JLS program:

John's Locker Stock ~ Rogue is all about beer and John Maier, a homebrewer at heart, continues to experiment with new recipes. For a limited time John is brewing some new ales as well as some personal favorites from the past, available only on tap as part of John's Locker Stock at select retailers across the country.

What this means is that once a month we receive two (13.2 gallon) kegs of the JLS beer of the month. During Gravity Head, the taps are booked solid, and we must wait until the Gravity tapers down to get back to them. Currently one Rogue JLS is on tap: Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Black Brutal 2007.

Another, Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Dad's Little Helper, is waiting. It is a malt liquor, and will be tapped when the Rogue Uber Pilsner currently pouring is gone. Unfortunately, our allotment of a third, Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Latona 20th Anniversary, did not make it to Indiana.

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

Here are recently posted articles:

Nifty Belgian beer tasting tonight at (April 26) Keg Liquors....

Tish Dean is our new World Class Beverages sales rep ...

What’s a curmudgeon to do?

Final (!) Gravity Head lineupdate: Monday, April 2...

Tuscan wine dinner at Stratto's this Tuesday (April 24).

The return of Moss the Boss?

For at least one day, developing downtown New Albany ...

As promised: Delirium Tremens sling art.

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Jasmine the Mastiff ... Heightened sweet stout (circa 7% abv) honoring the mastiff, the gentle giant of English-bred dogs.

Kaiser 2nd Reising ... Think of it as your great-grandfather’s pilsner.

Mt. Lee ... California Common ("Steam"), named for the Hollywood mountainside with the famous sign.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Guinness Stout

Lindemans Framboise

Pilsner Urquell

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

Spaten Premium Lager

Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)

Upland Wheat

Note: Alpha King's future status as an everyday draft is being debated. There have been more than a half dozen wholesaler "out of stocks" since the first of the year.

GRAVITY HEAD 2007 LISTED BEERS:

Avery Thirteen (Weizen Doppelbock) 9.3% abv (encore keg)

Bluegrass Brewing Co. (St. Matthews) Mephistopheles Metamorphosis circa 10% abv

Clipper City Below Decks Barleywine 11% abv

Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine 10.2% abv

Regenboog Guido 8% abv

Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf (UK) circa 10.5% abv (encore keg)

Ringneck Brewing "FOTB” Barley Wine 10% abv

Schlafly Reserve Oak-Aged Barley Wine 10.6% abv

Shmaltz Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA 10% abv

Upland Ard-Ri Imperial Irish-style Red Ale 9% abv (encore keg)

ON TAP NOW: Rotating selections (limited engagement).

Boss Cox Double Dark IPA

Bayrischer Bahnhof "Berliner Style" Weisse

Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale

Dark Horse Blueberry Stout

Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Black Brutal 2007

Rogue Uber Pilsner

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

Browning's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Celebrator Doppelbock

New Holland Mad Hatter IPA

Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Dad's Little Helper

Partials still to come: Anchor Steam, De Ranke XX Bitter, Ridgeway Santa’s Butt, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine

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.

----

March 9 - ???

Gravity Head 2007 rolls on

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

----

Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins ... Steve Fest 2007.

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

----

Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

----

Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

----

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.

----

Saturday, August 11

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

----

Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."

----

Friday, August 31

Sandkerwa NA begins

Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.

----

Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins

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

----

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.

Publicanista! ... April 19, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: BUSINESS HOURS AND SPECIALS FOR THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE THIS SATURDAY.

II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: PREVIEW OF THE REMAINING "BREWER'S BEST FRIEND" BEERS (MALCOLM AND ELSA).

III. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE AS WE WIND DOWN.

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

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

THE PUBLICAN INADVERTENTLY ERASED THE PUBLICANISTA! ENTRY FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 12. APOLOGIES TO COMPLETISTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: BUSINESS HOURS AND SPECIALS FOR THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE THIS SATURDAY.

On Saturday, April 21, Sportstime will observe normal business hours, but Rich O's will not open until 5:00 p.m. Daytime pub trade is slow on the day of Louisville's annual Thunder Over Louisville. In this week's LEO, I wrote these words:

Thunder Over Louisville, our annual celebration of steroidal fireworks, pirouetting jet aircraft and impossibly loud over-indulgence, is the sort of exuberant exercise at which Americans typically excel.

Thunder’s popularity seems perfectly fitting given our proclivity for hyperbole, which in terms of ubiquitous marketing-driven culture, always must be expressed in escalating, superlative terms: bigger, better, super-sized and new & improved.

In my column, the intent was to contrast the bombast of Thunder Over Louisville with the relative serenity of Kommon ale, the city's oldtime low-gravity beer favorite. Seeing as Curmudgeonship has its rewards, I'll be reversing course now in announcing that given the many barley wines currently on tap as Gravity Head winds down (see below), we'll be running a Saturday carry-out special on the 21st: $12 growlers of barley wines still pouring on Saturday.

II. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: PREVIEW OF THE REMAINING "BREWER'S BEST FRIEND" BEERS (MALCOLM AND ELSA).

Before departing for vacation, NABC’s Jared Williamson submitted this preview of upcoming attractions.

The final two beers of our "Brewer’s Best Friend” series have finished fermenting.

Malcolm's Old Setters Ale
Elsa Von Horizon Imperial Pilsner

Malcolm’s has already been placed half in firkins and half in barrels (all with oak chips) for secondary fermentation in the barrel. Most of the old ale we will try to sit on for a year (Gravity Head 2008, maybe one for 2009), but some will be released in limited amounts this year.

The plan: Some time this summer, when the Elsa is ready, all three will be on tap at the same time (a firkin of Malcolm’s, a pin of Jasmine sweet stout, and Elsa through Randall*).

Maybe I’ll bring Jasmine in for a meet the mastiff session; she is a crowd pleaser (the other two dogs are not so people friendly).

Currently we are brewing Jenever, true to the original recipe from last
year. Hoptimus is in kegs and will be back on tap soon. We will be doing a keg of Oaktimus from this batch for Lupulin Land 2007.

* Randall is NABC’s “dry hopping from the tap” machine, as invented and sold to us by Dogfish Head.

For more information about NABC beers, go here.

III. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE AS WE WIND DOWN.

See above for Saturday's gravity special.

All available listed selections have now appeared on tap, or were scratched owing to a variety of reasons. "Encores" are beginning to appear. I'm continuing to provide Gravity Head "lineupdates" each Monday at the Potable Curmudgeon blog. Each day of the week following, the posting is updated (if necessary) to reflect the current tap status. Here is the most recent:

Gravity Head lineupdate: Monday, April 16.

Download the complete Gravity Form 2007 here (.pdf)

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

Here are recently posted articles:

As promised: Delirium Tremens sling art.

Soon adding more Wetten imports to the beer list.

How dry I've been ... coming to an end, soon.

"Support Your Local Brewery" -- from the Brewers Association.

Another Gravity Head review hits the Web.

Review: "Decompressing after Gravity Head orbit."

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Jasmine the Mastiff ... Heightened sweet stout (circa 7% abv) honoring the mastiff, the gentle giant of English-bred dogs.

Kaiser 2nd Reising ... Think of it as your great-grandfather’s pilsner.

Mt. Lee ... California Common ("Steam"), named for the Hollywood mountainside with the famous sign.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Guinness Stout

Lindemans Framboise

Pilsner Urquell

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

Spaten Premium Lager

Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)

Upland Wheat

Note: Alpha King's future status as an everyday draft is being debated. There have been more than a half dozen wholesaler "out of stocks" since the first of the year.

ON TAP NOW: Rotating selections (limited engagement).

Bayrischer Bahnhof "Berliner Style" Weisse

Gravity. See: Gravity Head lineupdate: Monday, April 16.

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

Rogue "John's Locker Stock" Black Brutal 2007

Uberfest Pilsner

Partials: Anchor Steam, De Ranke XX Bitter, Ridgeway Santa’s Butt, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine

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.

----

March 9 - ???

Gravity Head 2007 rolls on

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

----

Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins ... Steve Fest 2007.

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

----

Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

----

Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

----

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.

----

Saturday, August 11

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

----

Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."

----

Friday, August 31

Sandkerwa NA begins

Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.

----

Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins

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

----

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.

Publicanista! ... April 5, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: HOUSE BEERS, BARRELHOUSE & SMOKEHOUSE.

II. ANOTHER SCHLAFLY CALENDAR SHUFFLE?

III. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE.

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

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: HOUSE BEERS, BARRELHOUSE & SMOKEHOUSE.

Feeling the effects of Gravity (Head) fatigue?

Jesse and Jared currently have all eight NABC house spouts pouring: Bob's Old 15-B ... Community Dark ... ... Croupier IPA ... Elector ... Jasmine the Mastiff ... Kaiser 2nd Reising ... Mt. Lee ... St. Radegund. This is the first ever appearance of Jasmine, but it's already generated a request from Virginia for a case of bottles. Sorry, we don't bottle ... you'll have to come visit.

This Saturday (April 7), we'll be tapping BarrelHouse Belgian Style Winter Ale, a Gravity Head listed selection coming in at 8.25% abv. Representatives of BarrelHouse and Cavalier Distributing Indiana, including BH brewer Rick DeBar, will be on hand with other BH beers for sampling (including Boss Cox Double Dark IPA) in conjunction with the FOSSILS homebrew club’s monthly meeting in Prost. Although exact details are lacking at press time, there will be provision for non-FOSSILS members to join in the fun.

There's action on the non-Gravity Head front with the tapping earlier this week of Schlenkerla Fastenbier (Lenten Beer), a very special treat from the Brauerei Heller Trum in Bamberg, Germany. In Bamberg, Fastenbier is served only from Ash Wednesday through Easter, and only from the Schlenkerla tavern's familiar wooden barrels. While Schlenkerla's flagship Marzen and superb Ur Bock both are made with 100% smoked malt from the brewery's own maltings, Fastenbier is made with 50% smoked malt and 50% pilsner malt. Naturally, this proportion yields a milder smokiness. The beer is reddish amber, unfiltered, and has more smoke in the nose than on the palate.

Don't forget Sandkerwa NA, all-draft tribute to Bamberg -- coming this August.

II. ANOTHER SCHLAFLY CALENDAR SHUFFLE?

The Schlafly beer and brewing event in Prost, which originally had been scheduled for Saturday, March 24, was first postponed until Friday, April 27.

I learned today that this date won't be possible, either, and currently it isn't at all clear when we'll be able to reschedule. We're trying to work around the busy life of the St. Louis brewery’s owner, Tom Schlafly, so that he can be on hand to discuss his memoir, "A New Religion in Mecca", and sign copies of the book.

Until further notice, the Gravity Head listed keg of oak-aged barley wine will be kept for the rescheduled date, whenever that turns out to be.

III. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE.

I'm continuing to provide Gravity Head "lineupdates" each Monday at the Potable Curmudgeon blog. Each day of the week following, the posting is updated (if necessary) to reflect the current tap status. Here is the most recent:

Gravity Head update: Monday, April 2 (updated through Thursday morning, April 5).

Also, see:

Gravity Head likely to begin two weeks earlier in 2008.

Review: "Decompressing after Gravity Head orbit."

See the Gravity Head schedule here.

Download the complete Gravity Form 2007 here (.pdf)

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

Here are recently posted articles:

April 7, 1933.

NABC artwork: Jasmine the Mastiff.

Gravity Head lineupdate: Monday, April 2.

But White Castle doesn't serve beer.

A big growler at New Harmony.

Not just yet, but soon ...

More entries in the "Mug Shots" archive.

Gravity Head likely to begin two weeks earlier in 2008.

Review: "Decompressing after Gravity Head orbit."

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Jasmine the Mastiff ... Heightened sweet stout (circa 7% abv) honoring the mastiff, the gentle giant of English-bred dogs.

Kaiser 2nd Reising ... Think of it as your great-grandfather’s pilsner.

Mt. Lee ... California Common ("Steam"), named for the Hollywood mountainside with the famous sign.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Guinness Stout

Lindemans Framboise

Pilsner Urquell

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

Spaten Premium Lager

Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)

Upland Wheat

Note: Alpha King is depleted; yet another wholesaler "out of stock" this week.

ON TAP NOW: Rotating selections (limited engagement).

Schlenkerla Fastenbier

Gravity. See: Gravity Head lineupdate: Monday, April 2.

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

Still more gravity.

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.

----

March 9 - ???

Gravity Head 2007 rolls on

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

----

Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins ... Steve Fest 2007.

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

----

Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

----

Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

----

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.

----

Saturday, August 11

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

----

Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."

----

Friday, August 31

Sandkerwa NA begins

Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.

----

Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins

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

----

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.

I'm taking a week off.

Many readers already know that on Tuesday, I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. I'm taking the week off, and will return with the newsletter on Thursday, April 5.

Publicanista ... March 22, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

SORRY - I'M A DAY LATE THIS WEEK.

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: SCHLAFLY CALENDAR SHUFFLE.

II. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE.

III. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: BREWER'S BEST FRIEND SERIES UNDER WAY.

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

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

VI. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN’S CHOICE: SCHLAFLY CALENDAR SHUFFLE.

The Schlafly beer and brewing event in Prost, which originally was scheduled for Saturday, March 24, has been postponed until Friday, April 27.

The St. Louis brewery’s owner, Tom Schlafly, will be on hand the 27th of April to discuss his memoir, "A New Religion in Mecca", and sign copies of the book. The Gravity Head listed keg of oak-aged barley wine will be kept for the 27th, and other of the brewery’s beers will be on hand, too. Stay tuned for further details.

II. GRAVITY MADNESS 2007: AN UPDATE.

For the next three or four weeks, I'll be providing a Gravity Head "lineupdate" each Monday at the Potable Curmudgeon blog. Each day for the remainder of the following week, the Monday posting will be updated if possible to reflect the current tap status. Here is the most recent:

Gravity Head update: Monday, March 19 (updated through Friday morning, March 23).

Entering the third weekend of Gravity Head 2007, a quick scan of the listings reveals that we’re about 60% of the way through the choices.

That’s fast, especially when one considers that nowadays we receive more multiple kegs of small capacity sizes and more standard-sized kegs overall. It adds up to more gravity beers being consumed more quickly by greater numbers of enthusiasts, but now that the weather is warming, consumption of these big beers will begin to slow.

Perhaps it’s time for a reconsideration of the calendar.

Gravity Head originated on a lark in 1999, and only later became the law onto itself that so dominates the first quarter of each year. Although there have been exceptions borne of necessity, we’ve generally looked to early March as the best time to stage Gravity Head. It’s a crazy month by any consideration, with St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA basketball tournament also drawing crowds, and the festive atmosphere generated by these events in concert with Gravity Head is much fun, and obviously good for business.

It used to be that we’d have perhaps 20 to 30 kegs of listed Gravity Head beers, but now upwards of 60 are ordered, and more if multiples are counted. This had had the effect of extending Gravity Head’s springtime shelf life, to an extent that in 2006, with an earlier starting date in February, it took until late April for all the beers to be consumed. Without initiating another global warming debate, it remains that warmer weather has been arriving earlier, and as noted above, warm weather has a slowing effect on gravity consumption.

That, and also the onset of gravity fatigue …

Combining all these factors, I’m considering moving Gravity Head 2008 – the 10th edition – forward two seeks into late February, as was the case in 2006 during Kate’s pregnancy. The move would put Gravity Head starting on Friday, February 29, 2008.

Your thoughts are solicited. Good or bad? Conflicts you’re aware might occur? Let me know using the usual avenues, and thanks for patronizing NABC.

Also, see:

Gravity Madness: March isn't just about basketball anymore.

Gravity Head 2007 #17: And you thought the 2000 Presidential election was close.

See the Gravity Head schedule here.

Download the complete Gravity Form 2007 here (.pdf)

III. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: BREWER'S BEST FRIEND SERIES UNDER WAY.

Jared Williamson offers this report from the NABC garage brewhouse:

I want to bring everyone up to speed on a new project called Brewer’s Best
Friend Series – basically, three beers made in honor of Jesse’s and my canine companions (yes, this idea came from John Maier of Rogue and his dog Brewer).

First up (brewed 2-16-07) is: Jasmine the Mastiff Sweet Stout.

Malt: 2-row, roasted barley, chocolate

Hops: East Kent Goldings and Fuggles (for bittering only)

Spices: Lactose sugar, spiced Mexican chocolate, honey

O.G.: 1073

ABV: Circa 7%

IBUs: 36

The mastiff is the gentle giant of English-bred dogs -- loyal, noble, big and lazy for the most part.

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

Here are recently posted articles:

Actually, he wasn't the model.

"A return to Market Street Brewery."

The Curmudgeon will be coming out of retirement: Group beer hunting trips are planned for 2008.

Now for the last word on green beer -- at least until next year, when the campaign against inanity will begin anew.

Guinness on tap at Bistro New Albany.

V. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Hoosier Daddy ... revised hopping, somewhere in the range of Imperial Red. Circa 7% abv.

Hoptimus ... Massive.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Alpha King

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

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).

Gravity. See: Gravity Head update: Monday, March 19 (updated through Friday morning, March 23).

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

More gravity. For quite some time to come, in fact.

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.

----

March 9 - ???

Gravity Head 2007 rolls on

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

----

Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins ... Steve Fest 2007.

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

----

Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

----

Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

----

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.

----

Saturday, August 11

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

----

Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."

----

Friday, August 31

Sandkerwa NA begins

Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.

----

Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins

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

----

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.

Publicanista! ... March 15, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: IT'S STILL EARLY DURING GRAVITY MADNESS -- AND MARCH ISN'T JUST ABOUT BASKETBALL ANYMORE!

II. YOUR GRAVITY HEAD DOLLARS AT WORK.

III. ALL THIS AND ST. PADDY'S, TOO.

IV. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: BREWER'S BEST FRIEND SERIES UNDER WAY.

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. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: IT'S STILL EARLY DURING GRAVITY MADNESS -- AND MARCH ISN'T JUST ABOUT BASKETBALL ANYMORE!

It was another fabulous Gravity Head opening weekend, and already a half-dozen starters are down. As always, solid second and even third waves of microbrewed and imported beers will come on tap as the ranks deplete. It’s the deepest Gravity Head ever, with 19 appearing for the first time ever at Rich O’s (just two shy of the 2006 Gravity Head record total).

For the next three or four weeks, I'll be providing a Gravity Head "lineupdate" each Monday at the Potable Curmudgeon blog. Each day for the remainder of the following week, the Monday posting will be updated if possible to reflect the current tap status. Here is the most recent:

Gravity Head update: Monday, March 12 (updated through Thursday morning).

Also, see:

Gravity Madness: March isn't just about basketball anymore.

Gravity Head 2007 #17: And you thought the 2000 Presidential election was close.

See the Gravity Head schedule here.

Download the complete Gravity Form 2007 here (.pdf)

II. YOUR GRAVITY HEAD DOLLARS AT WORK.

In the grand tradition of undercapitalized small businesses, we’ve taken last weekend’s Gravity Madness earnings and ploughed some of them back into infrastructure, meaning that Sportstime patrons now have two new flat-screen televisions for March Madness basketball viewing.

Click here to see what they look like.

III. ALL THIS AND ST. PADDY'S, TOO.

Saturday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, and at NABC, along with Gravity Head (weekend two) and NCAA basketball, it adds up to something we’re not entirely able to predict until it hits. But why quibble? My solution is to have genuinely good beer on hand.

Read the remainder of the commentary here.

The black, red and gold beers coming on tap Saturday, March 17:

Bell's Expedition Stout (cask hand-pull; firkin; 11.5%) ... The oft-repeated adage holds that while the Arabs invented distillation, it took the Irish to perfect it. Don't get it? Think: “From perfume, to whisky.” In much the same fashion, Imperial Stout improves in almost hallucinogenic fashion upon the “dry” Irish model. Drawing it from a cask in the traditional manner is just icing on the cake.

Upland Ard-Ri Imperial Irish-style Red Ale (9%) ... Up the road in Bloomington, Indiana, our compatriots at Upland have produced another version of their annual homage to … well, let’s permit Wikipedia to answer:

• High King of Ireland (Irish:Ard Rí na hÉireann) refers to legendary, pagan kings of Tara. It also refers tolater kings, who were, depending on the period, either the most powerful king oftheir day, or, in later times, exercised authority over most of Ireland.

Rogue Kell’s Irish Lager (circa 5%) ... In essence, a Harp Lager clone, but fuller-bodied, engagingly smooth and crisp, and coming from one of my favorite breweries in the world.

For the best view of St. Patrick's Day from behind the bar, read: ERIN GO BLAH.

IV. NABC BREWERY UPDATE: BREWER'S BEST FRIEND SERIES UNDER WAY.

Jared Williamson offers this report from the NABC garage brewhouse:

I want to bring everyone up to speed on a new project called Brewer’s Best
Friend Series – basically, three beers made in honor of Jesse’s and my canine companions (yes, this idea came from John Maier of Rogue and his dog Brewer).

First up (brewed 2-16-07) is: Jasmine the Mastiff Sweet Stout.

Malt: 2-row, roasted barley, chocolate

Hops: East Kent Goldings and Fuggles (for bittering only)

Spices: Lactose sugar, spiced Mexican chocolate, honey

O.G.: 1073

ABV: Circa 7%

IBUs: 36

The mastiff is the gentle giant of English-bred dogs -- loyal, noble, big and lazy for the most part.

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

Here are recently posted articles:

Your Gravity Head dollars at work.

Real beer for St. Patrick’s Day at NABC.

Beer in today's LEO.

ERIN GO BLAH.

Gravity Head update: Monday, March 12.

"Marcey Wisman for City Clerk" beer tasting fundraiser.

Another amazing Gravity Head opening night.

Gravity Madness: March isn't just about basketball anymore.

Gravity Head 2007 #17: And you thought the 2000 Presidential election was close.

VI. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Hoosier Daddy ... revised hopping, somewhere in the range of Imperial Red. Circa 7% abv.

Hoptimus ... Massive.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Alpha King

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (temporarily gone owing to wholesaler outage)

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).

Gravity. See above.

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

More gravity. For quite some time to come, in fact.

VII. 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.

----

March 9 - ???

Gravity Head 2007 rolls on

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

----

Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins ... Steve Fest 2007.

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

----

Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

----

Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

----

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.

----

Saturday, August 11

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

----

Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

With Hoptimus, you really can "talk to the animals."

----

Friday, August 31

Sandkerwa NA begins

Our first all-German draft festival, inspired by an annual street party in Bamberg, Germany.

----

Friday, October 19

Lupulin Land Harvest Hopcoming begins

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

----

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.

Publicanista! ... March 8, 2007.

In this edition of Publicanista!:

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: GRAVITY MADNESS -- MARCH ISN'T JUST ABOUT BASKETBALL ANYMORE!

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

III. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.

IV. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.

----

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: GRAVITY MADNESS -- MARCH ISN'T JUST ABOUT BASKETBALL ANYMORE!

Hard to believe, but it's baaaccck ...

Gravity Head is our annual celebration of the brewing world’s biggest and best. Beginning on March 9 (TOMORROW) and lasting until all the kegs are gone, we’ll be devoting half our 34 taps to showcasing these rare and sought-after beers.

Because not all listed Gravity Head beers can be served at the same time, and the selection is in constant flux, see the blackboards for the daily selection. Note that the usual choices of NABC ales and guest drafts will be available during the festival (see below for starters).

The 2007 Gravity Head starting lineup will feature 16 kegs of high gravity beers (and 1 firkin) selected to exhibit maximum diversity of flavors and stylistic inspiration.

The winner of the 2007 fan Internet vote, and occupying the 17th slot, is ...

Ettaler Curator Doppelbock (9% abv)

Read about it here: Gravity Head 2007 #17: And you thought the 2000 Presidential election was close.

At various times during the first two weeks of Gravity Head, there will be cask-conditioned gravity beers available from the hand-pull and/or the bar top. See the schedule here.

As always, solid second and even third waves of microbrewed and imported beers will come on tap as the ranks deplete. It’s the deepest Gravity Head ever, with 59 gravity beers in all waiting to be tapped, of which 19 will be appearing for the first time ever at Rich O’s (just two shy of the 2006 Gravity Head record total).

See the current breakdown for the entire Gravity Head beer list here.

Download the complete Gravity Form 2007 here (.pdf)

For those readers who are contemplating Gravity Head attendance for the first time, please be aware that we’re very serious when we command you to plan your life, arrange transportation from the venue at the conclusion of your gravity session, and/or have a designated driver. Typically, a cab ride to Louisville costs $30, which isn’t very much when split two or three ways … and it’s far less than the cost of the consequences.

SEE OUR BLOGS FOR GRAVITY HEAD UPDATES:

PUBLICANISTA! NEWSLETTER - http://richosnewsletter.blogspot.com/
———————
POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BLOG -http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com

Gravity Head beers are available in 8 or 10 oz. pours, depending on the individual beer and the type of glassware used. Prices are indicated on the blackboards.

Here are the remaining starters for 2007:

USA

Avery "The Beast" 2006 14.9%

Bluegrass Brewing Co. (Main & Clay) Dank IPA (hand pull) 8%

Bluegrass Brewing Co. (St. Matthews) Leah's Etrange 9.2%

Bell's Hopslam Double IPA 9.5%

Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA 2006 13%

NABC Thunderfoot Imperial Stout 2006 11%

Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine 2002 11.3%

Shmaltz Genesis 10:10 10%

Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10.8%

WORLD

Aventinus Eisbock (Germany) 12.5%

De Dolle Special Extra Export Stout (Belgium) 9%

Kasteelbier (Biere de Chateau) Tripel (Belgium) 11%

Koningshoeven Quadrupel (Netherlands) 10%

Regenboog t’Smisje BBBourgondier (Belgium) 12%

Samichlaus Bier 2005 (Austria) 14%

Urthel Hop-It Belgian IPA (Belgium) 9.5%

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

Here are recently posted articles:

Extreme Belgian is in the books.

Gravity Head "fan selection" voting proceeds.

In memoriam: Jim Scott.

Vote now for the 17th and final Gravity Head starter.

Gravity Head 2007 Schedule: 30 Days of Gravity Madness.

Extreme Belgian: Swapping Rocheforts.

Cafe exteriors, Poperinge, February 2007.

The European jaunt is shaping up.

Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

Steve Hall is the winner ... and SteveFest 2007 begins June 1.

Rich O's medals in Rate Beer's "Best Beer Bars in the United States."

Rich O's Public House cracks the Top 20 in Beer Advocate rankings.

III. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME. Our NABC beers.
Brewed in New Albany by NABC’s Jesse Williams, with much 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.

Community Dark ... Based on English Mild, and our light-bodied dark quaffer. 5% abv.

Croupier IPA ... Jesse's homage to our casino employee clientele is modeled on the English interpretation, with a few American flourishes.

Elector ... Making Democracy pointless since 2002; English malt, American hops. 7.2% abv. Double Red?

Hoosier Daddy ... revised hopping, somewhere in the range of Imperial Red. Circa 7% abv.

Hoptimus ... Massive.

St. Radegund ... Successor to Beak's Best; all-English, ESB territory, circa 5.5% abv.

Guests from near and far (market pricing).

ON TAP NOW: Everyday staples.

Alpha King

Arrogant Bastard

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

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).

Gravity.

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

More gravity.

IV. 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, March 9

Gravity Head 2007 begins

The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time. This year's theme is Gravity Madness, celebrating the fact that at NABC, March isn't just about basketball any more.

----

Friday & Saturday, May 18 & 19

2nd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival

Along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland and possibly Ram (Indianapolis).

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Friday, June 1

(Your name here)Fest begins

It's SteveFest 2007. Read more: Steve Hall is the winner ... and Steve Hall's winning "SteveFest 2007" essay.

To prep for 2008, read the rules for entering: Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.

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Saturday, June 2

2nd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale

From Todd Antz at Keg Liquors: "It's back! We are just starting our early planning stages, but our successful Craft Beer Festival will be held on June 2nd this year. Already signed up for this year's festival are: New Albanian Brewing, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, and many more to come. Stay tuned for more information on this event."

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Saturday (TBA), June (TBA)

Lambic by the Glass

A one-day sampling of Belgian lambic, with the Publican as host.

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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

Great Taste of the Midwest

Awe inspiring, annual one-day brewery fete in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Saturday, August 25 (tentative)

Brew at the (Louisville) Zoo

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.