In this edition of Publicanista!:
I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: WARTS AND ALL, THE NEW NABC WEB SITE IS UP AND RUNNING.
II. THE INIMITABLE STEVE POWELL PLACES A MUSIC TRACK WITH DAWN AND DREW.
III. CONTINUE UNLEASHING YOUR INNER PAGAN AS WE “SATURNALIA MMVI,” OUR WINTER SOLSTICE DRAFT BEER FESTIVAL, ROLLS FORWARD.
IV. WILL YOU BE ENTERING THE CONTEST TO DETERMINE THE (YOUR NAME HERE)FEST 2007 WINNER? READ ON.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: NABC STRATHPEFFER TO POUR TOMORROW.
VI. RECENT NEWS AND ARTICLES AT THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON’S BEER BLOG.
VII. DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD, ON TAP AT RICH O’S AND SPORTSTIME.
VIII. BOTTLED BEER NEWS: RARE ITEMS FROM DE DOLLE, THREE FLOYDS AND STONE NOW ON THE BOARD.
IX. EVENTS, HOURS AND RELATED FACTS.
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NOTE: NABC, Rich O's and Sportstime are closed on New Year's Eve (Sunday, December 31, 2006) and New Year's Day (Monday, January 1, 2007). We'll reopen for business as usual on Tuesday, January 2.
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I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: WARTS AND ALL, THE NEW NABC WEB SITE IS UP AND RUNNING.
You're invited to take a glance at the updated web site: www.NewAlbanian.com.
Beginning in November with a 30-day trial version of Dreamweaver and a "Easy Steps" guide loaned to me by a friend, I started from scratch and rebuilt the site completely. All the necessary and raw information is there, sans bells and whistles, although in the end, I made quite a few mistakes that render the appearance different depending on the monitor used.
No matter that a 3rd grader would have known better; it's great to finally have it updated, and I anticipate continuing to tweak the site until I get it right.
My personal favorite section is the Frequently Asked Questions. Elsewhere, there'll be photos of Amy and Kate once each provides them, and perhaps expanded bios of the lifers. The "past" festivals section will have .pdf files of the programs. I'll do a better job sizing pictures ... and so on, and so forth. For now, please peruse and forward suggestions.
II. THE INIMITABLE STEVE POWELL PLACES A MUSIC TRACK WITH DAWN AND DREW.
As preface to this item, Wikipedia says:
The Dawn and Drew Show is a podcast by married couple Dawn Miceli and Drew Domkus. The couple live in Wayne, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Their show was one of the first to become part of the PodShow network and has become one of the most famous podcasts to date. The show is described as 'two ex gutter punks fall in love, buy a retired farm in Wisconsin and tell the world their dirty secrets... always profane, rarely profound.
There is no Wikipedia entry for our own Steve Powell, but most of you know him as an insanely talented server/bartender at the Public House. Recently a song composed and performed by Steve made it to Dawn and Drew for episode #463. The "Sugar-Glider" song is at approximately the 11.5 minute mark of the episode.
Conversely, you can hear it and other of Steve's sounds at his web site: The Powell Project.
We've been talking about an NABC podcast in 2007, and Steve's eager to get started. Is the world ready? Stay tuned to find out.
III. CONTINUE UNLEASHING YOUR INNER PAGAN AS WE “SATURNALIA MMVI,” OUR WINTER SOLSTICE DRAFT BEER FESTIVAL, ROLLS FORWARD.
Sacrificial Saturnalia selections for MMVI are steadily being tapped in a requisite, ritualistic manner … and the hedonistic pleasure is ongoing. The remaining kegs are being tapped as needed as the first wave depletes … and so it will proceed past New Year’s into January, 2007.
During the festival’s run, information and updates will appear on these web sites:
Potable Curmudgeon ... Publicanista! ... NABC
**SATURNALIA MMVI - ON TAP NOW**GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock
Spezial Rauchbier
JAPAN
Kiuchi Hitachino Nest Red Rice
UNITED KINGDOM
Hambleton Nightmare Yorkshire Porter
Ridgeway Lump of Coal
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”)
BBC Hell for Certain
*Bell’s Hell Hath No Fury
*NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries (third keg)
*NABC Naughty Claus (fourth keg)
New Holland Blue Goat Doppelbock
New Holland Dragon’s Milk
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve (second keg)
*Shmaltz Monumental Jewbelation 5766 (second 1/6 keg)
Stone Double Bastard
Upland Winter Warmer
Go here to get the lowdown on transits, scratches and what's yet to come:
Part 2: A few random Saturnalia notes and observations, and the Scratch Report.
Note: Our annual keg of Stone’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard (not listed for Saturnalia) unexpectedly arrived, and it will be pouring this weekend (by Friday, December 29).
IV. WILL YOU BE ENTERING THE CONTEST TO DETERMINE THE (YOUR NAME HERE)FEST 2007 WINNER? READ ON AND ENTER, DAMN IT.
The (Your name here)Fest is a consumer’s choice beer fest, with the Publican attempting within reason and various distribution constraints to assemble an annual contest winner’s ideal draft lineup. The first was DaveFest, named for Dave Siltz, which took place earlier in 2006.
The next (Your name here)Fest will be held in late May, 2007, and the competition has started. To read the rules for entering:
Here are the contest rules for (Your name here)Fest in May, 2007.
V. FROM THE HAND PULL: NABC STRATHPEFFER TO POUR TOMORROW.
As part of the forthcoming Saturnalia festivities, NABC Strathpeffer (heather/gruit ale) is next up for the hand pull. It'll be tapped and ready on Friday, December 29.
There also are two cask-conditioned English ales on order from B. United International, but I'm learning from the past and will wait to preview them until the firkins are in my grubby little hands.
For more information on cask-conditioned ale:
Horse Brass Pub (where our friend Biscuit used to work)
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
Warm, Flat and Boring -- the Truth About Cask Ale, from Rate Beer.
Here are recently posted articles:
Part 1: A few random Saturnalia notes and observations.
Velocity on beer: It's like Jerry Falwell on morality.
NABC graphics: Bonfire of the Valkyries and Naughty Claus.
FLASH: Bistro New Albany will be open on New Year's Eve.
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.
VII. 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 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.
Bonfire of the Valkyries ... Black lager meets smoked lager, and the Publican is happy.
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?
Hoptimus ... Massive.
Naughty Claus ... Winter warmer with orange peel and cinnamon.
St. Radegund Bitter ... Classic British character in the ESB range.
Guests from near and far.
Market pricing.
Staples:
Sprecher Root Beer (non-alcoholic)
Rotating (limited engagement).
All rotating taps are currently filled with Saturnalia MMVI listed selections (above).
In the bullpen.
Bunches o' Saturnalia beers, of course. Also, these ...
Browning's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
VIII. BOTTLED BEER NEWS: RARE ITEMS FROM DE DOLLE, THREE FLOYDS AND STONE NOW ON THE BOARD.
Limited supplies of a handful of very special beers meant to help provide some small measure of holiday cheer are currently available.
Aventinus Eisbock 2005 (11.2 oz)
Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine (22 oz)
Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA (22 oz)
De Dolle Extra Special Export Stout (11.2 oz)
De Dolle Stille Nacht Special Reserva 2005 (11.2 oz)
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard (12 oz)
Stone Double Bastard (22 oz)
Spezial Rauchbier (16.9 oz)
Remaining stocks of previously listed bottles (many running very low):
N'Ice Chouffe (750 ml) (more on January 10)
Farsons Lacto Milk Stout (11.2 oz)
Hambleton Toleration Ale (gluten-free; 16.9 oz)
BBC Professor Gesser's Mind Numbing Ale (750 ml)
Le Baladin Wayan (750 ml)
North Coast Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale (750 ml)
Podkovan Dark Lager (16.9 oz)
Don't forget to check the chalkboard in the front room at Rich O’s for bottled specials and seasonals. These are the bottled beers not carried on the everyday bottled list, and represent a wide variety of flavors and textures for your tasting enjoyment.IX. 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.
2006/2007 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, March 9, 2007
Gravity Head 2007
The ninth edition of our annual festival celebrating the brewing world’s biggest and best will kick off from its customary March starting time.
Preliminary keg orders for Gravity Head 2007.
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August, 2007
Sandkerwa NA
Coming in August, 2007: Sandkerwa NA. Here's the scoop.
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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.
