Tuesday, October 10, 2006

One week, two great beer events. Are we still in New Albany?


It will not have escaped the notice of regular readers that the coming week boasts two signature beer-related events in New Albany, one that directly pertains to the city’s annual Harvest Homecoming celebration, and one that was instituted five years ago as a sort of reaction to it.

When I first concluded that a draft “hop fest” on a harvest theme would be a good idea, it seemed natural to begin it on the same weekend of Harvest Homecoming’s “booth days,” when the streets downtown are filled with food vendors. For many years, several of us have referred to Harvest Homecoming as “poor white trash days,” and skirting the issue of whether this designation really is fair, it always struck me that a good-beer-related alternative to the seething mass of humanity gnawing on elephant ears and rolled oysters would be appropriate.

Consequently, this year’s Lupulin Land Harvest Hop festival at NABC’s public house and pizzeria was organized to begin, as always, on the Friday evening (October 13) that coincides with the second day of booths in downtown New Albany.

The variable that proved impossible to take into account was the advent and success of the Bistro New Albany, which will be embracing the notion of good beer somewhat near Harvest Homecoming and transferring it to the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant’s patio. The Bistro’s beer garden will run from the 12th through the 14th, offering food, entertainment and NABC beer (with other micros and imports courtesy of North Vernon Beverage Company).

If the Bistro New Albany project is a success, Lupulin Land 2007 might be moved forward a week so that it begins on the Friday preceding the Harvest Homecoming parade, or back a week to miss Harvest Homecoming entirely.

Either way, it’s pleasing for once to be in the position of having more than enough good beer during Harvest Homecoming rather than having terminal shortage. Is Philistinism in New Albany finally on the run? Will the Bud and Lite drinkers visit the Bistro’s beer garden? Will hops alone be enough to save us from the terrors of Velvet Elvis?

Stay tuned.

Press release: BNA, NABC, NV and good beer in downtown New Albany during HH.

UPDATED: Lupulin Land Harvest Hop Festival 2006 -- coming Friday, October 13.

3 comments:

antzman said...

Roger,

While a reduction would be nice, the Philistinism in this region is still running rampant. It is nice to see two beacons of light shining through the quagmire of swill that pervades our area.

David said...

I might even make the trip to HH this year for my NABC fav's; 15B and Community Dark. Elector-fried Grouper sounds great as well.

It would have been nice of NVB to include the oldest craft brew in their book, BBC. Instead let's support that brewery in N. California, Belgian Bud, and swill brown from England.

The New Albanian said...

Funny you mentioned that, as I suggested to anyone who'd listen that at the very least, there should be Bourbon Barrel Stout, and if for no other reason (and there actually are other reasons) than the absence of stout from the affair.

Given that this isn't the proper venue for me to air my annoyances on the topic, permit me to say only that all of my suggestions with respect to beer down at the Bistro haven't been implemented.