Mug Shots: The Year in Beer.

In case you missed my year-ending column in the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), here it is.

Mug Shots: The Year in Beer

During my most recent Year in Beer, there were things I didn’t do.

I forgot to try Miller Chill, neglected to spend money at any plasticized “chain” pub, eschewed watching the mountains turn blue on a Coors Light can and did not set foot inside Wal-Mart.

Idiocy avoided and purity intact, I had a wonderful year with beer around here.

Top 5 Style Components: Black (oily, roasted, bitter-chocolate-tinged Imperial Stouts); Sour (infected with noble intent, tart, renewing of palate); Archaic (funk, spontaneously fermented Belgian lambics are history in bottles); Smoked (carnivorous smoked amber lager screams out for pork dishes, Bavarian-style); and Bitter (“extreme” craft beers notwithstanding, you simply can’t cram enough hops into an American double IPA).

Top Beer Dinners and/or Food Pairings: Extreme Belgian at the late, lamented Bistro New Albany, and Culinary Costume of American Artisan Ales, a catered event at NABC’s Prost banquet room. Other memorable themed evenings were enjoyed at Caffe Classico, Stratto’s, L&N Bistro and Wine Bar, and Connor’s Place.

Local Brewery of the Year: Browning’s. Brewer Brian Reymiller’s She-Devil IPA and Bourbon Barrel Stout have Metro Louisville beer geeks gossiping. But remember this: All five of Louisville’s breweries are top-rate.

American Brewery of the Year: Jolly Pumpkin (Dexter, Mich.) — Belgo-French styles, sour and wood-aged, with Hawaiian label imagery, and not a pumpkin in sight. What’s not to love?

Best Beer Festival: Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a consumer- and brewer-friendly one-day bacchanalia held in the progressive capital city of a blue state. Sir, I’ll have another.

In Memoriam: The world of beer lost its greatest writer and foremost advocate when British journalist Michael Jackson passed away in August. Raise a glass to his memory; truly, he was the father of us all.

"Drive on old Bock."

Thanks to my NA Confidential blogging partner Jeff for this snippet of "old" New Albanian brewing history:

The New Albany Ledger-Standard
(Floyd Co. New Albany, IN ... April 29, 1881)

"Mr. Paul Reising, West End brewer, will issue his second edition of "Bock Beer" tomorrow. His customers will be supplied with the beverage in a prompt manner, as Mr. Reissing is a prompt and reliable business man. Some people drink sassafras tea in the spring of the year; others use sage catnip and "sich," and others sassaparilla. That is their privilege. Another class prefer Bock Beer and it is their privilege to do so. This is a free country. Drive on old Bock."

Reising's brewery was New Albany's largest and most renowned during pre-Prohibition times. It occupied the whole block where the Holiday Inn Express now stands.

Wouldn't you like to know what Reising's Bock Beer tasted like?

Chilling again: A Saturnalia Winter Solstice draft fest update.

Short version: The walk-in's been repaired, all has returned to a tolerable level of chaos, and as of opening hour on Friday, December 28, the following Saturnalia beers are on tap at NABC/Rich O's/Sportstime.

16 currently tapped ...

BELGIUM
Biere de Miel (Dupont)
De Dolle Stille Nacht
Kasteel Rouge

JAPAN
Hitachino Nest XH (aged in Shochu distilled sake casks)

UNITED STATES
Barley Island Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza (kegged normally)
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter

Still to come:

BELGIUM
De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch (delayed; late January)
De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique (delayed; late January)

DENMARK
WinterCoat Yule Ale (probably a scratch at this point)
WinterCoat Vildmose (delayed; late January)

GERMANY
Uerige Sticke (gravity pour keg) (delayed; late January)

ITALY
Moretti Birra La Rossa

UNITED STATES
Bell’s Java Stout
Harpoon Winter Warmer
Oaken Barrel Epiphany
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Rogue JLS Santa’s Private Reserve
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Upland Winter Warmer

Depleted ... but some of these will be reappearing later:

BELGIUM
De Ranke Pere Noel
Delirium Noel
Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
Gouden Carolus Noel
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux
N ’Ice Chouffe

ENGLAND
Young's Winter Warmer (vintage 2006)

GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

JAPAN
Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

UNITED STATES
Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”)
BBC Hell for Certain
Bell’s Winter White
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Winter Storm
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza (cask-conditioned firkin)
Rogue HazelNut Brown Nectar
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Grrr ... part two.

The repairman arrived during early afternoon on Wednesday, examined the patient, and pronounced the Rich O’s walk-in compressor as dead as Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Both Franco and the compressor remain dead today, but while the former is gone forever, the latter will be replaced this morning, and with luck, the walk-in will be cool again this evening.

I posted the following last night:

----

Notice, 12/26/07

R.I.P. — Rich O’s walk-in compressor (1999-2007)

The compressor that powers the Rich O’s walk-in sadly expired over the Christmas break. It cannot be repaired until the morning of Thursday, December 27.

Consequently, most of the bottled beers we stock are cool, not cold, as are twelve of the taps, which are indicated by a post-it note * on the blackboards.

For some of you, temperature isn’t so much of an issue, but for the remainder, please be advised of the options. This issue does not affect NABC house beers and a few others. We trust that all will return to normal by Thursday afternoon.

Whatever “normal” is.

----

Truly, for some it didn’t matter; the kegs were at cellar temperature or perhaps a shade warmer. The fact remains that in recent years, for whatever reason, a majority of customers – geek and tourist alike -- continue to demand ever colder beer. It’s simply more expedient to the greatest number to let the cold beer get warm than the other way around.

Although disabling a whole walk-in still strikes me as extreme.

Grrrrr ...

I came in today ready to work after three days off, grabbed the clipboard, and headed straight for the pub walk-in to inventory kegs and bottles for the order tomorrow, only to find the temperature inside higher than the room temp in the bar.

In short: Walk-in DOWN.

Good news for all those favoring warmer beer, but for the remainder, the number of functioning taps plummets by 12 (all Saturnalia selections, by the way, and I doubt there'll be damage to the beers), at least until repair is facilitated. I hope that's today.

If not, your choices may be limited this evening.

Don't scoff; it really does work that way.

At the Spezial Keller, Bamberg.

Turn the other cheek ... that's what I always say (choke).

Long before the advent of blogging, I would make an annual effort to compose something profound in recognition of the Christmas holiday. Invariably, this effort ended in failure, as it will today. As a humanist and an atheist, I’ve very little profound to say about the season, although I suppose at some level it is in my self-interest to have a holiday that encourages the worst excesses of capitalist materialism. After all, a few of those dollars find their way to us.

I appreciate it, and I’m thankful for your patronage irrespective of your motivations beyond the simplest imperative of an atmosphere conducive to eating, drinking and merriment. Given our raison d’etre with regard to beer, I suppose a certain ideological unity of purpose between drinking customers and me is necessary. If you don't agree with the tenets of good beer, you may not wish to stop by. It's unavoidable.

Otherwise, it’s never much mattered to me what someone believes politically or religiously in the sense that if it doesn’t come up in conversation, it hardly matters anyway, and if it does come up, I’d like to think we could discuss the topics intelligently while enjoying a few ounces of what really matters to me the most.

At the same time, I know that being opinionated has its drawbacks for one vending wares in the occasionally free market. Just recently, a colleague in the service industry told me that one of his customers refuses to patronize my business because of my political and religious beliefs, presumably expressed in forums like this one.

It’s my guess that such a statement would horrify much of my brethren in the business, but it’s reaffirming to me, both from a personal and a professional perspective. For one, I regularly deploy similar reasoning when considering how I’ll spend discretionary income; kindly note that I’ve not spent a dime in Wal-Mart for a decade or more. I’ll pay a higher price to keep money out of the hands of those bastards … any day.

From the standpoint of running a niche beer business, you must go into it knowing that you’ll not be trying to please everyone. In fact, that’s the entire point of it. Wal-Mart seeks to tilt the marketplace and deny choice to gain a high percentage of customers. We seek to finesse the marketplace to find those customers who know what they want and will reward those establishments who can provide it.

In the end, one lives by the sword and dies by the sword; truly, that’s all right with me. It wouldn’t be very interesting otherwise. At least it’s honest money, and I can look into the mirror without retching.

I’m told that the person who boycotts us on political and religious grounds regularly prays for my soul. Don’t ask me what I think about that.

I wouldn’t want to offend you ...

Despite it all, have a tolerable and happy holiday. For whatever reason.

No matter - we were walking.

It's Bamberg, but a bit pale for a smoked beer ...

Saturnalia Winter Solstice draft update: On tap now.

As I expected, there was much movement on Thursday, so as of 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 21, the following Saturnalia beers are on tap.

16 currently tapped ...

BELGIUM
Biere de Miel (Dupont)
Delirium Noel
Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
Kasteel Rouge
N ’Ice Chouffe

GERMANY
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

JAPAN
Hitachino Nest XH (aged in Shochu distilled sake casks)

UNITED STATES
Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”)
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter

Still to come:

BELGIUM
De Dolle Stille Nacht
De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch
De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique

DENMARK
WinterCoat Yule Ale
WinterCoat Vildmose

GERMANY
Uerige Sticke (gravity pour keg)

ITALY
Moretti Birra La Rossa

UNITED STATES
Barley Island Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Winter White
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Harpoon Winter Warmer
Oaken Barrel Epiphany
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue JLS Santa’s Private Reserve
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Upland Winter Warmer

Depleted ... but some of these will be reappearing later:

BELGIUM
De Ranke Pere Noel
Gouden Carolus Noel
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux

ENGLAND
Young's Winter Warmer (vintage 2006)

GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock

JAPAN
Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

UNITED STATES
BBC Hell for Certain
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Winter Storm
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza (cask-conditioned firkin)
Rogue HazelNut Brown Nectar
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Gravity Head 2008 preview: No incredible lightness of being in this bunch.

We’re a small company compared to many, and the NABC brewery crew has responsibilities that range a bit outside the normal job descriptions in the brewhouse. I suspect that this is the case in similar sized establishments, where everyone pitches in to do what’s necessary.

In essence, Jesse, Jared and Tony often take time out to help me with the organizational responsibilities entailed by our huge list of outside “guest” draft beers, for which we’re widely noted, and that require much in the way of effort to store and prepare for pouring. Lines need to be cleaned, tavern heads replaced, markers affixed, and chalkboards updated. I used to do much of it myself, but those days are gone.

On Wednesday they gathered to ask whether all the Gravity Head beers for 2008 were already purchased and in storage in Cellar 3. It seems that having purchased the new walk-in only a few short months ago, it’s already stacked to the ceiling with future fest beers. Until recently many were Saturnalia kegs, but these are beginning to deplete slightly as December unfolds.

Most of the remainder await Gravity Head.

It’s time then to take stock, queue the taxicabs and offer a preview. On February 29, 2008, we kick off Gravity Head 2008. It’s the tenth anniversary Gravity Head, and it’s a Leap Year starting date. If there’s a full moon rising on that date, I’m not certain our liability insurance will remain in force, so let's hope not.

To the best of my knowledge, all the following kegs are confirmed, with most already in-house, and a scant few resting at one or another wholesaler. I’ll periodically update and republish the list as we get closer to the show.

We don’t have a slogan yet. Your thoughts are appreciated.

BELGIUM
De Dolle Dulle Teve (“Mad Bitch” 10% abv
*Dupont Moinette Brune 8.5% abv
*Dupont Moinette Blonde 8.5% abv
Regenboog Guido 8% abv
*Podge Belgian Imperial Stout 10.5% abv

GERMANY
EKU 28 11% abv
Ettaler Curator Doppelbock 9% abv

ITALY
*Birra Integrale La Birra di Natale 8.5% abv

UNITED KINGDOM
Gales Prize Old Ale (1998) 9% abv
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (barrel aged; TBA) 11.5% abv

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Avery “The Czar” 11.73% abv
*Avery Fourteen 9.46% abv
*Avery “The Kaiser” 9.37% abv
BBC (Main & Clay) Bearded Pat's Barley Wine 2006 circa 10% abv
Bell's Batch 6000 10.5% abv
Bell's Expedition Stout 2006 11.5% abv
Clipper City Below Decks Barleywine 11% abv
*Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale 9.75% abv
*Dogfish Head Fort 18% abv
Founders Imperial Stout 10% abv
Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine 10.2% abv
Left Hand Imperial Stout 10.4% abv
NABC (more than one; specific selections TBA)
New Holland Dragon’s Milk 9% abv
New Holland Pilgrim's Dole 10% abv
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine Vintage TBA 11.3% abv
Rogue John’s Locker Stock Imperial Porter ‘007 7.77% abv
Rogue XS Imperial Stout 11% abv
*Schlafly Imperial Stout
*Shmaltz He’Brew Jewbelation Eleven 11% abv
Shmaltz He’Brew Genesis 10:10 2006 10% abv
Shmaltz He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA 10% abv
Stone Double Bastard 2005 10% abv
Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10.8% abv
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2006 11.2% abv
*Stone XI – 11th Anniversary Ale 8.7% abv
*Three Floyds Fantabulous Resplendence X Anniversary 10.5% abv

Upcoming Events at Connors Place in New Albany.

Straight from Dave Himmel's command center, here are a few of the upcoming events at Connor's Place in downtown New Albany, where NABC's Elector and Community Dark are on tap.

Dec 21st 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 Midnight
The River City Blues Band returns!

Dec 28th 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 Midnight
The Premier of "The Funky Suedes."

Dec 31st
The New Years Eve Bash (reservation only; phone 812.944.0207), featuring the music of the Travelin Mo Jo's. Tickets are on sale now. The doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the band starts at 9:00 p.m. The party goes until 1:30 a.m. Tickets are going fast, so call soon.

Finally, a Saturnalia MMVII update

All right; time to get back to work.

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.

Official Saturnalia MMVII program here (.pdf)

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

Love that goat.

Life's good in Bamberg, because in Franconia, this is the time for seasonal bocks. Time was short, but excellent selections were sampled at Spezial (above), Schlenkerla (smoked) and Klosterbrau (Helles).

The less I tell you about Bierhaxe at Klosterbrau the better. You'd just get all envious.

Closer to home, I hope to have the updated Saturnalia lineup here on Wednesday morning. Then there'll be other stories to tell in the coming days.

Take five: Back in a few days.

I'm taking a brief break, and will return to posting on the 18th of December (perhaps a random thought before then, and perhaps not).

A few opening weekend Saturnalia thoughts.

The opening weekend of Saturnalia has revealed that:

People like our Naughty Claus. This year's recipe (which is incorrect in the program) includes vanilla beans, cloves, cinnamon and fresh ginger, significantly differing from last year in the absence of sweet orange peel. It led the sales for the weekend, with one keg drained in a 24-hour period.

La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux was the surprise choice of the Belgians. It looks too dark to me to be a Tripel, as described at the web site, and it has a bit of tartness that tastes great even if it's a mistake. I chalk it down to the funky Orval yeast.

Our cask-conditioned firkin of Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza is predictably brilliant, though not as spicy as I'd imagined. As time goes by, sour beers are vying with smoked beers to be my favorites.

Hectic, crazed, debauched … and now comes the Saturnalia MMVII starting lineup.

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 are still in transit. A few probably won’t make it until January.

Saturnalia is our all-draft winter solstice bacchanal that kicks off at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, and will proceed throughout December into January of 2008, and perhaps beyond. With Gravity Head slated for February 29, “permanent festival” might be the best way to describe matters.

Now, back to the list. 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.

Official Saturnalia MMVII program here (.pdf)

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

Saturnalia MMVII official program and new bottled beer list both available.

Two helpful .pdf files have been posted at NABC's web site.

First is the official program for Saturnalia MMVII, which kicks off Friday, December 7, and will run through December. The starting 16 has not been determined; that's what Thursdays are for, but the majority of beers have arrived or are scheduled to be delivered next week. The starting lineup will be posted here on Thursday night.

Official Saturnalia MMVII program here (.pdf)

Also, the new bottled beer list will be effective on Thursday, December 6. 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.

NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf

New production facility for Cumberland Brews (Louisville, KY).

Barista credentials helpful, too.

John Campbell is the Publican's and NABC's new Project Coordinator.

John's job description includes picking up all the balls I routinely drop, subsisting on low pay, pulling desk duty in the NABC propaganda ministry, and most importantly, organizing our brewery expansion plans.

"If Your Mother Says She Loves You, Check It Out."

Among other positions, John has worked for both BBC (Main & Clay) and Schlafly (St. Louis), and previously built the wine program at Red Geranium in New Harmony, Indiana.

Private beer tastings the subject of C-J article.

Free lancer Marty Rosen, who is a regular contributor to the Louisville Courier-Journal and writes about many topics, among them food and drink, was the guest of longtime Public House regular Terry Cummins during a private beer tasting in early November.

Terry had purchased the beer tasting at a silent auction. It has long been my custom to donate such private tastings, usually for a party of eight, in lieu of cash, ordinary gift certificates or other items (t-shirts, etc.) It costs my business the same in terms of beer samples and my time, but it generates more money for the charity or service club if it’s auctioned. Everyone wins.

I’m happy that Marty enjoyed it, because he followed up with this article in Saturday’s newspaper: Tastings brew beer fans' curiosity.

Give the beer-lover in your life a 12 pack of exotic brews, and he or she will drink happily for a few days (more or less).

Give that same beer-lover an informative beer tasting and he or she will remember it for years to come.

Concurrent with the tasting that Marty attended, I was in the process of deciding to make a limited number of such private beer tastings available for purchase as gifts during the holiday season. Coincidentally, Marty asked me if I ever did such a thing, and with the answer being tentatively affirmative, the offer made it into the article. Consequently, we've made the transition from tentative to actual.

Obviously, with the single biggest component being my time, and the second most important factor being availability of space to conduct the tasting, I need two weeks advance notice, and recommend that tastings occur Monday through Thursday at the Public House. Weekends simply are too busy. The idea as always is to begin with a sample of familiar beer (read: golden), then riff on seven or eight variations, accompanied by what I hope is entertaining and educational commentary.

As of today, I’ve fielded three inquiries. We’ll see how the experiment works out.

"Moss the Boss": Self portrait, circa '96.

Back in April, I noted the return of Moss the Boss, otherwise known as Alain Mossiat, former proprietor of the seminal 1990's Namur cafe, Eblouissant.

Brewmaster David Pierce sent this photo to me a few months ago. Here is Dave's play by play:

I was cleaning out some old file drawers this weekend and came upon my old Tim Webb Good Beer Guide to Belgium. Matt Gould and Rick Buckman had borrowed it for their leg of the tour, 1996. The pic was a present for my 40th birthday.

A blast from the past, for sure. Here's to Moss the Boss ... again.

Tony's artwork for NABC Malcolm's Old Setter's Ale.

There'll be more later this winter.

From 2001: "4 Americans visit the Tour - Beer and Cycling."

In 2001, while beercycling in West Flanders, we made the newspaper in Poperinge. In 2004, during the infamous Tour de Trappiste beercycling epic, most of the same fellows were filmed for Belgian television. Some day, perhaps the conversion of that file will be finished and you can see it on You Tube. Until then, the translation (by the inimitable Luc Dequidt) of the earlier newspaper article will have to do.

My co-conspirators were Tim Eads, Kevin Lowber and Bob Reed.

4 Americans visit the Tour - Beer and Cycling

Four Americans stayed this week at the Palace Hotel in Poperinge - Bob and Kevin from Kentucky, Tim and Roger from Indiana. Mainly here to sample local brews, they did not want to miss the Tour de France; they watched it from the terrace of a local pub in Lo, a more than unique experience for the four Americans.

Kentucky is mainly known for breeding horses, so horse racing is extremely popular. Indiana is more industrialized with steel industry around Lake Michigan. Needless to say that they were charmed by the peace and quiet of the Poperinge area, a cyclist's paradise. Their home states are more car orientated.

On Monday they cycled to Lo; they had never seen the Tour or any other main cycling event. American TV pays more attention to extreme sports, cycling is not one of them despite the presence of Lance Armstrong. They were impressed by the publicity caravan, carnival as they called it; a Michelin flag or Champion cap made a nice souvenir. They watched out for the American cyclists; they recognized the US Postal shirts but not who rode with a blue shirt. They strongly believe in another victory of Lance Armstrong but did not hear yet about the cooperation with the controversial Italian doctor Ferrari.

They do not speak in public about drugs. "Armstrong seems to be an honest guy." They would be very disappointed when it would appear that their hero in the Tour takes illegal products.

They do not know many names of Belgian cyclists, exception made for Tom Steels and Eddy Merckx, of course. After the Tour passed through Lo, Westvleteren was the next stop for a delicious Trappist.

Roger, Tim, Kevin and Bob already visited Poperinge in 1999 during the hop fest. Bob remembers the refreshing taste of Hommelbier and still speaks highly about the Hop Queen.

Again local real ales are the reason for staying at the Palace. Landlord Guy serves them another brew each evening in a matching glass; no less than 130 different beers are available at the Palace.
Before leaving Poperinge, they cycled up the Cassel-mountain and visited a local inn, het Kasteelhof, where another local ale was tasted.

As a salesman, Kevin introduced the Hommelbier in quite a number of American pubs and also Roger serves it in his Rich O's Public House. He will soon serve his own homebrew.

Starlight Distillery: I told you so … sort of, anyway.

Major league props to Huber’s Starlight Distillery, a division of the family’s renowed Orchard & Winery, which made the Sunday edition of the New York Times not once, but twice, and in the main section, no less!

In an article about the rise of microdistilling that begins on the newspaper’s front page, legendary local vintner and distiller Ted Huber gets a nod and a quote:

Farmyard Stills Quench a Thirst for Local Spirits, by Susan Saulny.

“There was no way for me to have an artisan distillery the way Indiana law was written after Prohibition,” said Ted Huber, who runs the Starlight Distillery on his farm in southern Indiana and who helped draft the law that was passed six years ago. “I can’t make whiskey, but can make anything that would come from raw ingredients for wine. I’m experimenting with grape vodka now.”

Mr. Huber also runs a winery, and it attracts a half-million tourists a year. But he finds that his copper pot still, imported from Germany, “is really a crowd pleaser, even when it’s not running.”

Eric Asimov, the NYT’s drinks writer, then considers several microdistilled products: THE POUR; Just Don’t Call It Scotch. Or Irish. Or Tequila.

Speaking of rugged stuff, grappa, distilled from the residue of the winemaking process, generally has all the appeal of a flame-throwing punch to the stomach. Most are harsh and unpleasant, though there are significant exceptions. A grappa made by the Starlight Distillery in Borden, Ind., is one of them. It is smooth with a fruity, floral aroma, and would be highly enjoyable after a heavy meal.

Since our visit to the winery and distillery a couple of weeks ago, I've also been praising the Grappa. I remembered the beverage from Italian excursions chiefly as lighter fluid or fuel additive, but like Asimov, I found Starlight’s version to be delicate and aromatic.

What are we going to have to do to the Indiana state law (burning it springs immediately to mind) to allow Ted to distill Hoptimus into schnapps?

Speaking of legalese, I learned earlier today that our Brewers of Indiana Guild was visiting Indiana's legislature in an effort to gain support for legislation that would allow the state's brewers to promote their breweries on state highway signage. It's something that wineries have been doing for two decades, but is currently denied to breweries under the wisdom ... well, under no discernable wisdom whatsoever.

Monday evening at Tommy's.

Maury Goldberg is a former New Albany city councilman, a Lion’s Club stalwart, and a habitué of Tommy Lancaster’s Restaurant.

If ever there were such a thing as a civic institution, Tommy Lancaster’s qualifies for landmark status. It has been nestled on Market Street within spitting distance of the rail crossing since the early years of the Eisenhower administration, and the founding Lancaster family still ran the establishment until 2004 or thereabouts.

While it is true that there have been periodic updates at Tommy’s, jalapeno poppers, designer salads and draft Blue Moon among them, America’s imperial Betty Crocker era cuisine (fried chicken and fixings on the buffet table) remains the restaurant’s chief selling point, and with each passing year, the restaurant increasingly resembles a museum as much as a place of business – and as I’ve come to realize, that’s a considerable compliment to them.

What they do, they continue to do quite well. As the Curmudgeon ages, his thoughts begin to turn to meat loaf and mashed potatoes; not necessarily how they taste, but what they mean.

Broadly speaking, I inhabit a world of symbolic objects, and it didn’t dawn on me until recently that the upholstered booths, venerable paneling, uniformed servers and other manifestations of my childhood in the 1960’s need not exclusively represent discordant notions in need of fleeing. Perhaps they might also symbolize the good intentions of the post-war era. Honest food and drink at a fair price, and offered in a clean, well-lighted place, need not be the realm of contemporary Miller High Life television ads. We all own a piece of it.

It remains that Tommy’s is not a frequent haunt, although we enjoy taking my mother to eat there every Thanksgiving. Beer’s the thing, and there is little in the way of good beer there, but that’s where Maury comes into the picture. On behalf of the new owners, he asked me to come, make a sales pitch on behalf of NABC and offer a bit of education about craft beer. It seems that they’re interested in a local draft product.

And so it occurred. I brought a sampling of NABC drafts in growlers, and a date was made for me to return next Tuesday to offer samples of Community Dark to the regulars who come in for $1.50 draft night. I met a fellow who collects Hot Wheels model cars, chatted with the bartender who started work the year I was born, and was pleased to note management’s interest in local products. We may have a beer on tap at Tommy's in a few weeks.

It was an informative and educational evening.

For me.

Holiday Beer Tasting at Keg Liquors on Thursday, November 29.

Who the hell does Todd think he is -- me? Pretty soon he'll add DiGiorno pizza by the slice ... and then what?

But seriously, here's the lineup for this year's Keg Liquors Holiday Beer Tasting, which will be held on Thursday, November 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Keg Liquors is located at 617 E. Lewis & Clark Parkway in sunny Clarksville, Indiana.

I'll note that many of the beers Todd has assembled (marked *) will be featured at NABC's forthcoming Saturnalia draft festival, which kicks off on Friday, December 7, and runs pretty much the whole month of December.

----

Our second year of this event, this will also be our final tasting of the year. Featuring many holiday and winter beers to get your holiday shopping started early, representatives from two of our craft beer distributors will be on hand, as well as a guest appearance from Schlafly Brewing.

More beers should be added to the list, while we are waiting for a final list of our special orders of holiday beers, but here is the partial list of what we know we will be tasting based on our existing inventory:

*Delirium Noel (2007 and 2005 Vintages)
Corsendonk Christmas Ale (2006 Vintage)
*Gouden Carolus Noel (2006 Vintage)
Affligem Noel (2006 Vintage)
Avery Old Jubilation
*Harpoon Winter Warmer
*Pyramid Snow Cap
*Anchor 2007 Merry Christmas, Happy New Year Special Ale (2005 Vintage as well)
*Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
*Three Floyds Alpha Klaus
*N'ice Chouffe (2005 Vintage)
*Great Divide Hibernation Ale
*Boulder Never Summer Ale
*Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Left Hand Snow Bound
Harvey's Christmas Ale (2001 Vintage)
Gales Christmas Ale (2002 Vintage)
St. Feullien Noel (2006 Vintage)

As an added bonus, Scott from Schlafly Brewing will be on hand to sample several of their latest brews. Here is their lineup:

Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout - Around the time of the Louisiana purchase, beer was shipped in barrels. if one had been lucky enough to receive a used Bourbon barrel of Imperial Stout, this is what his/her happy taste buds would have encountered: roasty, rich, malty imperial stout with a strong dose of caramel, oak, and Bourbon character.

Schlafly Barleywine - A heavy, sweet, very strong ale with a deep, copper color and lots of hops to balance the very large amount of malt. This very large beer has also been known to bite back.

*Schlafly Christmas Ale - A full-bodied amber ale to spice up the holidays. 'Tis the season to enjoy this rich and flavorful ale made with orange peel, cloves and spicy hops.

This is a free tasting and open to the public (21 and older of course). All beers in the tasting will be $1 off the day of the tasting.

Pacific Northwest Brew Tour, May 6 – 14, 2008.

I've forwarded the following to those on the mailing list. If you're interested, please let me know (use the e-mail address at my blogger profile page).

----

Note that everything following is tentative. Our local tour operator is Tony Minden, owner of OregonWest Excursions. Tony submitted a plan to me, and I have edited his work and made a few changes, which he’ll be examining for accuracy. The edited version, minus exact timings, is here. I believe the information below to be substantially correct at this time. Assuming Tony agrees, we’ll begin the process of determining the price.

Note also that the group’s airfare is still being researched by Mary Pat Bliss of Bliss Travel in New Albany, but that you retain the option of arranging your own flights subject to land transportation constraints and my required foreknowledge. At this time, we believe the roundtrip fare to be in the range of $550, but of course this might change.

Some form of breakfast is included at each stop.

Tuesday, May 6th

We will depart Louisville for Portland, and depending on the final flight plan, the itinerary may change. Airport transfer; arrive in Portland. Read: New York Times on beer in Portland. We’ll be staying at the Embassy Suites (Downtown). There’ll be a tour, tasting and meal at BridgePort Brewing, Oregon’s oldest craft brewery (founded 1984).

Wednesday, May 7th

Private charter aboard the Portland Ducks Tour’s Hydra Terra amphibious vehicle for a half bus/half boat city tour with guide that travels city streets and the Willamette River alike. We’ll tour Portland’s waterfront and ship yard, and then end up at Widmer Brothers Brewing for a taste, followed by a free afternoon in downtown Portland to rest, relax and enjoy the city. Later, there’ll be a McMenamins Cosmic Bus Tour (visits to a selection of McMenamins' historic properties (i.e., McMenamins Edgefield, the Kennedy School, and the Crystal Ballroom) and appetizers, handcrafted ales, wines and spirits. We’re leaving the evening open pending a chance to socialize with Phil “Biscuit” Timperman. Phil currently works for Rogue Ales in Portland, and formerly was employed by Hair of the Dog and the Horse Brass Pub.

Thursday, May 8th

Morning departure for a drive through the gorgeous scenery of the Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, followed by a stop at Multnomah Falls, the second highest water fall in the United States. Lunch and beers will be at Walking Man Brewing in Stevenson. After lunch we’ll travel the "Hood River Fruit Loop," coming eventually to the landmark Timberline Lodge (where Jack Nicholson’s “The Shining” was filmed). During this time we will try to meet with Charles Porter, formerly the brewery at Bloomington Brewing Co. and Upland in Bloomington, Indiana. Charles now lives in Hood River and works for Full Sail Brewing. There might be a vineyard tour as well. Afterwards, an open final evening in Portland.

Friday, May 9th

Depart Portland for Seattle. Stop in Tacoma at Harmon’s Brewery & Restaurant for a tour, tasting and lunch, then free time in Tacoma. Near Harmon’s: The Museum of Glass, including work by the world famous Dale Chihuly; artists at work in the Hot Shop; bridge of glass; and the restored Union Station. In Seattle, we’re staying at the Silver Cloud Hotel. A monorail/tram to and from downtown is being built, and it may be operational by the time of our visit. The hotel also offers local shuttles. We are hoping to arrange an evening visit, tasting and dinner at Hale’s Ales Brewery & Pub.

Saturday, May 10th

A brief city tour of the highlights will be followed by morning free time. Circa 1:00 p.m., we meet at the Pike Pub & Brewery for lunch and a beer pairing. Next is a tour of Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners and a pre-game tour and tasting at the Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurants. At 7:00 p.m., Mariners vs. White Sox, sushi (Ichi-Roll) and IPA, then back to the hotel after the game. Note that the Safeco Field tour and game timings are contingent on the 2008 schedule, which thus far is tentative.

Sunday, May 11th

Depart for Astoria, Oregon, on the northernmost tip of the Oregon coast. The hotel is Comfort Suites Columbia River. Lunch is on your own in Astoria, which boasts a great downtown to wander, with unique shops, restaurants and pubs, among them the Wet Dog Cafe & Astoria Brewing Company (formerly Pacific Rim Brewing) and Fort George Brewery + Public House. We’ll visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum in the afternoon, then attend Seafood School for demonstrations, seafood, and a beer-themed presentation from Chef Eric Jenkins.

Monday, May 12th

Depart Astoria for Newport. This is about a 3-hour drive, and quite spectacular. We’ll allow an hour and a half for stops along the way, including Cannon Beach or Seaside. Arrive in Newport circa 1:00 p.m. The small, succulent Yaquina Bay oyster made Newport famous, and the town is a popular destination for seafood lovers, but we know it better as the home of Rogue Ales. Lunch at your own pace along the Historic Bayfront, location of Rogue Ales Public House and Local Ocean Seafoods. Rooms at the Elizabeth Street Inn. Monday evening is free to roam. There is the possibility of a program and session at the Rogue Ales Public House.

Tuesday, May 13th

We’re hoping to book a morning excursion with Marine Discovery Tours. Lunch is at Brewer’s on the Bay, Rogue’s restaurant inside its microbrewery complex, which is located on the south side of the bay (you can see the Public House across the way), followed by a Rogue brewery tour. Next, a visit to the nearby Oregon Coast Aquarium, then regrouping at the hotel. Dinner at the Hallmark Inn in the group’s own private dining room overlooking the ocean. Finally, weather permitting, the Elizabeth Street Inn will put on a bonfire on the beach, including smores and plenty of Rogue ales.

Wednesday, May 14th

Pending confirmation of the flight time, this day remains unplanned. It is 2.5 hours travel time to Portland and 1.5 hours check in time at the airport. This might require an early wake-up …

Cask ales from Thornbridge are coming to the Public House.

Now that the weather is again chilly, allowing of course for global warming, B. United International’s cask-conditioned firkin program has resumed.


For the uninitiated, B. United imports various classic beers from Europe and Japan. During the cooler months, firkins of cask-conditioned ale from the UK are brought in on a very limited basis and allocated on a pre-order basis to selected accounts.

Today, along with a handful of hard and soft spiles and clips for the handle on the beer engine, I received the badges for two real ales I’ve never tried and barely was aware existed.

They are both from Thornbridge Hall Brewery in Derbyshire, UK.

Building on the foundations of brewing in the UK we look to styles, and respond to influences, from around the world to help us achieve our vision. We have a highly skilled brewing team with a desire to learn about great beers and a passion to develop and produce them.

Fair enough. The two real ales that we’re expecting are Jaipur, an India Pale Ale, and Saint Petersburg, a Russian Imperial Stout. They’re pleasingly beefy by ordinary English standards, at 5.9% abv and 7.7% abv, respectively. Advance reviews are favorable, and when they arrive, the hand pull will come alive.

Most intriguing to me is the brewery’s location in Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire. As it turns out, Thornbridge is just up the road from Matlock and the nearby spa, Matlock Baths, where my first wife and I stayed with friends in early 2001. Ashford on the Water is squarely in the middle of the Peak District, a beautiful natural area, with the cities of Sheffield (east) and Manchester (west) roughly equidistant on either side. The county capital of Derby, to the south, has an abundance of real ale.

Sounds like another road trip in the making … beercyclists, take note.

This year's gathering of the Pants Down Potluck Port Drinkers Circle will be Thursday, December 27.

Thursday, December 27 is the date for the annual gathering of the Pants Down Potluck Port Drinkers Circle of New Albany, Southern Indiana, Oz and points afar.

As before, we'll be imbibing in the Prost banquet and special events wing of Rich O's Public House/NABC. Coverage from stellar events the last two years can be viewed here:

2006: Pants Down Port Drinkers on December 28: A recap.

2005: Port wine is a holiday tradition.

This year's tasting is open to all comers, with no cover or minimum, with the only firm requirement being that participants bring a bottle of Port and a snack (cheese, salami, olives or other munchables) to the gathering.

It is possible that a fine cigar for the hosting Publican might buy your way inside.

Traditional co-conspirator Tim Eads and I would like an informal and non-binding RSVP by December 20, including a description of the Port you'll be bringing, if in fact you know and aren't a last-minute shopper like me. I'll post a list of the Ports on or around the 20th.

Briefly googling in preparation, we find:

Into Wine: Enjoying Port

The Vintage Port Site (operated by the Symington Family Port Companies)

Prior to my only visit to Portugal in 2000, the Danish gonzo journalist Kim Wiesener, a longtime friend, recommended Richard Mayson's "Port and the Douro" as the finest overview of all things Port. Indeed, it is excellent, and if you're interested in Port, it's a must-have.

There's a new edition available, and I'm sure that Randy Smith at Destinations Booksellers would be able to track it down for those interested.

Here's a capsule description:

Mayson recounts the history of this great fortified wine up to the present day, including an assessment of major vintages back to 1896. He examines the physical condition of the region, grape varieties and vineyards with an appraisal of each of the main quintas, providing a directory of individual producers and shippers.

A sip of revived ale and pleasant recollections in Indianapolis.

On Tuesday, Diana and I took her English cousin Jennie to Indianapolis for a day of exploration prior to attending the evening’s basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers, which proved to be an inept and lopsided defeat by the youthful, rebuilding home squad.

Given the evening’s roundball motif and Jennie’s “real ale” nationality, it’s fully appropriate that our pit stop (yet another potential pun, except that I'm not a racing fan) earlier in the afternoon at Broad Ripple Brewing Company was graced by the surprising and enjoyable presence of cask-conditioned Circle V Pacer Pale. Indiana Beer’s Bob Ostrander explains:

Broad Ripple Brewpub has Circle V's Pacer Pale on the handpull. It's Kevin Matalucci's tribute to Mark Vojnovich who brewed this at his Circle V a few years back (from '96 to '01 to be exact). It has Centennial hops and 5.5% ABV. "V" is the assistant now at BRBP. The clarity invites you to think "crisp" just by looking at it.

More than six years after brewing ceased, and eight years since the restaurant closed, Circle V’s building off 82nd Street remains unoccupied. It’s painful to see such reminders.

While at Broad Ripple, Jennie and I quaffed two pints with Scotch eggs. Much later, after the game, we three drove north to Castleton and our old friend Joe Brower’s place for overnight quarters, and when I told him that Mark’s excellent Pale Ale had been recreated at Broad Ripple, a warm glow was elicited. Joe began telling stories about beers consumed far and wide, and I knew where he was headed:

“But to this very day, one of the best beers I ever had was …”

(All together now): “Circle V Batch 100!”

Back in the day, I recall thinking that Circle V’s Batch 100 was very similar to Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and while a certain element of the memory probably has to do with the fact that few such ales were making it to us at the time, it was damned fine indeed, and like Joe, I have a soft spot in my heart for it.

The trouble is that Mark always jokingly claimed to have been a bit, shall we say, “under the weather” on that far off brewing day, and consequently is unable to remember the recipe. If it isn’t true, perhaps there’ll be a revival at Broad Ripple in the future.

Pacer Pale was followed by another unexpected treat. Back to Bob:

But the main reason a couple of dozen folks stopped in at the brewpub last Wednesday was to get the first taste of Bill Ballinger's Serenity Now IPA. Bill and Kevin brewed Serenity Now to Bill's recipe for the Indiana State Fair 2008 Best of Show. It's more brown than expected. With 20 pounds of Amarillo, Cascade, and Columbus hops in the 7-bbl batch, it could be compared to Ruination with more malt and much more body.

That’s a good description of a wonderful Imperial IPA, and Serenity Now proved to be an enjoyable dessert after the eggs.

As a closing note, while at BadaBoomz Ale House & Grill in downtown Indy for a couple of pre-game refreshments, I noticed that Mike DeWeese had NABC’s Hoptimus on tap – hand-delivered by the Publican in August.

Reasoning that the local aficionados should get first orders, I passed in favor of Mad Anthony IPA.

Connor's Place in Velocity.

Velocity's Bar Hopper visits Connor's Place and finds good things to say about the beer, food and ambience.

Congrats to Dave Himmel for good press!

Program for tonight's Merchant du Vin beer & cheese pairing in Prost.

Beer & Cheese Pairing from the Merchant du Vin portfolio
Monday, November 19, 2007 – 6:30pm
New Albanian Brewing's Prost Room

Cheeses provided by LOTSA PASTA; presented by Will Eaves.

Merchant Du Vin beers provided by World Class Beverages & the New Albanian Brewing Company; presented by Tisha Dean & Roger Baylor.

----

Tasting Notes (from Merchant du Vin)

Ayinger Braü Weisse (Germany)
Delicious lemon-scented wheat beer with yeast. This is an aristocratic beer with a champagne sparkle and a beautifully sustained head. Pale in color, tart in palate—a brut beer. Experience as an aperitif or with your meal.
Cheese Pairing: Capriole Soft Goat Cheese

Zatec Bright Lager (Czech Republic)
Medium-bodied; natural, soft conditioning; hedonistic fresh herbal aroma; a flavor that is the best of fresh-baked bread, fields of grain, and spice, with a solid malt middle. Clean, sparkling, and quintessentially thirst-quenching.
Cheese Pairing: Kenny’s Horseradish Cheddar

Orval Trappist Ale (Belgium)
Sunset-orange color; a fruity and slightly acidic bouquet, firm body, profound hop bitterness, and long, dry finish.
Cheese Pairing: Orca & Capriole’s Sofia

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale (England)
Honey-amber-colored, creamy head of small bubbles, floral aroma and delicious malt flavor with great finesse.
Cheese Pairing: Kenny’s Mild Cheddar

Green’s Gluten-free Quest Tripel Ale (Belgium)
Fairly light body for beer of this strength; spice and herb nose with flavors of candied fruit. Aromatic, long finish. Vegan.
Cheese Pairing: Capriole’s Tomme

Traquair House Ale (Scotland)
Deep reddish-golden in color; full, velvet-like body; medium dry and powerful, with an earthy hint of peat character.
Cheese Pairing: Kenny’s Kentucky Bleu

Lindemans Cassis (Belgium)
Deep reddish-purple color with exceptional aroma, flavor, and complexity. Fuller bodied and soft, while still being refreshing and crisp.
Cheese Pairing: Capriole’s Chocolate Bourbon Torte

Special thanks to the following that made this event possible: Reva Hagedorn, Prost Special Events Coordinator ... and Chefs Andrew McCabe and Josh Lehman for consultation & preparation.

Headline: "Most Arrogant Bar In America" Challenge is Back!”

To be honest, I resisted committing to this promotion, primarily because it’s been a very busy year without added arrogance, and also owing to what I perceive as the first signs of “event fatigue” among local beer aficionados … but what the hell. We're fairly arrogant already; might as well pile on.

The idea is that from November 24 through November 30, participating establishments will vie to sell the most Arrogant Bastard Ale, “Oaked” Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Double Bastard Ale, as calculated by the ounce. The winner will receive, “A Plaque proclaiming your supreme Arrogance, bragging rights to the rest of the nation, and a place in history amongst the other Most Arrogant Bars in America!”

I wouldn’t be a curmudgeon if I didn’t react to all this with, “real bars don’t count ounces,” but since it’s all in good fun … why not?

Sales will be calculated according to the honor system, and we’ll be at a competitive disadvantage because I’ve chosen to cellar our keg of Double Bastard for future Gravity Heads.
However, during the specified period, both Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard will be on tap and discounted a bit to further the cause.

Wherever the oak chips fall ...

Three things I learned during the past week.

Better stated, it's three things I already knew, but permitted a measure of reinforcment in my mind.

When the best beer available in the area that is billed as Millionaire’s Row is Heineken, and it is served in a can, it’s obvious that people don’t go to Churchill Downs to drink good beer. Or, for that matter, any casino.

The dialect spoken by locals isn’t German, and most Bavarian beer halls offer neither hamburgers nor ESPN on television, but Newport’s Hofbrauhaus is as authentic as might be hoped given the many differences in pork production between Kentucky and Franconia. The Weizenbock was brilliant.

The Thomas Family Winery in Madison is responsible for great wine, cider and even Sack (a variety of sherry), and even better, the Celtic ambience of its tasting room provides a contrarian’s favored change of pace from the usual winery chic.

Yes, we have an NABC newsletter ... sorry 'bout the delay.

The NABC newsletter has been published again following a hiatus for which there is no excuse other than boredom, burn-out and occasional flashes of very busy.

Regular readers will note that writing has been eratic of late. Kindly understand that plenty of beer has been consumed during this period.

Might that be the problem?

Anyway ...

Publicanista! November 15, 2007.

I. PUBLICAN'S CHOICE: YES, THERE'S BEEN SOME SLACKING GOING ON.

II. BEER (MERCHANT DU VIN) AND CHEESE (LOCAL) TASTING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT 6:30 P.M. AT PROST.

III. POSSIBLE TOUR DATES FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BEER TOUR IN MAY, 2008.

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 Schlafly beer dinner at Louisville's L & N was mighty fine.

Tuesday evening’s Schlafly beer dinner at the L&N Wine Bar and Bistro in Louisville was well worth the trip across the Ohio on an incredibly warm November evening.

My wife Diana enjoyed a menu individually crafted to suit her vegetarian and lactose intolerant needs, and she remarked that it was brilliant. Memorably, her main course was a gigantic squash stuffed with rice and other goodies. I lost sight of her seated behind it.

Meanwhile, her cousin Jennie and I savored the marquee choices for omnivores.

The appetizer of scallop ceviche (with mushroom, avocado, ginger and fire roasted cherry tomato salad) had a pleasing sushi-like quality, and while this usually sends me scrambling for the hops, this time the citrus limeade flavor of the dish paired perfectly with Schlafly Hefeweizen’s "straight," clean wheat character.

I could have had a whole plate of the scallops … but I say that every time, don’t I?

Seafood bisque was paired with Schlafly’s English-accented Pale Ale, and it was a mellow call, though hardly daring.

The delicious main course was a thick, juicy coriander and cumin encrusted pork chop in a lager & mustard cream sauce, accompanied by braised granny smith apples and red cabbage. Succulent indeed, and the Germanic thrust of it proved a knockout with Schlafly Number 15, the brewery’s Dunkel Weizen. Jennie had fun trying to sort through the aromas of bubble gum and fruit, and Mitch Turner explained that the inspiration was Schneider’s Bavarian classic. Simply a mouthwatering match.

Another pairing choice was offered with the pork: Schlafly Dry Hopped American Pale Ale, which I saved it to cleanse the palate after the pork chop had been dispatched.

Dessert originally was billed as hazelnut ice cream, then became a truffle for the evening menu, and finally materialized as a rich chocolate cake paired with Schlafly Coffee Stout. Yet again, it was an appropriate flavor combo, even if I continue to prefer a beefier stout than that underpinning Schlafly’s version, which nonetheless has a wonderful coffee taste.

All in all, it was textbook stuff, and well worth the time and expense. The pairings were “spot on” although not as offbeat as those offered by the Creative Costume crew on October 29th. It was a great pleasure to chat with the Schlafly road warriors in the intimate confines of the L & N, which has a solid short beer list to go along with numerous wines by the glass, courtesy of the Cruvinet.

You haven’t been there yet?

Why not?

Tell Len and Nancy I sent you.

Merchant du Vin beer and cheese tasting Monday, November 19 at NABC.

Thanks to the efforts of Tisha Dean, our diligent local sales representative for World Class Beverages, there’ll be a beer and cheese tasting in NABC’s Prost special events wing on Monday night, November 19.

While Tisha remains in the process of rounding up suitable cheeses (we’re hoping these will be primarily local), the beer lineup, which is drawn entirely from the portfolio of Merchant du Vin, is ready for sampling.

Ayinger Braü Weisse
A classic Bavarian-style wheat ale with the typical balance between fruity esters and clove.

Green’s Quest Tripel Ale
Gluten-free, vegan ale; contract brewed in Belgium by DeProef, and never before tasted by the Publican.

Lindemans Cassis
The least sweet of the Lindemans fruit lambic range retains a hint of funk and a powerful black currant punch.

Orval Trappist Ale
This quirky standard bearer from Belgium’s prettiest Trappist monastery has English antecedents and is dry-hopped, with the suggestion of a sliver of wild yeast adding to the fun.

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale
Tadcaster’s brownish-amber seasonal ritual is a silky and rich ale for cooler weather.

Traquair House Ale
Strong ale along the lines of barley wine, brewed in an old Scottish place and hinting at peat.

Zatec Bright Lager
Textbook hop-accented Czech lager, known everywhere except the Czech Republic as a “pilsner” style.

To defray the cost of the cheeses, we’re asking for a $10 cover, and the starting time is 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact me at the e-mail address in my blogger profile.

Revisions for Saturnalia MMVII.

No promises ... no guarantees ... but here's the pre-order list for Saturnalia MMXII, which kicks off on Friday, December 7, and will proceed throughout December into January of 2008.

Note two unfortunate scratches among the Belgians: St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel and Urthel Bock.

Note also one addition to the USA roster: Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza.

There'll be more of both.

BELGIUM
Biere de Miel (Dupont)
De Dolle Stille Nacht
De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch
De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique
De Ranke Pere Noel
Delirium Noel
Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
Gouden Carolus Noel
Kasteel Rouge
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux
N’Ice Chouffe
Scaldis Noel

DENMARK
WinterCoat Yule Ale
WinterCoat Vildmose

ENGLAND
Young's Winter Warmer

GERMANY
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock
Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen
Uerige Sticke (gravity keg)

JAPAN
Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
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
BBC Hell for Certain
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Winter White
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Brooklyn Brewery Winter Ale
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock
Clipper City “Heavy Seas” Winter Storm
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout
Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Harpoon Winter Warmer
NEW Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
New Holland Dragon’s Milk
North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
Oaken Barrel Epiphany
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue HazelNut Brown Nectar
Rogue JLS Santa’s Private Reserve
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter
Upland Winter Warmer