Monday, November 10, 2008

Saturnalia explained: Festive draft beers for the winter solstice, coming December 12.

Yesterday I set the table.

Roger's believe-it-or-not: Saturnalia's planned and ready, a full month ahead of opening night.

Today, the conceptual basis for our Saturnalia Winter Solstice draft celebration, as copied from the printed souvenir program that will be ready for perusal on December 12 when the taps open.

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Festive draft beers for the winter solstice.

In pre-Christian Rome, Saturnalia was the annual winter solstice celebration that originally coincided with the feast days for Saturn (god of sowing and the harvest), Consus (god of the storage bin) and Opa (goddess of plenty).

Many of our contemporary winter holiday traditions derive from Saturnalia’s pagan roots, including the hanging of wreaths and garlands, donations to the needy, prayers for peace, time off work to be enjoyed with family, and of course eating, drinking and merriment.

Beginning Dec. 12 & lasting all month.

The New Albanian Brewing Company pays tribute to these ancient pagan origins with Saturnalia, an annual holiday draft celebration. We’ve gathered dozens of special kegs of beer – some rare, some seasonal and others just festive – from America and around the world. Some of these hard-to-find beers will be appearing in draft form at Rich O’s and Sportstime Pizza for the first time ever in metropolitan Louisville.

When the doors open at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, the first wave of sacrificial MMVIII Saturnalia selections will be revealed, tapped in the traditional, ritualistic manner … and the hedonistic pleasures will begin. The remaining kegs will be tapped as the days pass and the first wave depletes.

UNLEASHING YOUR INNER PAGAN, ONE SEASONAL POUR AT A TIME.

Pricing and portion sizes vary according to alcohol content and style. Selections marked with an asterisk * are appearing on draft for the first time at Rich O’s Public House and Sportstime Pizza. During the festival’s run, information and updates will appear on these web sites:

New Albanian Brewing Company
Potable Curmudgeon's blog

Always look on the blackboards to see what is on tap, and remember: Adults drink responsibly!

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