Pannepot (by Struise) evokes the best of Belgian brewing.

Back during the 1980’s, very few Belgian-brewed ales made it into the Louisville metropolitan area. Early on, there was Merchant du Vin’s portfolio, including Lindemans, Orval, what was then labeled St. Sixtus (now St. Bernardus), and from other importers … maybe Duvel?

Maybe. Memory doesn’t entirely serve me, but I know that compared with German and Anglo-Irish imports, Belgium wasn’t as well represented on our store shelves. However, Michael Jackson’s pioneering books certainly whetted my appetite for greater tasting opportunities. Eventually, they came to pass.

It had become the 1990’s, and my trips abroad grew more frequent although less lengthy. Diving foursquare into both beer appreciation and pub ownership, I found my attentions diverted toward the classic beer-making areas in Northern Europe. A decade earlier would have been better, but various factors came together to make it a good time to delve into Belgium, albeit a transitional one.

The old local school Belgian brewers referenced by Jackson (and later, Tim Webb) were slowly dying out and yielding to the predictable disturbances of modernity. From one trip to the next, there’d be serious doubt as to whether a glorious artisanal ale sampled previously still would be available.

Fortunately, as became increasingly evident, Belgium was experiencing its own craft brewing revolution. Youth and innovation were stepping into the breach, and the results were (and are) exciting.

It’s now 2009, and the transition continues. Brewers like De Dolle, Achouffe and Fantome were young when my European travels began, and now they’re venerable. Still older family brewing companies like Huyghe, Anker and Van Honsebrouck have entirely reinvented their approaches. A fresh generation of ambitious operators like Alvinne, La Rulles and Struise are keeping the heritage alive. It remains an inspiration to watch, but it’s more inspiring to drink.

Last night I drank a 2007 vintage of Struis Pannepot (Old Fisherman’s Ale). It’s grist for another essay on crumbling international boundaries that Struise credits Pannepot’s name as a tribute to the brewery’s Danish supporters.

More than any single Belgian ale I’ve had lately, Pannepot transports me back to those heady early days of roaming Belgium in search of any label I’d not seen before. While referred to as “spiced,” I find the spice presence very subtle and complimentary to rich malts and dark-colored fruits like dates and raisins. It’s expressive yet balanced, warming and contemplative, and a real treat that reflects the Belgian brewing ethos.

Photo credit: RateBeer

First Schlafly, O'Fallon Brewery and NABC collaboration brew to be created on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, December 1, NABC's Jared Williamson will be in St. Louis at the Schlafly Taproom. The occasion? It's a brewday, and the advent of a three-way collaboration between Schlafly, O'Fallon Brewery and NABC.

Jared writes:

We're calling it the C-Series for short so this is C-1. It will be a Oak Aged Dry Hopped Smoked Rye Pale Ale, 6.5% and 35 IBU.

I just saw on Facebook that Scott Shreffler, Schlafly's rep in the Louisville metropolitan area, is going to be in St. Louis, too. He's promising coverage, so when the photos appear, I'll link you to them.

Is there any business as fun as this one?

Wineries expressly permitted, breweries expressly prohibited. What gives?

In effect, the state of Indiana allows wineries to use regulatory logic one way, and denies breweries the opportunity to use it in the same manner. It's bogus, and it's bull. Is there an Indiana legislator alive who can explain why?

(crickets chirping, pins dropping)

Indiana microbrewers want to sell beer on Sundays, by Bill Ruthhart (Indy Star).

When visitors tour Indiana wineries on a Sunday afternoon, not only can they sample the wine, they can take some home.

Now, Indiana's microbreweries say it's time their visitors were given the same opportunity.

NABC seasonal brews: Bonfire of the Valkyries, Naughty Claus & Solidarity.

Each year during Saturnalia, which is NABC’s draft beer festival and a leering bow to the pagan roots of the holidays, we release two of our own creations: Bonfire of the Valkyries (Smoked Black Lager) and Naughty Claus (Spiced Ale). This year, there’s a bonus selection made possible by the additional brewing capacity downtown: Solidarity (Baltic Porter).

Saturnalia begins on Friday, December 4, so here’s an update on NABC’s listed contributions.

Solidarity, which might be considered a Saturnalia pre-release, is on tap now. It was ready to drink, and we saw no sense in holding it.

Bonfire will be ready for pouring in about three weeks, just before Christmas. Naughty Claus has undergone its yearly recipe modification (see below), and will be released around the 10th of December.

The 2009 batches of Bonfire and Naughty Claus were brewed by Jared Williamson at the Garage Brewery (Pizzeria & Public House).

Meanwhile, David Pierce honed the original Michael Borchers formulation of Solidarity, which also was previously brewed by Jared and Jesse Williams, and he joined with Jesse in putting a batch through the new Bank Street system.

I sampled Solidarity last week as accompaniment to Chef Josh Lehman’s Pastrami sandwich, and the combo is dynamite.

Here are the specs:

Bonfire of the Valkyries 09
Burning away the hours 'til Ragnarok
Although it’s probably there somewhere in the German brewing playbook, we couldn’t find the rule prohibiting the crossing of Black Lager with Smoked Lager, so we brew Bonfire each year in autumn and let it age until release during Saturnalia, just before Christmas.

Malts: Weyermann Rauch Malz, Simpsons Black, Castle Aromatic, Castle Special B

Hops: Magnum (Bitter, Flavor, Aroma)

Yeast: Garage Brewery Frisco Lager

ABV: 7.2%

IBU: 10

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Naughty Claus 09
Santa needs daze off, too
A rich, full-bodied holiday spiced seasonal that changes wardrobe a bit each year as we experiment with festive additives.

Malts: Simpsons Golden Promise, Rahr 2-row, Weyermanns Vienna, Castle, Biscuit, Castle Aromatic

Adjuncts: Belgian Candi Sugar (Dark), Molasses

Hops: Summit

Spices: Fresh Ginger Root, Cinnamon Sticks, Rose Hips

Yeast: Bank Street London

OG: 1074

ABV: 7%

IBU: 9

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Solidarity
Solidarity or Death
In the 1080’s, the Solidarity trade union movement in Poland sought and achieved an end to the official Communist Party’s hegemony over the workers’ movement. We tip our hats to the activists with Solidarity, a robust reminder of Baltic foresight in activism and strong beer.

Malts: Simpson Golden Promise, Special Pale, Simpson Aromatic, CaraPils, Simpson Dark Crystal, Simpson Chocolate, Simpson Black

Hops: German Perle, two additions (one at each end of the boil)

Yeast: Garage Brewery Frisco Lager

Color: 26 degree SRM (or, almost black)

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: 18

Mustache Bash & Female Art Collective at the Public House on Saturday, December 5.

Unofficially Thanksgiving at the Public House.

Neither NABC location is OFFICIALLY open on Thanksgiving, but at the Public House (formerly Rich O's), our beer manager Mike will be UNOFFICIALLY open at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The pizza oven WILL BE OFF, so no food as usual, but Mike (assisted by Joy) is making a batch of Bison & Elk Chili, and he encourages you to bring leftovers and have a pint or two. The Curmudgeons might even drop by after we've finished our usual Vietnam Kitchen feast and a movie.

On Friday, the Pizzeria & Public House begins operations at 11:00 a.m., and Bank Street Brewhouse will be open at 2:00 p.m.

NABC & The Involuntary's, at Third Street Dive this Friday night (November 27).

Third Street Dive web site
The Involuntary's web site

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Thanks for craft on draft."

Just saying ... and with a nod to the Rud.

Mug Shots: Thanks for craft on draft

With the hectic holiday season about to break loose, every amateur economics geek is sifting through retail sales figures in an effort to fathom the direction of a recession-scarred economy. Beer business analysts are surveying the same cratered terrain, and their findings to date are mixed. Not unexpectedly, some parts of the beer biz are doing well, and others are not. But the specifics might surprise you.

Premium-priced brands and many imports are flat-lining at best, and often plummeting, while “popularly priced” budget choices and America’s craft beer segment are headed up, up, up.

NABC WeeFoot is now on tap at Grant Line and Bank Street locations.

Brewer Jared Williamson, head of NABC garage brewery at the Pizzeria & Public House, reports on the debut of his WeeFoot. I sampled this today, and it's an enjoyably medium-bodied, dry session stout as billed. WeeFoot isn't one for laying down, so enjoy it while it's here, and someone please buy a growler and tell me how WeeFoot works with the Thanksgiving meal
--RB

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WeeFoot, the second release in NABC’s Foot Stout Series (ThunderFoot being the first), is now on tap both at the Pizzeria & Public House and Bank Street Brewhouse.

WeeFoot is a dry session-style stout: Big robust malt body; plenty of balancing hop bitterness; clean and dry on the finish.

Others in the Foot Stout Series scheduled to be released in early 2010 include:

ClovenFoot: Belgian Strong Stout. David Pierce’s recipe, based on Black Sunshine from BBC days of old.

ThunderFoot '09: Oak Aged Dried Cherry Imperial Stout. Jesse Williams' recipe, as brewed at the garage brewery in early 2009.

Here are the WeeFoot specs:

Malts: Simpsons Golden Promise, Simpsons Roasted Barley, Simpsons Chocolate, Flaked Oats

Hops: Summit (one bittering addition)

Yeast: Bank Street London

OG: 1055

ABV: 5%

IBU: 48

If it's good, you needn't give me the glass to persuade me to drink it.

The current vogue in the Louisville metropolitan area is to stage "pint nights" wherein supposed craft beer fans are attracted to an on-premise establishment to buy craft beers, usually special releases, and "keep the glass" as part of the price.

That's all well and good with me, and I'm sure that NABC will indulge in the same on scattered occasions, but this is beginning to sound like a broken record. Is this sort of thing really good for the segment?

I'm not directing this at anyone or any place in particular, just idly wondering if there is any conceivable, creative, different way that an establishment might choose to promote the wonders of craft beer without, in effect, openly bribing potential customers with free glassware?

Is the formula "freebies = promotion" being deployed solely because of the sluggish economy, or out of marketing laziness and an absence of ingenuity?

Is there a suggestion here that craft beer releases nowadays are no longer truly special, or sufficiently unique to merit perhaps a fair opening night price for a signature pint glass, with the bar or restaurant keeping the glass so that when one purchases the beer subsequently, it will come in the correct signature glass?

When did the imperative become bribery?

I believe this "free glassware" trend is cheapening the craft beer product by implicitly suggesting that it isn't good enough absent a giveaway to stand on its own, and that bothers me.

Anyone care to talk me down from this ledge?

NABC wants you to know who is where, downtown.

I've said it before, and I'll repeat: If for any reason you venture into downtown New Albany and find NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse either closed or not to your liking, it is our wish that you remain downtown and visit other establishments nearby. They are not competitors. They are shareholders in the food and dining experience downtown, and our collective success (or failure) will be measured by how we unite to bring people into the historic core and provide them with reason to return.

Verily, we thank you for supporting local businesses. The sign above is the updated version of the one that's been posted to the left of our entrance since March. It seeks to provide an overview of options within the limits of the riverfront development area.

Did we miss you? If so, let me know and I'll have Tony design an addendum.

Saturnalia MMIX update, and an Anstich surprise.

The provisional Saturnalia list has been updated, so go here and scroll down.

There's more, because earlier today I was delighted to have the opportunity to order another batch of Anstich (gravity pour) kegs from Franconia. It looks like one each (2o liter) of a half-dozen or so, and I'm pumped. When there's time, I'll assemble a list.

Saturnalia starts on Friday, December 4. I'm not going to add the Anstich kegs to the official listings, but assuming deliveries are made on schedule, they'll be pouring throughout.

Devine Rebel, from Mikkeller and BrewDog.

The label asserts that the pairing of Mikkeller (Denmark and the known world at large) and Brew Dog (bricks and mortar in Scotland, thank you much) is tantamount to two rock stars coming together.

I'm for it, but wary. Pop and rock is littered with the corpses of ill-conceived super groups and one-off video abominations like Mick Jagger and David Bowie imagining they might improve on the divinely rebellious sass of Martha and the Vandellas. They didn't.

Providentially, Devine Rebel avoids this jinx, sticks to the strengths of its collaborators, and offers an excellent libation best sampled at room temp on a chilly night. This one's a finisher.

The liquid is brewed to post-Barley Wine strength (circa 12% abv), and pours mildly carbonated, a bit on the murky side of amber/brown, and with a nose that promises the contemplative.

Devine Rebel was brewed at Brew Dog, partially aged in Speyside Scotch barrels and blended into final form, and indeed, there is a sufficient whisky component fighting for a peek above the glass’s rim with the fully expected Mikkeller hop backbone.

Though not a spirits aficionado, it’s a trend of which I’ve approved for longer than you might imagine.

When I was a freshman in high school, I aspired to be as cool as the upper classmen. In practice, this meant finding a way to artfully pilfer liquor from my father’s bar to lubricate shadowy sessions in the gloaming prior to football games.

One time, I judged it unsafe to bleed off any more bourbon from a fast depleting bottle that the old man seldom touched, anyway, and I turned instead to a quart of Scotch. Later, in our usual hiding place, I proffered my take to my co-conspirators and was surprised to find the reaction universally negative.

I rather liked it. As I proceeded to learn, bourbon was sweeter and easier to swallow uncut, and of course when added to coke, became a taste sensation that approximated the sugar-laden dietary habits that would render future generations crazily obese.

Don’t even ask about the time I brought gin to the meeting.

Save Devine Rebel for a nightcap, and you’ll not be disappointed.

Photo/label credit

Bashah, from Stone and Brew Dog.

In the coming weeks, I intend to write about some of the beers that we're vending at NABC's Pizzeria and Public House. I asked Mike to pick a three-pack, and my intention is to drink (yes, it's necessary) one per day and report on my findings. First up: Bashah.

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James Watt, a Scotsman, was an 18th-century pioneer of the steam engine, an invention that spurred the advent of the industrial revolution.

James Watt, the managing director of Brew Dog, a Scottish craft brewery, presumably is a Scotsman, too. There also was a James Watt who served as Interior Secretary in the first Reagan administration, but he doesn’t fit into my analogy, and his environmental record was completely atrocious.

I detect uplifting symmetry between the notion of steam power and the ensuing, volcanic change in the social order brought about by the industrial revolution, and now a youthful new brewery in the same country, one vigorously propelling the counter-revolution, in the sense of overturning the machine/fetish/aesthetic that gave us Bud Light and replacing it with brews like Bashah, brewed in Fraserburgh (on the Atlantic) in conjunction with the fine people of Stone from Escondido (on the Pacific).

Had I been handed a glass of Bashah, knowing only that it was brewed in Scotland, my first hunch would have been that it was Old Engine Oil. The appearance is similar. However, the nose alone puts paid to that idea. There’s plenty of hop, and further titillation from that g-spot sort of place where hop meets roast, and upon further reflection, just a wee bit of a fruity ester that might lead one to hazard a guess that there’s something Belgian to it.

In fact, Bashah is described as the world’s first commercially produced Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale. The Stone crew went to Scotland and made merry over seafood, whisky, castles and heaven knows what else. I’m glad they found time amid the merriment to actually brew the beer.

To my mind, it’s a Stone beer through and through. All the stylistic components suggested by the words Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale are there: Hops throughout, and a “black” malt character that approximates slightly lower gravity Imperial Stout. If anything, the Belgian aspect is muted, perhaps not sufficiently assertive to break through the other layers.

But make no mistake: A great beer, enjoyable to the very last drop, and hopefully not a one-off collaboration.

See: A Stone blog about Bashah, where the above photo was found.

Elector and a New Orleans medley at Selena's?

In today's LEO Weekly, reviewer Robin Garr visits Selena's, which is located in Louisville's East End on LaGrange Road, roughly equidistant between Lyndon and Anchorage. Owing to the menu's enticing "Cajun and Sicilian" theme, Robin (a noted wine writer, but a beer lover, too) eschewed the wine list and opted for a Dixie Lager.

But I'm thinking a refreshing NABC Elector might have provided more firm accompaniment to the meals described; after all, it's on tap at Selena's, and has been for a month. The establishment was one of NABC's first draft accounts in Louisville following our roll-out.

One thing's for sure: The only way for me to know how well Elector pairs with the food at Selena's is to go and conduct a scientific sampling. I'll try to schedule one very soon.

Selena’s brings comfort to Willow Lake

An old, popular East End country dive bar, closed for years, reopened about a year ago as Selena’s and has been drawing crowds ever since, owing its growing popularity to bountiful food, friendly service and a relaxing atmosphere.

The official Saturnalia MMIX logo.

Tony's done it again, and now the burden is on me to firm up the listings. Kickoff is December 4, and the basic information is here: Saturnalia approaches, and here's an advance look.

On site at BSB with Fox in the Morning.

It's early in the morning for a professional drinker to be taking photos, but that's why we're always prepared. The Fox team with Dave Pierce (above) and evidence of guerrilla activity in Indianapolis (below).

Bank Street Brewhouse wants you to be on television: Monday, November 16, 5 - 9 ... in the morning.

How I spent my Friday afternoon at the Statehouse.

Pictured are Indiana State Representative Ed Clere, the Publican and Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman. The rationale behind the award is explained here.

Bank Street Brewhouse wants you to be on television: Monday, November 16, 5 - 9 ... in the morning.

I've got a heavy day in Indy tomorrow, as John and I are heading north to sell NABC draft and to pause momentarily in the early afternoon to accept Indiana Main Street's award to Bank Street Brewhouse as business of the year in a statehouse rotunda photo op. Suit or "These Machines Kill Fascists" t-shirt? Is there any doubt which I'll choose?

Meanwhile, and far more importantly, Dave Pierce and Jesse Williams will be in the brewhouse planning the festivities for a television gig that materialized without warning earlier today.

This Monday, November 16, Bank Street Brewhouse will be the scene for "Fox in the Morning's" remote of Manufacturing Mondays, a new segment by Keith Kaiser. He'll be helping brew a batch of Community Dark. We'll be airing live at intervals between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. -- that's right, IN THE MORNING. Some readers will remember a similar feat for Gravity Head 2008 at the Public House, when Terry Meiners joined us.

Since I just finished writing about breakfast and beer for LEO, a scheme is being concocted for Jesse to invade Chef Josh's kitchen and prepare an exclusive beer breakfast in honor of the morning telecast. Details will follow as the "new" house chef releases his menu notes.

Here's the skinny: We need you to come be a part of another early morning spectacle. NABC will provide coffee, food, and beer once the clock strikes 7 a.m. Okay -- it's a work day. So what?

Stay tuned!

Saturnalia approaches, and here's an advance look.

(Updated on November 19)

It’s almost time for Saturnalia, my favorite annual draft beer festival of the year at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House (formerly Sportstime & Rich O’s). Saturnalia will kick off earlier this year: Friday, December 4.

The reason why I prefer Saturnalia has less to do with the most wonderful time of the year than the freedom afforded by the concept to assemble a special draft list unbound to a specific stylistic type, i.e., hoppy as with Lupulin Land and alcoholic like Gravity Head.

For Saturnalia, we try to find representative samples of winter and seasonal styles (themselves pleasingly varied stylistically) and augment them with others that strike us as somehow festive in purely subjective ways.

Not only is it fun, but it’s also educational, providing me with frequent polemical opportunities to pontificate about unleashing our inner pagans. Here is my yearly stump speech:

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.

NABC pays tribute to these ancient pagan origins with Saturnalia, our holiday draft celebration. We’ve gathered dozens of special kegs of beer – some rare, some seasonal and others just festive – from the USA and around the world. Some of these beers will be appearing in draft form at Rich O’s and Sportstime Pizza for the first time in metropolitan Louisville.

When the doors open at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, the first wave of sacrificial MMIX 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 is depleted, and the revelry is expected to continue well into January, 2010.

Here are the kegs currently in house or pre-ordered. There’ll be a few others by the time it’s done, and I’ll use this page until around Thanksgiving to update the listings, and then print the program. I’ll also provide more detailed information about a few of the selections as the research process continues, so stay tuned.

American Craft

Atwater Voodoo Vator Bock
Bell’s Christmas
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Rye Stout
Boulder Looking Glass Never Summer
Breckenridge 471 Mighty Brown
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Clipper City Winter Storm
Dogfish Head Punkin
Founders Breakfast Stout 08
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Left Hand Fade to Black (rotating style; Export Stout in 09)
Left Hand St. Vrain Tripel
NABC Naughty Claus
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Solidarity
New Belgium 2° Below
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Pyramid Snow Cap
Rogue Yellow Snow
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Shmaltz He’Brew Origin Pomegranate
Shmaltz He’Brew Rejewvenator
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Porter
Two Brothers Heavier Handed

Imports

1809 Berliner Weisse
Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes (BFM) Biere Ambree au Tarry Suchong (firkin)
Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes (BFM) La Mandragore
Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes (BFM) La Meule (firkin)
Birra del Borgo My Antonia
De Dolle Stille Nacht
Delirium Noel 08
Delirium Noel 09
Dubuisson Scaldis Noel
Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux
Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut
Kasteel Rouge
N’Ice Chouffe
Nogne O Winter Ale
Pietra Corsican Chestnut Ale
Ridgeway Pickled Santa
Ridgeway Reindeer Droppings
Schlenkerla Oak Smoke
Slaapmutske Kermutske
Weihenstephaner Korbinian
Weissenohe Monk's Christmas

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Beer for breakfast."

Regard today's piece as the first of many discussions to come. Credit goes to Beth H. for introducing the notion. Now we just need to do it: A breakfast food and beer pairing ... at breakfast.

Mug Shots: Beer for breakfast

You don’t need to climb to the top of the nearest mountain for a consultation with the resident guru to know that you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.

I’m not referring to hair of the dog (lowercase), although Hair of the Dog (uppercase) remains a respected small-batch, high-gravity Oregon brewer of beer that just might succeed in curing a hangover when judiciously consumed during the morning hours after a long evening’s debauchery.

Help Wanted: Experienced line cook need at NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse.

Blog readers may know of someone looking for work, and if so, please direct his or her attention accordingly.

Chef Josh Lehman is looking for an experienced line cook at the New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse in downtown New Albany. You may apply on line at NABC's web site.

Thanks, and pardon the interruption.

New releases from NABC's Grant Line brewery: Bretted Phoenix, Single Hop series, and Imperial Belgian IPA.

Jared Williamson provides this wonderful update of new NABC draft releases from his realm within the garage brewery at the Pizzeria & Public House.

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“Bretted” Phoenix Kentucky Komon

The first beer, which is not a "new" release, was actually tapped on
Saturday (November 7) by Mike Bauman at the Public House and is now pouring on the hand pull. It is a firkin of Phoenix Kentucky Komon that has been aging for over 6 months with Brettanomyces lambicus. This is a wild yeast strain mostly used in Lambics and certain other Belgian styles. Given a proper period of aging, the result is a very complex sourness added to the base of Phoenix. There are two more firkins of this “Bretted” Phoenix, and at some point Bank Street Brewhouse also will have it on tap.

Opening tandem from the “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series

The first two beers in the “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series will go on tap at the Pizzeria & Public House on Wednesday, November 11. A firkin of each will go on the Bank Street Brewhouse handpulls for BSB's ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, November 18.

My idea with this series is simple: Brew two beers that use the same malt, have the same alcohol by volume and the same IBUs, but use a different hop for each. This will allow consumers to learn about individual hop flavor profiles and also allow us to audition new malts. NABC’s “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series will loosely be run as a tournament, with the first of the paired APAs to deplete deemed as the winner and permitted to advance to the next round. There will be four (4) first rounds of eight beers, two (2) semifinals of four beers, and then the final two beers. During each of the first rounds, we will try out different hops and malt. I will keep track of the tournament and post a bracket.

The first two beers: Cascade vs. Nugget, both brewed with Rahr's North American Harrington 2-Row Barley. The beers clock in around 6% ABV and 60 IBU. See below for specs.

Debut of The Livery/NABC collaboration brew: "Le Douche Mental" Imperial Belgian IPA

The long awaited release of The Livery/NABC collaboration brew, an Imperial Belgian IPA, is slated for Friday, November 13. This is the first ever collaboration project for both breweries, and The Livery’s brewmaster, Steve Berthel, is returning to town to help celebrate. Not only that, but he’s also bringing two beers from his Benton Harbor, Michigan, brewery to share with us: A dry-hopped Imperial Dopplebock, and a American IPA. These two 1/6 barrel kegs will be tapped as soon as Steve gets to town on the 13th, and they won't last very long.

What Steve and I collaboratively brewed is Imperial Belgian IPA, dubbed "Le Douche Mental", and clocking in at 8.5% ABV and 75 IBU. This will be served as a 10oz pour, and is a very limited release. Most of the batch is being aged with oak for 2010 release(s). It was brewed using two Belgian malts, one English malt, and three American hops, with fresh “wet” Fuggles used in the mash. It has a strong bitterness, and the alcohol is very noticeable in the big malt body. This is a very uniquely flavored beer owing to the Belgian Saison yeast used.

Check out The Livery's web site for more information on the great work Steve is doing in Michigan.

Jared

NEW RELEASES FROM GRANTLINE BREWERY: Updated 11/9/09

Single Malt, Single Hop APA Series
Cascade vs. Nugget
Malt: Rahr North American 2-Row Barley
Hops: Cascade and Nugget, respectively
ABV: 6%
IBU: 60
Yeast: Bankstreet House Ale

The Livery/NABC Le Douche Mental Imperial Belgian IPA
Malts: Castle Pale (Belgian), Castle Biscuit (Belgian), Simpsons Medium Crystal (English)
Hops: Wet Fuggles in mash; Nugget, Fuggle, and Cascade
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 75
Yeast: Belgian Saison

IUS non-credit "Here's to Beer" course to be offered in February and April, 2010.

Through the kind offices of Indiana University’s Southeast’s Division of Continuing Studies, there’ll be two offerings of my non-credit beer education class during the spring semester of 2010.

The first time we held the class in the spring of 2009, I was inspired to write about it: Beer class tonight.

The 2010 listings aren’t yet posted at the web site, but here are the dates and a description. I forget the exact price, although it seems to have been in the $60 range, which includes my time and tales, the venue and numerous beer samples.
It’s called “Here's to Beer.”

Description: Once upon a time, beer was just beer. No longer. Beginning with an overview of the brewing process and the history of beer, learn how to distinguish Pale Ale from Imperial Stout through words and samples.

1st session: February: 3, 10, 17, and 24 (all Wednesdays)
2nd session: April 7, 14, 21, and 28 (all Wednesdays)

Times: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Location: NABC Pizzeria & Public House, 3312 Plaza Drive (just off Grant Line Road), New Albany 47150.

The last class session each time will be moved to Bank Street Brewhouse in downtown New Albany if agreed to by the group.

To register, inquire at the web site when the time's right. Questions about content can be referred to me at the address in my profile.

New Bank Street Brewhouse table tent.

Courtesy of Tony Beard.

Is there someone or something we can sue for false advertising?

Cluelessness in plain sight? Thanks to Clay (via John) for this vision of conceptual futility, courtesy of the Buffalo Wild Wings branch by the Mall St. Matthews in Louisville, Kentucky.

"Anstich" of Hochzeitsbier Märzen von 1810 on tap at the Public House.

I'm heading to the Pizzeria & Pub to sample another "Anstich" keg: Hochzeitsbier Märzen von 1810, from the Brauerei Hofstetten in Austria, via the B. United importing house. It's described as a traditional Oktoberfest lager. Expect it to be on tap by mid-afternoon today, and drink accordingly. It's a thirty liter keg, which will (obviously) yield 60 halves.

Bank Street Brewhouse Grand Opening Week begins Tuesday, November 17.

Having "electored" to begin winter hours at the Bank Street Brewhouse, and feeling that after eight months of work, we're feeling great about what we've accomplished so far, it seemed a good time for a Grand Opening gala. Here's what I have so far. There'll probably be a few alterations, and I'll inform you of these.

Tuesday, November 17

It's Villiger 1888 Cigar Night on the patio. In conjunction with our friends at Kaiser’s Tobacco Store, where so much of Roger’s paycheck is deposited each week, we’ll host our first-ever cigar night with cigars, promos and giveaways. A representative of Villiger 1888 will be on hand. 1888 is a new hand-rolled premium cigar from the Dominican Republic by way of Switzerland’s 121-year-old Villiger tobacco firm. There will be a small fee (as yet undecided) for participation that will include ample cigar(s), beers and a chances to win door prizes. “Session Beer” pint specials at BSB all day long, and food specials to be announced.

Wednesday, November 18

Bank Street Brewhouse's Official Ribbon Cutting ceremony, and suitably propagandistic speeches, featuring representatives of city government, Develop New Albany, One Southern Indiana and the Pants Down Progressive local political insurgency. The show begins at 6:00 p.m. We’ve saved kegs from the batch of Elector that New Albany Mayor Doug England (with David Pierce, above) helped brew earlier this year, and the “mayor’s batch” will be pouring all day. Expect “Grant Line Garage Brewery” beer specials all day long, perhaps Jared's single hop series on the handpull, and food specials are to be announced.

Thursday, November 19

NABC encourages its friends and customers to attend the Conway Fire Equipment Museum Pledge Night, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Grand Convention Center, where NABC’s Community Dark will be on tap at the cash bar. Before, during and after the event, there’ll be food and beer (Beak’s Best, Bob’s Old 15-B) specials at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Friday, November 20

There is a possibility of musical entertainment in the evening. More on that later. Food and beer specials will last all day long (specifics to be announced).

Saturday, November 21

Singer, songwriter, poet and author Misha Feigin offers dinnertime musical entertainment inside the Bank Street Brewhouse from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with food and beer specials to be announced.

Sunday, November 22

Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar from Noon to 3:00 p.m.

I'm sometimes asked: Why the Bloody Mary?

Because it is a traditional match with beer and beer-based cuisine, and as such, the natural extension of Chef Josh’s kitchen … especially the way NABC does it. In the few short months since its inception, our Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar has been acclaimed as a downtown New Albany institution. Select the spices and ingredients that you'd like, watch as it is served over ice in a 20-ounce NABC pint glass rimmed with your choice of Celery Salt or Smoked Sea Salt, and then finish it off with a skewer of unique garnishes.

Thanks for your support, and we're looking forward to a fine, progressive winter season in New Albany.

Female Art Collective event at the Public House on Thursday, November 12.

Winter Hours begin at Bank Street Brewhouse today.

During the winter months, BSB will be opening at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Weekend hours and schedules remain the same as before. We're also working on winterizing the Taxpayer Memorial Patio, and next week there'll be a full list of festivities for the delayed Grand Opening, with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday. More on that tomorrow.

Here is the BSB winter plan of operation for 2009/10, effective today, and note that we're still closed on Mondays.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
BSB hours: 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

From 2:00 p.m., “Brotzeit” (cheese plate, charcuterie, snacks, frites, mussels, etc.) It’s a Bavarian term that denotes appetizers for the times when the kitchen isn’t preparing full meals.

Kitchen hours: 5:30 – 9:00 p.m., featuring some of Josh Lehman’s and Andrew Gunn’s traditional menu favorites as well as new “Chefs’ Choice” fixed price menus -- three courses for $16 (not including sales tax and service), only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Friday and Saturday
BSB hours: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

From 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., our customary lunch menu. From 2:00 p.m., afternoon “Brotzeit” snacks.

Kitchen hours: 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. for traditional menu favorites and nightly “Chefs’ Choice” specials.

Sunday
BSB Hours: 12:00 Noon – 8:00 p.m.

12:00 noon – 3:00 p.m., NABC’s Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar, featuring craft-distilled Hangar One Vodka and your choice of herbs, spices, garnishes and hot sauces in what might be termed “brunch in a glass.”

Kitchen hours: Noon – 7:00 p.m., with “Brotzeit” and “Chefs’ Choice” menu selections.

Going Local: Were we in downtown New Albany Saturday night, and did we really do all that?

(expanded version of previously published text)

Times may be changing in New Albany, but days like Saturday still strike me as somewhat surreal when viewed from the sobriety of a mellow morning after.

Perhaps some day this will change -- not the sobering up, which is a required feature of the professional drinker's life, but the surrealism of change in New Albany.

We began with late afternoon, craft-roasted coffee at Dueling Grounds, browsing the Destinations Booksellers racks as we sipped (I need a fresh copy of Garrett Oliver's book in the worst way), and then adjourning to the Bank Street Brewhouse for frites and a beer for each of us. Mine was Elector, because I felt a curious premonition.

Next stop was Wick’s on State for dinner with our friends, the Gillenwaters. Upon entering, I heard a familiar voice: Hugh E. Bir, covering Conway Twitty’s “Tight Fitting Jeans” from a stool in the crowded barroom. Not only is Hugh a performer, but he also owns the Louisville area's last authentic honky tonk, just up the street on Market. We really need to have Abzug pouring in there.

Mike "The Big Wick" Wyckliffe didn’t even wait for me to ask, and within minutes, I was ushered behind the bar, changing the tap handles as Elector supplanted Amber Bock on tap. They're long draw draft lines, and it took a few tastes to get the A-B liquid washed away.

This brief effort led to progressive pints to accompany our pizza and salad, and sated, the four of us proceeded to the Horseshoe Casino for the local leg of The Who singer Roger Daltrey’s “Use It or Lose It” tour in the Showroom. To my considerable surprise, the Horseshoe’s main barroom had BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout on tap, and it proved a worthy libation for sipping as I caught up with Mo, arguably the area’s biggest fan of The Who, after a chance meeting with him along the concourse.

This isn’t intended as a concert review. At the same time, Daltrey was spry and in as good a voice as one might imagine at the age of 65. The set list was predictably filled with Who songs, but to Daltrey’s credit, some of these are seldom played live by anyone, including the group itself ("Tattoo" and "Pictures of Lily" spring to mind). A wildly energetic version of “Going Mobile” was sung by Daltrey’s band mate, Simon Townshend (yes, the younger brother of Peter), and will stand as my top concert moment of the year so far.

When it was over, we returned home to reset clocks and contemplate the evening’s central theme: Most of the action took place within New Albany, and all of it within 10 miles of home, without crossing the river to Louisville.

Let’s all pat ourselves on the back … and return to work, because the trick now is to keep the momentum going.