Ian and his Exchange pub + kitchen, on Kickstarter.

From Ian Hall, owner of Exchange pub + kitchen, comes this message:

"Here is a link to our kickstarter page to generate some additional funding for our downtown project. Click to see how you can be a part."

All the way back in 2005, the decrepit Shrader Stables building was the subject of hope. With Feast BBQ already occupying the smaller, attached tavern building to the east, the dream is fast coming to fruition, and I'm very happy for everyone involved.

Fringe Fest 2012: The music.

There'll be another stellar musical lineup for your listening pleasure when the 5th edition of NABC's Fringe Fest convenes at Bank Street Brewhouse during that other festival's "booth days."

There's no cover, but we'll be checking IDs at the gate and issuing bracelets for those wishing to imbibe.

Thursday, October 11
6:00 p.m. Artificially Flavored
7:30 Ben Traughber
9:00 Broke Bandit
10:30 Squeezebot

Friday, October 12
7:30 p.m. Five Foot Fish
9:00 Jed and the Noisemakers (Acoustic)
10:30 Temple of the Golden Dawn

Saturday, October 13
6:00 p.m. Thunder Wrane
7:30 She Might Bite
9:00 Beeler Attic
10:30 Toledo Bend

Fringe Fest 2012: A sneak peek at Chef Matt's special food menu.

R.I.P., Matt Gould.

It's a very sad day for the Louisville craft brewing scene. Matt "Brew Boy" Gould has passed away after battling cancer for many months. He was a Cubs fan, a fellow curmudgeon, and a thoughtful, gentle soul.

Matt was part of beer around here for as long as I can remember, first at the Silo, then Bluegrass Brewing Company (St. Matthews), and perhaps most notably as founding brewer at Cumberland Brews. Later he returned to BBC at the beer corner of Clay & Main.

As Joel Halbleib has noted, Matt was a Louisville brewing legend. Lots of folks will be out and about tonight, all around the city, taking part in Louisville Craft Beer Week events on the fest's final weekend. It's a safe bet that not all of them ever knew of Matt, or understand how important he was in furthering the craft beer revolution hereabouts.

So, let it be known. Please hoist a pint to Matt's memory tonight.

From "The Parting Glass" (Scots/Irish traditional song)

Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm I've ever done,
Alas! it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all

Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
That I should go and you should not,
Good night and joy be with you all.

We're giving away 100% of beer sales from the Live@5 finale this Friday.

As previewed earlier in the week, Live@5's last show of the season starts on Friday at 5:00 p.m. with the band Wax Factory. The venue is the 400 block of Bank Street, and there'll be NABC craft beer for purchase until 8:00 p.m.

NABC appreciates being included in Live@5. Since inception this year, we've said that a percentage of our summer's profits from beer sales at the event would be given to a worthy local cause. Consequently, I'm pleased to announce that 100% of sales this Friday night will go to the general fund of the soup kitchen at St. Mark's United Church of Christ, Bank Street Brewhouse's neighbor across Spring Street.

If sales on Friday night do not reach the pre-assigned season's percentage, or if bad weather comes through -- whatever -- then we'll just top off the total. But it would be the most fun of all if a big crowd comes down, enjoys Wax Factory, and contributes to the cause. You needn't overindulge. Just have a cup or two.

Fringe Fest 2012: A sneak peek at Chef Matt's special food menu.

Fringe Fest Volume Five planning proceeds, and in the coming days, I’ll be revealing as much as we know about this year’s program of beer, food and music.

As before, Fringe Fest takes place at Bank Street Brewhouse and runs concurrently with that other downtown celebration, from October 11 (Thursday) through the 13th (Saturday).

Normal kitchen service is suspended during Fringe Fest each year. On Sunday, October 14, there’ll be a return to the usual schedule, with Sunday Brunch and the do-it-yourself Bloody Mary Bar. During Fringe Fest’s 2012 run, a special menu will be served by Chef Matt Weirich, Sous Chef Bernie Collier and their stellar crew.

Here’s a sneak preview of the Fringe Fest menu, courtesy of Chef Matt:

Duck Fat Frites

Chili (made with beef, chorizo and pork)

Hummus w/Pita 

Pork BBQ

Chicken or Veggie Kebab (with rosemary marinade)

3D Valley Farms Angus Burgers

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Sticks

NABC Beer Dinner at The Garage Bar on Wednesday night, September 26.

To help celebrate Louisville Craft Beer Week, the Garage Bar (700 E. Market Street in Louisville) is hosting a New Albanian Brewing Company Beer Dinner on Wednesday night, September 26, beginning at 6:00 p.m. I recommend calling them for further information. Richard Atnip and I will be in attendance. I can always tell when I'm needed to guide the discussion by the desperate tone of Richard's voice.

Enjoy a selection of New Albanian Brewing Company beers alongside your Garage Bar favorites. Pairing suggestions for every course will guide your taste buds through a fun filled beer inspired dinner.

For those wanting the full experience, a three course prix-fixe menu will be available:

Local mixed green lettuces with black walnuts, blue cheese and Granny Smith apples
served with NABC Black & Bluegrass Saison
~
Sausage Pie with milled tomato, calbrian chiles, rapini and fior di latte
served with NABC Willett Rye Barrel-Aged Yakima
~
Beer Float with NABC Bourbon Daddy and chocolate malted house custard created using Bourbon Daddy malts

Daddy, what does that nice star mean?

Thanks to Dave, Josh and Jeremy, there'll be a red star in the middle of the floor at the WCTU Reading Room. As we've said for many years, "Heineken stole the red star from the Bolsheviks ... now, we're stealing it back."

We continue creeping forward.

NABC will be pouring this weekend at the Horseshoe Casino, Live @ Five and Rock the Rocks.

It started in early May, and by most calculations, the event season should be winding down, but it doesn't feel like it.

On Friday night (September 28), there's an opportunity to pair local beer and local music at the Horseshoe Casino. It's a fine and progressive idea, and I'll be on hand Friday night to take in the scene. The four NABC beers on tap will be: Black & Blue Grass, Community Dark, Hoosier Daddy and Tafel Bier.

Also on Friday night:

Live@5's last show of the season starts on Friday at 5:00 p.m. with the band Wax Factory. The venue is the 400 block of Bank Street. NABC's Rosa L. Stumblebus will be on hand to dispense soul-enriching craft beer.

And then on Saturday, the 29th, the scene shifts to Clarksville:

Saturday, September 29, 2012, 6:00 to 10:00 pm

• Live music by Appalatin
• Mayan fare from Terri Lyn's Catering by Design
• Bourbon and tequila tastings by Jim Beam Brands
• Craft beer tastings by New Albanian Brewing Company
• Wine sampling by Horeshoe Bend Winery

Tickets are $75 each in advance, $100 day of event, $600 for a reserved table of 8
Proceeds to benefit the Crossroads Campaign for New Exhibits

Order Tickets Online Now

Free Parking Shuttle from Clarksville Aquatic Center to the Falls

Thanks to our sponsors - American Water Company, Duke Energy, The Estopinal Group, Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, L&D Mail Masters, Louisville/So. IN Chapter of IUAA, MAC Construction, Raymond James: Morgan Keegan, Solid Light, Inc., Town of Clarksville, and Your Community Bank.

The park's website provides further details.

Now you know: Good Hoosier beer is being brewed locally in places you might not expect.

The words I heard most often on Saturday that meant the most to me went something like this:

“I’ve never heard of any of these breweries.”

Yes, and that was the whole point.

Now you know that good beer is being brewed locally in Needmore (Salt Creek), Aurora (Great Crescent), Columbus (Power House) and Nashville (Big Woods), and also that good local beer is being brewed in Bloomington at an establishment (Cutters) differing from our longtime friends at Upland and Bloomington Brewing Company.

And cider and mead from New Day, and still more cider courtesy of Starlight.

In fact, to me the whole exercise on Saturday was about making friends and providing information, and as such, the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase was a huge success. We also sold quite a lot of 10-oz portions, and so by a financial point of view, it panned out for NABC, too.

It wasn’t until the cold plates were pouring and the line of beer enthusiasts was beginning to form that it occurred to me: We had no hop bombs.

Granted, Hoptimus and Elector were available at the Bank Street Brewhouse dining room bar as always, but outside in the Reading Room for the craft showcase we’d managed ten different beers (5 house, 5 guests) composed of ten different styles (from Wit to Bourbon Barrel Stout) with nary an IPA among them.

And only a handful of visitors commented. Most were perfectly eager to try something new, and they came back for multiple portions. Depletions seemed to be about equal among the kegs, so there were no clear “winners,” and it wouldn’t matter if there were.

Thanks again to those who ventured out. It was a festive day, and times like that renew my confidence in what the craft beer movement’s all about.

Beer list for the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase on Saturday, September 22.

In addition to the following, which will be pouring "outside" the Bank Street Brewhouse dining room, another dozen NABC beers will be on tap inside, along with the usual wines and liquors.

Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase on Saturday, September 22.

GUEST BEERS

Big Woods Busted Knuckle Ale
Nashville IN
7.5% ABV
27 IBU

Cutters Monon Wheat Ale
Bloomington IN
5.4% ABV

Great Crescent Coconut Porter
Aurora IN
5.6% ABV
32 IBU

Power House Diesel Oil Stout
Columbus IN
6.6% ABV
33 IBU

Salt Creek Colonel Klink Altbier
Needmore (Bedford) IN
4.7% ABV

BONUS NABC TAPS

Black & Blue Grass
Belgian Spiced Ale
6.5% ABV
18 IBU

Bourbon Daddy
10th Anniversary Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
9.5% ABV
18 IBU

Hoosier Daddy
Crimson & Cream Ale
7% ABV
50 IBU

Strassen Bräu
Marzen/Oktoberfest
% ABV

Tunnel Vision
Royal Wallonian Ale
9.5% ABV
20 IBU

CIDERS

Aeppeltreow Barn Swallow Cider
Burlington WI
5.8% ABV

Aeppeltreow Kinglet Bitter Cider
Burlington WI
6% ABV

New Day Johnny Chapman Cider
Elwood/Indianapolis IN
7% ABV

MEAD

New Day Washington’s Folly Mead
Elwood/Indianapolis IN
8% ABV

We weren’t able to make the wine component of the day work quite the way I intended, and so apologies to Grateful Goat, River City and Turtle Run.

However, we will have wine.

Huber Cabernet Sauvignon
Starlight IN

Oliver Pinot Grigio
Bloomington IN

In 2012, thanks again to LEO Readers' Choice voters for thinking of NABC.

I don't personally encourage anyone to vote in various reader polls, and NABC refrains from asking its customers and fans to cast dozens of ballots for the sake of the cause. Some times we are mentioned, some times not … and some times, as an underdog from underrated New Albany, it just feels fine to be vindicated as a business by readers of a Louisville-oriented publication.

That’s why again this year I’m thanking the academy and happily contradicting my usual shtick by posting the following results in the LEO annual Readers’ Choice poll. Allow me to offer kudos to all of our employees, and also to the many folks who took the time to pick NABC. Thank you.

Best Restaurant (Southern Indiana)
1) New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse
2) Sam's Food and Spirits
3) Buckhead Mountain Grill
Second year running, and we're very appreciative.

Best Beer List
1) Sergio’s World of Beers
2) Tony BoomBozz
3) New Albanian Brewing Company (Pizzeria & Public House)

Best Bloody Mary
1) Outlook Inn
2) New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse
3) Against the Grain
Listed under the Nightlife heading, although the Bloody Mary bar runs only on Sunday morning. I suppose it's always nighttime somewhere.

Best Local Beer (replacing last year's "Best Local Brewery")
1) Bluegrass Brewing Co.
2) Cumberland Brews
3) New Albanian Brewing Co.

A busy fest day in downtown New Albany on Saturday, September 22. Here's the overview with links.

On Saturday, September 22, there will be quite a lot happening on, or near, the 400 block of Bank Street in downtown New Albany. It's part Louisville Craft Beer Week event, and part civic. With bourbon, too.

Indie craft consciousness in downtown New Albany on Saturday, September 22.

Let's tackle these events in approximate chronological order.

Updated plan for the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase on Saturday, September 22.

New Albany First's 1st Annual Indie Fest is Saturday, September 22.

Menu and details for the Willett Bourbon Dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse on Saturday, September 22.

Indie craft consciousness in downtown New Albany on Saturday, September 22.

(Previously published at NA Confidential)

NABC’s contribution to the festivities of Louisville Craft Beer Week surely will strike some observers as atypical.

That’s because “typical” in craft beer is in desperate need of redefinition, and tilting at windmills like these is what gets me out of bed in the morning.

On Saturday, September 22, we’ll be breaking in Bank Street Brewhouse’s recently approved, (yet far from completed) former patio, called the WCTU Reading Room, and our new “biergarten,” known as Lloyd’s Landing. We’ll be pouring local and regional beers, ciders, meads and even some wines. We’ll be acting as the de facto adult beverage annex to the first-ever New Albany Indie Fest, and just for the fun of it, hosting a Kentucky bourbon tasting and dinner.

I’m calling it the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase, but I might have simplified matters by omitting the word “beer.” It’s the main component, but not the only one. My ideological motivation is two-fold.

To make a point about what I view as overlapping circles of interest, from local to metro, from regional to national, and all the way to international.

To allow the people closest to me to experience tastes of what can be done by local producers and purveyors, not just of beer, but also of other libations that fuel my personal world.

I’ve always counseled event organizers to begin by tailoring their planned gatherings to those potential attendees closest in proximity, and only then widening the scope to entice those from a distance.

A good example is the renowned institution of the Beer Dinner. It has been my experience that the marvels of the “visiting” beer team alone generally will not sell the required number of seats. Rather, the regulars who already enjoy a chef’s menu and regimen invariably compose the biggest bloc of diners, and if they have a particular interest in the brewery or beers being paired, it serves to enhance a spark previously lit.

In like fashion, I want our Showcase event to be about this extended community, and to help explain the aspects of “buying local” that I personally believe are the most important: Shifting one’s personal discretionary spending from multinational to local, and while doing so, visualizing the way these circles touch.

Aeppeltroew ciders are made in Wisconsin, not Indiana. However, Starlight Distributors (owned by old friends) is located just up the Knobs from here. Indiana cideries and meaderies, like New Day, use local apples and honey whenever practicable. Regional winemakers buy grapes and juice from other places, but increasingly source their grapes from local and regional vineyards. Admittedly, barley isn’t grown hereabouts, although it could be. Someday, it might, especially after we conquer the next five percent.

And I want you to know that when you’re in Aurora, Bedford, Bloomington, Columbus or Nashville, there are breweries waiting to serve you (if you’re 21, of course) … that cider can be dry, and craft meads can be as variously costumed as craft beers … and that today’s Indiana wineries don’t restrict themselves to the sadly apocryphal sweet Manischewitz clones.

On Saturday, in addition to what I’m describing here, there’ll be booths, food, children’s activities and music out on Bank Street, courtesy of New Albany First and its Indie Fest.

There’ll also be all of downtown New Albany for roaming, and I wish you would roam it, because even though downtown always will be a work on progress and much remains to be done, more work’s already been done during the past five years than the quarter-century before – and this work has been undertaken almost exclusively by independent, small, local businesses.

These businesses are the real showcase on September 22. I’m choosing beer, cider, mead and wine to make my point about me, my business, and all the other indies. You can choose another platform, but the most important thing is the simplest: Make a choice.

---

Now, back to Louisville Craft Beer Week. The third edition begins this Friday, September 21, and runs through the 29th. At last count, more than 61 events had been registered, and there’ll be a special pull-out section detailing them to be found in Wednesday’s edition of LEO Weekly.

Online, my friends at LouisvilleBeer.com is your conduit for LCBW events. Here’s the description of LCBW, 2012.

Louisville Craft Beer Week is a distinctively local celebration that seeks to educate and to raise awareness of the American Craft Beer Revolution at the local level, to showcase the incredible variety, dynamism, and expanding market presence of Craft Beer in Louisville, and to promote independent local establishments.

Louisville Craft Beer Week is a collaborative local mission. American Craft Brewing has re-established old traditions and created entirely new ones, and is closely tied to emerging ‘buy local’ principles. Local Craft Brewers are partners in the economic sense, perpetuating success by making the pie larger, and keeping money in our community.

Louisville Craft Beer Week is economic development. Craft Beer’s demographic is increasingly dynamic, but traditional patterns remain unchanged: youthful, college educated, well-traveled and affluent. The Internet is filled with urban revitalization success stories with a brewery as part of the scene, beginning with Governor John Hickenlooper’s Wynkoop Brewery in Lo-Do (Denver) in the 1980’s.

Louisville Craft Beer Week is all of us – brewers, wholesalers, package retailers, pubs, bars, and restaurants – but most importantly, Louisville Craft Beer Week is you – craft beer lovers living, working and playing right here in our city. Your patronage and enthusiasm makes it happen for all of us, and we thank you.

When you’re out and about during Louisville Craft Beer Week, always drink responsibly and whatever you do, don’t drive drunk.

Now at LouisvilleBeer.com: "Jackson, Louisville, and the Color Red."

Louisville Craft Beer Week is coming, and among the many things about LCBW that you should know is this: "Text LCBW to 72727 to receive texts throughout Craft Beer Week reminding you of daily events, specials, and giveaways."

Meanwhile, I'm thinking about what brought us here.

Jackson, Louisville, and the Color Red

Posted by Roger Baylor in Baylor on Beer | 0 comments

It’s an old story, but one I delight in retelling, and Louisville Craft Beer Week strikes me as the perfect time to do so.

Michael Jackson unexpectedly visited the former Rich O’s Public House in November, 1994, a tad more than two years after we opened. If I hadn’t been drinking for much of the same day, tagging along as the Beer Hunter made pre-arranged appearances at Bluegrass Brewing Company and the now defunct Silo, I’d have been far too nervous to properly function as host.

I’ll be forever grateful that Jackson consented to accompany our ragged band of awed and inebriated fledgling beer enthusiasts on yet another beer hunt, this one at 9:00 p.m., from downtown Louisville across the Ohio River to an embarrassingly unfinished strip mall space that at the time could offer only three beers on tap.

Moreover, knowing that most of the regulars would be following Jackson through Louisville, we’d closed the pub for the day. Minutes ahead of the approaching motorcade, there was barely enough time to dash inside, flick light switches, sweep up and make the barroom somewhat presentable. Following hours of one-ounce samples, Jackson proceeded to order and consume a full 20-oz Imperial pint of Sierra Nevada Porter, and upon departure an hour and a half later, made this wry observation:

“I’ve been to many pubs in America, and I’ve never seen one quite like this.”

An Elector always makes democracy pointless, and Tony shows you why.

As always, NABC's artwork comes to you courtesy of the inimitable Tony Beard, who continues to conjure designs as a basis for a pre-election Elector marketing run.

NABC on the Road: Victorian Vineyard (Jeffersonville IN; 10/5/12).

It's a samples-only event, which I worked solo in 2011 and probably will do again this year. In 2012, the fundraiser moves down the street to the ACL's terrace.

The Howard Steamboat Museum is proud to present, “A VICTORIAN VINEYARD”, the 20th year celebration of the annual wine tasting, cocktail buffet and auction. This event is a major fundraiser to benefit the daily operating expenses of the museum, which receives no regular funding from any government agencies.

The festive event will be held on Friday, October 5th from 6:30 until 9:30 at the American Commercial Lines building, overlooking the Ohio River, at 1701 East Market Street in Jeffersonville. Musical entertainment (weather permitting) will be out on the terrace with John Gage.

Reservations are available by calling the museum at 812.283.3728. Cost is $40 per person or $300 for a table for eight, cash, check, Visa/MasterCard/Discover

Further information is available by visiting the museum website at www.steamboatmuseum.org.

NABC on the Road: Rock the Rocks (Clarksville IN; 09/29/12).

Saturday, September 29, 2012, 6:00 to 10:00 pm

• Live music by Appalatin
• Mayan fare from Terri Lyn's Catering by Design
• Bourbon and tequila tastings by Jim Beam Brands
• Craft beer tastings by New Albanian Brewing Company
• Wine sampling by Horeshoe Bend Winery

Tickets are $75 each in advance, $100 day of event, $600 for a reserved table of 8
Proceeds to benefit the Crossroads Campaign for New Exhibits

Order Tickets Online Now

Free Parking Shuttle from Clarksville Aquatic Center to the Falls

Thanks to our sponsors - American Water Company, Duke Energy, The Estopinal Group, Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, L&D Mail Masters, Louisville/So. IN Chapter of IUAA, MAC Construction, Raymond James: Morgan Keegan, Solid Light, Inc., Town of Clarksville, and Your Community Bank.

Website

Tafelbier wears the colors for Lanesville Heritage Weekend.

The fest opens at noon on Friday, and I'll be around during the afternoon for a few Tafelbiers at the Jaycees beer garden.

NABC on the Road: Lanesville Heritage Weekend (Lanesville IN; 09/14-16/12).

Menu and details for the Willett Bourbon Dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse on Saturday, September 22.

On Saturday, September 22, amid the other community activities taking place on or near the 400 block of Bank Street in New Albany (including the 1st Annual New Albany Indie Fest and the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase, with cider, mead and wine), we're also directing the spotlight toward regionally distilled spirits in the form of a Willett tasting and dinner.

Willett Bourbon Tasting
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 22
Place: WCTU Reading Room at Bank Street Brewhouse
Brendan Zubrowski of Crossroad Vintners will be offering samples from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (Willett) line of bourbon and rye.

Willett Bourbon Dinner
Time: 6:30 p.m. to conclusion
Place: Main Dining Room, Bank Street Brewhouse (same day)
Che Matt's five course dinner, paired with Willett bourbons and rye. Limited number of seats, by reservation only. Price per diner is $50 (tax included, gratuity not included). Regular dinner service will continue as table space allows. Call 812-725-9585 or e-mail mark(at)newalbanian(dot)com for reservations.

Amuse Bouche
Gougere
Capriole Farms Kentucky Tomme
*Willett Single Barrel Rye

Course 2
Pan Seared Diver Scallop, Kentucky Paddlefish Caviar, White Chocolate Veloute
*Willett Pot Still

Course 3
Bacon Jam Stuffed Quail, Bacon Pomme Pave, Haricot Vert
*Noah’s Mill

Course 4
Sous Vide Wagyu Tri-Tip, Brussel Sprouts, Black Peppercorn Demi-Glace
*Willett 17 Year

Dessert
Bourbon Chocolate Mousse
*Sweet Lucy Cream Liqueur

Chef Matt Weirich, Sous Chef Bernie Collier and staff

Updated plan for the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase on Saturday, September 22.

The Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase is what we're calling NABC's Louisville Craft Beer Event on Saturday, September 22. The fundamental idea is to feature Southern Indiana craft beers, as well as craft ciders, meads and wines. In a few instances, we've looked past Southern Indiana in sourcing, but all the beer, ciders, meads and wine on hand will be from independent, artisanal producers.

The showcase will take place at Lloyd’s Landing, Bank Street Brewhouse’s new beer garden at 415 Bank Street, which currently is under conception and construction, but usable. Participating breweries, cideries, meaderies and wineries are selecting one or two examples of their craft, which will be available on a "cash bar" basis as full-size pours. There is no admission fee. The day is intended to be educational and informal, and in addition to the showcase, there'll be the 1st Annual New Albany Indie Fest. The Indie Fest will feature local artists, food and exhibitors, and the music stage will be positioned opposite Lloyd's Landing, providing day-long serenades.

Distilled spirits will also be on hand: Menu and details for the Willett Bourbon Tasting and Bourbon Dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse on Saturday, September 22. Bank Street Brewhouse will be open for dining on the 22nd, subject to available seats.

Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase ... with Special Guests: Cider, Mead and Wine

A Louisville Craft Beer Week event, held concurrently with the New Albany Indiefest

Saturday, September 22
11:00 a.m. – ???
415 Bank Street (grounds of Bank Street Brewhouse)
Parking: There are surface lots aplenty within a short walking distance, and the city's parking garage at the corner of State and Market does not charge on weekends

BREWERIES
Big Woods Brewing Company (Nashville)
Cutters Brewing Company (Bloomington)
Great Crescent Brewery (Aurora)
New Albanian Brewing Company (New Albany)
Power House Brewing Company (Columbus IN)
Sand Creek Brewery (Bedford IN)

CIDERIES/MEADERIES
New Day Meadery (Indianapolis IN)

WHOLESALERS
Starlight Distributing (featuring Wisconsin-made ciders)

WINERIES
Grateful Goat Vineyard & Winery (Palmyra)
River City Winery (New Albany)
Turtle Run Winery (Corydon)
There also may be wines from Huber, Oliver or others

New Albany First's 1st Annual Indie Fest is Saturday, September 22.

The 1st Annual New Albany Indie Fest will take place on Saturday, September 22, from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the 400 block of Bank Street, which will be closed to traffic from Spring to Elm all day long.

There'll be exhibits, food, music and children’s activities. The event is open to all ages, with the Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase, held at the adjacent Bank Street Brewhouse, operating as the de facto "beer garden" for Indie Fest.

Indie Fest will be open to all ages. The music stage will be located on Bank Street, opposite Lloyd’s Landing. The event is sponsored by New Albany First, the city's only Independent Business Alliance, existing solely to support and promote independent business owners and to educate community members about the importance of buying locally in New Albany and Floyd County.

Also, be aware of Willett Bourbon Tasting and Bourbon Dinner at Bank Street Brewhouse, on the same date. There'll probably be a Billow cigar smoking opportunity, too, and I'll update this post when it is finalized.

Cheers and jeers at NABC's Weekend Compendium.

Tonight, I'll be across the street pouring samples for the Carnegie Center's annual fundraiser.

A Taste for Art & History coming on Friday, September 7.

Tomorrow (Saturday, September 8) is Music at the Mount, which takes place in support of the Mary Anderson Center at Mt. St. Francis. The Mount is located off US Route 150, a ten-minute drive from New Albany. The Rashers will be performing Irish music from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and in addition to wine and refreshments, there'll be a keg of NABC's Tafel Bier on hand.

Also on Saturday, the Celtic Carpetbaggers will be doing the shuck and jive on the riverfront in Jeffersonville. Has Birdseye put in a bid for next year's show? Read exactly why this annoys me so much:

REWIND: Drochubh, drochéan ... and the Kentuckiana Celtic Foundation.

Sunday brings a first-time fundraiser for CASA, also in Jeffersonville at Kye's.

Read about the BBQ fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate Association), coming this Sunday.

The futile experience of trying to convince charcoal moguls that craft beer belongs with barbecue prompted this column:

ON THE AVENUES: Craft beer, BBQ and you.

Ironically, there WILL be craft beer with barbecue at yet another fundraiser on Saturday night, September 8: Green Hill Therapy Hoe Down on the Hill. For complete details, go here, and join me in praising those, from Carnegie to the Mount and Green Hill, who actually get it.

ATC gives BSB a thumbs up, and work continues.

On Tuesday, Bank Street Brewhouse was given the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission's approval for floor plan changes, and now the WCTU Reading Room and Lloyd's Landing are legal habitats, respectively, for pouring and drinking Progressive Pints. Quite a bit remains to be done, but this first cleared hurdle is a relief.

As explained previously, the translucent panels above the WCTU Reading Room simply had to be replaced -- and work began Wednesday on a new, insulated, fully water-tight roof. From inception, the former patio's roof leaked, and while this mattered little when it still served as open-air romper room, converting it into a multi-purpose, all-weather area could not be achieved without a better roof.

Many thanks to Steve Resch and his merry band of workmen. There are none better in this city, and we appreciate them.

My column's up at LouisvilleBeer,com: "Unsuited for Suits."

Craft beer can be tough sometimes, but at least it isn't necessary to don a daily formal costume.

Unsuited for Suits

Posted by Roger Baylor in Baylor on Beer | 0 comments

Cargo shorts – check.

Underwear? Just the cleanest pair, I suppose.

Beer-related tees … well, with only 150 to choose from, the top of the stack will do.

Sandals this time? Nah, just sneakers.

Throw in my wallet, iPhone and a Sharpie, and it’s off to the daily grind.