The Six Session Beers of Session Beer Day, 2016 (Ch. 5): Goodwood Louisville Lager.

5th of 6 previews.

Previously:

The Six Session Beers of Session Beer Day, 2016 (Ch. 1): Falls City Kentucky Common.
The Six Session Beers of Session Beer Day, 2016 (Ch. 2): Gordon Biersch Golden Export.
The Six Session Beers of Session Beer Day, 2016 (Ch. 3): Bluegrass Brewing Company Altbier.
The Six Session Beers of Session Beer Day, 2016 (Ch. 4): Against the Grain Neckhole or Sho'Nuff.

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Thursday, April 7 is Session Beer Day 2016 ... and since it's one of my favorite holidays of the year, I'll be celebrating it.

Join me on a Session Beer Day Brewery Crawl on Thursday, April 7.

On April 7, I'll start before lunch (circa 11:00 a.m.) and traverse downtown Louisville on foot, walking from brewery to brewery and having a session beer at each. Most usually have at least one 4.5% choice on draft. The brewery list, traveling roughly west to east, would be: Falls City (Over the 9), Gordon Biersch, BBC 3rd Street, Against the Grain, Goodwood and Akasha.

For all intents and purposes, session beer consciousness as we know it today originates with Lew Bryson's Session Beer Project.

For our purposes, 'session beer' is defined as a beer that is:

• 4.5% alcohol by volume or less
• flavorful enough to be interesting
• balanced enough for multiple pints
• conducive to conversation
• reasonably priced

Goodwood Brewing Company is located on the Beer Corner of Main & Clay, as mentioned recently here: THE POTABLE CURMUDGEON: Two decades of Beer Corner barrels.

Goodwood’s identity dates to 2015 and a rebranding of the entity once noted for brewing Bluegrass Brewing Company’s beers under license for packaging and distribution. The brewery’s new name is fully intentional, meant to inform beer lovers of the roles played by wood and water.

“We became Goodwood because we are known throughout the region and industry as experts in barrel aged products,” says Goodwood’s CEO, Ted Mitzlaff.

I'm an outspoken advocate of quality lager, and Louisville Lager fits the bill perfectly. It also falls perfectly into the session alcohol content range. The shame is that I'll have time for only one, because Akasha will be beckoning, just around the corner in NuLu.

Louisville Lager

PUT GOOD WOOD ON IT

Goodwood Louisville Lager is the first and only beer brewed with 100% Kentucky-grown grains. And, in a tip of the cap to our Slugger-making neighbors downtown, white ash – common in baseball bats – is used to enhance brewing. This results in a light-bodied, perfectly balanced lager with a sweet finish delivered by those Kentucky grains.

4.2 ABV/35 IBU

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Goodwood's launch party for canned Louisville Lager is Wednesday, November 11.

Photo credit: Joel Halbleib.

There is an exhausting back story to the evolution of what is now known as the Goodwood Brewing Company, but this rambunctious tale falls outside the topic at hand.

We begin with the event.

Louisville Lager Can Launch Party

Join us at the taproom November 11, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. for a launch party. Be the first to purchase a Louisville Lager 6 pack of cans, straight from the line! These fresh cans will be on sale for $8 per 6 pack. Along with the purchase you will also receive 20% off all swag!

Goodwood's taproom is located at 636 E. Main Street in Louisville. As for Louisville Lager itself, note the description on the brewery's web site.

Louisville Lager

PUT GOOD WOOD ON IT

Goodwood Louisville Lager is the first and only beer brewed with 100% Kentucky-grown grains. And, in a tip of the cap to our Slugger-making neighbors downtown, white ash – common in baseball bats – is used to enhance brewing. This results in a light-bodied, perfectly balanced lager with a sweet finish delivered by those Kentucky grains.

4.2 ABV/35 IBU

Speaking as an exponent of localism, lager and session strength beers, permit me to liberally praise Goodwood's Louisville Lager. It uses regional barley. It's 4.2% and comes in a can. It tastes wonderful. The price point is reasonable. I'm not sure I can make the can launch party, but I'll be drinking a lot of this one. In fact, I've threatened to rehab my kegerator just so a sixth barrel of Louisville Lager might pour from it.

This said, and also speaking personally, the whole wood/barrel phenomenon is something I find meaningful only in small doses.

Our Philosophy ... Why take the extra time to wood-age beer? Why insist on the same pure, limestone water used to make bourbon? Well, here at Goodwood, we've come to believe that what's good for bourbon is even better for beer. Our extra steps are kind of an homage to this region's distilling legacy and to those old barrels out there that still have so much flavor left to give. Sip one of our freshly nuanced stouts, lagers or ales, and we believe you'll think so, too.

It's an occasional treat for me, nothing more. I appreciate the general idea, and understand why Goodwood has rebranded from top to bottom so as to secure a market niche. It's a power move, and I wish them well. As a professional curmudgeon, the shtick strikes me as just a tad contrived.

BUT THAT'S WHY THERE IS LOUISVILLE LAGER, ash "enhancement" aside. We needn't all adore the same icons.

My preference for the use of wood in beer is when you burn it and smoke the grain. I suggest Smoked Louisville Lager. It would be a very Spezial moment for me, please and thank you.

In closing, back to the taproom and another announcement.

Woodrow On The Radio: Wednesday Mid Week Happy Hour Kick Off

We will also be having our new weekly Wednesday spinning of wax with Woodrow On The Radio. Along with the launch of our Louisville Lager Cans we will be kicking off our "Wednesday Mid Week Happy Hour". Woodrow On The Radio is a personality from WFPK who will be rocking the vinyl for us every Wednesday from 5:00-10:00 p.m. in our newly remodeled taproom.

Goodwood's web site is here.