Reviews of Old Louisville Brewery's first round of beers.

I'm delighted to see OLB generating discussion.The notion of a brewery in Old Louisville seems to have captured the fancy of many.

Here's an introduction ...

The Old Louisville Brewery is about to open, with Axl Rose rumored as John Wurth's website pinch-hitter.

... followed by an in-depth look at the beers, which may or may not still be pouring.

That's the fun of it, right?

A review of Old Louisville Brewery’s first batch of beers, plus what they’re releasing next, by Scott Recker and Syd Bishop (web only; LEO)

Tucked away on an unassuming part of Magnolia Street near Sixth Street sits Old Louisville Brewery, the latest edition to the city’s collection of beer creators. This past weekend, co-owners and brothers Ken and Wade Mattingly opened the doors to the brewery, which features a taproom inside and a dog-friendly patio with a walk-up window outside. Currently, they have four house beers on draft as their first batch of releases, which we stopped by to try. We also took time to talk with the brothers about what we can expect in the near future.

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Kolsch vs. Double IPA in LEO poll results.

I place little stock in seemingly ubiquitous on-line reader polls, and I don’t personally encourage anyone to vote.

In like fashion, the New Albanian Brewing Company refrains from asking its customers and fans to cast dozens of ballots for the sake of the cause. Some of the time we are mentioned in such polls, at other times not, but as a perennial underdog from unappreciated New Albany, to so much as win, place or show in the absence of chest thumping and similar varieties of narcissistic campaigning always provides sweet vindication, especially if the voting is being conducted by a Louisville-oriented publication.

So, briefly: In this year’s LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice poll, NABC's Hoptimus finished at number two, trailing Alltech's Kentucky Kolsch and coming ahead of BBC APA.

If anything, these results embrace a range. The Kolsch is 4.7% ABV, and Hoptimus 10.7%. It probably also lends credence to Hoptimus as Louisville's only classic I2PA.

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.

Sara Havens in LEO: "A salute to NABC."

All this week there'll be reminders of our anniversary posted here, leading up to the 25 Years of Beer and Loathing bash on the riverfront next Sunday. First up is my old pal Sara "Bar Belle" Havens of the Louisville Eccentric Observer, who interviewed me last week.

Bar Belle: A salute to NABC, by Sara Havens (LEO)

When I was 25, I drank like shit — cheap, American swill chased by shots of Jager or Rumple Minze. Unfortunately, some things haven’t changed. But throughout my years of socializing after dark, I’ve learned to appreciate good bourbon and craft beer.

Rich O’s/Sportstime Pizza/New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany is celebrating its 25th birthday this month, and you better believe there won’t be a Miller Lite or shot of Jager anywhere near the place. In fact, co-owner Roger A. Baylor is renting out New Albany’s Riverfront Amphitheater to throw a big party. Mark your calendars for July 22. It’s free, starts at 10 a.m., and features live music, NABC beer, wine and a bloody mary bar (link here). I caught up with Baylor to reminisce about the last 25 years.

Thanks to LEO Readers' Choice voters for thinking of NABC.

I’ve never personally encouraged voting in various reader polls, and NABC does not ask its fans to cast dozens of ballots for the sake of the cause. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t … and sometimes, as a New Albany underdog, it just feels damned good to be vindicated as a restaurant and brewery by readers of a Louisville-oriented publication.

That’s why I’m thanking the academy and happily contradicting my usual shtick by posting the following results in LEO’s annual Readers’ Choice poll. After all, a quarter-million votes is a large sampling, and far less prone to tipping by tampering. Allow me to offer kudos to all of our employees, and also to the many folks who picked NABC. We didn’t do badly for a brewery that technically is not a Louisville brewery.

Best Beer List
1) New Albanian Brewing Co.
2) Holy Grale
3) Sergio’s World Beers
We're inferring the Pizzeria & Public House's revamped BJCP-centric bottle list and Hoosier-heavy draft roster. Eric Gray and Ben Minton get the credit for these.

Best Restaurant (Southern Indiana)
1) New Albanian Brewing Co.
2) Rocky’s Italian Grill
3) La Rosita
We're inferring Bank Street Brewhouse, while not ignoring our Pizzeria's longtime success.

Best Local Beer
1) New Albanian Brewing Co. Hoptimus
2) Bluegrass Brewing Co. APA
3) Bluegrass Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Stout
Note that NABC's David Pierce originally formulated both BBC winners, and has been Hoptimus' personal fitness coach.

Best Local Brewery
1) Bluegrass Brewing Co.
2) New Albanian Brewing Co.
3) Cumberland Brews

It would be fascinating to see how many breweries in locales like Chicago, St. Louis and Leuven, Belgium, received votes as "local."

“This is definitely an if-you-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em move."

LEO's Fake Issue, published earlier this week.

New Albanian hosts domestic beer tasting

New Albanian Brewing Company, a local microbrewery and pub that specializes in hoppy and heavy craft ales, will hold a beer tasting Friday evening at its main location just off Grant Line Road in New Albany. Some of the beers that will be on hand include Natural Light, Miller Lite, Bud Light, Bud Ice, Keystone Dry, Red Dog, Busch and Old Milwaukee. “We’ll also be tapping kegs of both traditional Coors ‘banquet’ beer and Coors Light,” said NABC owner Roger Baylor. “This is definitely an if-you-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em move. If people are truly stupid enough to enjoy this urine soda, we may as well see if we can as well. Also, we figure that if our palates can actually detect a difference in any of this offensive swill, it will only improve our senses.” Baylor also said there will be food pairings as well as guest speakers, including noted beer expert John Holl, who will lead a 45-minute roundtable discussion about pairing Natural Light with cat shit.

NA Exchange in LEO.

LEO's Sara Havens has some nice things to say about our new neighbor down the street from the Pizzeria & Public House: NA Exchange.

Bar Belle: Nothing’s right, I’m torn, by Sara Havens (LEO)

I’m all out of faith, this is how I feel. I’m cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor. OK, just kidding. I am pretty cold, but I’ve never been ashamed of lying naked on a floor — if it’s carpet, it was a good night; if it’s linoleum, um, it was probably a good night.

Er, wait just minute, it's a bit further down the page ...

New Albany secrets: I’ve heard the whispers wafting across the Ohio … of a swanky new joint a few doors down from Rich O’s where the food is fine and the drinks rival that of Proof and Social.

We're the Bar Belle's reason to drink today.

Thanks Sara ... the Bar Belle (LEO) offers the Pizzeria & Public House as today's Today’s Reason To Drink:

This week, Rich O’s (aka Sportstime Pizza and/or New Albanian Brewing Co.) has gone smoke-free. Rich O’s is one of my favorite places in the area (try the stuffed mushrooms!), and I’ll admit that at times, it was a bit too smokey … just because of its close quarters. New Albany does not require its bars and restaurants to be smoke-free … yet. This was the decision of owner Roger Baylor.

He says, “This is entirely ownership’s decision, based on unanimous support from our employees, and we strongly believe the change places us squarely on the right side of history.”

Good for Roger and Rich O’s!

LEO's "best of" this and that.

In this week's LEO are the results of the newspaper's annual "best of" poll, as voted by readers. As usual, there were many obvious instances of ballot stuffing, which might be disturbing if any of it really matters, which it does not.

Still, for the record: NABC appeared as second best beer list (behind the entirely deserving Sergio's) and second best brewery (BBC). Bank Street Brewhouse was selected as third best Southern Indiana restaurant; La Rosita's was first, and Rocky's second: The issue of the readers, by the readers, for the readers.

I usually put more stock in what the LEO's writers have to say, just because I'm like that: Writers' Choice 2010: LEO weighs in on the best of Louisville.

Thanks to Sara Havens and Phillip Bailey for their mentions on NABC and the city of New Albany.

Best former LEO beer writer? Is it any contest?

Wednesday Weekly: Someone's gotta keep non-advertisers in line, right?

Yes, there are a few things about craft beer that you can learn by picking up an issue of this week’s Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO).

Most importantly, writer Jonathan Meador does what LEO always has done best in a genuinely balanced but cutting examination of the Alcohol Beverage Control’s recent citing of bars in Germantown for alleged zoning law violations.

Are the bars there being targeted? The ABC says “no,” and the crux of the matter is the existence (or not) of non-conforming clauses when the bars in question changed ownership. Since several of these establishments (Nachbar, Swan Dive) are noted for offering craft beer, it’s an article of more than passing interest for enthusiasts.

The bulk of the craft beer references in this week’s LEO come courtesy of paid advertising, and I’m sure there are salutary effects on the bottom line.

There’s a nifty full-page ad for Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, which won a silver medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup. Congratulations to Alltech. The new Falls City has a 1/8 page insert, too, and it’s tasteful. You can see the NABC logo in an ad for the Black Keys show at Iroquois on August 11, and Old Chicago name drops New Albanian in its half-page ad, along with BBC and Browning’s, although not Cumberland.

Ask them, not me.

Schlafly’s own half-pager urges readers to “raise some Helles.” Come to think of it, I might just do that, because Browning’s also brews a superb Helles, and it’s been on tap at the portable concession stand (Section 115) during Louisville Bats games for much of the season. Accordingly, looking through LEO, I see there’s advertising from the Bats, apparently putting in a belated bid for the craft beer market with a bright quarter-page paean to “$2 craft beer,” which … which … what’s that loud noise … could you hold just a minute while I see what’s causing Dr. Goebbel’s to thrash so violently in his grave?

Okay, now I understand. Those particular “craft” beers touted by the Bats in LEO are the same ones that Anheuser-Busch itself describes as “craft” beer, which in terms of objective reality is tantamount to my observing what a brilliant lavender color my Schlafly Helles beer has today.

Which is to say: It is utter propaganda, lacking any quality capable of being linked to truth, and as the originator of 20th-century mass-market propaganda, Joe has reason to be highly annoyed that Anheuser-Busch treats his legacy so shabbily.

Wait -- there’s even more! Specifically, a full-page LEO Weekly blurb for itself, which skillfully lampoons Sarah Palin-speak as a prelude to more Goebbels grave spinning:

Also too the mainstream media does suck also ... at LEO Weekly, in-depth analysis isn’t limited to the hoppiness of locally brewed beers. We also analyze the bitterness of locally brewed politics. The way we see it, there are thousands of papers to scrutinize the Obamas and Palins of the world, but someone’s got to keep Katie King in line, too. We volunteer.

Actually, apart from Meador’s Germantown expose, today’s LEO contains no analysis whatever of the hoppiness of local beers, and that’s because Mr. Mug Shot (yours truly) was given his walking papers for wondering why LEO seeks to keep politicians like Katie King in line, but not breweries like Anheuser-Busch, and even though it appears that LEO will not publicly explain my absence, the juxtaposition of A-B “craft” beer in one ad and King’s name in another serves to compel me to at least publish a letter to the LEO editor sent by my friend and research assistant, Paul Mick.

Three weeks later, and to no one’s surprise, it remains unpublished. Appreciate the gesture, Paul. Did you mail it to Possibility City, or LEO’s local corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee?

“For the past 7 years, I've lauded LEO as a bastion of uncompromising journalism and discerning taste to countless new students at U of L. I'd tell them to consult your paper if they ever had any questions about local events, politics, or dining and I'd warn them to steer clear of the pitiful simulacrum that is Velocity. I would even take tour groups past your stands so they could pick up a copy and see all that Louisville has to offer as a city.

“However, your recent decision to terminate Roger Baylor's Mug Shots column in order to placate macrobreweries has wounded me deeply. For all of the grief you (often rightly) give Mayor Abramson for his dealings with Cordish, you certainly seem eager to hop InBed with InBev and sell out your columnists for thirty pieces of silver.“

In the recent 20th anniversary issue of LEO, BIlly Reed commented, "Since day one, there have been no sacred cows at LEO." Apparently that doesn't apply to big business advertisers, to whom you are more than willing to kowtow. Roger, an icon of the Louisville craft beer revolution, has always been dedicated to telling the public the truth in an undistilled and undiluted form. If honesty on the rocks is a bit hard for you all to swallow, then I suggest you crack open a Bud Light with Lime, cease pretending to be truth purists, and openly embrace the company that has clearly bought your opinion.”

Paul Mick, The HIghlands

Just a wee bit more about the Curmudgeon's lamentable Artestian Complex.

Briefly, permit me to convey heartfelt thanks to all who've relayed support in the aftermath of my departure from LEO. I deeply appreciate your comments.

It's ironic that during the weeks just prior to the weirdness, I seemed to be getting more reader compliments about the "Mug Shots" column than ever before. Life's funny that way. The important part to me is that so many of you have confessed to not agreeing with me all the time, but continued reading, anyway. That's a truly free market in ideas, whether or not one becomes too alternative for the acceptably alternative, as apparently I have.

And no, I've no idea whether my absence will be noted. Will A-B InBev take out a full-page, congratulatory ad? Only the bean counters know.

Meanwhile, I've had two conversations with other Internet portals about for-pay beer writing, and while I contemplate these and other post-column-divorce matters, it is my aim to stick to writing right here, at this blog.

There was a good conversation at the Louisville Restaurants Forum last week, and if you go straight to page two, you can find a few of my expanded thoughts on the matter.

Thanks again -- and let's all have a beer together very soon, because in the end, that's what it's really all about.

This round goes to the Liteweights, as Mr. Mug Shot is no more.

This just in: LEO's editor, Sarah Kelley, has fired intrepid "Mug Shot" columnist Roger A. Baylor for myriad offenses against taste and decency.

Which is why I thought the "independent" "alt"-weekly hired me in the first place, but verily, times and people change. There'll be time later to discuss. Until then:

Under-employed former LEO beer columnist with pompous proclivities and a large, loyal fan base desires biweekly forum for fermentable truth-telling. Pay is negotiable. Note that the columnist is allergic to censorship and poor taste. You know where I am. Have beer -- will write/right.

A tale of two columns.

21 June update: This round goes to the Liteweights, as Mr. Mug Shot is no more.

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“You do not change what I write!"
-- John Reed, played by Warren Beatty, in the 1981 movie "Reds"

I write a weekly general interest column for the New Albany Tribune, a fortnightly beer column for Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), and a quarterly beer column for Food & Dining magazine.

To greater or lesser extent, I maintain two blogs: NA Confidential (life in New Albany) and Potable Curmudgeon (life in the beer business).

Generally speaking, I’ll provide a link to the Tribune column each week on Thursday at NA Confidential, and a link to the LEO column every other week on Wednesday at Potable Curmudgeon. Since Food & Dining does not maintain an active web archive, those articles are published in their entirety at Potable Curmudgeon on a delayed basis.

This week, the LEO and Tribune links are running together, following this explanation. If you follow my periodic ranting on Facebook, you already know the reason, and therein lies a story.

Basically, the top brass at LEO proposed to censor the column I wrote for publication this week, citing my reference to my own business (necessary to tell the story, and also offered to readers sans the establishment’s actual name) and my mention of Miller Lite (even when humorously altered, and even when it was the specific product mentioned by my on-line critic).

This presumably happened because roughly two years ago, the Louisville branch of Anheuser-Busch Thin-Skinned 800-lb Multinational complained about something I wrote; former LEO editor Cary Stemle thought so little of it that he didn’t even tell me until much later, but those who've subsequently occupying his chair evidently have established a new policy, paraphrased:

One mustn’t tout feel-good real beer and craft beer culture by harmful and factual comparison to bad beer and the excesses of macro beer culture, and one mustn’t offend any potential advertisers, because even though we at LEO egregiously attack errant nitwit politicians, mountaintop removal companies and wretched taste in popular culture, those entities probably weren’t planning on advertising with us, anyway, and after all, beer’s amusing, but not really important enough to waste anyone’s personal integrity defending.

I’m exaggerating just a bit -- a wee bit -- although that’s the gist of it.

I spent about five minutes pondering the blatant hypocrisy, shrugged, withdrew the column, added a few words to bring it to 900, and resubmitted it as the weekly Tribune column, where it appears today, entirely uncensored, courtesy of a local newspaper that in this case possesses far bigger balls than LEO’s, which will continue to term Jim Bunning a son-of-a-bitch while prohibiting (for example) earnest and revealing commentary on a nefarious corporation (A-B InBev) that currently seeks legal changes to deny craft brewers self-distribution in Illinois.

But what the hey: You want someone to take down Justin Bieber or Rand Paul, you know exactly where to look.

Meanwhile, I wrote a completely different LEO column, and within it cleverly insulted a LEO advertiser (the carpetbagging Top of the Hops beer festival) without anyone at the office catching it. As Steely Dan once noted, "Throw out the little ones/And pan fry the big ones/Use tact, poise and reason/And gently squeeze them."

Because so many people have told me that they read and enjoy the LEO column, I’ll continue to submit whatever emasculated Pablum the staff desires, make it as relevant as I can to a real world denied my scrutiny by the Man/Woman, and go on cashing my checks -- even if I have to take a shower after each cha-ching.

As for the Tribune: Thanks, guys. In the year and a half I’ve been submitting columns, only once in my memory has Steve "Coach K" Kozarovich overruled me, and that was in May of 2009 when I proposed to run four consecutive East German travel epics. He was right that time, and the Tribune is far better than it used to be.

In the Tribune, June 17: BAYLOR: Still killing: The scourge of L.I.D.S.

In LEO, June 16: Mug Shots: It’s Christmas in July

Photo credit

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Beer fests abound."

I can't recall a weekend with so much going on, all at the same time.

Mug Shots: Beer fests abound

It reminds me of my infuriated basketball coach from yesteryear who said, “No pain, no gain,” even as I plotted an escape from practice to sacred refuge with friends and a cooler of long, cool ones.

Bank Street Brewhouse in today's LEO: "'Cuisine a la bière' defines Chef Josh Lehman’s bill of fare."

I'm pleased and humbled. I appreciate Robin's review, but even more so, I thank him for consistently giving New Albany's emerging downtown restaurant scene a fair shake in his writings. We must not forget that before us came the Bistro New Albany, when Louisvillians first began taking note of what we're capable of achieving here.

Most important are big kudos to the entire BSB staff: You guys indeed rock.

Lots to like about Bank Street Brewhouse, by Robin Garr.

I’ve held off reviewing since Kevin Gibson’s first-rate preview (LEO Weekly, March 25, 2009). Now that brewing is in full operation and Lehman’s evening menu is well established, it’s time to turn my own two thumbs up and say, “Kevin was right.” Bank Street Brewery hits a culinary home run for food and beer and other good things.

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "The beer bucket list."

I'll credit GQ with providing the impetus for a discussion, which began at the Louisville Restaurants Forum, and I carried forward into my column for LEO today.

Mug Shots: The beer bucket list

To be worth its hops, this list must address wishes that extend somewhat beyond the mundane and everyday: not just great beers purchased at a package store, but ways and places to drink them — settings, countries, meals, breweries, festivals and modes of thinking outside the Bud.

Falls City Beer? It's in today's LEO.

A month ago I ran into David Easterling at River City Distributing annual beer expo, and he gave me the lowdown on his "new" Fall City, which I turned into a formal interview and wrote as one of my Mug Shots columns for LEO. In turn, my editor Sara Havens informed me that Kevin Gibson had already written a Falls City piece for the newspaper's pre-Derby Bar Guide, released today.

Much to my delight, we didn't approach the return of Falls City from the same angle (with one fatherly exception), and so both of us are published back to back in today's issue.

The return of Falls City beer - my interview and a bit of the brand's history.

New Falls City Catching on with local beer drinkers - Kevin visited two Louisville taverns for feedback from the drinking public.

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Local baseball, local beer" -- and a shout-out to Studio's.

The AAA Louisville Bats open at home next week, and the eternal question revisits us: Will there be real beer at the ballpark this summer? It's possible, and that's all there is to say just now. Is there a way for all the players to make money? That's the current consideration. What will happen? I don't know.

While I can't say what Sun King had to do to achieve it, the Indy brewery's canned beer will be available during Indianapolis Indians games this summer, and that's wonderful.

Mug Shots: Local baseball, local beer

From Pete Browning’s slugging in the 1880s, to the craftsmanship of Brian Reymiller at Browning’s today, baseball and beer in Louisville should be inseparable in locality and spirit. It cannot be unassisted, but it is the perfect double play: beer brewed here, and baseball played here. Let’s hope for the best at the ballpark this summer.

Also in today's LEO, Kevin Gibson endorses the stuffed cheeseburger at Studio's Grill and Pub, which is located on Main Street in New Albany. For me, post-council wings and Sierra Nevada remain the Studio's tradition of choice. I've spoken with the proprietor about draft NABC, and we're jointly scouting a small keg box for the purpose.

Studio’s Grill and Pub stuffs it right

It’s almost an obsession now. This stuffed cheeseburger is the stuff of cravings. It’s a one-third pound patty of lean ground beef infused with onions, hunks of bacon (yes, bacon) and seasonings, grilled to your specifications, topped with cheddar or blue cheese crumbles, and served with homemade chips and a pickle spear for a princely $7.75.

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Free at last, free at last."

Sara was thrilled when I finished a piece early for once. I think this is one of my better recent efforts.

Mug Shots: Free at last, free at last

In Indiana, amid the usual crazed politicking of the general assembly, something unexpected has happened. I half expect to awaken from a dream and find my fridge stocked with cheap American beer, because narrow rays of liberal sense and intelligibility have somehow evaded the scrutiny of society’s persistent naysayers — the Prohibitionists, the health fascists and the do-gooders forever banding together to pick at the carrion of over-regulated adult pleasures — and Senate Bill 75 has landed on the desk of Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is expected to sign it into law.

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Bear the better beer torch."

Beer class starts tonight. There'll be another section offered in April. Until then, just keep practicing.

Mug Shots: Bear the better beer torch

Last weekend, the Mug Shot family watched Steven Soderbergh’s “Che,” the 2008 cinematic ode to Che Guevara, and while I know this will incite the usual round of anguished finger-pointing about my Communist leanings (how unspeakably droll, yet they persist), Cuba never was much of a beer-drinking country, anyway.

Rather, at one juncture in Part One of “Che,” the revolutionary leader realizes many prospective recruits to the cause can neither read nor write, and he institutes literacy classes as a core component of the 26th of July Movement.

To paraphrase Guevara: Absent literacy, the individual is much more easily misled by the powers that be.