Progress for "Operation Progressive Pint."

On Tuesday night (June 3), New Albany's Board of Zoning Appeals will consider NABC's request for a variance at the site of the Bank Street Brewhouse.


On the rear of the building, to the right of the garage door, there's a concrete slab where we hope to build a cinder block grain storage room. Because this will abut the alley, we must be granted a variance. City planners have indicated that this shouldn't be an insurmountable problem.


Inside, the floor drains have been installed, and the plumbing for the restrooms and kitchen is in place.


Indeed, there's only one way to rock.


The timetable remains elusive. The tap room may or may not be open by Harvest Homecoming (second week of October), although we intend to have a beer tent in the parking lot for the festival, come what may. Either way, the brewery probably won't be operational until winter or early spring.

See also: Facade transformation at the future NABC Bank Street Brewhouse.

Southern Indiana Uncorked was good for NABC, but the C-J sees only wine.

Don’t forget: All of NABC will be closed on Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

John Campbell and Tony Beard worked the NABC table at yesterday’s Southern Indiana Uncorked festival in Corydon. The preview appeared here last Friday:

Southern Indiana Uncorked: Beer and wine in Corydon, coming on Saturday, May 24.

John reports much success and a great turn-out. Meanwhile, the Courier-Journal managed to send reporter Harold Adams to Corydon, with his story appearing in today’s Sunday edition:

S. Indiana wine, beer showcased at tasting event.

The Harrison County Fairgrounds flowed with wine and beer and filled with hundreds of beverage enthusiasts yesterday for the inaugural Southern Indiana Uncorked tasting event in Corydon.

The story is accompanied by three photos showing wine being decanted and tasted, and none depicting the local brewery presence. There are one or two scant references to beer, but a broad discussion of local wine and wineries.

Now, perhaps Adams didn’t arrive until the final hour, when (according to John) the breweries had either depleted or chosen to depart. If this is not the case, his article is a disservice to the local breweries, and I’ll be forwarding this posting to him with a request for clarification.

Thanks to John and Tony for holding down the fort.

SAVOR in DC this weekend, and NABC will be there.

Brewers Jesse Williams and Jared Williamson of the New Albanian Brewing Company will be traveling to Washington, D.C., this weekend to man the NABC booth at SAVOR (see details below), which is a big-ticket effort on the part of the craft brewing industry to lay claim to turf previously thought to be the exclusive domain of wine – namely, pairing good food with good beer, and not pretending that America’s biggest-selling megabrews even matter at all when it comes to such considerations.

And hoppy ale’s still better with hot wings than mass-market beer.

But I digress.

Given the prestigious nature of this inaugural event (we’re one of only 48 breweries participating), it’s quite exciting to have another local craft producer, Capriole Farms, included under the auspices of SAVOR. We were asked to make pairing recommendations, and suggested Capriole’s heavenly Mont St. Francis goat cheese to accompany our Hoptimus double IPA. Our wish was SAVOR's command.

I would have like to attend SAVOR, not so much to schmooze, but to tickle the taste buds, but we’d already committed to the annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison (IN) this weekend. Rest assured that Jesse and Jared will do just fine without me along for the ride. Meanwhile, John Campbell and I are free to beervangelize in Madison on Friday and Saturday, then motor to Greenville on Sunday for Capriole’s annual Spring Farm Day. DC or no DC, it isn’t looking like a weight-loss weekend for the Publican.

Here’s the full press release from the organizers of SAVOR.

---

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience Comes to Nation's Capital in May

Independent Craft Brewers Harmonize Beer and Food Showcasing Why Craft Beer is So Sought After

Boulder, CO – March 7, 2008 - Four dozen independent craft brewers have been selected to showcase the pleasures of fine food enjoyed with world-class beer in Washington, D.C., May 16-17. SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience will highlight the culinary delights of beer as part of the Brewers Association's annual American Craft Beer Week

“SAVOR offers a truly unique opportunity to be personally served by many of America’s most innovative and famous brewery owners and brewers," said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the association. "Meeting the makers, access to the educational salons, and the pairing menu are why SAVOR is a must attend event.

http://www.savorcraftbeer.com/

Today, American beers are judged to be among the world’s best and have earned a respected place at the table alongside wine. In fact, two-thirds of today’s wine drinkers also consume beer. In the summer of 2007, National Public Radio observed, "Beer has gone from the House of Commons to the House of the Lords.” Additionally, in July 2007, Gallup Poll confirmed beer is still the most popular adult beverage in the U.S. ¹

SAVOR tickets are available to the public for three different tasting sessions scheduled May 16th and 17th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington D.C. Tickets are $85 each and will include a wide variety of sweet and savory appetizers crafted to match the taste profiles of craft beers. Federal City Caterers, who have catered many State Department functions and Congressional receptions, will orchestrate the food menu.

In addition to the main attraction of sampling in the great hall, SAVOR will also feature educational salons, which will offer live presentations by brewers, journalists and chefs who have helped advance the American craft beer revolution.

Scheduled speakers include: Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Jim Koch of Boston Beer; Dave Lieberman of Here’s To Beer; Randy Mosher author of “Radical Brewing”; Marnie Old, Assistant Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary Institute; Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery; Hugh Sisson of Clipper City; and several savvy cross drinkers including Lauren Buzzeo of Wine Enthusiast magazine; Ray Isle of Food & Wine magazine; and Ken Wells of Conde’ Nast Portfolio.

Jimmy Reyes of Reyes Beverage Group, Supporting Partner of the event, said, "This is going to be a tremendous celebration. Everyone from true beer aficionados to those who simply enjoy flavorful food and drink will take pleasure in a day of rubbing shoulders and sharing craft beer with acclaimed American brewers in Washington D.C., a beer-loving city since its inception."

Wanted: New Albanian art show, May 15, 16 & 17.

Kevin and the gang have another art show for the coming weekend. Check out the art in Prost, NABC's special events wing.

Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison this weekend, May 16 & 17, and NABC will be there.

The coming weekend (Friday & Saturday, May 16 & 17) is the 3rd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival, held along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006 and 2007, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington).

This year, with Jesse and Jared off in Washington D.C. to represent NABC at the prestigious SAVOR beer and food pairing, it looks like John Campbell and the Publican doing the pouring both days. If readers are interested in helping and have a valid Indiana server permit, let me know, ASAP.

Last year I wrote about the folk festival’s conceptual basis in my Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) column, Mug Shots - Folk Fest celebrates handcrafted brews, and included within my account was this explanation from the festival’s organizers:

In keeping with the Ohio River Valley’s artisan tradition, we proudly offer handcrafted beer and wine from the people who make it. Like the folks who select their wood for a fine musical instrument, these small-production, high-quality vintners and brewers are engaged in the entire process, from the selection of the grain and fruit, to pouring your glass!

Recaps from previous years can be found here at the PC blog:

2006: Another good reason to run upriver.

2007: Ohio River Valley Folk Festival recap: Great weather, and beer and music to match.

As of Monday morning, weekend temperatures are expected to be in the 60s, with clouds but no rain. I’m hoping to see many readers at the festival, so stop by the beer tent and say hello.

Facade transformation at the future NABC Bank Street Brewhouse.

Work was done this week to clear away the disgusting vinyl siding on the building at 415 Bank Street and see what's underneath. As we expected, brick and the old industrial front was exposed. As the drawing shows, the plan remains to install garage doors that can be opened in good weather, with a small canpoied garden by the side entrance.

These improvements pertain to the pub, with the back 3/4 of the building reserved for the brewing operation. More on that soon. Of course, the first photo was taken earlier in the year, but notice how the house in the rear has been painted in the interim. Nice.

The last picture is of the preliminary work being done inside.

Rich O’s Public House CLOSED, Sportstime Pizza OPEN on Derby Day, Saturday, May 3.

Repeating the drill from Thunder Over Louisville ... no, I’m not a fan of Louisville’s foremost annual celebration of horse flesh, gambling, and the atrocious butchering of decent bourbon otherwise known as the mint julep, a cocktail which is consumed only now, and mostly by people who don't know any better.

However, I know that the majority of my friends and acquaintances enjoy the pomp and circumstance of Kentucky Derby, so be it. We’ve long since learned that there’s no sense in staffing both dining areas at NABC/Rich O’s/Sportstime on Derby Day, and we’ll not be doing so again this year. Rich O’s will be closed all day, but Sportstime will be open. No Red Room for you. Blame it on the occasion, whhich is aptly ridiculed here:

From the web: "The Kentucky Derby Really Is Decadent and Depraved."

Randall on steroids?

Here are views of Otto's "Randall on steroids," as equipped and pumping during Schlafly's recent end-of-Prohibition bash at the Bottleworks in St. Louis. Note that the IPA in the fermenter was already being dry hopped before passing through a second helping of the magic cone.

Susan Haberer and the brewing technician himself. Bravo!

A few St. Louis/Schlafly views from April 11-13.

Jared and Jesse visit with the inimitable Stephen Hale.


The Publican has a beer with Susan Haberer, who works hard at keeping Dan Kopman in line.


The local crazies gather in 35-degree weather to celebrate the anniversary of Prohibition's demise.


Jared and John discuss progress at the merchandise table.


Tom Schlafly (center) wore a vintage St. Louis Brown cap to the proceedings, and I admire that.


Some people partied a bit too hardy, but a fleet of taxis was nearby.

That weekend seminar at Schlafly.

Oddly, the thing I'll remember most about our recent (April 11-13) visit to St. Louis was whitecaps on corn and soybean fields.

In short, I'd completely forgotten how many lakes there are just across the Indiana border in Illinois … except that they aren't lakes at all. They're temporarily flooded fields. Driving straight into the weather, with the wind blowing hard to the east, waves of surfer dimension could be seen rippling beneath the grain silos.

Speaking of grain, the occasion for the trip was the Schlafly craft brewery's annual "Repeal of Prohibition" party, held outside in the parking lot of the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, a St. Louis neighborhood. In biting 35-degree weather, 1,200 people showed up to sample the 30-odd beers and drink away the afternoon. Perhaps a dozen of the male revelers wore kilts. Countless kegs from the hosts and four visiting "guests of honor" Indiana breweries were floated. All in all, it was a wonderful time and a first-class performance by Schlafly.

Before and after the event itself, we were able to tour both of Schlafly's facilities and take notes. Of special significance to me was the chance to meet founder Tom Schlafly. We talked about beer only briefly before going into baseball; in fact, he was wearing a replica St. Louis Browns cap on Saturday, which I thought was suitably oblique (note that the Browns moved from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954 or thereabouts, and became the Orioles).

My biggest insight?

At the end of the day, Schlafly isn't all that different from my own NABC other than being far larger. Its size came about over a long period of time. Schlafly may appear to be a sleek corporate machine, but it most decidedly is not that simple, because just like at NABC, a handful of owners/lifers and a cadre of efficient team members combine to do more work than they should and keep the train rolling.

That's what happens when you decide to do it yourself, and the frustrations are many. Knowing that being in business for yourself has rendered you unemployable elsewhere … priceless.

This week: Special release bottles at the Public House.

Coming the week of April 21 ... we hope.

Marking our territory?

Brewhouses, both BJ's and BS.

Some time last week, it suddenly occurred to me that NABC's projected new brewery in downtown New Albany should come to be known as the Bank Street Brewhouse. Maybe the original location might eventually be referred to as NABC Grant Line. At any rate, Bank Street Brewhouse could be the NABCBSB, or better yet, the BS Brewhouse.

I like the idea of BS Brewhouse, as opposed (for instance) to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, the newly opened Louisville outpost of a chain originating in California. BJ's says it is a brewhouse, but the beer being sold in Louisville comes from Reno, Nevada, where it is brewed -- literally -- in a brewhouse. That's because a brewhouse is where beer is brewed. At minimum, that's the mash tun and kettle ... right?

Even if I'm unable to predict when the project will come to fruition, at least NABC will be brewing beer downtown at the Bank Street Brewhouse.

A "brewhouse" like BJ's where no beer is brewed? Sorry, but that's BS to me.

Mike Farris performs at the Public House on Friday, April 18.

We've seldom undertaken to book entertainers of Mike Farris's magnitude, but visit the artist's site, listen to the song samples, and you'll understand why we did. Tickets will be on sale next week, and seating in Prost is limited. E-mail the senior editor for more information.

Rich O’s Public House CLOSED, Sportstime Pizza OPEN on Saturday, April 12.

Louisville’s annual exaltation of phantom male potency, otherwise known as Thunder Over Louisville, will bring a half-million people to the banks of the Ohio this Saturday (April 12) in orgiastic expectation of a raised middle finger of a militarized air show and an unspeakably garish fireworks extravaganza that will allow them to forget – if only for a brief span of time – that the dollars in their pockets are increasingly worthless, and that there’s a NASCAR race under way somewhere in the last, greatest hope for mankind.

No, I’m not a fan of Louisville’s foremost annual celebration of bread and circuses, which inaugurates Derby Festival and signals the beginning of mint julep season in the metro area. However, I know that the majority of my friends and acquaintances enjoy the pomp and circumstance, and so be it.

We’ve long since learned that there’s no sense in staffing both dining areas at NABC/Rich O’s/Sportstime on Thunder day, and we’ll not be doing so again this year. Rich O’s will be closed all day with the exception of a special private party in Prost. Sportstime will be open with all the usual food and beer available from 11:00 a.m. to (circa) midnight.

Here are links to two special events near Thunder’s epicenter, both of which will be serving craft beers in the midst of what is otherwise a sea of swill. Have fun. I’ll be with the NABC brew crew in St. Louis to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Prohibition’s demise.

BBC (Main & Clay) aged bourbon barrel stout ... and Thunder plans.

NABC, Buckhead, craft beer and Thunder Over Louisville, April 12.

NABC and Saturday's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Louisville.

On Saturday, we loaded up a vintage fire truck (with swimming pool, but not filled with water) and participated in the annual St. Patrick's Parade on the Baxter/Bardstown Rd corridor in Louisville. It began on Broadway at 3:00 p.m. and ends at the Mid City Mall a couple of hours later.

As you'll notice from the photos above, the three or so hours of rain that fell Saturday coincided perfectly with the time we spent standing atop the fire truck.

But it was fun, and look for future recurrences.

Upgrading the “everyday” guest imported draft selection at the Public House.

The next two weeks are about Gravity Head, but when our annual exercise in bacchanalia has run its course, I’m planning on a few changes at the Public House.

Specifically, we’d like to upgrade the “everyday” guest imported draft selection by adding a few spouts to the front keg box behind the bar. The additions? They're my personal favorites.

The impetus for this is two-fold.

Seeing as our major priority for the foreseeable future is implementing Operation Progressive Pint and opening another (production) brewery and taproom in downtown New Albany, I’d like to see the pub and pizzeria operating at peak efficiency. You’ll see what I mean when you read the list below.

And, this further enhances and delineates our imported draft selection from our house-brewed beers, and as importantly, from any and all conceivable competitors.

Currently we have two draft towers with two spouts each. The idea is to add one spout to each, and install a custom tower in the middle.

The custom tower will be obtained from the importers of Delirium Tremens, who will perform that valuable service if we vow to keep DT, Nocturnum and Noel on tap year-round.

So, that’s one: Delirium Tremens.

The other four Belgians: Rodenbach Classic, La Chouffe, Saison Dupont (occasionally rotating its sister Dupont brands) and Chimay Tripel. The Belgians will be 10-oz pours.

And, two Germans: Schlenkerla Marzen and Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock. The Germans will be half-liter pours.

Preliminary work remains to be done, primarily seeing to it that our suppliers can keep these brands coming, and make sufficient signature glassware available.

If all goes as planned, look for the new permanent guest tap additions in late April.

Daydreams and teasers.

We've been busy playing playing with daydreams, courtesy of John's friend and in-law Vic. Here are two imaginary viws of the building on Bank Street where we hope a new NABC brewery will reside (I stress again: The current location stays as is ... this is an expansion.

Prost 2008: Surges, conundrums, and another place for you to be seated.

(This expands on something that was brought up earlier ... and with photos)

Although it’s always been a challenge to deal with Fridays and Saturdays, the past year saw a big surge in business every night, and we weren’t prepared for it.

In fact, there’s been a longtime conundrum with respect to seating, and the easiest way to explain it is that we’ve continued to add seating capacity with the same sized kitchen, which was designed for about a third of the people who now are prepared to order food at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Obviously, the kitchen must eventually be expanded, but to do that means we’ll lose seats, probably on the Rich O’s side.

As the seating problem has grown in frequency, yet another conundrum has been revealed. On the one hand, the Prost banquet room area really hasn’t been big enough to do regular functions like receptions, as was the original intent, and our catering options in Prost have been both difficult to prepare and generally supplanted by a preference for pizza. Prost hasn’t been used as much as we would have liked, and worse, it sits empty when we need to use it the most.

Until now, we’ve fallen back on the inadequacy of the kitchen as the excuse for not using Prost for everyday seating, and while this remains the case – let’s be realistic here - the decision was made to reassess the notion of semi-regular seating, with these goals in mind:

• Extra seating to minimize wait in other dining rooms
• Non-smoking area for patrons to watch sports
• Seating for larger groups (rear “15-B Room” still can accommodate up to 30)
• Special event availability (FOSSILS meetings, preferred seating for fests, art shows)

Accordingly, special events coordinator Reva Hagedorn has spent the week organizing and initiating the changes to the Prost wing. While we can’t do anything to help the kitchen work any faster until it is expanded at some point in the future, the idea is to have another comfortable area to endure the wait … and with a server on duty to pour beers.

The main room at Prost now has four 4-tops tables and a couch area.

The back rooms will still be reserved for groups and larger parties, and these will not be open on a nightly basis.

Patrons can sit in the main area of Prost, order beers and food, and watch ballgames on the flat-screen purchased earlier this week. Yes, old-timers will recall that I always insisted on there being no televisions at the Public House. Well, this isn’t the Public House; it’s Prost. Welcome to the wider world of semantics.

While we get acclimated to this, hours will be Thursday – Saturday, same as the Public House hours (3 p.m. – close on Thursday, and 1:00 p.m. – close Friday and Saturday). A reserved party or event trumps any promises, and if this works out, we may expand it to the remainder of the week.

Hopefully all this will give us time to figure out a plan for kitchen expansion, which hasn’t yet been done.

Mailbag: A couple of questions are answered.

Regular reader Brad had a couple of questions following Friday's "Operation Progressive Pint: Current progress", and for various reasons I didn’t get the usual e-mail notification and missed them until today.

Here are Brad’s questions and my answers.

Does this (brewery expansion downtown) mean that the NABC may soon be selling kegs to the general public, or that kegs may be available to the general public through some distribution channel?

We’re able to do dock sales on a limited basis now, although we’re constrained by beer supply and periodic cooperage shortages. I suspect that the planned facility will be able to offer more consistency in the way of keg sales to the public. Otherwise, it is our hope that we’ll be shipping kegs to places like Indianapolis, Bloomington and Louisville.

Also, are there any plans (even sort of "Pie in the Sky" ideas) to expand the brewpub business of NABC/Rich O's? While I don't mind waiting 30 minutes (or more) for great pizza and incredible beer, I'm sure I could justify the trip from Louisville more often if 1/4 of my stay wasn't spent standing around.

Although it’s always been a challenge to deal with Fridays and Saturdays, the past year saw a big surge in business every night, and we weren’t prepared for it.

There has been a longtime conundrum with respect to seating, and the easiest way to explain it is that we’ve continued to add seating capacity with the same size kitchen, which was designed for about a third of the people who now are prepared to order food at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Obviously, the kitchen must eventually be expanded, but to do that means we lose seats, probably on the Rich O’s side.

We could begin semi-regular seating in the Prost banquet room area, but not until the kitchen expands. So, currently we’re working on a plan to change the way we use Prost. As it turns out, Prost really hasn’t been big enough to do regular functions like receptions, and our catering options have been both difficult to prepare and generally supplanted by a preference for pizza. Prost sits empty when we need to use it.

For the short term, and while retaining the option of using Prost as an events area for art shows, FOSSILS meetings and preferred seating during beer festivals, our plan is to establish Prost as a non-smoking bar and waiting area of sorts while we work on a permanent remake. This at least would give people a non-smoking area to wait for a table, and perhaps light appetizers could be offered. There'll be a flat-screen television so that sporting events become an option on that side of the building.

(Note: I always said no televisions in Rich O's proper. Prost is different.)

Hopefully this will give us time to figure out a plan for kitchen expansion, which hasn’t yet been done.