Grant Line Road railroad crossing work on June 18.

The following closure will have no effect on vehicular access to NABC's Pizzeria & Public House from I-265.

If you reach us from inner city NA, there'll be a detour; many of you probably already know the various ways to cut through back streets. There are many.

The city believes this work will not take an entire week, so we're hoping it'll be just a few days of inconvenience at the beginning of the week. The long delayed work on our stretch of Grant Line Road, which has been manifested by lane closures, continues and is expected to be finished by September.

Part of Grant Line Road to close June 18; CSX resurfacing railroad crossing near Pillsbury plant, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — The date for the Grant Line Road closure has been moved back to June 18, as the street will be shut down at the train tracks near Rolling Creek Drive for likely one week.

CSX Railroad Corp. will be resurfacing the crossing in conjunction with the city’s Grant Line Road improvement project, though New Albany is flipping the bill for the work.

No, please, not the Jolly Pumpkins! Bottled beer sale at the Public House, August 2 - 4 and 9 - 11.

Ben and Eric have been combing the secret storage areas and password-only access points deep within the bowels of the Public House, and they've uncovered a staggering amount of bottled inventory that, for whatever reason, simply is left over, orphaned, or otherwise prime for moving.

Many of the cases have not been opened. Most of the beers should be entirely drinkable, although I'd be a fool to suggest that every last bottle is fresh; there quite well may be a few duds, but as Ben states in the promotional poster, there are discounts on most of them.

Following is a list of bottles that will go up for sale. How many of each? I have absolutely no idea. I hope the guys think to set aside some boxes, because this one's going to be big. I may have to drop by and reserve a few lots for the resumption of Office Hours with the Publican, coming to a Prost near you on September 6.

Beer List for the Beer Sale

Aldaris Porter
Alvinne Cuvee Freddy 2009
Alvinne Bolleville Calvados Barrel
Alvinne Melchior Calvados Barrel
Avery 17th
Avery Ale to the Chief

BFM 5
BFM Bon Chien Grand Cru Vin Jaune (different vintages)
Barley Island Single White Friar
Birra del Borgo Duchessic 09
Birrifico Nora
Boulder Flashback
Boulevard Smokestack Double Wide IPA
Breckenridge 471 ESB
Breckenridge Imperial Porter
Brew Dog/Stone Bashah
Brooklyn Local #1
Buffalo Stout

Clipper City Below Decks Barley Wine
Clipper City Big Dipa
Clipper City Letter of Marque 2010
Clipper City Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale

Dark Horse Plead The Fifth
De Dolle Special Export Stout
De Molen Pek And Veren (Stout)
Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel
Dogfish Head Burton Baton
Dubuisson Scaldis Refermentee

Eel River Triple Exultation
Eel River Raven's Eye Stout
Estrella Damm Inedit

Founders Backwood Bastard
Fuller's London Pride

Geants Goliath
Gouden Carolus Noel
Great Divide 15th Anniversary
Great Divide 16th Anniversary
Great divide Chocolate Yeti
Great Divide Colette
Great Divide Double Wit
Great Divide Espresso Oaked Age Yeti
Guinness

Hair of the Dog Adam
Hair of the Dog Fred
Harpoon Leviathon Saison Royale

Jamaica Stout
Jolly Pumpkin Absurd Ale
Jolly Pumpkin IO
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial Brown Ale

Left Hand Good Juju
Left Hand Widdershins Oak Barley Wine

Mad River Double Dread
Mad River Steelhead Double IPA
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (Nogne Colab)
Mikkeller Big Worse Barley wine
Mikkeller Black Hole Imperial Stout
Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper
Murphy's

New Holland Dragons Milk
Nogne Imperial Stout
Nogne Porter
Nogne-O Andhrimnir Barley Wine
Nogne-O Winter Ale
Nogne-O/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone Special Holiday Ale
Nogne-O/Mikkeller Tyttabaer

Olfabrikken Jule Ale
Olfabrikken Kloster Jule
Olfabrikken Porter
Olfabrikken Winter Porter
Ommegang Abbey
Ommegang Tripel

Pietra Corsican Chestnut Ale

Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager
Rogue Morimota Black Obi Soba Ale
Rogue Single Malt

Sierra Nevada Fritz & Ken
Sierra Nevada Helles Bock
Southern Star Bombshell Blonde
Southern Tier Cherry Saison
Southern Tier Jah Va IMP Coffee Stout
Southern Tier Hoppe
St. Bernardus 12
St. Bernardus Prior 8
Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock
Stevens Point 2012 Black Ale
Stone 13th
Stone Double Bastard 09
Stone Russian Imperial Stout
Stone Sublimely Self righteous Ale

The Bruery Mischief
The Bruery Rogbrod
The Bruery Saison De Lente
Thornbridge Halcyon
Thornbridge St. Petersburg
Three Floyd's Alpha King
Three Floyd's Blackheart
Three Floyds Gorch Fock
Three Floyds Oatgoop
Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce
Two Brothers Bare Tree 2008
Two Brothers Dog Days of Summer
Tyranena Bitter Women IPA

Upland Triple

Van Steenberge Witches Brew
Victory Baltic Thunder
Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

Zywiec Porter (circa vintage 2008)

C2 collaboration to be brewed Monday, and celebrated with a firkin of C1 at the Public House.

It's a big day on Monday at NABC's traditional garage brewhouse at the Pizzeria & Public House. A rare C1 firkin is being tapped, and C2 is being brewed.

To refresh sodden memories, the "C" series is an ongoing collaboration between Schlafly, O'Fallon's and New Albanian. C1, a Dry-hopped Smoked Rye Pale Ale, was the first such joint effort, and has been spotted at both NABC locations, and at selected locations throughout metro Louisville, since being released to near universal acclaim earlier in 2010.

Scenes from a Sneak Preview: Schlafly/O'Fallon/New Albanian Collaboration

Precious little C1 remains, but among the reserves is a cask-conditioned firkin, dry-hopped with Cascade and Ahtanum hops, and racked before the oak aging that tastily modified the kegged version. We can expect the firkin to taste the same, yet different. We also can expect it to deplete quickly.

Brennan (from Schlafly's) and Dave (of O'Fallon's) will be joining Jared for Monday's C2 brew day. As yet, the recipe is being kept close to their vests, but I’ve heard snippets of the following: Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale, smoked, aging, Norton (official state grape of Missouri) barrels, and figs. Put it all together in a final configuration, and the release still will not come until late autumn at the very earliest.

C2 will be double batched, with two brew days for the price of one: 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., and then 4 p.m. - Midnight. The C1 firkin will be tapped near the end of the first session, evidently to provide sustenance for the second.

The collaborative brewing troika has set a May brew date window for C3, which will be brewed at O’Fallon’s in Missouri, and released in summertime, prior to C2.

Finally, remember that I’ll be pouring Jolly Pumpkin ales during Monday night’s Office Hours with the Publican, which will take place in Prost at 6:30 p.m., although we might duck into the brewery to meet the brewers, watch their work, and convey samples.

Anstich kegs are back! Six more Franconians are making their way to the Public House.

The afternoon was spent researching the latest shipment of Anstich kegs from Shelton Brothers, which Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis will be conveying to the Public House in time for pouring on Thursday, December 10.

If you’re just joining us, we had riotous fun in September and October during NABC’s Sandkerwa NA, an annual celebration of the Franconian brewing ethos. Our homage was immeasurably enhanced by the Shelton Brothers importing company, which has begun importing rare Franconian lagers in 20-liter, "Anstich" kegs. One after the other, the kegs comprising the first batch were drained, and we simply had a marvelous time drinking them.

These are gravity-feed kegs with no CO2 used to push the beer. Just as in Franconia, we set an Anstich keg on the counter behind the bar, punch a hole in the top, and use a rubber mallet to insert a tap at the bottom. Once tapped, the 40 half-liter glasses of beer therein must be consumed forthwith, or the remainder will go flat. Because of this, we'll again be selling these special beers at a special price: $5.00 per half liter.

Each of the six Anstich kegs we’re purchasing is described as Märzen, so I’ve included only the brewery’s name in the tentative schedule that follows (except for Weissenohe Monk’s Fest, which we had previously on CO2 pour).

Following the tapping schedule are excerpts from the importer Dan Shelton’s notes on the beers, which provide basic information on the breweries and their beers. I now understand that Shelton works with Urban Winkler of the Weissenohe brewery to source these great beers, and my thanks go to him, Dan Shelton, Matt Dinges and everyone else who are making these shipments possible. It's been my favorite new development in a year packed with them.

Ahornberger on Thur., Dec. 10
Rothenbach on Fri., Dec. 11
Hartmann on Sat., Dec. 12

Then, later:

Lang-Bräu on Fri., Dec. 18
Günther-Bräu on Sat., Dec. 19
Weissenohe on Wed., Dec. 23

Ahornberger
Brauerei Strössner, founded in 1739 in Ahornberg, is a good-sized family-owned brewery making 80,000 hectoliters a year. It is located in the far north of Franconia, north and east of Kulmbach. They do a bunch of seasonal variations on their basic Landbier ('country beer'), including the Märzen, which is described as malty, hoppy, and dark.

Rothenbach
Founded in 1886; makes 15,000 hectoliters a year. Yet another family-owned brewpub, a picturesque place in the tiny town of Aufsess, in the Fränkische Schweiz -- the Franconian Switzerland. (There's nothing at all like the Alps here, so the name is a little over-blown.) The beers tend to be very solid, if perhaps uninspired here, but we've never had the Märzen, which is highly recommended by our Franconian connection at the monastery brewery in Weissenohe.

Hartmann
A small inn and brewpub, founded in 1550, right on the narrow winding highway that runs parallel to the new A70, about 20 kilometers out of Bamberg, Upper Franconia. They make 15,000 hectoliters, all consumed locally, in the Franconian way. They have a wide range. For what it's worth, this is 3 Fonteinen brewer Armand Debelder's favorite place when he visits from Belgium, and its beers are the main inspiration for his Beersel Lager.

Günther-Bräu
In little Burgkunstadt, just outside of Kulmbach, in Upper Franconia, this is one of three small family-owned brewpubs in a town of a few hundred people. Makes only 6000 hectoliters a year. Founded in 1840.

Lang-Bräu
A small but ambitious brewpub in a very tiny village in the far east of Upper Franconia, founded in 1853. Makes 15,000 hectoliters a year. For better or worse, they make a very big range. They seem to crave attention, and get it with some gimmicky things like Erotik Bier, with a label that stops just short of being pornographic, and another beer named for the latest Pope, Benediktus XVI. For some reason, they also put the labels on their dark and light wheat beers on upside down. The Märzen label is properly staid.

Weissenohe Monk’s Fest

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.

Today, tomorrow and November at NABC's two locations.

Having just concluded the weekly staff meeting, I'm sitting at a table within the progressive confines of Bank Street Brewhouse's Taxpayer Memorial Patio. Seeing as I've become less of an owner than a full-time PR man, here's a brief update on NABC's activities and events as we approach November.

First, at NABC's Pizzeria & Public House today: A special wooden "Anstich" (gravity pour) keg of Schneider Wiesen Edel-Weisse is being tapped shortly. It is an unfiltered wheat ale from Kelheim, Germany's celebrated Schneider brewhouse, brewed formerly as a hybrid wheat-style Marzen (Oktoberfest) ale. Nowadays, the brewer includes some American Cascades hops as a bow toward the India Pale Ales he enjoyed when visiting craft breweries in America. Next Friday, November 6, we'll have another "Anstich" keg: Hochzeitsbier Märzen von 1810, from the Brauerei Hofstetten in Austria. It's a traditional Oktoberfest lager.

Tomorrow (Oct. 31) at the Public House, Rogue Dead Guy Halloween Party: The party will run from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in the Prost special events wing, and features Rogue Dead Guy, a classic microbrew from our pals out at Rogue Ales in Oregon. To honor the spirit of the day, you're encouraged to come dressed as your favorite dead guy. There will be beer specials on Dead Guy and Double Dead Guy, giveaways of Rogue merchandise and a $50 NABC gift card. NABC's cellarman Mike Bauman also has lined up Schmaltz Freaktober Fest and a cask of Hambleton Nightmare Yorkshire Porter for the occasion.

Winter hours at Bank Street Brewhouse begin Nov. 3: On Tuesday, November 3, we'll be making a few adjustments to the schedule at Bank Street Brewhouse. Most noticeably, we'll be opening at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with new three-course fixed price meals available each of these evenings, along with an afternoon snack menu and daily beer specials. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays remain the same. I promise to have the complete new schedule finished and posted very soon. The idea here is very simple: Certain times of the week have worked well, and others not as much. Keeping lunch hours open on these days will enable us to offer group business lunch plans, and to concentrate efforts in the evenings for beer dinners and pairings. Weekends have worked well and won't change. In another six months, we'll take stock again and see what moves are merited then.

Bank Street Grand Opening Week begins November 17: As an extension of the preceding, we feel like after eight months in business, we're finally able to celebrate our grand opening. Beginning on Tuesday the 17th, look for a cigar promotion on the patio, food and beer specials, music, and a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, November 18. We've saved a handful of kegs from the Elector batch that Mayor Doug England helped brew, and they'll be pouring on Wednesday the 18th.

As always, thanks for your support. I'll have updates and details coming during the next few days.

Hops and smoke and Randall and what's on tap at the Public House.

First, let's take a glance at the draft lineup at NABC's Public House & Pizzeria.

A final note pertaining to Sandkerwa NA, our celebration of Franconian beer and brewing: I regret to announce that our long-awaited keg of Spezial Rauchbier, which was to have (somewhat) closed this year's Sandkerwa, proved to be tragically off.

That happens from time to time, and considering the brilliant success of the Anstich (gravity pour) kegs, I probably can't complain. As compensation, at least from my personal point of view, Schlenkerla Marzen has briefly been supplanted by two kegs of Heller-Trum's richer and smokier Schlenkerla (unfiltered) Urbock, primarily because Franconia's localized Bock season is in full swing, and we need to celebrate it, too. As a final bonus, know that yet another Schlenkerla variant will be coming to us very soon. It is an oak-smoked (not beechwood-smoked) strong lager of about 8%. It could be the first of December, and I'm salivating already.

Back to hops: Today, the big news is Randall the Enamel Animal.

A sixth-barrel of NABC VII - Seventh Anniversary Ale will be "Randallized" with whole leaf Cascades, beginning later this afternoon. As soon as possible after the sixer is gone, we'll begin pouring VII for the remainder of its run. Randall will travel to the Bank Street Brewhouse tomorrow, and the process will be repeated there. Many thanks to Jared Williamson for making this happen.

Currently at the Public House, Lupulin Land continues with listed ales and a ringer selection: Three Floyds Broo Doo Harvest Ale (American IPA; 7% abv). As we begin the day, here are the Lupulin Land selections:

Boulder Flashback Anniversary (India Brown Ale, 6.8% abv)

Great Divide Belgica (Belgian-style IPA; 7.2% abv)

He’Brew Shmaltz Lenny’s RIPA (Rye Double IPA; 10% abv)

Rogue Charlie 1981 (American Strong Ale; 8.5% abv)

Shoreline Sum-Nug IPA (IPA; 7% abv)

Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA (Double IPA; 11% abv)

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale (Imperial Red; 9.5% abv)

Two Brothers Heavy Handed (India Pale Ale; 6.7% abv)

Mike Bauman keeps track of the taps here: NABC News Portal. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for current draft listings at both locations.

Lunch hours at the Public House, beginning now.

Beginning this week, opening hours at NABC’s Public House (Rich O’s) are being expanded backwards to include lunchtime.

I say "backwards" because we opened the Public House at 11:00 a.m. until 1999, when it was concluded that one dining room was enough for lunch. The variable that has changed since then, and the one now being recognized, is smoking vs. non-smoking. In practical terms, this change has the effect of opening the non-smoking area at the Public House to lunchtime business.

Feedback is kindly requested. Among other things, Gravity Head now becomes more interesting, earlier.

From now on, both the Public House and Pizzeria (Sportstime) will be open at 11:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Closing hours remain 12 a.m. (midnight) at both. NABC’s original Public House and Pizzeria are closed on Sunday. NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse downtown is open on Sunday, but closed on Monday.

Got it?

Glad you enjoyed the Wet Knob, Lew.

Lew Bryson flew into Louisville for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, and visited NABC first thing.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Day 1

Sorry I missed you, Lew. I haven't known whether I'm coming or going for quite some time.

It's simple: Steve and Jared brew a collaborative batch, and then I drink beer with them.

The Livery's Steve Berthel and NABC's Jared Williamson are shown brewng a collaborative batch of Belgian IPA at the Grant Line garage brewhouse on Tuesday, September 15. Different portions of it will be aged and served in different ways, and you'll hear more about that later. For now, look to November for a release date.

After the brewing and clean-up was finished, Steve and Jared adjourned to the Bank Street Brewhouse for an evening of merriment on the patio. Kelsey joined Jared, Diana met me there, and Chef Josh Lehman actually permitted the kitchen crew to serve him. We feasted on frites, bouillabaisse, pork chops and a Capriole goat cheese plate (among other delectables) and washed them down with Wet Knob ... and Hoptimus with the Mont St. Francis cheese.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet Steve and chat with him about his experiences in Benton Harbor, and a return engagement in this home-and-home collaborative series was discussed.

In short: More proof that craft beer is the best business going, and I love meeting the people who are part of it -- and drinking beer with them.

Belgian IPA
Malts: Castle Pale, Castle Biscuit, Simpson Medium Crystal
Hops: wet Fuggles in the mash that Steve brought, Nugget (Bittering); Nugget, Fuggle, Cascade (Flavor); Fuggle, Cascade (Aroma)
Yeast: Saison
O.G. 1077
IBU 72
ABV circa 8% (waiting on final gravity to know for sure)

Notes: 120 minute boil (first to my knowledge for NABC). Hop additions started
at 90 minutes).

Collaboration brew with NABC and The Livery is Tuesday, Sept. 15. Then we all drink Wet Knobs.

Bank Street brewed Elector hits the taps at both NABC locations.

Last Friday (August 21), the first batch of Elector to be brewed at NABC’s new Bank Street Brewhouse went on tap at BSB. Kegs were taken to the Public House and Pizzeria, and two kegs were consumed down by the riverside at the Kentuckiana Celtic Fest on Saturday.

Elector’s roots extend to the beginnings of NABC’s original garage brewery off Grant Line Road. It was the third recipe brewed by NABC’s founding brewer, Michael Borchers, and his assistant, Joey Burns, and was first brewed on Election Day, 2002, coincidentally the date of the mid-term congressional election that followed the disputed presidential race in 2000, in which Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide, but lost the White House owing to Florida’s uncounted hanging chads and the state’s votes in the Electoral College.

Needless to say, as subversive leftists, this political outcome was still somewhat fresh in our minds in 2002 as Michael concocted an initially modest plan to follow Community Dark and Beak’s Best with a traditional English-style seasonal winter warmer. Brew day was uneventful, but as the fermentation proceeded and time rolled past, it became obvious that the new batch of winter warmer was going to have a deeper burgundy color than planned, and also was considerably hoppier than the intended style should ever be.

Nothing wrong with that. The resulting hybrid was delicious, full-bodied and aggressively hopped, and we concluded that while the intent had been winter warmer, the result was something else – Imperial Red, in our reckoning – and we went with the results.

Before the finished flavor of our newly hybridized ale had become apparent, we’d already started the process of hybridizing its name, something that arose out of drunken mischief (imagine that!) Joey suggested Elector. The “-tor” suffix would suggest Doppelbock in the minds of knowledgeable drinkers, and of course we had no intention of producing a beer remotely close to Doppelbock, and since “electors” had been in the news, anyway, owing to the 2000 election, and since these electors had overruled the will of the people and in effect made democracy pointless … well, you can see how it all came together.

It’s almost seven years later, and I feel just as strongly that now as then that an Elector in hand is well worth two Bushes in retirement, any election day, and in fact, any time.

Graphics by the inimitable Tony Beard.

NABC brewing schedule for the remainder of 2009 (part two).

As the first batches brewed at NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse near completion (if I remember correctly, we’re trying to have 15-B and Elector ready for serving by August 21), here’s a second look at what we’ll be trying to achieve in terms of brewing schedules and releases.

Most of the following originates with Jared Williamson, who has been brainstorming ways for the original garage brewery to produce seasonals and specialties. I’ve used his words and merely rearranged them. Remember that this is an outline, and subject to alteration.

However, it bears noting that one of the goals remains to establish a brewing schedule that permits a NABC Brewer’s Choice series, allowing each brewer (Jared, Jesse and Dave) to be creative and brew a batch of whatever comes of their inspiration. It happens when it happens, minds are blown, and the new creations are released one at a time.

Other series suggested by Jared:

Single Hop APA’s

Showcasing the different hops used in our main beers, with precisely the same malt bill (preferably, organic malt). Brewed so that two at a time can be released in the form of a comparison: “Nugget vs. Summit,” or “Cascade vs. Golding,” at 6% abv and 60 IBUs each.

“Foot” Themed Stouts

Thunderfoot is the pimp daddy, and so in its wake, a series of various styles of Stout and fusions of those could be brewed, all of them with “foot” in the name. They would be released one at a time throughout the year.

Session Dry Stout = Weefoot.
Coffee Stout = Morningfoot.
Sour Stout = Grumpyfoot (Roger endorses this one).
Belgian Stout = Leopold’s Foot.
Russian Imperial Stout = Tsarfoot.

Aged/Vintage:

Here are beers that have been brewed at Grant Line, but have yet to be released because they are still aging:

5th Anniversary (October 2007; 2 x ½ bbl)
Thunderfoot (February 2009; 8 x ½ bbl)
Malcolm’s Old Setters Ale (January 2009; 8 x ½ bbl)
Elsa von Horizon (June 2009; 14 x ½ bbl)

Brewing collaborations in the works:

NABC/Schlafly (St. Louis MO) Smoked APA/ConeSmoker … Tentative in terms of time frame, looking at late September/early October brewdate at the Schlafly Taproom.

NABC/Shoreline (Michigan City IN) … Brewer Sam Strupeck will be in New Albany in September, and we’ve invited him to brew a special batch of something.

NABC/Huber’s Winery (Starlight IN) … barrel aged (their wine, spirit barrels), with the beer(s) hopefully brewed by us and racked by late 2009 or early 2010.

Louisville Area Skeptics coming to the Public House on August 22.

I am delighted to announce that NABC's Grant Line location (pub & pizzeria) will be hosting the inaugural gathering of the Louisville Area Skeptics:

The Louisville Area Skeptics meet-up is an opportunity for people from Louisville, KY, and the surrounding areas to share their skeptical worldview. Scientific skeptics value critical thinking skills and promote the scientific method.

Here is more detailed information about the meet-up, which of course will feature pizza and beer in addition to healthy skepticism.

Welcome to the first monthly "Skeptics in the Pub" of the new Louisville Area Skeptics! Our first meetup will feature a presentation by David Ludden, Ph.D., on the topic of "The Psychology of Belief". Dr. Ludden is an associate professor of psychology at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky, where he teaches courses in cognitive, physiological and evolutionary psychology. One of his research interests is in the evolutionary basis of religious belief, and he has published on this topic in magazines such Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer and Free Inquiry.

We'll meet just over the river in New Albany at our friendly neighborhood brew house, Rich O's Public House, in their private Prost! party room. For anyone new to Rich O's, it features excellent food, such as pizza, pasta, calzones and sandwiches, as well as a huge selection of imported and craft beers.

We will spend time getting to know each other and making plans for the future of our new organization, then we'll let the skeptical goodness begin!
Thanks so much for your interest in this group! See you on the 22nd. Please RSVP!

You can RSVP at the Facebook link above.

Unfortunately, I cannot attend this first gathering, as it is the same day as the Kentuckiana Celtic Fest on New Albany’s waterfront, where NABC will be pouring Progressive Pints and listening to Celtic tunes. But thereafter, expect me to be a regular.

Both NABC locations open for business.

Rain be damned: As of 12:30 p.m., we're up and running. All the employees were not able to make it to Grant Line, but Kate reports that things are okay. There was a bit of water leakage (an ongoing issue) at Bank Street, but nothing major.

Of yeast and NABC brewing locations, with Haggis Laddie and Tafel thoughts included.

In general daily terms, beers brewed by NABC fall into three categories epending on the type of yeast used: London, California Common (for lagers) and Belgian Saison.

Broadly speaking, now that the 15bbl/30bbl Bank Street Brewhouse is up and running, the London yeast primarily will be employed downtown to brew the core portfolio of ales for distribution: Beak’s, Elector, 15-B and Hoptimus.

Lagers (Mt. Lee, Kaiser, Abzug, et al) and Belgians (Tunnel Vision, Tafel, Saisons) will be brewed at the original 4bbl/8bbl garage brewhouse off Grant Line Road.

Expect there to be exceptions, as the new yeast propagator at BSB makes it possible to grow any yeast efficiently and quickly and use it at either location, but on a day to day basis, the preceding constitutes the game plan.

Dave Pierce and Jesse Williams work at BSB, and Jared Williamson is at Grant Line. These are their primary workplaces, but there’ll be much movement between the sites, as well as the opportunity for fun and creativity once the routine is established. Until then -- and it will take some time -- we're trying to nail down schedules and rotations.

Today is the first BSB brew day of two (plus Saturday) designed so that we can have a fermenter filled with Hoptimus by the end of the day tomorrow. 15-barrel batches of Beak’s and Elector were brewed Wednesday and yesterday, and a like sized batch of 15-B comes Sunday. We’ll have 75 barrels of ale in the process of fermenting by Monday, and if this doesn’t seem like much, consider that the previous yearly high of brewing at Grant Line was just beneath 500 barrels.

Jared will be improving on that 500 bbl figure at Grant Line this year, and two of his garage brewery selections currently are on draft at Bank Street: Haggis Laddie Celtic Red and Tafel.

I mention the former with slight trepidation, as it’s Friday and the sole keg we have to sample has already been on tap for four days. It’s intended as standard, quaffing Irish-style red ale (London house yeast) and was brewed specifically for the upcoming Kentuckiana Celtic Fest on New Albany’s riverfront on August 22, hence the “Celtic” designation. A keg was surreptitiously tapped at BSB to gather customer feedback, which has been good so far. We doubt that it will become a staple, although it is hoped that the Celtic Fest will return next year, and if so, I’m sure we’ll do it again then.

The Tafel, which is on tap at both NABC locations, was for formulated by Dave as an exercise in (a) low gravity brewing for the session beer series, and (b) as a way to keep the Saison yeast working until there’s time for Jared to brew more Belgians along these lines. The word “tafel” means “table” in the Dutch, Flemish and German languages, and so it is table beer, unapologetically so. It is of characteristic Belgian flavor, quite mild with fruity spiciness, and suitable for more than one.

Here are a few of Jared’s comments, which illustrate what we learned about the yeast along the way to Tafel.

The Saison yeast worked very slowly on the Tafel, nearly 3 weeks, but I started fermentation near 72 degrees and then turned it up to 80 to finish. The Tunnel Vision I brewed last week began at 78 degrees and is already at 1020 and still rocking. If I can consistently get the results attained this week we can hold off (a different Belgian yeast strain) until higher gravity Belgians need a stronger strain later in the fall. I have several beers in the works to try with the Saison in the coming weeks/months.

Quality control never goes out of style.

At the NABC garage brewhouse (Grant Line) today, sampling a wee bit of the latest Elsa von Horizon (Imperial Pilsner) batch. It's been lagering for a month, and there's more time to go ... although I bet some gets pulled for the Great Taste of the Midwest on August 8 in Madison, WI.

NABC update: Beer events for July and August at the Public House & Pizzeria.

From today's e-newsletter:

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At the original Grant Line (Rich O’s and Sportstime) location, business continues as always. Special recognition goes to brewer Jared Williamson, who is working the Grant Line brewing system daily to make enough beer for both locations.

Apologies for not being able to precisely fix dates on a number of forthcoming beer events, but I’ll give you what I have and hope that they fall into place as expected.

In July, roughly by the 6th, we’ll be doing three English “real” ciders on the hand-pull at Grant Line: Yarlington Mill, Scrumpy and Norman (single varietal), all from Gwatkin. They’ll follow one after another until depleted, and once we decide on a serving order, I’ll let you know.

Also in July, Mike Bauman is organizing Brooklyn Brewery and Magic Hat promotional events. These probably will fall on Monday or Tuesday.

For the resumption of Lambic by the Glass, I’m going to say that some time around August 1 – 5 is the window. Again this year, I’ve had trouble sourcing enough product to pour the typical 4-oz samples. However, Shelton Brothers is shipping a few Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen selections, including Cantillon draft. When I’m able to be exact, I will.

Similarly, Sandkerwa is on for late August, circa Friday the 28th. I’m working with Shelton Brothers of a shipment of Franconian craft drafts that could be mind-blowing if it comes together, and these will be featured alongside the usual Schlenkerla smoked lagers.

Stay tuned. As a final calendar notification, don’t forget the Brewers of Indiana Guild festival in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 18. Tickets are on sale at the Public House.

Both NABC locations will be closed on Saturday, July 4.

Updates on Bank Street brewery progress, among other news items.

Everyone wants to know when brewing will begin at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Trust me: I’m among the inquiring minds.

Inside, plumbing, electrical and glycol (chiller) installation has been ongoing. The boiler is supposed to be operational by June 15 or thereabouts. Work is being done in the grain room, and with the mechanics to transport grain to the mash tun.

The only real sticking point thus far is the gas line coming into the building, which must be modified by Vectren to be of use. We think this has been scheduled for the 15th. If so, grain can be ordered shortly thereafter, and brewing will commence. Licensing is in place, so we’re okay on the regulatory front.

The four brands to be brewed initially at Bank Street for outside distribution are Elector, Beak’s Best, Bob’s Old 15-B and Hoptimus. Others like Community Dark will remain available to old familiar customers, and these will be brewed at Grant Line, where Jared also will brew seasonal and specialties.

In other news:

Outside, the north patio (half the former parking lot, where smoking will be permitted) is being constructed. The roof is going up first, followed by the stone walls and then furnishings. The sidewalk on the eastern building front has been approved for replacement by the city, and once poured and finished, it will extend further into the street, permitting non-smoking outdoor tables between the building and the sidewalk. This should begin soon.

Mark Tuesday, July 14 on your calendars. There’ll be a special Bastille Day menu at Bank Street, prepared by Chef Josh Lehman, and a few special French Bieres de Garde that I’m “importing” for the occasion – not that Elector doesn’t pair with cassoulet.

Finally, on the beer front at Grant Line, the summer’s being dedicated to the long-awaited revamp of the bottled guest beer program. As part of the annual culling of some items and adding others, we’ll be changing the way we organize the menu to emphasize style and point the way to the many new and exciting beers now available to us.

Your patronage is appreciated, and don’t forget to direct your questions to me, the Publican: roger@newalbanian.com

After Fest of Ale on Saturday, a Left Hand meet 'n' greet at the Public House.

If you’re a beer aficionado residing in the Louisville metro area, you probably already know that this coming Saturday, June 6, is the occasion for Fest of Ale, which owner Todd Antz of Clarksville’s Keg Liquors seems willing and able to grow into a true signature event.

In three years, the event has grown from 75 paid attendees to 450 (in 2008), and for this year’s fourth edition, Todd has chosen a new venue: St. Anthony’s of Padua Catholic Church, located at 320 N. Sherwood Avenue in Clarksville.

It should come as no surprise that in previous years, selected beer personages in attendance have fanned out after the Fest of Ale’s conclusion and visited other notable on-premise beer spots in Louisville metro.

With this in mind, NABC Grant Line (Rich O’s and Sportstime) is teaming up with Cavalier Distributing (Indianapolis) and sales rep Mike Walters of Left Hand Brewing Company (Colorado) to stage a post-Fest meet ‘n’ greet in the Prost room at Rich O’s.

Two rare Left Hand specialties will be on tap, and specially priced by the half-pint for the occasion:

Left Hand Oak-Aged Imperial Stout
Left Hand St. Vrain Tripple

Plus, Mike will be bringing the remainder of his Fest of Ale bottle samples, so if you missed them at the event, free evening nips will be available.

We’ll be starting around 8:30 p.m. and continuing until 10:30 p.m.

And, don't forget the weekend's other event: Great Flanagan's Beer Fest is Sunday, June 7. NABC will be there, too.