Smokin' hot ... not smokin' a cigarette.

In response to yesterday's post, "It's a cigarette, people -- and Santa Claus does not exist!," reader Antzman wrote:

"Maybe you should have used a bikini clad Swedish Santa Claus..... no censorship would have occurred at all!"

Funny you should mention that angle, A, because here's what John orginally had in mind.

Naughty Claus escapes to Flanagan's -- Saturday, December 13.

NABC Winter Release Party at Flanagan's, December 13.

I've often written in this space that I have great personal admiration for what the O'Sheas have done with their family of pubs in Louisville, including O'Shea's, Flanagan's and Brendan's, and soon to include a fourth ooutpost downtown on Market Street. As such, I'm delighted that we'll be staging a special event with them.

Stay tuned for details, but for now, know that the New Albanian Brewing Company will be on hand at Flanagan's Ale House (934 Baxter Avenue in the Highlands ) for a Winter Release Party on Saturday, December 13, from 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

The party will take place in the Red Room (nice touch, guys) at Flanagan's. The main attraction will be the tapping of the only kegs of Naughty Claus and Bonfire of the Valkyries that will appear in Louisville in 2008, but there'll also be other NABC beers on tap as well as live music.

NABC brewery news and notes: Solidarity, Naughty Claus and cask-conditioned Phoenix Komon.

Before reviewing last week's brew schedule, let's take a look at the hand pull, where a firkin of cask-conditioned NABC Phoenix Komon just went on tap. Phoenix is our dark, sour throwback recipe from olden Louisville times, and normally it is intended as a brew-quick, drink-quick quencher, but this firkin is special because Jared experimented.

The ale inside has spent a year on oak chips. The characteristic tartness remains intact, albeit balanced by oakiness. The cask breather component that cracked has been replaced, so we can taking our time drinking this one.

Last week, the brew crew revived one historic NABC formulation and recast a second.

Solidarity, a Baltic Porter originally brewed by founding NABC brewmeister Michael Borchers, will return for the February 27 opening of Gravity Head 2009. Here's the recipe:

2-row, aromatic, crystal, chocolate and black malts
Saaz and Spalt hops (50 IBUs)
California Common yeast
Circa 10% abv

The 2008 version of NABC Naughty Claus was put to bed last week, and it's different from last year in more than one respect. The contents:

2-row, chocolate, aromatic malts
No hops used.
Dutch dark cocoa and fresh mint
House London yeast
Circa 7% abv

Press release: NABC seasonals queuing for December and January.

Two cherished New Albanian Brewing Company seasonal brews make their appearance each year in December, and a third is released in January. All three are ideal for chilly winter weather.

Timed to help kick off NABC’s month-long, annual Saturnalia Winter Solstice draft extravaganza, Bonfire of the Valkyries and Naughty Claus both will hit the brewpub’s taps on December 12.

Bonfire of the Valkyries (circa 6.5% abv) is a hybrid Schwarzbier (black lager) and Rauchbier (smoked lager). Weyermann malt from Bamberg lends a gentle, not excessive, smokiness. It’s magic fire mood music for Saturnalia.

Brewers Jesse Williams and Jared Williamson look forward to slightly tweaking each year’s Naughty Claus (7.5% abv), a holiday-spiced winter warmer featuring four malts, molasses, dark brown sugar, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and a few Saaz hops out of habit, if nothing else. Caroling is optional.

The bulk of the molasses purchased to make Naughty Claus goes into Old Lightning Rod, NABC’s Colonial-era strong ale, which is released every year on January 17 as homage to Benjamin Franklin.

It is hoped that the 2009 unveiling of Old Lightning Rod will take place at NABC’s second, expanded brew house in downtown New Albany, although it will be available at the original Grant Line Road location, too. Call 812-949-2804 for details, or visit www.newalbanian.com.