"I think we are one of the best breweries in the world."

I love a good shtick.

The Back & Forth W/ SAM CRUZ (jeremyrichie.net)

Against The Grain Is One Of The Booming Drink And Grub Joints Here In Louisville. How Did It All Come To Fruition?

“Honestly, I think it’s our commitment to quality and improvement. For so long, Louisville has had a handful of places that were the ‘it’ spots and I think many of them got too comfortable with the position. So when we (and we certainly aren’t alone) came into the picture, folks were chomping at the bit to get a higher quality product and experience. Which leads me to another point. We have such an amazing city with all the potential and abilities of other cities. So it only seemed fitting that we could do things as good (if not better) as some of the other ‘rock-star’ breweries in the U.S.A. That said, we can also be proud of it. Maybe it’s a bit presumptuous, but I don’t give a fuck. I think we are one of the best breweries in the world, and definitely the best in KY. I’d put our beer on the table next to anything on the globe. I guess it’s ‘that’ that propels us forward.”

A weird scene at the ATG table, Indiana Microbrewers Fest, 2012.

Something to do with Tangerine Porter and a tramp stamp?

Glimpsing men at work.

I took the camera with me to yesterday's meeting at NABC's original Grant Line Road location, and snapped a few images of Sam Cruz and Ben Minton hard at work in the heat and humidity of the R & D Brewery. The photos are at Facebook.

One Fine Day at NABC's R & D Brewery

We remain very appreciative to Sam for the brief months we'll have him on duty. Soon, he'll be productively engaged at Against the Grain, For now, Sam's the professional bridge to Jared's permanent replacement, and it's been a pure pleasure working with him.

Sam Cruz is giving NABC a hand, and we thank him.

(Earlier in the year, we had beers at BBC 3rd Street. Left to right: Jared Williamson, Josh Hill and Sam Cruz)

Let's begin with a blurb.

If you’re looking for a great way to spend a Monday evening, permit me to point again to the beer dinner at NA Exchange on June 27, featuring Dave Clancy’s culinary expressions accompanied by handpicked NABC favorites.

Move fast: NA Exchange/NABC beer dinner coming on Monday, June 27.

It will be Jared Williamson’s last NABC beer dinner (think of it as a victory lap), before he leaves for a new job at Schlafly and a new life in St. Louis. Join us for a celebration of beer and brewing memories, and a hopeful view to the future.

Earlier in the week, I mentioned our succession plan for the Research and Development brewery at the Pizzeria & Public House. The first stage of our “bridge” to a permanent brewer has commenced with the temporary assistance of Sam Cruz, late of BBC’s 3rd Street location.

Sam recently left BBC to continue his efforts to bring the Against the Grain brewing project in Louisville to fruition, in conjunction with a group of partners. Sam probably will be brewing for NABC for a few months, until Against the Grain is up and running. The timing is beneficial both for NABC and Sam, and I'm thankful he was available to help.

Suddenly, it seems the Kentuckiana brewing scene has been jolted, and is evolving. To know me is to know I'm for it, even if there are bumps and annoyances along the way. As soon as I'm in a position to describe what happens next for NABC, I'll provide an account here.

Photo essay: A visit to BBC Third Street.

I finally made it to visit the new Bluegrass Brewing Company location in downtown Louisville at Main and 3rd, right across the street from the new KFC Yum! Center.

Brewer Sam Cruz is brewing all the draft beers on site save for a couple of specialties brought in from the original St. Matthews location, and he seems quite at home in the "hallway" brewhouse behind the bar.

After a round of wings and APAs, NABC's Jared Williamson and Josh Hill joined me before hitting the streets for an afternoon of C2 pre-sales.