Upcoming weekend Anstich pouring schedule at the Public House.

Once again, permit me to thank Starlight Distributing for bringing the Shelton Brothers import portfolio back to Indiana. It's amazing; we order beers, and then almost all of them are delivered in a timely fashion. At any rate, the coming weekend will bring two more 20-liter, gravity-pour “Anstich” kegs from small family breweries in Franconia (Northern Bavaria).

Friday, December 16:
Zum Grunen Baum Landbier (Brauerei-Gasthof Zum Grunen Baum “Bayer” in Rauhenebrach-Theinheim) ... 5:00 p.m. tapping

Saturday, December 17:
Löwenbräu Buttenheim Ungespundetes Lagerbier (Kellerbier; Löwenbräu Buttenheim, Buttenheim) ... 3:00 p.m. tapping

At some point between now and the end of the month, we're still expecting selected CO2-dispense kegs of Franconian delights, including Spezial Rauchbier, Mahr’s Ungespundetes Lager and Mahr’s Christmas Bock. As always, stay tuned.

Achtung, baby: Two Mahrs Brau gravity-pour Anstich kegs celebrate Saturnalia this weekend.

Last weekend's Anstich keg of Schlenkerla Eiche was sublime, but there's more coming.

Thanks to the advent of Starlight Distributing, the Shelton Brothers import portfolio has returned to Indiana, and not a moment too soon; a long delayed round of fresh, rare 20-liter, gravity-pour “Anstich” kegs from small family breweries in Franconia (Northern Bavaria) were ordered for Saturnalia MMXI, and they have started arriving.

We'll tap the first two Anstich kegs this weekend at the Pizzeria & Public House. There'll be 40 half-liter pours in each, so be there on time.

Friday, December 2:
Mahr's Brau Christmas Bock (Mahrs Bräu, Bamberg) ... 5:00 p.m. tapping

Saturday, December 3:
Mahr's Brau Unfiltered Pilsner (Mahrs Bräu, Bamberg) ... 3:00 p.m. tapping

Also ordered for Saturnalia (Anstich):

Zum Grunen Baum Landbier (Brauerei-Gasthof Zum Grunen Baum “Bayer” in Rauhenebrach-Theinheim)

Löwenbräu Buttenheim Ungespundetes Lagerbier (Kellerbier; Löwenbräu Buttenheim, Buttenheim)

In addition, we may have a few other conventional CO2-dispense kegs of Franconian delight: Spezial Rauchbier, Mahr’s Ungespundetes Lager and more Mahr’s Christmas Bock. Stay tuned.

Saturnalia MMXI .PDF link.

http://www.newalbanian.com/nabcsite2008/downloads/Saturnalia_program_2011_MMXI_Final.pdf

Today: Saturnalia MMXI kicks off at 11:00 a.m. at the Pizzeria & Public House.

Saturnalia MMXI kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Plaid Friday (that’s today, November 25) at the Pizzeria & Public House, and here are the listed selections that will be pouring.

Unexpected but welcomed
A late addition to the list will be on tap today: Affligem Noël (9% abv).

Eiche/Anstich
At opening today, Eric will tap an Anstich (gravity dispense) keg of …

Schlenkerla Eiche (Oak)
Traditionally, beechwood is the brewery’s wood of choice; oak comes dearer, and generally is not used for such purposes. Until 2009, that is, when this was one of the year’s best. 8% abv.

We’ll be serving Schlenkerla Eiche by the half-liter while it lasts, and at the bargain basement rate of $5 plus sales tax. Think of it as our Oaked Friday Special.

The Other Eight
Look (here) sometime on Friday morning for the link to the Saturnalia MMXI program in .pdf format. You can save, print and peruse. Meanwhile, here are the other eight starters for today.

Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”), 2011 Vintage
This holiday ale’s recipe has differed a tad each year since inception in 1975, but the conceptual links with trees (on the bottle label) and the winter solstice have endured throughout. 5.5% abv.

Boulevard Nutcracker Ale
It’s a classic winter warmer, but with a distinctly American twist of freshly harvested Chinook hops, flown to the brewery from the Pac NW. 5.8% abv.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Dark mahogany in color (two row, caramel, chocolate, black malts) with Chinook and Mt. Hood for balance. Very Colorado, with a healthy 7.4% abv.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Among the more consistent of Abbey-style producers, Corsendonk’s annual Christmas Ale never ceases to be anticipated. Is that a hint of coriander amid the ruby-chestnut elegance? 8.5% abv.

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
The usual Yeti hopping is muted; cocoa nibs peek through, combining with vanilla from the oak chips and a hint of cayenne pepper. 9.5% abv.

Great Divide Hibernation Ale
It’s a winter ale, but one that is lagered for three months prior to release. Perhaps overshadowed by some of today’s extreme microbrews, but enduring, unique and worthy in its own right - deep, nutty and smooth. 8.1% abv.

NABC Naughty Claus
Santa needs daze off, too
A rich, full-bodied holiday spiced seasonal that changes wardrobe a bit each year as we experiment with festive additives: For 2011, malts include US Pale Ale Malt (Rahr), Belgian Aromatic Malt and Simpsons Crystal Medium, with Hosey honey added. Hops are German Hallertauer and Magnum. Orange Peel, Sweet Ginger Root, Cinnamon and Nutmeg are the spices (with dry-gingering in the Brite tanks). NABC’s house Chouffe yeast completes the scene. 8% abv.

Ommegang/Chouffe Gnomegang
Think of it as a cross-Atlantic collaboration brew between the slightly older school Brasserie Achouffe and America’s Ommegang. The style is Belgian Strong Blonde Ale, with three malts, some oats and wheat and Saaz hops. 9.5% abv.

The pouring for Saturnalia MMXI begins on Plaid Friday, November 25.

It's time again for NABC's annual Saturnalia primer.

Just like last year, some listed selections for Saturnalia MMXI will begin pouring on Plaid Friday, November 25. I'll post the starters some time that morning. In the past, we were able to have many more Saturnalia beers pouring at once, but these days there are fewer taps to fill with 12-15 NABC house beers are on tap all the time. There'll be six, maybe eight Saturnalia beers on draft at any given time, plenty enough to last through December.

The NABC Pizzeria & Public House opens at 11:00 a.m. on the 25th. Note also that in the interest of saving a few bucks, I'll once again refrain from printing the official program, although it will be posted as a .pdf at the website, and you can download and print it yourself if desired. The link will appear here and on Facebook as soon as the program is finished.

Following are the simple listings of 30 beers for Saturnalia MMXI.

Anchor Christmas Ale (“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”) 2011
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Boulevard Harvest Dance Wheat Wine 9.1%
Boulevard Nutcracker Ale *
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2010
Clipper City Winter Storm
Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Dark Horse Tres
Einbecker Winter Dopple Bock
Great Divide Belgian Yeti
Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Left Hand Fade to Black 2011
Mahrs Christmas Bock
NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries
NABC Naughty Claus
NABC Solidarity
New Belgium Snow Day
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Ommegang/Chouffe Gnommegang
North Coast Brother Thelonious
Schlenkerla Eiche
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Black IPA
Stone Belgo IRS 2011
Stone Double Bastard 2010
Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter
Two Brothers Hop Juice

For those just tuning in, we've been doing this for a while.

In pre-Christian Rome, Saturnalia was the annual winter solstice celebration coinciding with the feast days for Saturn (god of sowing and the harvest), Consus (god of the storage bin) and Opa (goddess of plenty).

Many of our contemporary winter holiday traditions derive from Saturnalia’s pagan roots, including the hanging of wreaths and garlands, donations to the needy, prayers for peace, time off work to be enjoyed with family, and of course eating, drinking and merriment.

NABC pays tribute to these ancient pagan origins with Saturnalia, our holiday draft celebration. When the doors open at 11:00 a.m. on our new Saturnalia kick-off day, Plaid Friday (November 25, 2011), the first wave of sacrificial MMXI Saturnalia selections will be tapped in the traditional, ritualistic manner, and the hedonistic pleasures will begin. The remaining kegs will be deployed as the days pass, and the revelry is expected to continue throughout the month of December.

Pricing and portion sizes vary according to alcohol content and style. During the festival’s run, information and updates will appear on our web site: www.newalbanian.com