Session Beer Day 2012 - a final thought.

Session Head today, with Struise's Single Black as a final addition.

One extra Session Head beer has been added (at the Pizzeria & Public House only), courtesy of Tim Eads at Starlight Distribution:

It's Struise Black Damnation VII: Single Black, a Stout coming in at only 2.0% abv.

Single Black is part of the "Black Damnation" project, using Black Albert (Russian Imperial Stout) as the jumping off point for a series of different recipes. Most of the ones released to date have been appropriate for Gravity Head in terns of their alcohol content, and Single Black is by far the "smallest" of them. It's a reminder of the brewing tradition of second, and sometimes third runnings of the same mash.

For the other beers being tapped today, go here.

Session Head preview for Saturday, April 7.

For NABC’s first-ever Session Head this Saturday (known elsewhere as Session Beer Day, but we have our own oddities to perpetuate), we’ll be taking a minimalist approach – with no pun intended.

From Gravity Head to Session Head in six weeks and 3.5% less ABV.

The idea is to inaugurate a tradition, and then see where it goes from here in the years to come. We’ll have three of our own beers on tap at the Pizzeria & Public House and Bank Street Brewhouse:

Community Dark … English Mild, 3.7% abv, year-round
(Extra)Ordinary … English Ordinary Bitter, circa 4% abv, spring seasonal ... regular pour at the Pizzeria & Public House, and cask-conditioned at BSB
Tafel … Belgian Table/Session Ale, 4% abv, year-round

At the Pizzeria & Public House, in addition to the three NABC beers, there’ll be three other American-brewed craft beers sourced just for the occasion, and a fourth from Belgium:

Crown Brewing Brown … English Brown, 4.1% abv
Flat12 - 12 Penny Scottish … Scottish Export, 3.4% abv
Kentucky Ale Light … Kolsch, 4% abv
Struise Black Damnation VII: Single Black ... Stout, 2.0% abv

Of course, Upland Wheat (Belgian Wit; 4.5% abv) and Guinness Draft Stout (Dry Stout; 4.2% abv) are on tap every day at the Pizzeria & Public House, and they fit, too.

The pours will be full Imperial pints (duh), and when the three guests are gone, they're gone. Thanks to Lew Bryson for fighting the session fight.

From Gravity Head to Session Head in six weeks and 3.5% less ABV.

Previously at PC: Speaking of radical insurgencies, Session Beer Day is Saturday, April 7.

This is just like the good old days, planning on the fly. Not a lot of hype and hooey, just great beers with a loose theme, and the opportunity to educate. It's been too long, indeed.

NABC can offer three of its own beers for Session Beer Day, and we’re looking to see what can be foraged nearby. I had a delicious light pilsner (circa 3.7% abv) at Against the Grain on Monday afternoon. There's Kentucky Light, a Kölsch coming in at 4% abv. Any other locals?

NABC's everyday Community Dark (English Mild) is 3.7%, and our year-round Tafelbier is 4%. Coincidentally, we already planned the seasonal (Extra)Ordinary to be on tap at sub-4%, right around the beginning of April. That makes three sure drafts for Session Beer Day. Throw in two or three more, and we have a miniature tap takeover by the full pint pour.

This points to the ultimate irony: With our 14th annual Gravity Head strong beer fest (listed kegs at 8%+) now winding down, what better to follow it than the polar opposite? Having the chance to follow Gravity Head with Session Head on Session Beer Day – to me, that’s priceless.

Here again are the parameters as defined by Lew Bryson.

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The Session Beer Project exists for one reason: to promote the brewing, provision, and enjoyment of session beers. Session beers are:


► under 4.5% alcohol by volume
► flavorful enough to be interesting -- no light beers, please
► balanced enough for multiple pints
► conducive to conversation
► reasonably priced


In brief, low-alcohol, but not low-taste. It's deliberately vague. The great thing about session beers, especially the ones that come in under 3.5%, is that you can enjoy several beers, and still have a BAC of under 0.04. If you really like drinking beer, session is the way to go!


SBP was started in January of 2007 by beer writer Lew Bryson for two reasons. First, to spread the word about session beers so more people could enjoy them. Second, to better Lew's chances of finding good session beers to drink.


Session Beers: Thanks, I'll Have Another!