The newly released bottled beer list at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House is now available for viewing and printing at our web site.
Here's the tiny version: http://tiny.cc/1g1or
The list went live yesterday. A few of the beers remain on back order, but roughly 95% are in house and ready to drink.
Showing posts with label bottled beer list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bottled beer list. Show all posts
Friday, May 06, 2011
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Wednesday Weekly: At long last, the millstone is reformed.
(Apologies; I've been too damned busy to write Wednesday Weekly, but the election's over, I lost, and it's time to get back to it)
I’ll confess to having written next to nothing about our momentous reform of the guest bottle list at the Pizzeria & Public House since January at the most recent.
There has been a very good reason for my silence, primarily that the list itself has not been ready for prime time. There’s been nothing to write, but now it is finished.
As with most such ideas, this one has been far easier in the conceptualization phase than when it comes to actualizing in the real world.
Back around December and January, I made an effort to preview the new list here at the blog, and even this had to be suspended owing to the number of times we made changes. In turn, the changes were necessitated by the dizzying speed with which beers have been coming and going, into Indiana and then back out.
Recall that for a beer brewed out of state to be legally available through Indiana wholesaling channels, there must be a distribution agreement in place. If you’ve been reading the headlines, you already know that the pace of change has been frenetic, as some craft brewers contract while others expand.
(Indiana brewers are permitted to self-distribute, which is why you’re seeing Sun King cans on the new list … but I digress)
To illustrate, let’s review. The reform was explained here: Wednesday Weekly: The milestone of reforming a millstone.
To reiterate, the main bottled beer list must be a consistent, readily obtainable, everyday guide to the panoply of world beer styles as defined by the BJCP.
That’s Beer Judge Certification Program, by the way.
It has been a herculean task to sort through available beers, first to find ones that fit the BJCP’s style categories and sub-categories (we’re trying to teach, after all), and then to keep our choices fixed as availability waxed and waned, but I’m pleased to announce that whenever the physical, paper lists arrive from the printer, hopefully tomorrow, we’re finished.
The Pizzeria & Public House bottle list now will include roughly 125 beers (presumably) available on an everyday basis. We’ve tried to skew the list toward American craft beer where possible, because that’s the idea. However, plenty of good European choices remain.
These will be augmented by a rotating list of seasonals and specials comprising perhaps 20 more. At the beginning, there’ll still be previous stocks of beers destined for selling through, and some good deals therein. Look for these on the blackboards.
Next, we get to work on Cider, Meads and Lambic. The selections of Cider and Mead will be consistent and uniform.
Lambic is a different story, as most of the ones I like come from Shelton Brothers, which still is not distributing in Indiana. A certain number of vintage dated Lambic brands will be offered until they’re gone. By then, maybe reason will have prevailed.
The one thing I said we’d do that isn’t coming down immediately is this: Style Council. It is slated to be a “drink all the selections on the list, get your name on the wall of foam” type of promotion, and it still is scheduled to occur, except that first, we want staff to be comfortable with the new arrangement, and have a chance to cull and update the reformed bottle list, since change is the only constant. Style Council is likely to begin by summer.
Thanks for your patience, and once we get underway, please give me your feedback. I’m considering periodic public meetings along the lines of Office Hours, at which we’ll entertain suggestions for changes and improvements, and (of course) drink the available options.
I’ll confess to having written next to nothing about our momentous reform of the guest bottle list at the Pizzeria & Public House since January at the most recent.
There has been a very good reason for my silence, primarily that the list itself has not been ready for prime time. There’s been nothing to write, but now it is finished.
As with most such ideas, this one has been far easier in the conceptualization phase than when it comes to actualizing in the real world.
Back around December and January, I made an effort to preview the new list here at the blog, and even this had to be suspended owing to the number of times we made changes. In turn, the changes were necessitated by the dizzying speed with which beers have been coming and going, into Indiana and then back out.
Recall that for a beer brewed out of state to be legally available through Indiana wholesaling channels, there must be a distribution agreement in place. If you’ve been reading the headlines, you already know that the pace of change has been frenetic, as some craft brewers contract while others expand.
(Indiana brewers are permitted to self-distribute, which is why you’re seeing Sun King cans on the new list … but I digress)
To illustrate, let’s review. The reform was explained here: Wednesday Weekly: The milestone of reforming a millstone.
To reiterate, the main bottled beer list must be a consistent, readily obtainable, everyday guide to the panoply of world beer styles as defined by the BJCP.
That’s Beer Judge Certification Program, by the way.
It has been a herculean task to sort through available beers, first to find ones that fit the BJCP’s style categories and sub-categories (we’re trying to teach, after all), and then to keep our choices fixed as availability waxed and waned, but I’m pleased to announce that whenever the physical, paper lists arrive from the printer, hopefully tomorrow, we’re finished.
The Pizzeria & Public House bottle list now will include roughly 125 beers (presumably) available on an everyday basis. We’ve tried to skew the list toward American craft beer where possible, because that’s the idea. However, plenty of good European choices remain.
These will be augmented by a rotating list of seasonals and specials comprising perhaps 20 more. At the beginning, there’ll still be previous stocks of beers destined for selling through, and some good deals therein. Look for these on the blackboards.
Next, we get to work on Cider, Meads and Lambic. The selections of Cider and Mead will be consistent and uniform.
Lambic is a different story, as most of the ones I like come from Shelton Brothers, which still is not distributing in Indiana. A certain number of vintage dated Lambic brands will be offered until they’re gone. By then, maybe reason will have prevailed.
The one thing I said we’d do that isn’t coming down immediately is this: Style Council. It is slated to be a “drink all the selections on the list, get your name on the wall of foam” type of promotion, and it still is scheduled to occur, except that first, we want staff to be comfortable with the new arrangement, and have a chance to cull and update the reformed bottle list, since change is the only constant. Style Council is likely to begin by summer.
Thanks for your patience, and once we get underway, please give me your feedback. I’m considering periodic public meetings along the lines of Office Hours, at which we’ll entertain suggestions for changes and improvements, and (of course) drink the available options.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP style 17.
Here is another in a series of postings revealing the sections of our new, evolving beer list at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House. Style 17 poses problems that pertain both to designations of particular beers (reds, browns) and my desire to keep the imported choices at a minimum. See if it makes sense, and let me know.
Bear in mind: What beers are available for putchase from wholesalers on a daily basis, year-round? Based on breaking information, it may not be possible for me to stock Bruocsella for precisely this reason.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP style 16.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 14 and 15.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
Bear in mind: What beers are available for putchase from wholesalers on a daily basis, year-round? Based on breaking information, it may not be possible for me to stock Bruocsella for precisely this reason.
17. SOUR ALE
17A. Berliner Weisse
Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse (Weihenstephaner)
Germany; 5% … 16.9 oz … 8.75
17B. Flanders Red Ale
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja … MI; 7.2% … 25.4 oz … 18.75
*New Belgium La Folie … CO; 6% … $.$$
17C. Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
(Currently, good examples are not available)
17D. Straight (Unblended) Lambic
Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella … Belgium; 5% … 25.4 oz … $.$$
17E. Gueuze
Hanssens Oude Gueuze … Belgium; 6% … $.$$
17F. Fruit Lambic
Sweetened: Lindemans Cassis (Currant); Framboise (Raspberry); Kriek (Cherry); Peche (Peach); Pomme (Apple) … Belgium; 4% … 8.25
Roger maintains a small and changing reserve list of authentic Lambics from Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Girardin and others. Ask for it.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP style 16.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 14 and 15.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP style 16.
Here is another in a series of postings revealing the sections of our new, evolving beer list at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 14 and 15.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 14 and 15.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
16. BELGIAN AND FRENCH ALE
16A. Witbier
*Celis White … MI; 3.9%. … $.$$
16B. Belgian Pale Ale
NABC Tafelbier … IN (draft)
16C. Saison
Ommegang Hennepin … NY; 7.7% … 25.4 oz ...10.00
16D. Bière de Garde
St. Amand French Country Ale … France; 5.9% … 25.4 oz … 14.50
*Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Style Country Ale … IL; 5.9% … $.$$
16E. Belgian Specialty Ale
Achouffe Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel … Belgium; 9% … 25.4 oz … 12.75
Achouffe La Chouffe … Belgium; 8% … 25.4 oz … 12.75
Achouffe McChouffe … Belgium; 8% … 25.4 oz … 12.75
Avery “The Reverend” Quadrupel … CO; 10% … 22 oz … 11.00
DeuS Brut des Flandres … Belgium; 11.5% … 25.4 oz … 37.75
La Trappe Quadrupel (Koningshoeven) … Netherlands; 10% … 25.4 oz … 16.00
New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale … CO; 5.6% … 22 oz … 7.50
Ommegang Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend… NY; 9.8% … 25.4 oz … 11.75
Orval … Belgium; 6.9% … 7.75
Scaldis (Dubuisson/”Bush”) … Belgium; 12% … 8.54 oz … 6.75
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 14 and 15.
For the sake of public discussion and viewing, I'm gradually posting sections of the new, evolving beer list at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House. Information is as yet incomplete, and I look forward to feedback. The current plan is to launch this effort in late January, which means that there'll be close-outs periodically as we offload and reload.
The goal remains using the bottled list to educate, and simplifying it so that the beers on it are always on it, every day. There'll be seasonal and specialty offerings, too, as compiled on other lists.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
The goal remains using the bottled list to educate, and simplifying it so that the beers on it are always on it, every day. There'll be seasonal and specialty offerings, too, as compiled on other lists.
Previously:
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
14. INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
14A. English IPA
*Brooklyn East India Pale Ale … NY; 6.8% … $.$$
14B. American IPA
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale … MI; 7.1% … 4.00
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA … DE; 6% … 4.25
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA … CA; 7.2% … 3.75
Stone IPA (India Pale Ale) … CA; 6.9% … 22 oz … 6.50
Victory HopDevil … PA; 6.7% … 3.50
14C. Imperial IPA
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA … DE; 9% … 5.25
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA … CO; 10% … 22 oz … 11.50
Stone Ruination IPA … CA; 7.7% … 22 oz 8.25
15. GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER
15A. Weizen/Weissbier
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse … Germany; 5% … 16.9 oz … 5.50
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier … Germany; 5.4% … 16.9 oz … 5.75
15B. Dunkelweizen
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel … Germany; 5%. 16.9 oz 5.50
Schneider Weisse … Germany; 5.4% … 16.9 oz … 6.25
15C. Weizenbock
Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock (Schneider) … Germany; 12% … 7.25
Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock (Schneider) … Germany; 8.2% … 16.9 oz … 7.75
15D. Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)
(Only sporadically seen outside Germany)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 10 - 13.
Remember: We'll be doing many American Pale Ales (and IPAs, for that matter) on draft, too, so there will be representation galore for this consumer favorite style. Note that Bell's Expedition Stout, while a staple of previous lists, falls through the cracks here because it is not available everyday. I suspect we'll have some around. The goal remains using the bottled list to educate, and simplifying it so that the beers on it are always on it. There'll be seasonal and specialty offerings, too.
10. AMERICAN ALE
10A. American Pale Ale
BBC American Pale Ale … Kentucky; 5.7% … 3.50
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale … California; 5.6% … 3.75
10B. American Amber Ale
New Belgium Fat Tire … Colorado; 5.2% … 22 oz … 7.50
Stone Levitation … California; 4.4% … 4.00
10C. American Brown Ale
*Dogfish Head Indian Brown … Delaware; 7.2% … $.$$
11. ENGLISH BROWN ALE
11A. Mild
NABC Community Dark … on draft, every day
11B. Southern English Brown
(BJCP says: “Increasingly rare.” Unavailable here)
11C. Northern English Brown
New Castle Brown Ale … England; 4.7% … 4.25
Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale … England; 5% … 5.00
12. PORTER
12A. Brown Porter
Samuel Smith “The Famous” Taddy Porter … England; 5% … 5.00
12B. Robust Porter
Founders Porter … Michigan; 6.5%. … 4.00
Rogue Mocha Porter … Oregon; 5.3%. ... 4.25
12C. Baltic Porter
Baltika “6” Porter … Russia; 7% … 16.9 oz … 5.50
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter … Maryland; 9.2%. … 5.25
Sinebrychoff Porter … Finland; 7.2%. … 6.25
13. STOUT
13A. Dry Stout
Guinness Stout … on draft, every day
13B. Sweet Stout
Left Hand Milk Stout … Colorado; 5.2%. … 4.25
13C. Oatmeal Stout
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout … England; 5%. … 5.00
13D. Foreign Extra Stout
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout … Ireland 7.5% … $.$$
13E. American Stout
*Avery Out of Bounds Stout … Colorado; 5.1% … $.$$
13F. Russian Imperial Stout
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout … Colorado; 9.5% … 22 oz … 11.50
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout … California; 9% … 5.00
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout … England; 7% … 5.00
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 6 - 9.
Asterisks denote beers we must add to the list; all prices are subject to review, and if not listed, that's because we don't know the cost yet. My standard for selection has been everyday availability, year-round, with preference to American-made beer over imports when sensible.
Obviously, there'll be exceptions. Maybe this would be a good time to ask Sun King if we'll be permitted to buy cans ... details, details.
Obviously, there'll be exceptions. Maybe this would be a good time to ask Sun King if we'll be permitted to buy cans ... details, details.
6. LIGHT HYBRID BEER
6A. Cream Ale
*Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale … Indiana; 5.3%. … $.$$
6B. Blonde Ale
*Southern Star Bombshell Blonde … Texas; 5.25% … $.$$
6C. Kölsch
Reissdorf Kölsch … Germany; 4.8% … 16.9 oz … 6.25
6D. American Wheat or Rye Beer
*Three Floyds Gumballhead … Indiana; 5.5% … $.$$
7. AMBER HYBRID BEER
7A. Northern German Altbier
(I’m still looking)
7B. California Common Beer
Anchor Steam … California; 4.9% … 4.25
7C. Düsseldorf Altbier
BBC Amber … Kentucky; 4.19% … $.$$
8. ENGLISH PALE ALE
8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter
(Usually UK cask ale only; few are exported)
8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
*Schlafly Pale Ale … Missouri; 4.4% … $.$$
8c. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
Fuller’s ESB … England; 5.9% … 4.50
Old Speckled Hen … England; 5.2% … 16.9 oz … 6.75
9. SCOTTISH AND IRISH ALE
9A. Scottish Light 60/-
(Cask ale only; not exported to the USA)
9B. Scottish Heavy 70/-
(Only sporadically available in good condition)
9C. Scottish Export 80/-
*Belhaven Scottish Ale … Scotland; 5.2% … $.$$
9D. Irish Red Ale
Smithwicks … Ireland; 4.5% … 4.25
9E. Strong Scotch Ale
Founders Dirty Bastard … Michigan; 8.5% … 3.75
*Three Floyds Robert the Bruce … Indiana; 6.5%. … $.$$
Traquair House Ale … Scotland; 7.2% … 8.75
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bottled beer list piece by piece: BJCP styles 2 - 5.
For public discussion and viewing, I'll be posting sections of the new, evolving beer list at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House.
Let's just say that in filling the slots of the BJCP categories that denote what many of us would consider "lesser" beer styles (clears throat), there are many to choose from, little that inspires, and much debate, although Bockland is more interesting than the rest.
Also, bear in mind that everything's provisional at this point. Category 1, Light Lager, is here: No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
Let's just say that in filling the slots of the BJCP categories that denote what many of us would consider "lesser" beer styles (clears throat), there are many to choose from, little that inspires, and much debate, although Bockland is more interesting than the rest.
Also, bear in mind that everything's provisional at this point. Category 1, Light Lager, is here: No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
2. PILSNER
2A. German Pilsner (Pils)
Warsteiner … Germany; 4.8% … 4.00
2B. Bohemian Pilsener
Pilsner Urquell … Czech Republic. 4.4% … 3.75
2C. Classic American Pilsner
(NABC’s Kaiser 2nd Reising periodically appears on draft).
3. EUROPEAN AMBER LAGER
3A. Vienna Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Lager … Massachusetts HQ; 4.9% … 3.75
3B. Oktoberfest
(Seasonal only, circa September)
4. DARK LAGER
4A. Dark American Lager
*Leinenkugel Creamy Dark … Wisconsin; 4.9% … $.$$
4B. Munich Dunkel
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel … Germany; 5% … 16.9 oz … 6.50
4C. Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
Kulmbacher Monchshof Schwarzbier … Germany; 4.9% … 16.9 oz … 6.75
5. BOCK
5A. Maibock/Helles Bock
Rogue Dead Guy … Oregon; 6.5% .. 4.25
5B. Traditional Bock
*Berghoff Traditional Bock Beer … Wisconsin; 5.4% … $.$$
5C. Doppelbock
Celebrator Doppelbock … Germany; 6.7% … 5.75
Spaten Optimator … Germany; 7.2% ... 4.00
5D. Eisbock
Kulmbacher (Reichelbräu) Eisbock … Germany; 9.2% … 5.50
Thursday, December 16, 2010
No worries: Still a Lite-Free Zone, with no 1A allowed.
Yesterday, reader Rob made an insightful observation.
Not to worry, Rob. Here's a preview of the list (in development) that should answer your question. An * indicates a beer new to the list. I'm still in the process of deciding about descriptions; currently, the inclination is to have separate BJCP style compendiums available for perusal.
I'm seriously worried that you have a beer that fits BJCP category 1A.
Not to worry, Rob. Here's a preview of the list (in development) that should answer your question. An * indicates a beer new to the list. I'm still in the process of deciding about descriptions; currently, the inclination is to have separate BJCP style compendiums available for perusal.
1. LIGHT LAGER
1A. Lite American Lager
No way. This is a Lite-Free Zone. Low calorie “light” American lagers were banned from the Public House on Jan. 1, 1994 and from the Pizzeria on Nov. 15, 2002. Good riddance.
1B. Standard American Lager
*Schlitz Gusto (Classic 1960’s Formula) … Illinois HQ; 4.7% … $.$$
1C. Premium American Lager
Red Stripe … Jamaica; 4.7% … 4.50
1D. Munich Helles
Spaten Premium Lager … Germany; 5.2% … 4.00
1E. Dortmunder Export
*Bell’s Lager … Michigan; 4.5% … $.$$
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday Weekly: The milestone of reforming a millstone.
Last week, the Publican (that’s me) came down with a mild cold, and the usual dreary symptoms, combined with a long overdue need to just stop for a few minutes, damn it, and take a deep breath … well, it seemed to suggest an opportune time to finally … at long last … after two or more years … sit down and go through the Pizzeria & Public House’s supposedly fabled beer list, item by item.
The goal: Tame it.
I’ve already explained where my thoughts have been headed of late. If the craft beer revolution in America is winning (it is), if NABC has invested heavily in brewing its own beer (it has), and if the company continues to seek to be serious about promoting knowledge and education (it does), then a rote renewal of our traditionally expansive, top-heavy imported bottle strategy makes very little sense.
Taken in concert with a continuing, unpredictable state of distribution in Indiana, one that seldom rewards planning and effort with consistent results (yes, there’s more than a trace of bitterness there, and I’m sorry; I’ve banged my head against the wall far to many times not to feel anger at not being able to get what I wanted, when I wanted it), and given that during hard times, there isn’t much money to spend on inventorying fantastic and fantastically priced imported beers, it just makes sense to pause, study the landscape, and begin the reinvention -- come what may.
So, I used my sick days last week to re-imagine the list.
In my first drafts, the main bottled beer list is organized not by country, as before, but according to Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) stylistic parameters.
You ask: Why the BJCP, and not various other systems?
Because the Cicerone program of server certification follows the BJCP’s categorization of beer styles. If our employees learn to think in the BJCP’s way, they’ll be a leg up on the Cicerone program if they desire to pursue it, and the message will be consistent for consumers. The BJCP’s categories are not perfect, because perfection does not exist in this or any other world. However, as a place to learn the rules before trotting off to break them, it is fine.
Consequently, many beers are coming off the menu, while others have been added. Some of the cuts are one-offs and special orders that sneaked onto the list, while others are items we’ve actually depleted long ago and haven’t bothered noting.
In almost all cases, my fundamental consideration for selecting a particular beer is whether it is available on an everyday basis from its wholesaler, year-round. I’m finished with vainly and forlornly hoping that a just-in-time, special order system can be achieved in beer, in Indiana. Making the everyday bottled beer list as consistently available as possible is the prime goal.
Next, I’ve tried to fit these beers into the BJCP style categories where they belong, with the goal of having at least one example of each sub-style, if at all possible. Only a handful of styles currently are eluding me, like Northern German Alt and Southern English Brown. Others, like Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer (21B), obviously must be relegated to seasonal status.
To reiterate, the main bottled beer list must be a consistent, readily obtainable, everyday guide to the panoply of world beer styles as defined by the BJCP. This mission duly accomplished, seasonal and specialty offerings ranging from Oktoberfests (September) to Pumpkin Ales (late autumn) to Doppelbocks (March), and including Lambics, Ciders and Meads, can be drawn from the hundreds of other available brands to populate monthly, quarterly or purely whimsical side lists materializing on a rotating basis.
These will come and go regularly without the necessity of year-long, often futile efforts to receive product when we want it, and as importantly, without the accompanying inventory expense. I’m guessing that representative small lists for Lambic, Cider and Mead will be maintained all the time, with appropriate rotation of brands within each, and maybe selections to be reserved as “Something of the Month.”
Other decisions have yet to be made, and these are slightly more arbitrary, requiring staff participation.
Should a listed selection be the 750ml “share” bottle, or the 11.2 oz with a better price point?
Must we keep a beer in stock that doesn’t fit the reform effort’s concept because it still sells well at a ludicrously high price, even if I don’t like it personally (i.e., Corona)?
If two brands of the same style are available, should ease of procurement in glassware and wholesaler schwag be the deciding factor?
Shall we gradually seek to pare the import list even further by head-to-head contests and competitions?
I have another concept in mind, one that is by no means novel or unique, but which is sufficiently counter-intuitive (for us, at least) to merit fresh consideration.
Once the bottled beer list is finalized and composed of beers that will be constant, it may be time to launch a first-ever “drink all the beers and win a prize” competition. Such a pursuit addressed by style would be infinitely more educational than those “round the world golden lager” quests, as ours would be devoted much more to truly experiencing the range of stylistic possibilities.
If the staff can agree and think of a suitable award for those completing such a journey, perhaps we’ll take this rarest of plunges and get it going.
Eventually, NABC bottles (we’re within weeks) will take their places on the beer list, and the list surely will evolve.
It is way past time for such an evolution, don’t you think? I feel like a great weight has been lifted, and the new list will be an exciting change of pace. Let me know what you think.
The goal: Tame it.
I’ve already explained where my thoughts have been headed of late. If the craft beer revolution in America is winning (it is), if NABC has invested heavily in brewing its own beer (it has), and if the company continues to seek to be serious about promoting knowledge and education (it does), then a rote renewal of our traditionally expansive, top-heavy imported bottle strategy makes very little sense.
Taken in concert with a continuing, unpredictable state of distribution in Indiana, one that seldom rewards planning and effort with consistent results (yes, there’s more than a trace of bitterness there, and I’m sorry; I’ve banged my head against the wall far to many times not to feel anger at not being able to get what I wanted, when I wanted it), and given that during hard times, there isn’t much money to spend on inventorying fantastic and fantastically priced imported beers, it just makes sense to pause, study the landscape, and begin the reinvention -- come what may.
So, I used my sick days last week to re-imagine the list.
In my first drafts, the main bottled beer list is organized not by country, as before, but according to Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) stylistic parameters.
You ask: Why the BJCP, and not various other systems?
Because the Cicerone program of server certification follows the BJCP’s categorization of beer styles. If our employees learn to think in the BJCP’s way, they’ll be a leg up on the Cicerone program if they desire to pursue it, and the message will be consistent for consumers. The BJCP’s categories are not perfect, because perfection does not exist in this or any other world. However, as a place to learn the rules before trotting off to break them, it is fine.
Consequently, many beers are coming off the menu, while others have been added. Some of the cuts are one-offs and special orders that sneaked onto the list, while others are items we’ve actually depleted long ago and haven’t bothered noting.
In almost all cases, my fundamental consideration for selecting a particular beer is whether it is available on an everyday basis from its wholesaler, year-round. I’m finished with vainly and forlornly hoping that a just-in-time, special order system can be achieved in beer, in Indiana. Making the everyday bottled beer list as consistently available as possible is the prime goal.
Next, I’ve tried to fit these beers into the BJCP style categories where they belong, with the goal of having at least one example of each sub-style, if at all possible. Only a handful of styles currently are eluding me, like Northern German Alt and Southern English Brown. Others, like Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer (21B), obviously must be relegated to seasonal status.
To reiterate, the main bottled beer list must be a consistent, readily obtainable, everyday guide to the panoply of world beer styles as defined by the BJCP. This mission duly accomplished, seasonal and specialty offerings ranging from Oktoberfests (September) to Pumpkin Ales (late autumn) to Doppelbocks (March), and including Lambics, Ciders and Meads, can be drawn from the hundreds of other available brands to populate monthly, quarterly or purely whimsical side lists materializing on a rotating basis.
These will come and go regularly without the necessity of year-long, often futile efforts to receive product when we want it, and as importantly, without the accompanying inventory expense. I’m guessing that representative small lists for Lambic, Cider and Mead will be maintained all the time, with appropriate rotation of brands within each, and maybe selections to be reserved as “Something of the Month.”
Other decisions have yet to be made, and these are slightly more arbitrary, requiring staff participation.
Should a listed selection be the 750ml “share” bottle, or the 11.2 oz with a better price point?
Must we keep a beer in stock that doesn’t fit the reform effort’s concept because it still sells well at a ludicrously high price, even if I don’t like it personally (i.e., Corona)?
If two brands of the same style are available, should ease of procurement in glassware and wholesaler schwag be the deciding factor?
Shall we gradually seek to pare the import list even further by head-to-head contests and competitions?
I have another concept in mind, one that is by no means novel or unique, but which is sufficiently counter-intuitive (for us, at least) to merit fresh consideration.
Once the bottled beer list is finalized and composed of beers that will be constant, it may be time to launch a first-ever “drink all the beers and win a prize” competition. Such a pursuit addressed by style would be infinitely more educational than those “round the world golden lager” quests, as ours would be devoted much more to truly experiencing the range of stylistic possibilities.
If the staff can agree and think of a suitable award for those completing such a journey, perhaps we’ll take this rarest of plunges and get it going.
Eventually, NABC bottles (we’re within weeks) will take their places on the beer list, and the list surely will evolve.
It is way past time for such an evolution, don’t you think? I feel like a great weight has been lifted, and the new list will be an exciting change of pace. Let me know what you think.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Wednesday Weekly: Putting your mouth where your money is … and letting go of one dream, in exchange for another.
It's late, it's long, it's pretty much unedited, and it finally makes sense to me.
---
Sergio: The title is yours.
Lori and Tyler … take ‘em away, and best wishes.
Todd, you’ll be seeing me even more often.
For such a very long time – at least two years, probably closer to three – I persisted in thinking that the problem could be solved by enhanced organizational skills. It was a question of viewpoint, and of perspective. A few more facts, a little added tweaking, and it would be clear to me.
There were numerous helpers, bold new plans and wonderful ideas. Schemes came and went. Every time I thought the path was clear, something would happen. I’d be distracted by a crisis, overwhelmed by an obligation, or just realize that the latest brainstorm still didn’t make sense.
Usually, it was because all my time and attention were being devoted to Bank Street Brewhouse and NABC’s nascent beer distribution effort. I should have understood what all this meant, but I was stubborn, the cognitive dissonance grew and grew, and to be honest with you, there were times when I simply could no longer drink my way through it.
Now, finally, I can see the options clearly.
At long last, by means of the fortuitous intervention of serendipity, enough of the layers have been peeled away to reveal the crux of the issue, the root of the problem, and the necessity of the answer.
Until now, I never truly understood the far-reaching implications of my company’s expansion. Bear with me while I try to explain it.
---
When NABC decided to take all the chips left on our table and bet the entire stash on the future prospects of Bank Street Brewhouse and its larger brewing system, with capacity four times the size of the original house brewery on Plaza Drive, it was an investment in our company, one that naturally we hoped would make the company stronger in terms of commerce. In short, we hoped to turn a profit by becoming more of a brewery.
But it was deeper than just that. Unlike one’s unprincipled investment in a fast food franchise, our gamble was predicated on a series of judgments, ideas and artistic themes derived from the ongoing success of America’s craft brewing revolution. We were investing in something unimaginable 25 years ago: Great American-made beer, and in fact, American-made beer so great that it increasingly was influencing the world’s beer making.
From the beginning, subject to the usual growing pains, this fact was understood very clearly in the context of daily operations at the Bank Street Brewhouse, both in the front of the house and in the brewery. The daily plan was, and continues to be, to remain as consistent as possible with the themes of the craft brewing revolution: Local, fresh, innovative, with the added, finished value of these offerings deriving from NABC’s uniquely creative style.
This is why Chef Josh seeks to obtain ingredients from local sources. This is why the wines are from Indiana winemakers only, and the liquors from independent, non-corporate entities. This is why we use Abstonia hops from the Knobs in season, and even if most of our brewing ingredients are from elsewhere, their added, finished value comes from the NABC brew team’s creative acumen.
All along, as Bank Street Brewhouse and NABC’s new production brewing operation took conceptual inspiration from “new” ideas, we maintained a conservative approach at the Pizzeria & Public House. We changed absolutely nothing about the tried and true, pizza-based food menu (not the precise point of the current discussion, although to be considered at some point later), and the beer program proceeded largely as before, with a handful of changes. Additional draft lines were freed to provide spouts for the wider selection of NABC’s own beers made possible by our increase in brewing capacity.
---
Two decades ago, when the Public House first opened, the beer list was composed almost entirely of bottled imports, mostly from Europe, with only a handful of American-made “micros” even available. The beer list that made our reputation grew from this fact, and it made us famous.
As an avid reader of the beer writer Michael Jackson, and as a devout Europhile apart from beer, my travel experiences in Europe and my interest in the continent gave me insights that were unique, and contributed to a flair for forging contacts, cutting deals and making selections that played to these strengths.
It was all very good, doing what I (and we) did best. As the world’s classic beers became available, they joined the list, and the list grew. As the years went on, more and more American craft beers became available, and the list grew. We gradually added taps, and the draft possibilities duly exploded. In 2002, we started brewing, with the modest goal of adding completely different creations to the lineup.
Truthfully, in the mid-2000’s, NABC’s original locations was one of the few places anywhere to offer such a large selection of America’s and the world’s best beers, draft and bottled, alongside its own craft drafts. Even so, imperceptibly, the ground was shifting. It always does, doesn’t it?
American craft brewing was getting bigger and better, and in one of the inspiring turnabouts in world cultural history, American brewers began inspiring the Old World to rethink and embellish its traditional brewing ideas, resulting in a new generation of incredible imports to hit American shelves.
Then, one day, suddenly there were thousands of excellent beers from which to choose, hundreds of thousands of Internet ratings to peruse, and not only that, plans for NABC brewing expansion were coming close to fruition because we had decided to make more of our own beer.
About this time, perhaps 2007, I became very aware that with my life about to be reoriented toward getting a new business off the ground, a rapidly changing competitive landscape locally, and more world and American beers available as “guests” than ever before, the Pizzeria & Public House’s draft and bottled beer program (both guest crafts and guest imports) was in serious need of a rethink and some sort of upgrade so that it could remain among the best.
---
There were many questions demanding answers, and things started getting difficult. With great beers all around, both from near and from far, how does one differentiate choices in the absence of pockets deep enough to stock 1,000 beers -- or even 300?
How does one do it on the imported side of the ledger when it isn’t always possible to get Indiana wholesalers and importers on the same page?
Even more importantly, how does one do it when all the company’s money is tied up in its expansion, now devoted to brewing and distributing NABC’s own house beers, and doing it during a sapping, maddening recessionary climate?
I haven’t been willing to face the truth until now, because the fact of the matter is this.
One doesn’t do it. It cannot be done.
Right here, right now, with the current circumstances inside NABC and outside it, I cannot revitalize the beer program at the Pizzeria & Public House if revitalizing it means retaining the previous format.
Make it different, and perhaps better, by accepting a changed situation, embracing change, rebuilding it from the ground up, and completely reinventing it by bringing it into line with the same motive forces that impelled NABC’s brewing expansion?
I think so, and I have a plan.
First, I must stop feeling sorry for myself, cease mourning for the loss of my baby of two decades, and get with the damned program. When NABC made its investment in brewing its own beers, it stopped being what it was before. It became something else, which always will be evolving, but in order to begin evolving, the program must change.
And it will. Our beer list’s carbon footprint is about to dramatically lessen.
As for permanent everyday bottles, there will be a dramatic reduction in imported brands; in essence, imports will be pared to a few brands that move dependably, and a handful of one-off styles (Trappists and Lambics among them).
Daily bottled American craft beers will stay about the same in number or be reduced slightly, but will be changed a bit in composition, with fewer of the same style, and more diverse flavor profiles. The BJCP list will continue to serve as a template for the bottled list remake.
You will continue to see a rotating import and craft seasonal presence – hopefully more consistent in appearance.
On the draft side, 15-18 taps will pour NABC beers. Another 8 – 10, maybe more, will pour Louisville-brewed beers and a sizeable contingent of beers brewed by Brewers of Indiana Guild member breweries. It is my desire to become an unofficial Louisville metro taproom for BIG, and in the process, offer a selection of under-appreciated beers from a state that, after all, has had two books published about its breweries this year, with a third on the way in early 2011.
After that, there’ll be American craft beers from all our friends all over the country: Stone, Bell’s, Sierra, Great Divide, Rogue, Left Hand, Dogfish, Founders and too many others to enumerate here.
Apart from Guinness, Spaten, Schlenkerla, Delirium Tremens, Lindemans and perhaps two other slots, draft imports will appear only at special times or during fests.
Understand that imports will not disappear entirely. If the annual Anstich shipments from Shelton still come across from Germany, I’ll try and score some. If an import we like is available, we’ll pounce on it and enjoy it while it’s here.
Imports no longer will comprise the backbone of the list, bottle or draft. That time is now finished for me, as much as I hate to say it. My heart won’t change, but my head will. We took it as far as we could, when we could and rather than fight futile battles that cannot be won, we’ll take stock of reality and compete elsewhere.
The new beer list, and the new beer program at the Pizzeria & Public House, will reflect the welcomed hegemony of American-made craft beers – as it should, and as it better reflects both the ideology and the dollar amount of our investment in craft beer, NABC-style. Win, lose or draw, there’ll be no cognitive dissonance.
Insofar as possible, I will use this space to update you on progress, and to report on the experience. Thanks for reading, and thanks for patronizing NABC.
---
Sergio: The title is yours.
Lori and Tyler … take ‘em away, and best wishes.
Todd, you’ll be seeing me even more often.
For such a very long time – at least two years, probably closer to three – I persisted in thinking that the problem could be solved by enhanced organizational skills. It was a question of viewpoint, and of perspective. A few more facts, a little added tweaking, and it would be clear to me.
There were numerous helpers, bold new plans and wonderful ideas. Schemes came and went. Every time I thought the path was clear, something would happen. I’d be distracted by a crisis, overwhelmed by an obligation, or just realize that the latest brainstorm still didn’t make sense.
Usually, it was because all my time and attention were being devoted to Bank Street Brewhouse and NABC’s nascent beer distribution effort. I should have understood what all this meant, but I was stubborn, the cognitive dissonance grew and grew, and to be honest with you, there were times when I simply could no longer drink my way through it.
Now, finally, I can see the options clearly.
At long last, by means of the fortuitous intervention of serendipity, enough of the layers have been peeled away to reveal the crux of the issue, the root of the problem, and the necessity of the answer.
Until now, I never truly understood the far-reaching implications of my company’s expansion. Bear with me while I try to explain it.
---
When NABC decided to take all the chips left on our table and bet the entire stash on the future prospects of Bank Street Brewhouse and its larger brewing system, with capacity four times the size of the original house brewery on Plaza Drive, it was an investment in our company, one that naturally we hoped would make the company stronger in terms of commerce. In short, we hoped to turn a profit by becoming more of a brewery.
But it was deeper than just that. Unlike one’s unprincipled investment in a fast food franchise, our gamble was predicated on a series of judgments, ideas and artistic themes derived from the ongoing success of America’s craft brewing revolution. We were investing in something unimaginable 25 years ago: Great American-made beer, and in fact, American-made beer so great that it increasingly was influencing the world’s beer making.
From the beginning, subject to the usual growing pains, this fact was understood very clearly in the context of daily operations at the Bank Street Brewhouse, both in the front of the house and in the brewery. The daily plan was, and continues to be, to remain as consistent as possible with the themes of the craft brewing revolution: Local, fresh, innovative, with the added, finished value of these offerings deriving from NABC’s uniquely creative style.
This is why Chef Josh seeks to obtain ingredients from local sources. This is why the wines are from Indiana winemakers only, and the liquors from independent, non-corporate entities. This is why we use Abstonia hops from the Knobs in season, and even if most of our brewing ingredients are from elsewhere, their added, finished value comes from the NABC brew team’s creative acumen.
All along, as Bank Street Brewhouse and NABC’s new production brewing operation took conceptual inspiration from “new” ideas, we maintained a conservative approach at the Pizzeria & Public House. We changed absolutely nothing about the tried and true, pizza-based food menu (not the precise point of the current discussion, although to be considered at some point later), and the beer program proceeded largely as before, with a handful of changes. Additional draft lines were freed to provide spouts for the wider selection of NABC’s own beers made possible by our increase in brewing capacity.
---
Two decades ago, when the Public House first opened, the beer list was composed almost entirely of bottled imports, mostly from Europe, with only a handful of American-made “micros” even available. The beer list that made our reputation grew from this fact, and it made us famous.
As an avid reader of the beer writer Michael Jackson, and as a devout Europhile apart from beer, my travel experiences in Europe and my interest in the continent gave me insights that were unique, and contributed to a flair for forging contacts, cutting deals and making selections that played to these strengths.
It was all very good, doing what I (and we) did best. As the world’s classic beers became available, they joined the list, and the list grew. As the years went on, more and more American craft beers became available, and the list grew. We gradually added taps, and the draft possibilities duly exploded. In 2002, we started brewing, with the modest goal of adding completely different creations to the lineup.
Truthfully, in the mid-2000’s, NABC’s original locations was one of the few places anywhere to offer such a large selection of America’s and the world’s best beers, draft and bottled, alongside its own craft drafts. Even so, imperceptibly, the ground was shifting. It always does, doesn’t it?
American craft brewing was getting bigger and better, and in one of the inspiring turnabouts in world cultural history, American brewers began inspiring the Old World to rethink and embellish its traditional brewing ideas, resulting in a new generation of incredible imports to hit American shelves.
Then, one day, suddenly there were thousands of excellent beers from which to choose, hundreds of thousands of Internet ratings to peruse, and not only that, plans for NABC brewing expansion were coming close to fruition because we had decided to make more of our own beer.
About this time, perhaps 2007, I became very aware that with my life about to be reoriented toward getting a new business off the ground, a rapidly changing competitive landscape locally, and more world and American beers available as “guests” than ever before, the Pizzeria & Public House’s draft and bottled beer program (both guest crafts and guest imports) was in serious need of a rethink and some sort of upgrade so that it could remain among the best.
---
There were many questions demanding answers, and things started getting difficult. With great beers all around, both from near and from far, how does one differentiate choices in the absence of pockets deep enough to stock 1,000 beers -- or even 300?
How does one do it on the imported side of the ledger when it isn’t always possible to get Indiana wholesalers and importers on the same page?
Even more importantly, how does one do it when all the company’s money is tied up in its expansion, now devoted to brewing and distributing NABC’s own house beers, and doing it during a sapping, maddening recessionary climate?
I haven’t been willing to face the truth until now, because the fact of the matter is this.
One doesn’t do it. It cannot be done.
Right here, right now, with the current circumstances inside NABC and outside it, I cannot revitalize the beer program at the Pizzeria & Public House if revitalizing it means retaining the previous format.
Make it different, and perhaps better, by accepting a changed situation, embracing change, rebuilding it from the ground up, and completely reinventing it by bringing it into line with the same motive forces that impelled NABC’s brewing expansion?
I think so, and I have a plan.
First, I must stop feeling sorry for myself, cease mourning for the loss of my baby of two decades, and get with the damned program. When NABC made its investment in brewing its own beers, it stopped being what it was before. It became something else, which always will be evolving, but in order to begin evolving, the program must change.
And it will. Our beer list’s carbon footprint is about to dramatically lessen.
As for permanent everyday bottles, there will be a dramatic reduction in imported brands; in essence, imports will be pared to a few brands that move dependably, and a handful of one-off styles (Trappists and Lambics among them).
Daily bottled American craft beers will stay about the same in number or be reduced slightly, but will be changed a bit in composition, with fewer of the same style, and more diverse flavor profiles. The BJCP list will continue to serve as a template for the bottled list remake.
You will continue to see a rotating import and craft seasonal presence – hopefully more consistent in appearance.
On the draft side, 15-18 taps will pour NABC beers. Another 8 – 10, maybe more, will pour Louisville-brewed beers and a sizeable contingent of beers brewed by Brewers of Indiana Guild member breweries. It is my desire to become an unofficial Louisville metro taproom for BIG, and in the process, offer a selection of under-appreciated beers from a state that, after all, has had two books published about its breweries this year, with a third on the way in early 2011.
After that, there’ll be American craft beers from all our friends all over the country: Stone, Bell’s, Sierra, Great Divide, Rogue, Left Hand, Dogfish, Founders and too many others to enumerate here.
Apart from Guinness, Spaten, Schlenkerla, Delirium Tremens, Lindemans and perhaps two other slots, draft imports will appear only at special times or during fests.
Understand that imports will not disappear entirely. If the annual Anstich shipments from Shelton still come across from Germany, I’ll try and score some. If an import we like is available, we’ll pounce on it and enjoy it while it’s here.
Imports no longer will comprise the backbone of the list, bottle or draft. That time is now finished for me, as much as I hate to say it. My heart won’t change, but my head will. We took it as far as we could, when we could and rather than fight futile battles that cannot be won, we’ll take stock of reality and compete elsewhere.
The new beer list, and the new beer program at the Pizzeria & Public House, will reflect the welcomed hegemony of American-made craft beers – as it should, and as it better reflects both the ideology and the dollar amount of our investment in craft beer, NABC-style. Win, lose or draw, there’ll be no cognitive dissonance.
Insofar as possible, I will use this space to update you on progress, and to report on the experience. Thanks for reading, and thanks for patronizing NABC.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Office Hours with the Publican returns on Monday, September 13, with a special "guest bottle" theme.
It's time for the return of Office Hours with the Publican, with a special twist for the fall season. The first session will be Monday, September 13.
Last spring, we were all over the board with these Monday evening samplings, and there was nothing wrong with that, except I'm at a point where the "Chinese Democracy" of a renewed guest bottled beer list project simply has to get finished, or else.
Therefore, autumn sessions of Office Hours will double as skull sessions for the NABC guest beer list team: Myself, Ben and Eric (or, Eric and Ben).
This changes nothing insofar as the format is concerned, although there'll be a bit more structure to the progression; we'll be taking style sets or sub-sets, tasting and considering examples of them in the narrower context of our guest bottled beer list, soliciting the input of participants, and hopefully making worthwhile decisions.
And, if we get bored, we'll raid the vintage cellar just like last spring.
Once again, cost will be $5 per person (occasionally more if merited). The time is Monday, 6:30 p.m. in Prost, for about an hour.
Monday, September 13 is the first re-convening. We'll decide what to sample before then, and I'll throw it out on the blog. Let's have fun, and learn something about beer.
Last spring, we were all over the board with these Monday evening samplings, and there was nothing wrong with that, except I'm at a point where the "Chinese Democracy" of a renewed guest bottled beer list project simply has to get finished, or else.
Therefore, autumn sessions of Office Hours will double as skull sessions for the NABC guest beer list team: Myself, Ben and Eric (or, Eric and Ben).
This changes nothing insofar as the format is concerned, although there'll be a bit more structure to the progression; we'll be taking style sets or sub-sets, tasting and considering examples of them in the narrower context of our guest bottled beer list, soliciting the input of participants, and hopefully making worthwhile decisions.
And, if we get bored, we'll raid the vintage cellar just like last spring.
Once again, cost will be $5 per person (occasionally more if merited). The time is Monday, 6:30 p.m. in Prost, for about an hour.
Monday, September 13 is the first re-convening. We'll decide what to sample before then, and I'll throw it out on the blog. Let's have fun, and learn something about beer.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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)
Monday, July 28, 2008
A different planet, a new set of stressors, but the same old rock and roll.
The first five months of my year were spent wrestling with demons, and in truth, I’ve been playing catch-up ever since.
The one thing that amazes me about my period of dazed detachment is that a fair amount was still accomplished through the numbing haze. If it is possible for one to be functionally depressed, that was in fact my state -- not that I can remember all of it.
Exactly how did the deaf, dumb and blind boy orchestrate Gravity Head? He got by with a little help from his friends.
Having crawled out from the pit and embarked once again on something approximating a life, my professional experience during the past two months has been as intense as at any single time in the past.
On one hand, these are hard times for our business. Every imaginable cost is up. On the other, recessionary periods are bar none the best time to put the pedal to the metal and leap forward … and this we’re trying to do.
NABC started a while back with an empty shell of a building downtown on Bank Street, and we’ve been building a brewery and taproom there from the ground up – and that’s good, because it can be designed and the new business launched to eliminate the dysfunctions of the past. It’s also bad, because every single item must be factored into the business plan, then acquired, and organized, and arranged.
But there’s tremendous adrenalin in knowing that you have the opportunity to take something you’re already proficient at doing and boost it to another level. It’s isn’t the money. It’s the creativity and the achievement, and while there are times when the obliviousness of the slacker lifestyle seems appealing, that’s what weekend trips to the beach are all about – not that I ever indulge.
Back in 1997, more than a few people couldn’t figure out why the rock group U2 would seek to tour the planet’s stadiums with a mirror ball and gigantic lemon onstage. The answer, of course, is the same as to why dogs lick their balls: Because they can. In the 16 years of my involvement with the pub, much of what I’ve done with the beer program has been exactly that. Why have 30 different bottled lambics, four sour ales on draft at one time, month-long fests with 50 strong beers on tap, or a $60 Scaldis Prestige on the list?
‘Cuz I could (and can) get away with it.
There’ll always be time to scale back to an acoustic set, or be normal and have a manageable operation, so always go full bore while you’re able. I’m looking forward to repeating the process of excess at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Apparently, it’s the only speed I know. I’ll have to ask my therapist about that one.
The one thing that amazes me about my period of dazed detachment is that a fair amount was still accomplished through the numbing haze. If it is possible for one to be functionally depressed, that was in fact my state -- not that I can remember all of it.
Exactly how did the deaf, dumb and blind boy orchestrate Gravity Head? He got by with a little help from his friends.
Having crawled out from the pit and embarked once again on something approximating a life, my professional experience during the past two months has been as intense as at any single time in the past.
On one hand, these are hard times for our business. Every imaginable cost is up. On the other, recessionary periods are bar none the best time to put the pedal to the metal and leap forward … and this we’re trying to do.
NABC started a while back with an empty shell of a building downtown on Bank Street, and we’ve been building a brewery and taproom there from the ground up – and that’s good, because it can be designed and the new business launched to eliminate the dysfunctions of the past. It’s also bad, because every single item must be factored into the business plan, then acquired, and organized, and arranged.
But there’s tremendous adrenalin in knowing that you have the opportunity to take something you’re already proficient at doing and boost it to another level. It’s isn’t the money. It’s the creativity and the achievement, and while there are times when the obliviousness of the slacker lifestyle seems appealing, that’s what weekend trips to the beach are all about – not that I ever indulge.
Back in 1997, more than a few people couldn’t figure out why the rock group U2 would seek to tour the planet’s stadiums with a mirror ball and gigantic lemon onstage. The answer, of course, is the same as to why dogs lick their balls: Because they can. In the 16 years of my involvement with the pub, much of what I’ve done with the beer program has been exactly that. Why have 30 different bottled lambics, four sour ales on draft at one time, month-long fests with 50 strong beers on tap, or a $60 Scaldis Prestige on the list?
‘Cuz I could (and can) get away with it.
There’ll always be time to scale back to an acoustic set, or be normal and have a manageable operation, so always go full bore while you’re able. I’m looking forward to repeating the process of excess at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Apparently, it’s the only speed I know. I’ll have to ask my therapist about that one.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Mark your calendars: Bottled beer list revisions complete at long last.
The task of updating the bottled beer menu at NABC/Rich O's/Sportstime began about the same time as Gravity Head (i.e., February 29), and proceeded through so many false starts, revisions and reboots that it seemed as though I'd passed into another dimension, one that led me not back to the familiar confines of the pub, but onto the set of "Heaven's Gate" -- or an episode of "The Twilight Zone."
Here it is, finally, as updated on July 27, 2008: NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
It should come as no surprise that the prices therein are higher, in some cases substantially so. The new world record holder is Jadwiga Mead from Poland, which doubled in retail price, primarily because the new wholesale price is almost identical to what we used to charge on premise.
That's right: The wholesale price doubled. Jadwiga is one of the best meads I've ever tasted, but 60-odd dollars is a lot of money.
To be perfectly frank, even an eternal optimist like me is beginning to question whether the beer market will support hikes like these. In devising a new and streamlined system of mark-ups (another rreason why this took so long), our percentage actually has been lowered in roughly 40% of the offerings. At the same time, the portfolios of B. United International and Shelton Brothers, suppliers of the majority of worthwhile imports, probably increased in cost at least 30% across the board.
Whether these increases come from importer or wholesaler is irrelevant. Will consumers still pay? We'll find out.
Another factor that has muddled my thought process is that with the arrival of American 1/6 barrel draft import kegs, the price of draft beer per ounce now occasionally exceeds that of the same beer in the bottle. That's unprecedented, and it skews everything. Would I pay more for ten ounces of Chimay Tripel on draft than for the bottled version, which I personally regard as good or better than the ale in kegs?
Stay tuned. Surreal is just beginning. Thanks to Colleen, Phil and John for their assistance in this effort.
Here it is, finally, as updated on July 27, 2008: NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
It should come as no surprise that the prices therein are higher, in some cases substantially so. The new world record holder is Jadwiga Mead from Poland, which doubled in retail price, primarily because the new wholesale price is almost identical to what we used to charge on premise.
That's right: The wholesale price doubled. Jadwiga is one of the best meads I've ever tasted, but 60-odd dollars is a lot of money.
To be perfectly frank, even an eternal optimist like me is beginning to question whether the beer market will support hikes like these. In devising a new and streamlined system of mark-ups (another rreason why this took so long), our percentage actually has been lowered in roughly 40% of the offerings. At the same time, the portfolios of B. United International and Shelton Brothers, suppliers of the majority of worthwhile imports, probably increased in cost at least 30% across the board.
Whether these increases come from importer or wholesaler is irrelevant. Will consumers still pay? We'll find out.
Another factor that has muddled my thought process is that with the arrival of American 1/6 barrel draft import kegs, the price of draft beer per ounce now occasionally exceeds that of the same beer in the bottle. That's unprecedented, and it skews everything. Would I pay more for ten ounces of Chimay Tripel on draft than for the bottled version, which I personally regard as good or better than the ale in kegs?
Stay tuned. Surreal is just beginning. Thanks to Colleen, Phil and John for their assistance in this effort.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Saturnalia MMVII official program and new bottled beer list both available.
Two helpful .pdf files have been posted at NABC's web site.
First is the official program for Saturnalia MMVII, which kicks off Friday, December 7, and will run through December. The starting 16 has not been determined; that's what Thursdays are for, but the majority of beers have arrived or are scheduled to be delivered next week. The starting lineup will be posted here on Thursday night.
Official Saturnalia MMVII program here (.pdf)
Also, the new bottled beer list will be effective on Thursday, December 6. The vintage collection has been folded into the listings by country, and separate listings have been added for Belgian Lambics and French Bieres de Garde. This will be the last update in the current format. In early February, I hope to inaugurate a new bottled beer list with far more information than the current listing.
NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
First is the official program for Saturnalia MMVII, which kicks off Friday, December 7, and will run through December. The starting 16 has not been determined; that's what Thursdays are for, but the majority of beers have arrived or are scheduled to be delivered next week. The starting lineup will be posted here on Thursday night.
Official Saturnalia MMVII program here (.pdf)
Also, the new bottled beer list will be effective on Thursday, December 6. The vintage collection has been folded into the listings by country, and separate listings have been added for Belgian Lambics and French Bieres de Garde. This will be the last update in the current format. In early February, I hope to inaugurate a new bottled beer list with far more information than the current listing.
NABC's bottled beer menu .pdf
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