At NPR: "Guess Who's Fighting To Keep Indiana Dry On Sundays?"

"Indiana is the only one where you can't buy packaged beer, wine and liquor on Sundays."

Wrong.

In fact, even reporters based in Indiana invariably miss a key point: You most certainly can get cold beer to go on Sunday in Indiana ... from the state's 65+ small craft breweries. The first day for such sales was July 4, 2010.

Indiana's small wineries have been able to sell their wine to go on Sunday for many years, too.

Guess Who's Fighting To Keep Indiana Dry On Sundays?, by Sara Wittmeyer (NPR)

When you think summer, you might think of cold beer at a barbecue, maybe a bottle of wine with a Sunday picnic. A lot of people take it for granted that they can just go to the store and pick up alcohol.

Not in Indiana.

While many states have laws restricting liquor sales, Indiana is the only one where you can't buy packaged beer, wine and liquor on Sundays, and it's the only state that regulates alcohol sales based on temperature. Only liquor stores can sell cold beer.

NABC weekend update.

Friday night (2 July) was the Louisville Independent Business Association's Louisville Brewfest at the Mellwood Arts Center, considered the kick-off for Independents Week. NABC poured along with BBC (both), Browning’s, Cumberland and Kentucky Ale. The arrangement was that LIBA bought the kegs from the breweries via River City Distributing, and charged for beer tickets redeemable for samples and full pours.

We floated all eight kegs – four each Community and Beak’s Best. I was there helping for a bit, but Josh Hill and Tony Beard did it all night, and Richard Atnip helped, too. Good work, guys, and thanks.

On Friday and Saturday (the 2nd and the 3rd) NABC was available at New Albany’s Riverfront Amphitheater, as purchased and resold by Studio’s Grill & Pub. Our first weekend with them was June 25 and 26, and Studio’s sold a 1/6 each of Beak’s and Tafel.

This past weekend, one each was gone by 8 p.m. on Saturday, and another back-up of Tafel was tapped to finish the night. The obvious conclusion is that sales were up. What we're doing with Studio's is relinquishing master catering rights in exchange for selling the beer to them as wholesaler. Everyone benefits, and there is exposure for the brands. We're hopeful that this system will continue, and NABC will be on tap for forthcoming events.

Sunday, July 4, was Growler Independence Day at Bank Street Brewhouse. NABC's three owners, Steve Powell and Josh Hill worked, and my tally of growlers sold was in the vicinity of 85-90, plus some pints, Bloody Marys, burnt weenie sandwiches and Scotch eggs. That’s close to three kegs of growlers. Good traffic, great crowd (one that was good natured about newly institututed mandatory ID carding) and a fun day all the way around.

Almost 90 growlers later ...

Local independence in and around New Albany on Independence Day weekend.

At least the weather looks to be marginally more tolerable as we embark upon another frantic national holiday kind of weekend, hereabouts.

Bank Street Brewhouse will open an hour early today (at 10:00 a.m.) if you have wriggled out of work and wish to view Netherlands vs. Brazil in the Wold Cup. NAC's Bluegill is pulling for the Dutch. Note that neither Heineken nor Brahma will be available for consumption -- real beer or no beer, just the way daddy likes it.

In New Albany later tonight, holiday weekend festivities at the Riverfront Amphitheater get underway at 7:30 p.m. with Persuasion, part of the concert series. As was the case last weekend, craft beer drinkers should be aware that NABC and Studio's are collaborating to bring Progressive Pints to the amphitheater for this weekend's performance, including the Riverfront Independence Festival tomorrow starting at 3:00 p.m. with Flathead Screws, Wulfe Brothers, 100% Poly and pre-4th fireworks.

Louisville Independent Business Association's Louisville Brewfest tonight at the Mellwood Arts Center (4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) kicks off Independents Week. There'll be local breweries, local food, local music, and also a weekly newspaper owned by a company in Nashville. I'll be helping to man the NABC booth from 4 until around 7, so say hello if you're coming that way.

On Saturday morning, New Albany's Farmers Market is in full session, with produce starting to appear. Also, the friends of the NA-FC Public Library are holding their twice monthly sale in the usual place across the street from the main building. Tomorrow the friends celebrate Franz Kafka's birthday with 50% off classics. But, further up Spring Street, Destinations Booksellers is holding its own sale on new books: 50% off all in-stock merchandise. Randy's recent lessons in business elocution from Councilman Cappuccino must really be paying dividends for the entire city!

Finally, July 4 (Sunday) is Growler Independence Day, the very first day for craft beer carry-out sales from Indiana breweries. Bank Street Brewhouse will be open for special holiday hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for Progressive Pints, carry-out growlers (two regular-strength growlers for $17.76), the metro area's original Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar, and both Scotch Eggs and our famous Burnt Weenie Sandwiches. Tell 'em Zappa sent you, and listen for the newly unearthed, rare recording of Three Dog Night's "Coffey Told Me Not to Come."

And: When stopping in for growlers, be sure to bring your identification: The do-gooders extracted their pound of flesh by inserting a new law that requires you to show ID each time you buy carry-out alcoholic beverages, irrespective of age. It makes them feel good, even when it does not attack the fundamental problem of underaged drinking.

HBG gives you the skinny on Sunday carry-out sales from Indiana micros.

Carry-out beer sales from participating (and eligible) microbreweries and brewpubs begins this Sunday, July 4. Here's a handy compendium, which omits only one fact: Beginning July 1, we must see your identification to sell you a growler -- ANYTIME. That's the necessary legislative payback to the killjoy health fascist lobby, and really, a small price to pay for Sunday growler freedom in Indiana.

What Sunday Beer Sales Mean for Sunday Beer Drinking In Indiana (Hoosier Beer Geek blog)

July 4 is just around the bend.

July 4 is GROWLER INDEPENDENCE DAY in Indiana.

July 4 is GROWLER INDEPENDENCE DAY in Indiana.

July 4 is GROWLER INDEPENDENCE DAY in Indiana. We urge you to come and celebrate at NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse.

Americans know that July 4 is Independence Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the founding principles of democracy with picnics, beer, music, beer, fireworks, beer … well, we all know the drill, and look forward to a day of summertime outdoor fun.

This year, July 4 is an even better day in Indiana. It will be the first Sunday ever for legal carry-out growler sales, i.e., 64-oz glass draft beer containers. We’re calling it Growler Independence Day, and NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse (415 Bank Street in downtown New Albany) is celebrating Growler Independence Day with a special Sunday plan of operations.

***We’ll be open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, with Bank Street GM Stephen Powell and Roger “Potable Curmudgeon” Baylor manning the NABC taps. Come bring your empty growlers to be refilled, or buy the new growlers you need: For most of our beers, two growlers for $17.76, plus tax, either new or refilled. Be fully beer-ready for your July 4 afternoon and evening festivities. Normal Sunday hours (Noon – 8:00 p.m.) will resume on July 11.

***Bank Street’s renowned Bloody Mary Bar will run for the duration of these special Growler Independence Day hours on Sunday, July 4.

***There’ll be hourly giveaways of $17.76 Bank Street gift certificates. You must be present at some point during the day to register.

***Although Chef Josh’s kitchen will be closed, we’ll be grilling exciting new contemporary versions of NABC’s famous burnt weenie sandwiches. Just don’t ask us what this means, at least quite yet.

Have a snack, drink a beer or a designer Bloody Mary, fill your growlers, and enjoy Growler Independence Day on Sunday, July 4.

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Remember: Regular Sunday hours at Bank Street will resume on July 11, and Sunday NABC growler sales are a permanent feature of the downtown operation from that point on.

Note also that on the Indiana side of the Ohio, Bank Street Brewhouse will be the only establishment permitted to sell carry-out beer on Sunday, with the closest Indiana breweries being in Aurora (east), Columbus (north) and Evansville (west).

For future Sunday reference, also note that NABC’s friends at the River City Winery (321 Pearl Street) are legally allowed to sell carry-out bottles of their wine on Sunday, too. That’s a win-win for Sundays in downtown New Albany.

Finally: Beginning on July 1, and constituting the small price we've had to pay for independence, carry-out sales of alcoholic beverages in Indiana, including growlers at a brewery, must be accompanied by an driver's license showing proof of age. Whether you're 21 or 81, you must show ID to buy a growlers, or we cannot serve you. This isn't our rule. It's Indiana's. Your cooperation and understanding are appreciated.