Well, that was certainly intense: Gravity Head 2010 lineupdate for Monday, March 1.

Thanks to everyone for another dynamite Gravity Head opening weekend. Eleven kegs fell during business hours Friday and Saturday. To see what's in line to replace the current lineup, go to the NABC web site and scroll down.

Download the 2010 Gravity Form.

AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Rogue Old Crustacean 2004 … 11.5%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2004 … 9.6%

AMERICAN BROWN ALE
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron … 12%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Founders Double Trouble … 9.4%

AMERICAN STRONG ALE
NABC V – 5th Anniversary Ale 2007 … 10%
New Holland Dragon’s Milk

BALTIC PORTER
Rogue Imperial Porter 2008 … 8.2%

BELGIAN IPA
t’Smisje + (Plus) … 10%

BELGIAN STRONG DARK ALE
Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale … 8.6%

BIERE DE GARDE
BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien 2008 … 11%

DOPPELBOCK
Samichlaus Bier Helles … 14%

DUBBEL
t’Smisje Dubbel … 9%

ENGLISH BARLEYWINE
Pausa Cafè Tosta … 12.5%

OLD ALE
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 18 Reserve 2008 … 8%
Firkin

RAUCHBIER
Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche ... 8%

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
NABC ThunderFoot … 11%

TRIPEL
Maredsous 10 - Tripel … 10%

---

RANKS OF THE FALLEN

AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Boulder Killer Penguin Barleywine … 10%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Bell’s HopSlam … 10%
Founders Hand of Doom … 10.4%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL STOUT
Founders Canadian Breakfast … 9.4%

AMERICAN PORTER
Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter … 9.2%

AMERICAN STRONG ALE
Sierra Nevada Life & Limb … 10.2%

BELGIAN STRONG DARK ALE
Unibroue La Terrible … 10.5%

EISBOCK
Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock … 12%

ENGLISH BARLEYWINE
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (Sherry Cask) 2008 … 11.5%

SCOTCH ALE / WEE HEAVY
Founders Backwoods Bastard … 10.2%

WITBIER
Dogfish Head Red & White … 10%

Gravity Head 2010: They're on, off, up and (some already) down.

The opening day Gravity Head crowd knew exactly what to look for, what was rare, and what needed to be tackled first. Two hard-to-find Founders beers (Canadian Breakfast and Hand of Doom) went first, followed in short order by Dogfish Head Red & White and Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter. Reinforcements were summoned, and today we begin anew. Here's the lineup as of 11:00 a.m. opening today, February 27.

AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Boulder Killer Penguin … 10%
Rogue Old Crustacean 2004 … 11.5%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2004 … 9.6%

AMERICAN BROWN ALE
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron … 12%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Bell’s HopSlam … 10%

AMERICAN STRONG ALE
NABC V – 5th Anniversary Ale 2007 … 10%
Sierra Nevada Life & Limb … 10.2%

BALTIC PORTER
Rogue Imperial Porter 2008 … 8.2%

BELGIAN IPA
t’Smisje + (Plus) … 10%

BELGIAN STRONG DARK ALE
Unibroue La Terrible … 10.5%

BIERE DE GARDE
BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien 2008 … 11%

DOPPELBOCK
Samichlaus Bier Helles … 14%

DUBBEL
t’Smisje Dubbel … 9%

EISBOCK
Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock … 12%
Anstich/gravity pour keg

ENGLISH BARLEYWINE
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (Sherry Cask) 2008 … 11.5%
Gravity pour pin

OLD ALE
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 18 Reserve 2008 … 8%
Hand-pulled firkin

RAUCHBIER
Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche ... 8%

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
NABC ThunderFoot … 11%

SCOTCH ALE / WEE HEAVY
Founders Backwoods Bastard … 10.2%

---

RANKS OF THE FALLEN

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Founders Hand of Doom … 10.4%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL STOUT
Founders Canadian Breakfast … 9.4%

AMERICAN PORTER
Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter … 9.2%

WITBIER
Dogfish Head Red & White … 10%

Quick noontime Gravity Head update.

It's been an outstanding start to Gravity Head 2010. There were plenty of early morning breakfast attendees, and the Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout was hit hard. Now, during lunch, I'm guessing we have 30-40 people in the Public House. Good times.

We managed to squeeze in an 18th starter: Sierra's 2004 Bigfoot, which lost yesterday's coin flip for the fan choice slot.

Of special note is the Anstich keg of Aventinus Eisbock. Tasting great, looking great. We need to float that one soon because it's gravity pour, and will lose the carbonation fairly soon. Right now, it's glorious.

The Gravity Head fan vote is over. We have a winner for the 17th slot.

Fan voting for the 17th Gravity Head selection has concluded.

At one point, we had reached a bizarre vote tally of one each for 13 different beers, and then multiples finally were deposited into the ballot box. In the end, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2004) and Founders Hand of Doom were tied. I flipped a coin, and Hand of Doom won the toss.

Hand of Doom will start, and then the 2004 vintage Bigfoot will be the first keg tapped when a starter is depleted. You should see it on Saturday at the latest.

Thanks for voting. Next year, I am contemplating an altered vote that would take place earlier in the game. But first, we must persevere through the 12th edition of Gravity Head, which starts in less than 24 hours with Gravity Tailgate Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project needs your empty beer bottles at Bank Street Brewhouse on Saturday, March 20.

Press release

New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project

February 20, 2010---- The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project is a multi-year outdoor exhibition of twenty temporary sculptures that interpret the rich history and heritage of New Albany, IN. In the spring of 2010, five temporary sculptures will be installed in highly visible locations in the downtown historic district. Each subsequent year, five new sculptures will be unveiled, culminating in 2013 with New Albany’s Bicentennial Commemoration.

This project is a partnership between the Carnegie Center for Art and History and the New Albany Urban Enterprise Association. It is directed by Julie Schweitzer Studios, with major funding provided by the Horseshoe Foundation of Southern Indiana. For more information or to get involved, e-mail Julie Schweitzer, Project Director, or call 812-944-4986.

As part of the New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project artist Leticia Bajuyo is creating an interactive sculpture for display at the New Albanian Brewing Company's Bank Street Brewhouse.

On March 20, 2010, at noon, Leticia Bajuyo will be on site at the Bank Street Brewhouse to give a presentation about her work and the project.

The piece she will create is informed by the history of taverns and breweries in New Albany and dates back to 1830 with stories of homespun attitudes and community support, as explained on the project's FaceBook page, and web site.

In recognition of this, the primary materials of the sculpture are locally collected, used beer bottles. The collected bottles are used to create a work influenced by the Lite-Brite™ toy; these bottles serve as pegs on the front wall of the sculpture, but unlike a Lite-Brite™, these pegs do not create a stationary pattern. Here, images of New Albany’s brewery logos, projected from the inside the sculpture, change through viewer participation. Furthermore, the sides of the sculpture are constructed of bottles between plexi-glass walls. Sitting on shelves, these rows of bottles reference both the song “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and Tom Marioni’s social sculpture from 1970, entitled “The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art."

Attendees at the event on the 20th will be "paid" in New Albanian Brewing Company “scrip” for clean 12-ounce empties with labels removed. Attendees can redeem the “scrip” (25 cents per empty) as coupons toward their food and drink purchases. Lite-Brites™ will be available onsite to stimulate your creativity along with your appetite. Please join us with your empties and become a part of New Albany’s brewing history.

"Newton discovered it, we perfected it": Gravity Head 2010 starts Friday, February 26.

Here's a compendium of links that provide sufficient background to the forthcoming weekend's Gravity Head 2010 opening at the Pizzeria & Public House.

In 2010, I've taken the approach that pretty much everyone who cares to know about NABC's annual foray into mind-of-its-own hysteria, otherwise known as Gravity Head, already knows about it. Consequently, I've not been angling for publicity. It is what it is, and our customers know what that means.

Also, this year we've decided to take a slightly different approach as to festival management. The overall number of Gravity Head listed kegs is down 10% from 2009 (that's a first), and when the calendar turns into April, we'll reduce the number of festival taps and officially "end" Gravity Head, although untapped GH kegs will be poured until they're gone -- just from fewer spouts. This will dwindle eventually to one tap, from which a higher-gravity specialty will continue pouring year-round.

In this fashion, we can put more of our own NABC creations back on tap, sooner, and we'll also have room for the guest draft program retrofit that's been in the planning stages for a while. Look for old favorites and a more predictable rotation.

But first ... on Friday, February 26, Gravity Head 2010 jumps into gear with our third annual Gravity Tailgate Breakfast. In 2008, a hardy band of early-rising regulars convened for gravity breakfast with Terry Meiners of WHAS television in Louisville. In 2009, we tweaked the concept, and the template remains in effect in 2010.

Breakfast starts at 7:00 a.m., when it’s actually legal to drink beer in Hoosierland, although you certainly don't have to drink if you don't want to drink. There’ll be doughnuts, Sarah's breakfast frittatas, snacks and Ed Needham's home-roasted coffee. We'll segue into normal 11:00 a.m. opening hours, and go from there.

The links:

Enjoy Gravity Head 2010 and help Matt and Amy jump into the river to benefit the Special Olympics.

Download the 2010 Gravity Form.

Gravity Head starters having been named, vote now for the 17th and final keg (not firkin).

Starting lineup for Gravity Head 2010: "Newton discovered it, we perfected it."

Enjoy Gravity Head 2010 and help Matt and Amy jump into the river to benefit the Special Olympics.

Submitted and fully endorsed by NABC management. If you have questions, send them to me and I will redirect to Matt and Amy.

Don’t drive into the river … help Matt Nash and Amy Weatherford jump into the river.

Support Special Olympics & Polar Plunge 2010.

Matt Nash will be providing rides home from the NABC Pizzeria & Public House on opening night of Gravity Head 2010 between 8:00 p.m. and ?, with donations going to the Special Olympics.

Matt Nash is a native of New Albany, local Tribune guest columnist and a strong supporter of using a designated driver. Amy Weatherford now calls New Albany home and will be setting up rides for patrons of Gravity Head. This will be his fourth year of participating in the polar bear plunge and her first.

The car has room for up to 4 people … (3 fit snug in back) but no one in the trunk, hehehe.

Download the 2010 Gravity Form.

The Gravity Form for 2010 is on-line for your perusal. Print it and bring it, but of course, there'll be copies at Pizzeria & Pub, too.

Download link for Gravity Head 2010 program.

Link to view the Gravity Head program .pdf online.

Gravity Head starters having been named, vote now for the 17th and final keg (not firkin).

Once again, as we prepare for the 12th edition of Gravity Head ("Newton discovered it, we perfected it"), we’re allowing the fans to vote on the beer that will occupy the 17th tap.

Note: The starting lineup can be found here.

When making your choice, please remember that the beers listed below are the only ones eligible for selection. The list here has been edited to remove the beers already selected to start, firkins (we can pour only one at a time on hand pull), ones already designated to appear on specific dates, and those that remain in transit.

Vote for just one, and submit to your choice to me at this e-mail address - istanbul85(at)yahoo.com - before Noon on Thursday, February 25, 2010.

AMERICAN AMBER / RED LAGER
Coney Island Human Blockhead … 10% abv

AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Avery Hog Heaven Barley Wine … 9.2%
Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine … 15.04%
Left Hand Oaked Aged Widdershins … 8.8%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale 2004 … 9.6%
Stone Old Guardian 2009 … 11.3%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Boulder Mojo Risin’ … 10.5%
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA … 18%
Founders Double Trouble … 9.4%
Founders Hand of Doom … 10.4%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL STOUT
Founders Breakfast Stout 2008 … 8.3%

AMERICAN STRONG ALE
New Holland Dragon’s Milk … 10%
Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale … 9%
Shmaltz He’Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah (13) … 13%
Sierra Nevada Life & Limb … 10.2%

BALTIC PORTER
Rogue Imperial Porter 2008 … 8.2%

BELGIAN STRONG DARK ALE
Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale … 8.6%
Van Steenberge Klokke Roeland … 11%

BELGIAN STRONG PALE ALE
Baladin Elixir (Al-Iksir) … 10%

BIERE DE GARDE
BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien 2007 … 11%

DOPPELBOCK
Ettaler Curator Doppelbock (enhanced export version) … 11%

DUBBEL
t’Smisje Dubbel … 9%

ENGLISH BARLEYWINE
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale 2008 … 11.5%
Pausa Cafè Tosta … 12.5%

OLD ALE
BBC Brandy Barrel Queen’s Knickers … 12%
Founders Curmudgeon … 9.3%
NABC Malcolm’s Old Setters’ Ale 2007 … 12%

QUADRUPEL
Avery “The Reverend” … 10%

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Founders Imperial Stout 2008 … 10.5%
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout … 9.5%
Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2008 … 10.5%

SCOTCH ALE / WEE HEAVY
Founders Backwoods Bastard … 10.2%

TRIPEL
Maredsous 10 - Tripel … 10%

Starting lineup for Gravity Head 2010: "Newton discovered it, we perfected it."

Following are 16 of the 17 Gravity Head 2010 starters, to be tapped for Friday, February 26. The 17th is to be chosen by fan vote (see next post).

AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Boulder Killer Penguin Barleywine … 10%
Rogue Old Crustacean 2004 … 11.5%

AMERICAN BROWN ALE
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron … 12%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL IPA
Bell’s HopSlam … 10%

AMERICAN DOUBLE / IMPERIAL STOUT
Founders Canadian Breakfast … 9.4%

AMERICAN PORTER
Two Brothers Red Eye Coffee Porter … 9.2%

AMERICAN STRONG ALE
NABC V – 5th Anniversary Ale 2007 … 10%

BELGIAN IPA
t’Smisje + (Plus) … 10%

BELGIAN STRONG DARK ALE
Unibroue La Terrible … 10.5%

BIERE DE GARDE
BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien 2008 … 11%

DOPPELBOCK
Samichlaus Bier Helles … 14%

EISBOCK
Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock … 12%
Anstich/gravity pour keg

OLD ALE
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 18 Reserve 2008 … 8%
Firkin

RAUCHBIER
Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche ... 8%

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
NABC ThunderFoot … 11%

WITBIER
Dogfish Head Red & White … 10%

To be tapped on SATURDAY, February 27

ENGLISH BARLEYWINE
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (Sherry Cask) 2008 … 11.5%
Gravity pour pin

MOJO catches Amy Baylor at the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show.

Check out Steve Coomes' Mojo blog about the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show over the weekend in Ohio, and see the photo of NABC's Amy Baylor. We didn't win anything, but you can't win if you don't play, right?

UPDATED: Meat still reigns at Midwest pizza contest

SB 75 passes 2nd reading in the House, should go up for 3rd today.

Rep. Ed Clere phoned last evening to tell me that SB 75 passed its second reading in the House and is scheduled for the third and final reading today. According to Ed, yesterday's success didn't guarantee final passage, but immeasurably increased the chances of passage.

Just so you can see how the bill has evolved, I'm reprinting the entire text below. The original bill absorbed two other alcohol-related measures, and has been amended several times, again with provisions pertaining to the state's alcoholic beverage statutes. I've separated the clauses for easier reading. For more on the bill's progress, go here: Senate Bill 75 - SUPER-DUPER-SIZED!

Now: Cross your fingers. I'll be waiting to hear from Ed, and I profusely thank him for his diligence both in supporting the bill and keeping information flowing back to us.

--

Senate Bill 0075
2010 2nd Regular Session

DIGEST OF SB 75 (Updated February 22, 2010 5:05 pm - DI 92)

Alcoholic beverages.

Allows a microbrewery to sell the brewery's beer for carryout on Sunday at the address for which the brewer's permit was issued.

Allows alcoholic beverages to be sold on election days. Allows the holder of a retailer's permit to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. the following day. (Under current law, the holder of a retailer permit may sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. the following day).

Makes it a Class B misdemeanor for an alcoholic beverage permittee or permittee's employee or agent to recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally sell, barter, exchange, provide, or furnish another person alcoholic beverages for carryout without first requiring the person to produce proof that the person is at least 21 years of age by: (1) a driver's license; (2) a government issued identification card; or (3) a government issued document; that bears the person's photograph and birth date.

Provides that it is a defense in a criminal or administrative proceeding that the individual to whom the alcoholic beverages were sold appeared to be at least 50 years of age.

Provides that, in a criminal prosecution or proceeding before the alcohol and tobacco commission, it is a defense to a charge of unlawfully furnishing alcohol to a minor that the purchaser produced a government issued document bearing the purchaser's photograph and showing the purchaser to be at least 21 years of age.

Eliminates the requirement that a publicly owned airport be served by a scheduled commercial passenger airline in order for a restaurant located in the passenger terminal to be eligible for a permit to sell beer, wine, and liquor.

Allows an indoor theater located in a city having a population of more than 200,000 but less than 300,000 and that has been listed in the National Register of Historic places to: (1) be issued a one-way, two-way, or three-way permit to sell alcoholic beverages; and (2) to have children present.

Requires alcohol servers, retailer permittees, or management representatives of retailer or dealer permittees to complete alcohol server training by May 1, 2011. (Current law requires completion of the training by January 1, 2010.)

Requires an applicant for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages in Marion County to file with the local board verification from a department of the consolidated city designated by ordinance that the applicant is in compliance with zoning requirements for the premises to be licensed.(Current law requires verification from the department of metropolitan development.)

Current Status: Passed 2nd reading - 2nd House

Polar Walk & Coolest Art Show in downtown NA next Saturday ... and Paul's One World Cafe open on Market.

Next Saturday (February 27) is the occasion of the long-awaited, frigid sequel to last summer's NA 1 Night Stand downtown pub crawl: Polar Walk.

As before, participants will be wandering downtown New Albany and dropping by those establishments that have signed onto the program, including *Bank Street Brewhouse, Studio's, Pastimes, Hitching Post, *Steinert's, *Wick's and *Connor's Place.

*That's four out of seven for the home brewing team. Not bad.

Wait, there's more: In conjunction with the Polar Walk, and serving as the walk's registration and starting point, will be The Coolest Art Show, held within the friendly confines of Dave Thrasher's Art Store on Market Street.

In other news: You may have heard that the street level retail space formerly occupied by the Market Street Fish House (now across the street, folded into Connor's Place) has a new tenant. The Tribune's Daniel Suddeath reports with the complete lowdown: Paul’s One World Café open.

Critical juncture for SB 75 may be coming on Monday.

Last evening I had the chance to chat briefly with Ed Clere, our District 72 State Representative, about SB 75.

It’s the bill we’ve been referring to as the “growler bill,” or the “Sunday carry-out for microbrewers” bill.

On Wednesday, SB 75 was considered by the House Committee on Public Policy and passed its first reading by a vote of 10-0. Two other alcohol-related bills have been added to our bill. Both passed their vettings to date with little dissent. One of them adjusts Sunday hours to match those stipulated for the remainder of the week. The other ends the prohibition of sales while the polls are open on Election Day.

Finally, two minor provisions pertaining to local conditions in Terre Haute and Ft. Wayne also have been attached to SB 75. I’m told that this sort of thing is normal, and should have no deleterious consequences.

So, in large measure, SB 75 remains “clean” in the sense of harboring no egregious amendments. However, according to Ed, this still might happen – especially during the 2nd reading, this time before the full House, and probably on Monday, February 22. He is of the opinion that if the 2nd reading hurdle is cleared, the 3rd reading (full House) and subsequent journey back to the point of origin in the Senate should come off without a hitch.

To repeat: Ed feels that the 2nd reading, probably on Monday, is the critical one. It is then that “bad” amendments and attachments are most likely to occur. If Indiana residents are reading, please take a few minutes to send an e-mail to your State Representative in support of SB 75 as it stands. The mood is optimistic. Parity may be just around the corner ...

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part Two).

Above: "The Livery cellar -- p.s. it's time to start the barrel program ... "

Below: "Steve Berthel and an open top fermenter at Arcadia Brewing."

Above: From left to right, Thom Phillips, Jared Williamson, Steve Berthel, Josh Davies, Jim Towers. See Jared's preceding Michigan report for further details. Photo credits: Thom and Leslie.

Scenes from The Livery's 5th Anniversary Ale brew day (Part One).

Above: "10 lbs of hops in a 6BBL mash."
Below: "Cleaning time."

Below: "Hop decisions."

See Jared's preceding Michigan report for further details. Photo credits: Thom and Leslie.

Jared Williamson on "Michigan: Passion, Pints, and Pride."

I knew he could brew, and I knew he could play music, but Jared's been concealing his skill at writing. Here's the report on his trip to Michigan last weekend, and in my opinion, it wonderfully encapsulates the ethos of craft brewing and the reasons why we all cherish being a part of it. There'll be photos in two posts following.

---

Michigan: Passion, Pints, and Pride

Until this past weekend, I had previously spent a total of 12 hours in Michigan back in 2002, and that was for a gig with my band in my previous life before brewing. We played that gig in Battle Creek, and luckily stumbled upon Arcadia Brewing Company just a few blocks from the venue. Little did I know that evening the future connection that I would have with craft beer in Michigan.

Fast forward to Great Taste of the Midwest 2009; while looking for something interesting to try among thousands of choices, someone told me to check out The Livery from Benton Harbor, MI. They had me at the words “sour” and “barrel” and I was off to explore. After a few minutes and several samples, I was a big fan and then serendipity stepped in. Brewmaster Steve Berthel arrived at his table right when I was about to head back to my station. We proceeded to yell at each other to be heard above the roar of the crowd for the next ten minutes and quickly it was evident that we had a connection, and that Steve would be traveling through New Albanian country the next month. Without hesitation I asked if he wanted to brew some beer while in town, and Steve was enthusiastic about making it happen. We exchanged cards and went on our way.

In mid-September, Steve arrived in New Albany after spending a week biking and living it up in the mountains of western North Carolina. We spent the next 2 days hanging out, enjoying NABC beers, talking about life and music and beer, and yes, we squeezed in a batch that became the legendary Le Douche Mental Imperial Belgian IPA. Steve returned for its release in mid-November with long time Livery friends and supporters Jim and Megan Towers. We spent the weekend exploring all the Louisville area breweries and had a blast, to put it mildly.

Next up was this return trip to Michigan to brew with Steve, and when he told me about his 55th birthday bash weekend, it seemed the perfect time to brew The Livery’s 5th Anniversary Ale as well. Plans were laid out. Brewmaster Josh Davies from Arcadia Brewing Company, and Steve’s good friend, was added to the mix. Thom Phillips, Michigan home brewing savant, and Jim Towers joined the ranks for the brew day.

5th Anniversary, 5 brewers, Steve’s 55th birthday, 5 malts….hops, hops, and more hops. And then some more hops. We used 10 lbs of whole hop flowers in the mash alone, which is divisible by 5. Call it a Triple Dark IPA.

What we brewed this past Friday will go down in brewing lore. It was excessive, ridiculous, and as Steve says “it won’t suck”. While I won’t divulge the calculated IBUs at this time, Steve is planning on sending a sample to be tested for actual numbers. The beer will be racked into barrels and aged until its release at Great Tastes of the Midwest 2010, along side of a 10 month scotch aged pin of Le Douche Mentale.

We followed our brew day with a trip to Arcadia for pints and dinner. Brewmaster Josh Davies is brewing great beer in Battle Creek, and after a couple of samples I was really wishing that Arcadia would return to distribution in Indiana. Thom, Steve and I parted ways with Josh and headed back to Kalamazoo, finishing the evening with a stop at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe.

Saturday was the real party and what a great celebration it was. You see The Livery is a very unique situation in the craft brewing world. Being a successful brewery/restaurant/concert venue/yoga studio is quite an achievement. Doing it in a small, some would say forgotten lakeside town is brilliant. The level of community pride, craft knowledge, and genuine joy from the people and what they have collectively created is truly inspiring. As one who travels and visits many wonderful brewpubs each year, I urge everyone who loves to seek out great craft beer to make the trip to Benton Harbor and to enjoy the unique scene and beers hand forged by Steve. Well over 300 hundred people crammed into the 3 levels of The Livery to enjoy 12 special release beers, a wonderful concert from Robbie Fulks of Chicago, and great eats from the café. The Livery’s staff is top notch, and they rocked out one of their best business days ever.

I have been a fan of Michigan beers from afar for a long time. After the experiences of this weekend, I cannot wait till my next voyage north. To the craft brewing community of southwest Michigan: bravo my friends, bravo.

Jared Williamson, Brewer
New Albanian Brewing Company

Last Louisville keg of Solidarity at Zeppelin Cafe this Wednesday, February 17.

I grudgingly doff my cap to the snow, and offer this excerpt from a column I wrote for Food & Dining magazine in 2005. To the brief list of winter beers, at the end Baltic Porter might have been added.

This is a way of reminding readers that the last keg from NABC's Louisville allocation of Solidarity will be tapped at 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday, February 17, at the Zeppelin Cafe in Germantown: Last Call For Solidarity!

The weather's ideal for it. As for the food, and although I haven't had the chance to eat at the Zeppelin Cafe, reports have been positive. Items that stick to your ribs are good for winter, and ideal for Solidarity.

---

A menacing queue forms before me.

It is comprised of well-intentioned nutritionists, crusading physicians, profiteering diet planners and congenital killjoys. In this nastiest of personal nightmares, they have gathered to demand that I eschew the habits of my expansive past, to convert, to see the light … to eat and drink “right.”

Stubborn and unrepentant, I point defiantly to the thermometer. It’s not a fit night out for man or beast; Louisville is cold. Salade Nicoise, gazpacho, watermelon and corn on the cob all seem inadequate. Waxen imitation veggies need not apply.

No! I want food to warm the bones, to arouse the slumbering genes of my ancestors on the steppes and in the forest, those enduring and resourceful people who during winter reached for the pickled vegetables, delved into cellar for potatoes, beets and onions, and cracked open stocks of salted beef and fish.

I demand the hearty ingredients for soups, stews, goulash, cabbage rolls and casseroles.

Furthermore, I want beer styles to match them! Beer that is cool, not cold; strong, not puny; challenging, not simple.

Winter provides the most suitable conditions for sampling and studying the heavyweight classics that have come to us from the various Old World brewing cultures and in turn have been embraced and redefined by America’s innovative microbrewers.

Among these are multi-faceted imperial stouts, deeply affecting barley wines, and big, brawny German “double” bocks. Not only do these beer styles provide ample warming for bodies iced and chilled in the great outdoors, but they also stick to the food that sticks to your bones when it matters most.

Public House second shift only Monday and Tuesday.

Kate found staff for the Public House, so although Office Hours is postponed until next Monday, the Pub is open on Monday night. On Tuesday, the Public House will not open until 5 p.m., although the Pizzeria will operate from 11:00 a.m. Got it?

Jared drives to Michigan to tap a firkin.

There's more to it than just that, but as we await his report, here's a clip: "Steve Berthel - Birthday Bash with Jared from New Albanian Brewing."