Southern Indiana Uncorked: Beer and wine in Corydon, coming on Saturday, May 24.

There's a new local festival debuting on Saturday, May 24: Southern Indiana Uncorked, which will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Harrison County Fairgrounds, located on Old Indiana 135 S. in Corydon.

The festival's participating breweries and wineries are listed below, and the organizers are promising live demonstrations and entertainment. Admission is $10 a person, with proceeds going to the Old Capitol Business Association. Admission includes a souvenir tasting glass and 25 beverage sample tickets, and we're told that you can buy full pours form the vendors (presumably) at market prices. The web site has more: www.southernindianauncorked.com.

NABC's John Campbell and Tony Beard will be manning our booth.

Best Vineyards Winery
Bluegrass Brewing Company
Buck Creek Winery
Cumberland Brews
Grape Inspirations
Indian Creek Winery
Indiana Uplands Wine Trail
New Albanian Brewing Company
Turtle Run Winery
Upland Brewing Company
Vinetree Farm Winery
Windy Knoll Winery
Winzerwald Winery

Recap: NABC & Upland at the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival, 2008.

"I used to think I was an artist. Come to find out I'm a beer salesman."
James McMurtry (shown below with John Campbell)


McMurtry’s inspired set closed the 3rd annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival on Saturday, May 17, and NABC’s contingent was once again delighted, intoxicated and utterly exhausted to have been a part of the scene. For three years running, we’ve shared the beer concession with Upland Brewing, our friends from Bloomington. In 2006, we sold four kegs on Friday night and most of the day Saturday; in 2008, we fell just shy of eight kegs dispensed, and like the festival itself, such steady growth is reckoned by us to be a very good thing.


To date, what has made the ORVFF so special is the commitment of the organizers to the principle that the conceptual basis of “folk” music – admittedly, an elastic definition encompassing Ireland, Texas and Vevay – is very much localized, and as such, should extend to the whole range of the experience for those in attendance.


In practical terms, this means local vendors and reasonable terms of participatory engagement for them. While there is little doubt that big brewery sponsorship money would grow the folk festival more quickly, and moreover, that there are some in Madison who’d be in favor of this, it’s also a foregone conclusion that the fest’s considerable charms would surely be compromised with too rapid growth and commercialization.


Speaking for all of us, we hope the concept stays consistent with the gist of the music. For NABC at the ORVFF in 2008, Flat Tyre Amber was the biggest seller, followed by 15-B Porter, and with Kaiser 2nd Reising Pilsner in third place. We sold a full keg of our new Saison, and roughly 2/3 of a keg of St. Radegund ESB. Response was overwhelmingly favorable, and it wasn’t until McMurtry’s appearance neared that we began hearing a smattering of requests for mass-market swill. The fact that both NABC and Upland brought pilsners surely helped forestall complaints from the unadventurous, and there were far fewer expressions of disappointment than in 2007.

My knees disagree, but I’m still looking forward to 2009.

The joy of venting, or why civilization is at a standstill.

Perhaps the classic Coors Light television ad of recent years depicts a mumbling husband transfixed by the shiny blue mountains on his revolutionary cold-activated bottle of beer. His wife tries in vain to share the results of her similarly color-coded pregnancy test, no doubt gleaning a fresh perspective on the veracity of her chosen sperm donor. We can only hope that she does the right thing before it’s too late.

In keeping with this winning theme, which epitomizes the strange and ultimately self-defeating megabrewing marketing strategy of making its target audience look as much like blithering idiots as possible (come to think of it, such honesty may actually be commendable given the excesses of advertising … and the reality of the audience) the Silver Bullet now boasts a new twist.

It’s venting.

This time, the attractive female with Bride magazine in hand looks on sympathetically as her personally selected Ken doll concocts a flimsy excuse about a close friend in need of “venting,” which she encourages in the assumption that men actually do share hankies and their innermost secrets. In fact, the “vent” in question actually is another revolutionary development, this one a newly configured can top that “lets air in” and permits the beer to be poured far more quickly while the men watch football.

Poured into what? Here’s where this exercise in forgettable marketing become interesting. The ad shows the beer cascading from the can into the air, presumably to make the point that the carbonated urine is falling into a glass, pitcher, bucket or leftover Rally’s sack. However, our closing glimpse of the "venting" party shows four men dumping the insipid liquid directly into their mouths, as is the custom in America, the land that manners forgot.

C’mon, why even pretend?

Coors suggests that you can drink its Rockies Perrier faster if you vent. As I’ve noted many times before, lowest common denominator advertising like this one is what makes like harder for all of us, because it amounts to an open invitation to prohibitionists and health fascists to attack swill purveyor and craft brewer alike.

Even as we cringe, a new generation of Coors Light ads is hitting the airwaves: Code Blue. As the mountains turn blue, men from all walks of life answer their cell phones, drop what they’re doing, and race to become mass-market beer lemmings.

That’s just embarrassing. Is this why the world is racing ahead of us?

New hours at Maido Essential Japanese ... and why you should care.

As is often noted in this space, Maido Essential Japanese is one of my favorite Louisville eateries, both in terms of food and beverage. It is one of the few Asian places you'll ever see that has a beer list that evinces design, and one that generally features both hop-laden American craft beers alongside expressive Belgians.

Following is a communique from owner Jim Huie. Read all the way to the end to see what Jim's hoarding.

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Due to the recent huge increase in the price of rice and some other goods, we will no longer be open for lunch (not worth it to do the buffet).

We will, however start opening at 4:00 p.m. today (Monday, May 19th). We will have happy hour from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Closing times will not change and we will still be open at 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Also, we will be coming out with a new menu today, and there will be some new items available. For all you Hopheads, we still have plenty of Bell's HopSlam available in bottle form, and will be tapping a keg sometime later this year.

Rick & Jeff tours schedule: Reds - Red Sox and Indiana Microbrewers Festival.

Jeff Gesser has informed the Curmudgeon of the following upcoming charters. Note that local craft beer is included for the ride, along with lunch.

What more can I say? Jeff and Rick have been doing these excursions for years, I've gone on several, and they're always great fun.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox at Great Western Ball Park in Cincinnati

Two chances: Saturday, June 14 or Sunday, June 15

Saturday June 14th (1:00 p.m.)
Includes chartered bus transportation, tickets to game, craft beer and refreshments for the ride up, pre-game tailgate party with food and drink and a great time. Cost is $95 per person.

Sunday June 15th (3:55 p.m.)
Includes chartered bus transportation, tickets to game, craft beer and refreshments for the ride up, pre-game tailgate party with food and drink, and a great time. Cost $100 per person.

Indiana Microbrewers Festival
Saturday, July 19
Chartered bus, tickets to fest, program, sample glass, and hand-crafted beers available on bus both up and back. We will also provide lunch. Cost $85 per person.

For reservations and complete information contact Rick and Jeff Tours by calling 502-807-7531 or e-mail profgesser@insightbb.com

SAVOR in DC this weekend, and NABC will be there.

Brewers Jesse Williams and Jared Williamson of the New Albanian Brewing Company will be traveling to Washington, D.C., this weekend to man the NABC booth at SAVOR (see details below), which is a big-ticket effort on the part of the craft brewing industry to lay claim to turf previously thought to be the exclusive domain of wine – namely, pairing good food with good beer, and not pretending that America’s biggest-selling megabrews even matter at all when it comes to such considerations.

And hoppy ale’s still better with hot wings than mass-market beer.

But I digress.

Given the prestigious nature of this inaugural event (we’re one of only 48 breweries participating), it’s quite exciting to have another local craft producer, Capriole Farms, included under the auspices of SAVOR. We were asked to make pairing recommendations, and suggested Capriole’s heavenly Mont St. Francis goat cheese to accompany our Hoptimus double IPA. Our wish was SAVOR's command.

I would have like to attend SAVOR, not so much to schmooze, but to tickle the taste buds, but we’d already committed to the annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison (IN) this weekend. Rest assured that Jesse and Jared will do just fine without me along for the ride. Meanwhile, John Campbell and I are free to beervangelize in Madison on Friday and Saturday, then motor to Greenville on Sunday for Capriole’s annual Spring Farm Day. DC or no DC, it isn’t looking like a weight-loss weekend for the Publican.

Here’s the full press release from the organizers of SAVOR.

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SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience Comes to Nation's Capital in May

Independent Craft Brewers Harmonize Beer and Food Showcasing Why Craft Beer is So Sought After

Boulder, CO – March 7, 2008 - Four dozen independent craft brewers have been selected to showcase the pleasures of fine food enjoyed with world-class beer in Washington, D.C., May 16-17. SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience will highlight the culinary delights of beer as part of the Brewers Association's annual American Craft Beer Week

“SAVOR offers a truly unique opportunity to be personally served by many of America’s most innovative and famous brewery owners and brewers," said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the association. "Meeting the makers, access to the educational salons, and the pairing menu are why SAVOR is a must attend event.

http://www.savorcraftbeer.com/

Today, American beers are judged to be among the world’s best and have earned a respected place at the table alongside wine. In fact, two-thirds of today’s wine drinkers also consume beer. In the summer of 2007, National Public Radio observed, "Beer has gone from the House of Commons to the House of the Lords.” Additionally, in July 2007, Gallup Poll confirmed beer is still the most popular adult beverage in the U.S. ¹

SAVOR tickets are available to the public for three different tasting sessions scheduled May 16th and 17th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington D.C. Tickets are $85 each and will include a wide variety of sweet and savory appetizers crafted to match the taste profiles of craft beers. Federal City Caterers, who have catered many State Department functions and Congressional receptions, will orchestrate the food menu.

In addition to the main attraction of sampling in the great hall, SAVOR will also feature educational salons, which will offer live presentations by brewers, journalists and chefs who have helped advance the American craft beer revolution.

Scheduled speakers include: Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Jim Koch of Boston Beer; Dave Lieberman of Here’s To Beer; Randy Mosher author of “Radical Brewing”; Marnie Old, Assistant Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary Institute; Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery; Hugh Sisson of Clipper City; and several savvy cross drinkers including Lauren Buzzeo of Wine Enthusiast magazine; Ray Isle of Food & Wine magazine; and Ken Wells of Conde’ Nast Portfolio.

Jimmy Reyes of Reyes Beverage Group, Supporting Partner of the event, said, "This is going to be a tremendous celebration. Everyone from true beer aficionados to those who simply enjoy flavorful food and drink will take pleasure in a day of rubbing shoulders and sharing craft beer with acclaimed American brewers in Washington D.C., a beer-loving city since its inception."

Wanted: New Albanian art show, May 15, 16 & 17.

Kevin and the gang have another art show for the coming weekend. Check out the art in Prost, NABC's special events wing.

No f-ing (A-B) lines.

Television advertising induced jaundice during the NBA playoffs.

A-B says: “The superior drinkability if Bud Light.”
Curmudgeon says: Lime or no lime, it’s the “beer” that never tastes like beer.

A-B says: “With a splash of 100% natural lime flavor.”
Curmudgeon says: A genuine Jolly Rancher dissolved in every six-pack.

What is it again that Budweiser has to do with beer?

Ohio River Valley Folk Festival in Madison this weekend, May 16 & 17, and NABC will be there.

The coming weekend (Friday & Saturday, May 16 & 17) is the 3rd Annual Ohio River Valley Folk Festival, held along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. NABC poured beer in 2006 and 2007, and will be doing so again along with friends from Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington).

This year, with Jesse and Jared off in Washington D.C. to represent NABC at the prestigious SAVOR beer and food pairing, it looks like John Campbell and the Publican doing the pouring both days. If readers are interested in helping and have a valid Indiana server permit, let me know, ASAP.

Last year I wrote about the folk festival’s conceptual basis in my Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) column, Mug Shots - Folk Fest celebrates handcrafted brews, and included within my account was this explanation from the festival’s organizers:

In keeping with the Ohio River Valley’s artisan tradition, we proudly offer handcrafted beer and wine from the people who make it. Like the folks who select their wood for a fine musical instrument, these small-production, high-quality vintners and brewers are engaged in the entire process, from the selection of the grain and fruit, to pouring your glass!

Recaps from previous years can be found here at the PC blog:

2006: Another good reason to run upriver.

2007: Ohio River Valley Folk Festival recap: Great weather, and beer and music to match.

As of Monday morning, weekend temperatures are expected to be in the 60s, with clouds but no rain. I’m hoping to see many readers at the festival, so stop by the beer tent and say hello.

Publican's rant: Restaurant operators, know thy market!

My wife is a vegetarian by philosophical principle, and she cannot consume dairy products owing to lactose intolerance. Consequently, she reckons herself a vegan, but one who’ll still eat eggs and the occasional fish.

Meanwhile, I’m an omnivore, and a meat and cheese lover of long standing who has learned that it is both easy and tasty to prepare suitable meals at home that satisfy both of us. It’s simply amazing how little effort it takes to adapt recipes and menus so as to accommodate vegetarians and vegans.

We live in New Albany, a city that is placing a great deal of revitalization hope in its steadily expanding downtown dining and entertainment zone. At the same time, ours is a city apparently inhabited by a gene pool that by all rights should be the topic of a major university’s study into the thinking habits of natives never exposed to thinking. The absence of empathy here is a startling and disturbing feature of daily life.

Not that we aren't used to it by now. When the time comes to eat out at restaurants, it takes little in the way of forethought for us to conclude that places like steakhouses might not be the best bet for vegetarian fare. Accordingly, we seldom dine together at such places. I simply eat my meat at other times.

Apart from the sort of traditional places that we know to avoid, it remains that in today’s diverse and multicultural world, it’s hard to imagine any eatery seeking status as “up-market” or “upscale” or just plain “in tune with society” not having a slight notion of purpose-made vegetarian/vegan options, ones that exceed the incredibly tired cop-out of “just put a few of our vegetable side dishes together and make a meal.” That’s the sort of thing you’d expect from the VFW or Elks lodge kitchen some time during the Ford administration.

In fairness, I’m aware that the friendlier (and more professional) of chefs will often prepare something to suit upon request – where have you gone, Dave Clancy? – but why place this onus on the customer at a time when all aspects of the dining scene point to greater choice?

Granted, a typical restaurant can’t be all things to all people, and yet if you’re already doing pasta and have olive oil close by, a good veggie stir fry is only moments away. Why not keep the comparatively few ingredients required to make such a stir-fry from scratch, prep the presentation, and list it as an everyday option right there on the menu? Why discomfit an increasingly growing segment of the population by constructing bills of fare still built almost exclusively around meat?

Haven’t we gotten past chicken fried steak as the star menu dish? For heavens sake, even today’s truck stops do better than that – and they don’t pretend to be anything other than what they are.

The reason why this is starting to annoy me so greatly is because it reminds me far too much of what I’ve gone through for so long in my life as a beer lover, and particularly, of the typical tavern owner’s clueless, and perhaps even gutless, refusal to cater even slightly to that segment of the population wishing to drink something other than a mass-market swill.

Because: Not only is ignorance of a constantly changing marketplace an insult to customers who’ve already done their homework and know what they want, it’s also damaging to the bottom line. Vegetarians and vegans want to spend their money just like anyone else, and they are sadly accustomed to accepting less than their due – eating wretched iceberg lettuce salads stripped of all things “chef” and making do with French fries (and not thinking about how the fries were prepared).

Why not accommodate these potentially loyal customers up front, rather than force them to ask for something special … especially when the scant knowledge required to pro-actively anticipate such conditions is something we have a right to expect from operators who’ve been around long enough to know better, and who remind us of their vast experience at every turn?

The preceding rant stems directly from an experience with a recently minted restaurant located in New Albany, as well as with the situation at another local establishment, where a special musical event included a meal, and the options for the meal were two choices of meat, but nothing vegetarian or vegan – and, where apparently no one present ever considered that such a question might arise. I simply find it inexcusable that the former restaurant bills itself as “upscale,” but doesn’t have a single vegetarian/vegan menu item on the menu except hummus – which wasn’t in stock when I visited.

In the latter case, it required a great deal of effort on my part, as well as the welcomed assistance of a veteran waiter (you know who you are, and thanks) who went well beyond the norm, both in advance and on the day of the show, to ensure that Diana would be able to dine at what, in the end, was a rather expensive event.

Why is enlightenment so elusive in this benighted locale?

Here's a promise. We don't plan on having an extensive menu at the NABC Bank Street Brewhouse, but there'll be more than one thing there on a daily basis for vegetarians and vegans. These will be there, on the menu card, available for ordering without feeling self-conscious asking for them. I predict that whatever these items turn out to be, there'll be a demand, because I already know the demand is there.

So there.

Kottbusser ale at BBC (Shelbyville Road), but no blood sausage?

Whenever I have the time to visit the recently remodeled, original location of Bluegrass Brewing Company on Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews, I look to the board for the current roster of seasonal and one-off beers conjured by brewer Jerry Gnagy.

To my way of thinking, Jerry’s rotating beers continue the eclectic and tasty tradition practiced by original BBC brewmaster David Pierce, who continues to craft seasonals and specialties downtown at BBC Main & Clay, albeit as a production breweries outside the smaller-batch brewpub setting. I prefer the classic BBC styles as brewed by Dave, and always enjoy the sometimes demented twists offered by Jerry.

Last Wednesday I stopped at BBC Shelbyville Road for a growler, and saw that something called Köttbusser had just come on tap. The fact sheet at the bar refers to it as a non-Reinheitsgebot ale recipe that includes barley, wheat, oats and molasses, with German noble hops. The body is medium, approaching pale bock mouth feel, and overall, I find it delicious.

Upon reflection, and after a couple of pints of Jerry’s beer, it occurred to me that I’ve been to Cottbus, which is near Berlin, and actually serves as the cultural center of a non-German ethnic minority called the Sorbs. It’s a swampy, bayou-like area specializing in runny blood sausage (look, I tried it, okay?), pickles, ornamental snakes on rooftops, and canoe trips.

Material in German that I’ve found on-line refer to an old tradition of wheat ales in Cottbus, and the non-Reinheitsgebot aspect makes perfect sense considering that the “beer purity law” is Bavarian, and would not have been enforced in a place like Cottbus until well after unification in the 1870’s, if at all -- at least until more recent times. After all, there was still Gose in Leipzig for a while after World War II, even in Communist times.

Beers like Jerry’s new Köttbusser are the perfect ones for me. Not only are they tasty, but they make me think, and while doing so I remembered a wonderful time back in 1991.

Then again, perhaps the Sober Brewer’s making it all up.

Either way, I approve.

Facade transformation at the future NABC Bank Street Brewhouse.

Work was done this week to clear away the disgusting vinyl siding on the building at 415 Bank Street and see what's underneath. As we expected, brick and the old industrial front was exposed. As the drawing shows, the plan remains to install garage doors that can be opened in good weather, with a small canpoied garden by the side entrance.

These improvements pertain to the pub, with the back 3/4 of the building reserved for the brewing operation. More on that soon. Of course, the first photo was taken earlier in the year, but notice how the house in the rear has been painted in the interim. Nice.

The last picture is of the preliminary work being done inside.

RockWall/NABC beer dinner coming in June.

Mr. and Mrs. Curmudgeon visited the RockWall for dinner on Thursday night, and as usual, the meal was first-rate.

It was a night that seemed appropriate for wine, so I didn’t have a beer, although lately the RockWall has been carrying an NABC draft (currently Mt. Lee, our California Common offering).

Just after the shrimp cocktail (and before the rack of lamb), two delicious sea scallops appeared on the table courtesy of the executive chef, Alex Bomba. He appeared later to chat, and we’re going to try and arrange a RockWall kitchen and NABC brewhouse beer dinner for a Wednesday or Thursday night in the latter half of June.

I haven’t checked the calendar yet, so stay tuned for further details, and don’t forget the RockWall. I’m straining to think of another bistro on the Indiana side of the river that offers what it does.

Sports concessionaires, blatant extortion, non-competition … but a good beer, anyway.

Yesterday I accompanied good friends to Cincinnati to occupy seats in the lower left field stands at Great Western Ball Park and watch the Reds pelt the Cubs with seven homers, three by Joey Votto, who toiled last year for the Bats in the Louisville Slugger good beer ghetto.

Near our seats was a concession stand vending Bell’s Oberon Ale at a price of $7.75 for what I judged to be a 14-ounce pour. Without giving too much away, I’ll say only that it figures out to a bit more than $900 profit (before expenses) on a regular 15.5 gallon keg of beer.

No, wait: Let’s give it away. At that price and that pour, it’s more than $1,050 coming in for something that costs me about $120.

‘Nuff said on that topic. There’ll be more in next week’s LEO, assuming my Mug Shots piece isn’t too hyperbolic.

Anyway, after one Oberon, the concession stand either ran out or could no longer work the tap, so I was spent scurrying past the usual endless queues at Great Western, around the outfield, and to the place where I remembered good beer being sold last August. The beer there yesterday was called Southern Tier IPA, and after being assured by another customer that it’s a craft brewer and not the latest Anheuser-Busch mockrobrew, I bought one.

Good stuff. Not the best American-style IPA I’ve had, but just fine, with plenty of body and hops, and fully worthy of my coney cheese dogs beneath a rainy sky filled with crushed baseballs.

Another NA (non-alcoholic) election day tomorrow.

Longtime readers have seen this one before, but it's appropriate to repeat these sentiments before each election. The text below is my latest reworking as published last week as a "Mug Shot" article for LEO (it appeared on Wednesday, April 30).

Needless to say: The Public House will not be open until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6. Sportstime Pizza will observe regular hours beginning at 11:00 a.m., for what is destined to be an excruciatingly dry lunch. There'll be open seating at Prost from 6:00 p.m. to watch election returns on the big screen.

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In 2008, Indiana's primary election takes place on May 6, and Kentucky's follows two Tuesdays later on May 20.

In both states, Election Day brings with it roughly eleven hours of state-mandated prohibition against the sale of demon rum, and consequently the bars can't open until the polls close. Of course, one might drink continuously until 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. election morning, and then nurse a carry-out six-pack or a bottle of single malt Scotch during the comparatively brief time it takes to watch an Adam Sandler DVD before crawling off in a stupor to vote when the polls open at six.

Presumably, this unwelcome vestige of an otherwise discredited social policy serves as a bulwark against the horrific possibility that unscrupulous politicos or their conniving agents might swap half-pints of Kessler (or a similarly valued slopping spree at the community's on-premise watering holes) in exchange for a poor wretch's vote.

As there exists no commensurate prohibition against the sale of strong black coffee, chocolate-covered Krispy Kremes and hickory-smoked bacon, apparently the veiled but very real threat of breakfast-induced bribery is not worthy of the same scrutiny as that posed by the insidious grape and the grain.

If you're hopelessly intoxicated after ingesting that half-pint of Kessler, are you really any more destructive to democracy than the perfectly sober voter who is following instructions provided by a fundamentalist preacher, who in turn has promised not temporal inebriation, but a favorable reference when the time comes to take up residence in heaven?

I think not, and hope you had the foresight to visit your favorite package store on Monday night. Otherwise, remember that the taps open at 6:00 p.m., and to quote Groucho Marx, then there'll be "dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor."

Homebrewing: 4th Annual BBC Brew Day recap.

Courtesy of Ed Needham, here's a report on the recent homebrew/brew-in event at BBC (Main and Clay).

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Pictures of the 4th Annual BBC Brew Day, on April 26th, 2008 are up! Thanks to Kevin Spaulding, Louisville Ale Club president, and his photographic talents, there are photos posted at:

http://fotoewizzard.smugmug.com/gallery/4833999_iaNg9/3#P-1-15

You can save any one of these to your computer by selecting the size you want and clicking save. By choosing 'original' size, you get all the detail and resolution of the original picture.

According to (BBC brewmaster) Dave Pierce, "The homebrewers made 190 gallons, which is a new record." The food was fabulous, the beer, wonderful, and friends ... incredible.

FOSSILS secretary of beer, Ed Needham

UPDATE - "Mug Shots": A compendium of my essays in LEO.

It's time for another "Mug Shots" update.

For those just tuning in, every two weeks the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) publishes a 300-word essay about beer written by the Curmudgeon.

Although I had my doubts at first (my topic sentences tend to run 300 words), it has proven to be great fun and good practice in self-discipline, something for which I'm not universally noted.

Here are the links to recent articles:

Mug Shots: The hypocrisies of drinking and voting
(April 30, 2008)

Mug Shots: Expand your horizons
(April 16, 2008)

Mug Shots: Pabst tense (ask for the original)
(April 2, 2008)

Mug Shots: Craft brews are up!
March 19, 2008)

Mug Shots: Meg Ryan would approve
(March 5, 2008)

Mug Shots: Gravityheads, unite
(February 20, 2008)

Mug Shots: Oysters and stout go hand-in-hand
(February 6, 2008)

Mug Shots: Ben Franklin was a beer man
(January 23, 2008)

Mug Shots: A manifesto for 2008
(January 9, 2008)

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Mug Shots: The Year in Beer
(December 26, 2007)

Mug Shots: Swap Santa for Saturnalia
(December 12, 2007)

Mug Shots: Behold beer sommeliers
(November 28, 2007)

Mug Shots: Sacrilege and mass merger
(November 14, 2007)

Expand your horizons and ditch the cookie-cutter.

As a prelude to the Kentucky Derby, I wrote the following as my "Mug Shot" entry in the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO):

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Mug Shots: Expand your horizons (April 16, 2008)

According to one of our regular bar customers, he was chatting with a fellow who’d just returned from vacation in Key West, and asked the returnee what he thought of the cuisine in southernmost Florida.

“You mean the food? Look, you don’t have to give up anything down there. They have McDonald’s and Taco Bell just like here in Louisville – probably KFC, too.”

Presumably, you don’t have to “give up” Bud, Miller or Coors, either – neither in Key West, nor in Nome, Alaska – although the anecdote prompts a doleful reflection on the state of cultural appreciation in the world, to wit: Has there ever been a country where so many people proclaim their unique individuality by means of a slavish and overt devotion to numbing conformity in the form of the mass market?

I fully understand that an appreciation for irony has never been an indigenous skill for most Americans, but isn’t it just plainly sad at a very basic human level that people blessed with the means to travel arrive at their ultimate destination and ignore the local flavor in favor of the safety of the cookie-cutter?

Anywhere I go, here or abroad, I look first for the local beer and the local brewpubs, because more often than not, the people at the local brewpubs who drink local beer can make the best suggestions as to what else in their locality differs from the Louisville norm. That’s precisely what travel should do. Travel should open eyes to other ways, cultures and flavors. Food and drink should be different in Mexico and Maine. The joy lies in the differences.

People come to Louisville each year for the Derby and the festivities that precede it. I hope that while here, visitors check out our brewpubs, bourbons and culinary offerings. There’s great stuff waiting to be discovered, and remembered.

Rich O’s Public House CLOSED, Sportstime Pizza OPEN on Derby Day, Saturday, May 3.

Repeating the drill from Thunder Over Louisville ... no, I’m not a fan of Louisville’s foremost annual celebration of horse flesh, gambling, and the atrocious butchering of decent bourbon otherwise known as the mint julep, a cocktail which is consumed only now, and mostly by people who don't know any better.

However, I know that the majority of my friends and acquaintances enjoy the pomp and circumstance of Kentucky Derby, so be it. We’ve long since learned that there’s no sense in staffing both dining areas at NABC/Rich O’s/Sportstime on Derby Day, and we’ll not be doing so again this year. Rich O’s will be closed all day, but Sportstime will be open. No Red Room for you. Blame it on the occasion, whhich is aptly ridiculed here:

From the web: "The Kentucky Derby Really Is Decadent and Depraved."

Update: Upgrading the “everyday” guest imported draft selection at the Public House.

I first wrote of this in February., and many readers and customers have asked for an update, so here it is.

We're still working on the previously announced draft changes at the Public House. Specifically, the “everyday” guest imported draft selection will be upgraded by adding a few spouts to the front keg box behind the bar, but progress has been impeded by two unexpected occurrences: The delayed arrival of the special Delirium Tremens tower, and the abrupt withdrawal of Rodenbach from America.

Also, there has been another unexpected occurrence that’s more favorable to all concerned: The unanticipated possibility to obtain St. Bernardus ABT 12.

The custom tower, to be obtained from the importers of Delirium Tremens, has been the first hang-up; in short, it still awaits shipment to the United States, and we can do nothing until it arrives and is delivered by the beer rep. The Delirium Tremens tap will be a "family" tap in the sense of also pouring Nocturnum on occasion and Noel in season. In the interim, I'll be trying my best to keep Delirium Tremens pouring in the customary fashion.

The Rodenbach situation is more mystifying. It has been withdrawn from US distribution, and while definitive word is absent, rumor has it that there will be a reintroduction perhaps a year from now. It was a prime goal of mine to have a Belgian sour red as the centerpiece of the enhanced draft selection, and the current coping mechanism involves serving Monk’s Café Flemish Sour as the default pour, while stockpiling as much kegged Rodenbach as possible so that once a month, either the Classic or the Grand Cru will be on tap. Note that owing to the considerable expense of storing all these kegs (a year’s worth in stock), the periodic Rodenbach will be a bit pricier than anticipated. Look for the next installment some time during the week after Derby.

The other additions will be personal favorites from Belgium and Germany (see below), and the impetus is two-fold. Our major priority for the foreseeable future is implementing Operation Progressive Pint and creating another (production) brewery and taproom in downtown New Albany. Nothing will change at the current location, but I’d like to see the pub and pizzeria operating at peak efficiency, which to me means further enhancing the guest draft selection, both imported and craft-brewed, and positioning our house-brewed beers to contrast and complement these.

Here's the anticipated lineup, and don't forget that it might yet be possible to squeeze another tap into the mix.

Delirium Tremens (family)
Monk’s Café Flemish Sour/Rodenbach Classic/Rodenbach Grand Cru
Saison Dupont (family; rotation among sister Dupont brands)
Chimay Tripel
St. Bernardus ABT 12
Schlenkerla Marzen
Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock

Obama Block Party at the Public House TOMORROW.

1:20 p.m. update:

I have a few more details about the Obama Block Party for Change on Saturday at the Public House. It will run from Noon to 5:00 p.m., and there'll be free pizza and soft drinks, with the bar available for those preferring the random Progressive Pint. The organizers, who are arranging live music and a raffle, would like for you to RSVP Meghan at 317-503-9772 if you're planning on attending. Keep in mind that from the standpoint of the Obama campaign, they'd like to meet people who wouldn't mind donating a bit of time to the cause; early voting takes place tomorrow at the clerk's office, and there's canvassing to be done. This is going to be a fun afternoon, so plan on stopping by.

The earlier posting:

Okay, so it isn;t about beer ... except there'll be beer there -- and progressive pints, no less ...

After dropping into Obama HQ for further information, I'll be back a bit later to update this announcement, but for now know that we'll be throwing an Obama Block Party on Saturday, April 26 in the Prost room at Rich O's Public House (3312 Plaza Drive). Starting time is circa 12:00 noon.

Below is the default text of the statewide e-mail. Check back later for details.

Dear Friend,

I wanted to let you know about the Block Parties we're organizing in communities across Indiana this Saturday.

Indiana's primary is less than two weeks away, and supporters are coming together in their neighborhoods to share their enthusiasm for Barack.

Check out the Block Party map and find the one near you

These potluck Block Parties are a great way to get to know fellow supporters in your area and relax with some food, music, and fun.

Everyone will be welcome at the parties, where we'll take a little time to connect with each other and chat about why we're supporting this movement and what we can do to Get Out The Vote in Indiana.

And if you're registered to vote, we'll have information to help you find your polling place. Early Vote locations will be open on Saturday, so we'll have details about that, too.

If you want, bring your family, a friend, or your favorite dish -- and RSVP now for a Block Party.

See you on Saturday!

Mitchell Kent
Indiana GOTV Director
Obama for America

Randall on steroids?

Here are views of Otto's "Randall on steroids," as equipped and pumping during Schlafly's recent end-of-Prohibition bash at the Bottleworks in St. Louis. Note that the IPA in the fermenter was already being dry hopped before passing through a second helping of the magic cone.

Susan Haberer and the brewing technician himself. Bravo!

A few St. Louis/Schlafly views from April 11-13.

Jared and Jesse visit with the inimitable Stephen Hale.


The Publican has a beer with Susan Haberer, who works hard at keeping Dan Kopman in line.


The local crazies gather in 35-degree weather to celebrate the anniversary of Prohibition's demise.


Jared and John discuss progress at the merchandise table.


Tom Schlafly (center) wore a vintage St. Louis Brown cap to the proceedings, and I admire that.


Some people partied a bit too hardy, but a fleet of taxis was nearby.

That weekend seminar at Schlafly.

Oddly, the thing I'll remember most about our recent (April 11-13) visit to St. Louis was whitecaps on corn and soybean fields.

In short, I'd completely forgotten how many lakes there are just across the Indiana border in Illinois … except that they aren't lakes at all. They're temporarily flooded fields. Driving straight into the weather, with the wind blowing hard to the east, waves of surfer dimension could be seen rippling beneath the grain silos.

Speaking of grain, the occasion for the trip was the Schlafly craft brewery's annual "Repeal of Prohibition" party, held outside in the parking lot of the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, a St. Louis neighborhood. In biting 35-degree weather, 1,200 people showed up to sample the 30-odd beers and drink away the afternoon. Perhaps a dozen of the male revelers wore kilts. Countless kegs from the hosts and four visiting "guests of honor" Indiana breweries were floated. All in all, it was a wonderful time and a first-class performance by Schlafly.

Before and after the event itself, we were able to tour both of Schlafly's facilities and take notes. Of special significance to me was the chance to meet founder Tom Schlafly. We talked about beer only briefly before going into baseball; in fact, he was wearing a replica St. Louis Browns cap on Saturday, which I thought was suitably oblique (note that the Browns moved from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954 or thereabouts, and became the Orioles).

My biggest insight?

At the end of the day, Schlafly isn't all that different from my own NABC other than being far larger. Its size came about over a long period of time. Schlafly may appear to be a sleek corporate machine, but it most decidedly is not that simple, because just like at NABC, a handful of owners/lifers and a cadre of efficient team members combine to do more work than they should and keep the train rolling.

That's what happens when you decide to do it yourself, and the frustrations are many. Knowing that being in business for yourself has rendered you unemployable elsewhere … priceless.

Advance note: 3rd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale on Saturday, June 7.

Straight from owner Todd Antz's word processor ...


---


June 7th: 3rd Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

14 breweries, 2 craft beer distributors, over 100 craft and import beers, food and more. We will have 14+ microbrewers on site to sample their wares, as well as food, music, and a charity silent auction to support the WHAS Crusade for Children. Here is our lineup so far:

Upland Brewing Company
New Albanian Brewing
Barley Island Brewing
Bluegrass Brewing Company
Warbird Brewing
Bells Brewing
Browning's
New Holland Brewing
Brugge Brasserie
Wabash Brewing
Cumberland Brews
Mishawaka Brewing Company
Powerhouse Brewing Company
Schlafly Brewing
... and more on the way

Also in attendance will be World Class Beverages and Cavalier Distributing. Food will be available from Mark's Feed Store and Buckhead Mountain Grill.

Price is $25 in advance, and $30 day of the event. Tickets go on sale on April 15th and will be available at Rich O's Public House & Sportstime Pizza, the BBC Taproom and Keg Liquors, and also available online at the http://www.kegliquors.com/festofale.htm

Planning underway for the 2008 Belgian/Dutch beercycling adventure in September.

Most readers are aware that the brew tour planned for the Pacific Northwest in May was cancelled owing to insufficient numbers. Resources now are being directed toward September, when we'll undertake a Belgian/Dutch beercycling adventure.

TRIP OVERVIEW

Know that the projected excursion is being organized primarily for the benefit of those planning on actively beercycling, with other possibilities incorporated as practicable for those who aren’t.

The idea this time is to rent bikes, not take our own, and to have them transported separately to our staging area near Poperinge. We’ll travel by train from Amsterdam/Haarlem to Poperinge, stopping for two or three brewery tours along the way, begin the biking segment on the weekend of the triennial hop festival, then cycle back to Haarlem for concluding festivities.

If there is enough interest in renting a vehicle to serve as “sag wagon,” then we’ll do that, too.

WHEN WILL IT BE?

The tentative schedule looks like this, and is subject to constant revision.

Tue. Sept. 16
Outbound Louisville to Amsterdam (overnight)

Wed. Sept. 17
Arrive Amsterdam a.m., transfer to rooms in Amsterdam (or Haarlem)

Thur. Sept. 18
Train to Mechelen (Belgium) for the Anker (Gouden Carolus) brewery tour and overnight stay at the brewery hotel if possible.

Fri. Sept. 19
Train to Ingelmunster, brewery tour at Van Honsebrouck (Kasteel brands) and maybe the Pico Brouwerij Alvinne, and overnight in Ingelmunster and/or environs.

Sat. Sept. 20
Train to Poperinge, Ieper or environs to meet the bicycles at the pre-designated lodging. Hopefully, a bike ride to France and a visit to the great beer bar atop the hill at Cassel.

Sun. Sept. 21
Parade and hop festival in Poperinge.

Mon. Sept. 22
Leave the vicinity of Poperinge and ride to Brugge; evening at Brugs Beertje.

Tue. Sept. 23
A second day in Brugge so as to make the rounds of friends and good beer bars.

Wed. Sept. 24
Bike to Middelburg (Netherlands) and an evening at “The Mug” beer bar & restaurant.

Thur. Sept. 25, Fri. Sept. 26
Make our way north toward Haarlem.

Sat Sept. 27
Arrive in Haarlem and have a party with our friends there.

Sun. Sept. 28
Official tour end. Your option as to what to do next.

AIRFARE

Flights are your responsibility, and I’ll be going in/out of Amsterdam, but I can make suggestions if need be or try to book as many of us as possible on the same flights if you wish. For flights, I work through Bliss Travel in New Albany.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Don’t kid yourselves about costs. They will be high. When all is said and done, I can’t imagine 12-14 days costing any less than $4,000, and maybe more.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING?

If any part of this is of interest, please let me know by responding to basic questions:

A. Yes, I’ll be renting a bike and riding.

B. Yes, but I’d rather ride in the sag wagon, understanding that seating may be limited.

C. Yes, but I’m going to travel by train and coincide with the group whenever possible.

D. Yes, but I have special needs/specific dates/etc.

Thanks, and I hope to see some of you there.

This week: Special release bottles at the Public House.

Coming the week of April 21 ... we hope.

Eating, drinking, and downtown New Albany's emerging new lineup of establishments.

Each year when baseball season commences, fans must survey ever-changing major league rosters to account for the winter’s trades and free agent signings.

In like fashion, the assemblage of downtown New Albany eateries and watering holes has undergone a near complete overhaul in recent months. Here are a few of the changes, bearing in mind that as usual, my primary emphasis is on those businesses aiming to have good beer as part of their presentation, and consequently are of greater interest to me personally. I know that some are being omitted, and welcome their inclusion via subsequent comments.

First, a quick shout-out to Speakeasy Jazz on State Street, which has survived both the Bistro New Albany and Connor’s Place, and should benefit from the unexpected closing of the Jazz Factory in Louisville. In some form, NABC beers usually are on tap at the Speakeasy.

Many readers have asked about the abrupt departure of Connor’s Place, formerly located at 207 East Main Street, and now in storage and on hiatus. It is a circuitous story that begins with owner Dave Himmel’s inability to reach a lease agreement with his landlords, continues through his oft-stated desire to open a fish and seafood restaurant downtown, and now has cleared its first hurdle with the opening of the aquatic project earlier this week. It is called the Market Street Fish House, and is located at 133 East Market, former home of the now defunct Treet’s Bakery Café.

Just across Market Street from the soon-to-open Fish House is an unused commercial building that will be remodeled to spec for Dave by its new owner, and in this space a revamped Connor’s Place hopefully will reopen by mid-summer. The remodeling is scheduled to begin during the week of April 21.

Got all that? Might as well rename that stretch of Market as "Himmel Way" and get it over with. When Connor's Place returns, NABC will have beer there. There will be bottled or canned beer only at the Market Street Fish House, necessarily precluding NABC's draft-only product.

You may be wondering what is to become of the Main Street quarters formerly occupied by Connor’s, and the answer comes from an NAC informant:

A new restaurant will be opening where Connor’s Place was, and they are planning on having ongoing artist showcases. It is going to be called “Studios” and the owner’s name is Trish Meyer.

There is no further information on the sort of eatery Studios will be, although early indications are something in the range of Bristol Bar & Grill. Trish, if you're reading ... let us know what's up. NABC hopes to be present when the time comes, and this may be early May.

Back around the corner in the building that most natives still call the New Albany Inn, The Windsor Restaurant & Garden is open for business at 148 East Market, which in Louisville-area parlance is “where the late, lamented Bistro New Albany used to be.” Business First recently offered a preview of the establishment, which is observing lunchtime hours at present and will expand into evening dining when it’s warm enough to use the famous courtyard. NABC has been contacted about beer for the Windsor, and we’re cautiously optimistic that there’ll be a good beer program there, though perhaps not to the scale of bNA’s great list.

Meanwhile … in the historic Baer building at 321 Pearl Street, work continues on the River City Winery. A couple hundred yards northeast as the crow flies is the spot at 415 Bank Street where NABC is continuing to plan its production brewery and taproom ... and don't ask me "when" this is going to happen unless you have a wheelbarrow full of money to invest.

Elsewhere, the Orchid Asian Cafe is located at 400 West Main, and is an intriguing addition to the downtown dining scene primarily because the menu includes Thai and Vietnamese offerings beyond the usual Chinese fare, and the décor is bright, modern and absent the kitsch generally associated with “Chinese” restaurants. It’s almost impossible to fathom that the venerable Kerstien’s tavern used to occupy the new home of the Orchid. No alcohol, but we’ve been impressed so far with the food.

What am I forgetting? Make a comment and let me know. By late summer or early fall, the downtown New Albany scene might be quite interesting, indeed.

Cumberland Brews without Matt Gould?

Word began making the rounds on Tuesday night, and it was as bizarre as anything I can remember from 16 years of tumultuous Louisville microbrewing history. Matt Gould, brewer at Cumberland Brews since its inception in 2000, is out of a job. Apparently, he was terminated.

At times like this, which hat does one wear, and do so conscientiously?

I’m a blogger and sometimes beer authority, and this definitely is news.

I’m Matt’s friend, and this is a tragic occurrence.

I’m a business/brewery owner, and this is something that conventional wisdom suggests is none of my business … an “internal matter,” or something evasive like that.

I also confess to being somewhat of an unreconstructed socialist at times, and for me, the labor theory of value still has meaning. The cult of the coach in college basketball is an abomination, because no one – no one – has yet to purchase tickets to see Rick Pitino coach. Rather, the fans pay to watch the University of Louisville’s players play basketball.

In like fashion, it seems to me that a local craft brewery is all about the brewer. As an owner, I have a part to play, and pitch to make, but I never take credit for the house-brewed beer at NABC. No one has yet paid to watch me own. They pay for Jesse’s and Jared’s beers, and my job is to provide an overall structure for them to create and for their creation to be (a) enjoyed, and (b) something that pays for itself and makes a few bucks or profit to boot so that we can perpetuate the fun.

Certainly there are boundaries and guidelines, but this fact doesn’t change the fundamental equation.

Matt, good luck … and know that you’re much loved around these parts. If I could snap my fingers and hire you now, I would. Perhaps my ownership hat precludes voicing these sentiments, but I don’t think so. The human concerns of your friends comes first … doesn’t it?

That's not your Danish grandfather's lager, is it?

Yesterday I braved the snarling backhoes that are preparing the foundation for the gleaming new Keg Liquors and shopped for a couple of bottles of beer of the sort that owner Todd Antz stocks, but we don’t carry at the Public House. Rest assured, there are plenty. Todd’s been doing a better job of staying abreast of bottled beer, while my focus has been on draft for dispensing on premise.

One of my two final choices was North Bridge Extreme by the Norrebro Bryghus in Copenhagen, Denmark, a city that once was a frequent haunt of mine back in the day when the only beers available were narrow product lines of (mostly) lagers produced by the combined might of Carlsberg and Tuborg, and a few others from other Danish locales. My, how things have changed …

In fact, my old friend Kim Andersen has long urged me to make a return visit to Copenhagen (I’ve failed to do so since 1999), and as much as there’d be no reason whatsoever to doubt the sagacity of Kim’s intimate knowledge of the explosion of craft beer and brewing in his hometown, there simply hasn’t been the chance to go back. This oversight may soon have to be rectified.

Allowing for my small overall sampling, surely Norrebro’s version of a California-style Double IPA is the best I’ve tasted from a European brewery. At 9.5%, it hovers on the edge of barley wine. English malt gives it the richness that I believe is necessary in such a well-hopped beer. Delicious, complex and damned near thirst quenching … and mind blowing to contemplate it being brewed in Copenhagen.

If my recollection of the city is correct, Norrebro means “North Bridge,” presumably in reference to the moats and waterways once ringing the center of town, and if my fuzzy math is right, the brewery is producing about 2050 barrels a year in the American sense. To compare, NABC will brew roughly 500 barrels in 2008, and BBC (Main & Clay) I’d guess to be above 5,000 (corrections appreciated).

Now I’m researching Mikkeller, a roving duo of former homebrewing Danes turned professional, who brew American styles at various places in Denmark, Belgium and perhaps elsewhere. Both Mikkeller and Norrebro come to you courtesy of Shelton Brothers Importers, and the available styles are rare, indeed, so be sure and make friends with Todd.

Marking our territory?

Brewhouses, both BJ's and BS.

Some time last week, it suddenly occurred to me that NABC's projected new brewery in downtown New Albany should come to be known as the Bank Street Brewhouse. Maybe the original location might eventually be referred to as NABC Grant Line. At any rate, Bank Street Brewhouse could be the NABCBSB, or better yet, the BS Brewhouse.

I like the idea of BS Brewhouse, as opposed (for instance) to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, the newly opened Louisville outpost of a chain originating in California. BJ's says it is a brewhouse, but the beer being sold in Louisville comes from Reno, Nevada, where it is brewed -- literally -- in a brewhouse. That's because a brewhouse is where beer is brewed. At minimum, that's the mash tun and kettle ... right?

Even if I'm unable to predict when the project will come to fruition, at least NABC will be brewing beer downtown at the Bank Street Brewhouse.

A "brewhouse" like BJ's where no beer is brewed? Sorry, but that's BS to me.

Mike Farris performs at the Public House on Friday, April 18.

We've seldom undertaken to book entertainers of Mike Farris's magnitude, but visit the artist's site, listen to the song samples, and you'll understand why we did. Tickets will be on sale next week, and seating in Prost is limited. E-mail the senior editor for more information.

New Southern Indiana wineries.

My favorite all-time package store name was attached to an off-license in Skibbereen, Ireland: The Grape and the Grain.

My world’s the latter, and I’m prepared as ever to argue on its behalf, but as evidence that wine is enjoying a resurgence locally:

Southern Indiana sprouts bumper crop of wineries; The word is spreading on the grapevine, by Grace Schneider (Courier-Journal)

The grand opening of the Best Vineyards Winery north of Elizabeth "was a great day" and "a lot of work" said (Wilbert) Best, a UPS computer programmer.

It also marked something of a trend in Southern Indiana.

No one is calling the region a mini-Napa Valley, but it is quickly becoming the state's largest grape producer, with a bumper crop of six new wineries opened or planned to open, from last fall through June 2009.

They join roughly a dozen established wineries within about 90 miles of downtown Louisville.

Rich O’s Public House CLOSED, Sportstime Pizza OPEN on Saturday, April 12.

Louisville’s annual exaltation of phantom male potency, otherwise known as Thunder Over Louisville, will bring a half-million people to the banks of the Ohio this Saturday (April 12) in orgiastic expectation of a raised middle finger of a militarized air show and an unspeakably garish fireworks extravaganza that will allow them to forget – if only for a brief span of time – that the dollars in their pockets are increasingly worthless, and that there’s a NASCAR race under way somewhere in the last, greatest hope for mankind.

No, I’m not a fan of Louisville’s foremost annual celebration of bread and circuses, which inaugurates Derby Festival and signals the beginning of mint julep season in the metro area. However, I know that the majority of my friends and acquaintances enjoy the pomp and circumstance, and so be it.

We’ve long since learned that there’s no sense in staffing both dining areas at NABC/Rich O’s/Sportstime on Thunder day, and we’ll not be doing so again this year. Rich O’s will be closed all day with the exception of a special private party in Prost. Sportstime will be open with all the usual food and beer available from 11:00 a.m. to (circa) midnight.

Here are links to two special events near Thunder’s epicenter, both of which will be serving craft beers in the midst of what is otherwise a sea of swill. Have fun. I’ll be with the NABC brew crew in St. Louis to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Prohibition’s demise.

BBC (Main & Clay) aged bourbon barrel stout ... and Thunder plans.

NABC, Buckhead, craft beer and Thunder Over Louisville, April 12.

Press release from the Brewers Association: “75 Years of Beer.”

We wanted to take a moment, on this historic day, to thank all the breweries who are recognizing April 7, 1933 and 75 Years of Beer.

Historians note that Prohibition officially ended on December 5, 1933, with the ratification of the 21st Amendment. But earlier that year, newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt took steps to fulfill his campaign promise to end the national ban on alcohol. He spurred Congress to modify the Volstead Act to allow the sale of 3.2 percent beer in advance of the Twenty-first Amendment being ratified. Thus on April 7, 1933 there was legal beer once again!

Media outlets such as the Washington Post, CNN.com and many more have just recently highlighted April 7, 1933 as a story worth covering. CNN.com even published a web link to 75yearsofbeer.org, so cheers to all who helped bring this day to the attention of many and cheers to the privilege of beer being back for 75 years!

Remember, too, American Craft Beer Week is May 12-18. The purpose of this week is to recognize the positive contributions of American brewers.

The Publican's doing a beer class at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage on April 24.

I'll be teaching a "Beer 101" class at Campbell's Gourmet Cottage on Thursday, April 24. Campbell's is located at 291 N. Hubbards Lane (Louisville, KY 40207), and the phone number is (502) 893-6700.

Here is the description from the current spring catalog:

Thursday, April 24th
Roger Baylor - The New Albanian Brewing Company
$45.00
“Beer 101”

Join Roger Baylor, our beer expert, as our beer tasting will begin with the familiar and conclude with the esoteric, with several tasty stops in between. The world of beer offers numerous flavors and textures for the enjoyment of the drinker, and we’ll sample 2 or 3 ounces each of eight very different beers from America and the world. We’ll consider an overview of the brewing process and what factors play into the different styles. It is hoped that when we’re finished, participants will have a better understanding of beer and beer styles, and feel less confusion when looking at the many choices on store shelves. (Must be 21 years or older to attend)

BBC (Main & Clay) aged bourbon barrel stout ... and Thunder plans.

Contrary to every reasonable expectation, Gravity Head didn't really last into April, so other beers are coming on tap at the Public House. Since I wasn't expecting to have to think about it this quickly, there's no orderly plan in place at present.

However, one beer I want to mention in particular is Grand Old Fella, a special release from Bluegrass Brewing Company (Main & Clay in Louisville). In the words of brewmaster David Pierce, it's an exclusive version of his Jefferson Reserve bourbon barrel stout, and is ...

" ... A bourbon barrel worth of stout from our first batch. The stout was pulled from the first batch three years ago, aged two years in its original barrel then racked to a 23 year old barrel for one more year."

It's on tap now, and delicious. Also note that BBC downtown will be observing its annual Thunder Over Louisville celebrations, as described by Dave thusly:

Come celebrate Thunder Over Louisville and the BBC Taproom Birthday Party with us on 12 April, 2008. Doors open at 12:00 noon. The drill is the same as in the past:

Bring a dish to share (enough for 10 people), something to throw on the grill, your favorite non-alcoholic beverages, chips, dips, etc.

Parking is limited, indoor parking is first-come, first served.
Bring lawn chairs, sunscreen, etc.

I will be your host and bartender again this year. Please RSVP via e-mail so I can get a headcount. See you here!

I suggest calling the brewery directly if this interests you. Find contact information at the website: Bluegrass Brewing Company.

Schlafly/Café Lou Lou beer dinner to be Monday, April 14.

Schlafly is pairing with Café Lou Lou for a beer dinner to be held on Monday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m. For Louisville metro area residents, that’s two days after Thunder Over Louisville, and will provide excellent value to re-start the engines after the debauchery of the air show and fireworks display.

The price is only $45 plus tax and gratuity. Schlafly area rep Scott Shreffler will be on hand to present the beers, and of course Chef Clay will be manning the kitchen. I’d like to attend this one, but ironically, the previous weekend is the NABC brew crew’s three-day trip to St. Louis for Schlafly’s annual Repeal Party. Maybe if I get a special dispensation from the home front … I know it won't keep Scott from duty, although it's true that it's his job to attend dinners like this.

At any rate, here’s the menu. It’s mouthwatering, indeed.

Appetizer
Sweet Chili Prawns on Toasted Rustic Bread
Garlic, white wine, chili sauce
Hefeweizen

Soup
Potato Beer Cheese Soup
Kenny’s Country White Cheddar, Schlafly Oatmeal Stout, Pancetta
Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale

Salad
Spring Pear Salad on Micro greens
Pt. Reyes Bleu Cheese, candied walnuts, Schlafly No. 15 mustard vinaigrette
Number 15

Entrée
Chilean Sea Bass with Shiitake and Sherry-Tarragon Cream Sauce
Basmati rice, roasted asparagus
Biere de Garde

Entrée
Seared Duck Breast with Cherry-Port Reduction
Pureed celery root, haricots vert
2007 Oak-Aged Barleywine

Dessert
Dark Mocha Stout Cake
Stout crème anglaise
2007 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
& Coffee Stout

More from the front lines combating the sad scourge of swill.

You will recall that on Sunday, I described a revolutionary discovery in the emerging discipline of beer drinking psychology.

The Kubler-Ross model and the sad scourge of swill.

During the course of my long career in selflessly assisting beer drinkers to overcome their attachment to mass-market swill, I’ve received many comments, and these suggest that the process of surrendering long-held (although sadly errant) beliefs about beer indeed brings many people to a place resembling that of the "Five Stages of Grief".

Some readers detected a note of self-congratulatory smugness in this comparison … and they are quite correct in noting it. I take a certain pride in my ability to influence lives. Wouldn’t you?

But I digress. Prior to last night’s “makeup” fundraiser for Jeffersonville Main Street at Kye’s II, a gathering necessitated by an ice storm in February that caused the postponement of the originally scheduled event, I dropped into Buckhead’s Mountain Grill on the waterfront in Jeffersonville. The ostensible reason I did so was to reconnoiter the barroom terrain for future reference, something I’ll have more to say about at a later date, because after years of uncertainty, we’ve decided to sell NABC beers to Buckhead’s.

However, this strictly mercantile factoid is not the real point of my thoughts today. Rather, I’m still thinking about the notion of recovery from swill, and how unintentionally hilarious the process can be from the perspective of the attending therapist -- which, of course, would be me.

Specifically, I was seated at the Buckhead’s bar, and eventually looked to my right. There sat a man who for many years has come into my own pub and loudly praised the craft beers we sell.

However, yesterday he was caught in the act of hoisting a bottle of Miller Lite in much the same fashion as the actors in the brand’s current spate of television commercials, during which the manufacturer of this eternally insipid liquid encourages the adoption of something approximating the Mussolini-era fascist salute to celebrate the many medals Miller Lite wins in an international beer competition that has written its category guidelines to exactly describe the stunning negation of anything approximating beer flavor, something that Miller Lite has always represented.

Of course, it all has far less to do with “style” than with the fact that Miller annually joins its fellow megabrewers in underwriting the competition.

Back at Buckhead’s, with my lapsed customer spiraling downward less than ten feet away, it might have been an awkward moment, except that he looked away from me every time I tried to make eye contact. Knowing that the key is to hate the sin and love the sinner, I wasn’t offended at all. Rather, I was flattered at his obvious discomfort.

Then again, perhaps he just dislikes me apart from my choice of beer, and that doesn’t bother me, either. Sometimes those of us in the vanguard are vilified. It happens, and there’s always Belgian ale as solace.

Final Gravity Head lineupdate: Tuesday, April 1.

No April Fooling here; last call has arrived. It's the 28th business day of Gravity Head 2008, and pretty much everything has been depleted, with only five listed selections pouring and four more still awaiting delivery. It was by far the fastest moving Gravity Head ever. Thanks to everyone who attended and enjoyed the choices.

As for those selections left to be delivered:

horsebrewery.com/our_brews.asp">Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA's new ETA is Thursday, April 10.

Ola Dubh (Old Engine Oil Special Reserve) was supposed to have been in stock tomorrow, but has been revealed to be waiting in New Jersey. Mid-April.

De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch and De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique will not be here before Wednesday, April 16.

Dispensing will take place as soon after delivery as possible.

Here’s the lineup as it stands at opening on Tuesday, April 1.

UNITED STATES
Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine 10.2% abv
Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10.8% abv
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (2006) 11.2% abv
Upland Ard-Ri Imperial Irish-style Red Ale 8.7% abv

WORLD
*Regenboog 't Smisje Catherine The Great Imperial Stout 10% abv

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Here are the beers yet to be poured, and are in transit during the month of March:

BELGIUM
*De Glazen Toren Canaster Winter Scotch 9.5% abv
*De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique 8% abv

SCOTLAND
*Ola Dubh - Old Engine Oil Special Reserve, conditioned in Highland Park 30 Year Old Scotch Barrels 8% abv (Mid-March delivery projected)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
horsebrewery.com/our_brews.asp">Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA 13.6% abv

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R.I.P. – depleted kegs

UNITED STATES
*Avery Fourteen 9.46% abv
Avery Old Jubilation 8% abv
Avery “The Czar” 11.73% abv
*Avery “The Kaiser” 9.37% abv
BBC (Main & Clay) Bearded Pat's Barley Wine (2006; circa 10% abv)
*BBC (Main & Clay) The Queen's Knickers 8% abv
*BBC (Shelbyville Road) Kick in the Baltic Porter 8.5% abv
Bell's Batch 6000 (2004) 10.5% abv
Bell's Expedition Stout 2006 11.5% abv
Bell's Hopslam 10% abv (poured 3 kegs of 3)
Bell's Sparkling Ale 9% abv
Boulder Mojo Risin' Double IPA 10% abv
*Brooklyn Brewery Extra Brune 8.5% abv
Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale 11.8% abv
*Brugge Brasserie Triple de Ripple 11% abv
Clipper City Below Decks Barleywine 11% abv
*horsebrewery.com/our_brews.asp">Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale 9.75% abv
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA 20% abv
*Dogfish Head Fort 18% abv
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter 9.5% abv
*Founders Imperial Stout 10% abv
Left Hand Imperial Stout 10.4% abv
NABC Malcolm's Old Setters Ale 10.5% abv (cask-conditioned firkin)
NABC Oak Aged V (Fifth Anniversary Ale) 10% abv
NABC Thunderfoot (2007) 10% abv
New Holland Dragon’s Milk 9% abv
New Holland Pilgrim's Dole 10% abv
*New Holland Night Tripper 10.8% abv
Rogue John’s Locker Stock Imperial Porter ‘007 7.77% abv
Rogue XS Imperial Stout 11% abv
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine 2004, 11.3% abv
*Schlafly Imperial Stout 10.5% abv
Shmaltz He’Brew Genesis 10:10 (2006) 10% abv
*Shmaltz He’Brew Jewbelation Eleven 11% abv (pouring keg 2 of 2)
Shmaltz He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA 10% abv
Stone Double Bastard (2005) 10% abv
*Stone XI – 11th Anniversary Ale 8.7% abv
*Three Floyds Fantabulous Resplendence X Anniversary 10.5% abv

WORLD
Burton Bridge Tom Sykes Old Ale UK (cask-conditioned) 10% abv
De Dolle Dulle Teve (“Mad Bitch”) BELGIUM, 10% abv
De Dolle Stille Nacht BELGIUM 12% abv
Delirium Noel BELGIUM 10% abv
*Dupont Moinette Blonde BELGIUM 8.5% abv
*Dupont Moinette Brune BELGIUM 8.5% abv
EKU 28 GERMANY, 11% abv
Ettaler Curator Doppelbock GERMANY, 9% abv
JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale (cask-conditioned; Calvados barrel aged) UK, 11.5% abv
Gales Prize Old Ale UK (1998), 9% abv
Kasteel Rouge BELGIUM, 8% abv
Koningshoeven La Trappe Quadrupel NETHERLANDS, 10% abv
*Podge Belgian Imperial Stout BELGIUM, 10.5% abv
*Regenboog 't Smisje Harvest Ale ('t Smisje Kerst aged in a JW Lees Calvados wooden pin) BELGIUM, 12% abv
Regenboog Guido BELGIUM 8% abv