NABC - tonight at the St. Mary's Church Picnic in downtown New Albany.

For the first time ever, NABC has been invited to participate in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Street Dance Weekend, which takes place three blocks from where I live on the corner of Eighth and Spring in New Albany.

After considerable initial confusion, it now appears that on both nights, there'll be craft beers priced both for sampling and full-pours. I'm glad that the organizers came over time to see the wisdom of making craft beer available on both nights. This only makes sense. I'll be there from 5:00 p.m. until around 7:30 on Friday, and I hope to see a few New Albanians in the process.

Dance the night away in New Albany, by Chris Morris (News and Tribune).

It began as a church picnic. It’s turned out to be a Father’s Day weekend tradition.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church Street Dance Weekend begins at 5 p.m. Friday. The two-day event will conclude Saturday with a street dance from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. that organizers hope will draw around 2,000 people. That is if Mother Nature cooperates ...

... This year the committee has added a few new twists, too.

On Friday, there will be cornhole and Texas hold’em tournaments and an indoor casino area. Traditional German and Irish music will be played, and there will be a beer-tasting booth featuring local brews from the New Albanian, Blue Grass, Cumberland and Browning breweries. There will be food, a cake wheel and other games. All ages are welcome Friday and there is no cover charge.

“Saturday is our biggest draw, but we are really trying to build up Friday night,” said Michelle Braden, who is in charge of the festival committee. “We’re excited about the beer tasting; it seems to really be in vogue these days. It’s good for the local breweries.”

Sacrificing to help the L & N plan a dual beer/wine dinner.

There were seven of us, each with a background in wine, beer or both. The scene was Louisville’s L & N Wine Bar and Bistro, and the menu prepared by Executive Chef Rick Adams was as follows:

First course
Seared sweetbreads, currant demi, duck fat fingerling potatoes, micro green salad

Second course
Pork belly, grilled watermelon, frisee aged balsamic and olive oil

Third course
Lamb rack, roasted tomato spatzle, fresh fig/veal reduction

Fourth course
Cowgirl creamery Mt. Tam cheese (and blue cheese – didn’t catch the source), walnuts, raisins and dark chocolate

The panel’s thankless job was to taste perhaps a dozen wines or more and what seemed like twice as many beers, pairing one of each wine and beer with the courses, and also ensuring that the wines and beers wouldn’t clash.

We did it.

Since this rigorous testing was the prelude to an actual dinner some time in July, I won’t give away the pairings, except to note that France and Belgium are well represented among the finalists. Once L & N announces the details, they’ll be posted here. The actual dinner will also have two opening glasses of champagne and an effervescent beer, and the first two courses probably will be reversed in order. Until then, just let me say this: It’s going to be killer, and you need to be there.

Stay tuned.

Kentucky Ale, without the big blue basketball.

On Monday, I spent much of the day in LEXINGTON, K-Y, as former basketball announcer (and New Albany native) Joe Dean used to enunciate it, except in my case there was no “string music” to accompany the beers sampled there.

Before Monday, I reckon to have been in or near Lexington three times since 1979. In that year there was a Who concert at co-Rupp-t Arena, and Who remembers anything about being 19 years old? My buddy drove, and I drank.

The other two times came as a result of missing the turn coming back to Louisville from Cincinnati and driving past, though not through, Lexington on the wrong interstate, still headed to Louisville. Once I remember exiting the interstate, pulling over at the entrance to a huge horse farm, and fetching more beer from the cooler in the trunk.

This time, Kentucky Ale’s Jeremy Markle invited me to help judge the brewery’s annual homebrewing competition, the winner of which has his or her recipe brewed at Kentucky Ale and entered into the pro-am category at the Great American Beer Festival. We were accompanied to Wildcat country by Ashley Isaacs of Flanagan’s Ale House, who also agreed to judge the homebrews.

A little after lunchtime, Jeremy pulled into the parking lot and an enjoyable afternoon commenced with an informative brewery tour. They make beer, and now they make whisky, too. Two huge distillery coppers dwarf the 30-barrel brewing system – impressive testimony to the links between beer and whisky.

Kentucky Ale’s official name is Lexington Brewing Company, a version of which can be traced back to the 18th century with a considerable post-Prohibition hiatus. In the 1990’s, a new LBC re-emerged during the first microbrewery boom, and some readers may remember the Limestone line of ales that disappeared around 1999. At this juncture, the brewery was purchased by a Kentucky-based biotechnology company with global reach called Alltech, which “researches, develops and manufactures natural ingredients for use in animal, alcohol and food production.”

It is an unusual story, indeed, but perhaps not as strange as it first appears. Much of Alltech’s work has to do with yeast, and yeast management obviously lies at the heart of brewing and distillation. Most importantly, and for all its heft in the biotech field, Alltech remains a family-owned business, helping to explain this quirky but sensible notion of having a house brewery on-site.

As a brewery owner, it might even make sense to have a small family biotech firm on site.

Alltech dabbles in brewing because company founder Dr. Pearse Lyons wants it to, simple as that. His Irish ancestors brewed and distilled (poteen, anyone), and Kentucky Ale’s on-premise tasting room and special occasions banquet hall bear an unmistakable Anglo-Irish stamp.

Imagine how having your own brewery and hospitality rooms help convince jaded biotech sales representatives to consider Alltech’s product line … and how Alltech’s fiscal immensity helps market Kentucky Ale, as in the case of Alltech’s multi-million dollar investment in sponsoring the World Equestrian games at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010.

For once, the official beer of something isn’t Budweiser.

Alltech/Lexington Brewing/Kentucky Ale’s product line is comprised of three everyday beers, not counting the annual one-offs brewed for the pro-am entry: Kentucky Light, Kentucky Ale and Kentucky Bourbon-Barrel Ale. The latter is Kentucky Ale aged in bourbon barrels, which are fairly abundant in Central Kentucky. Kentucky Ale itself is a clean, crisp amber, and the Light, which the brewery people assert is brewed to the recipe of a German-style Kolsch, does in fact bear a solid resemblance to the ales in Cologne.

The ales are smooth and competent, with no extreme beers on the horizon, and sales in Lexington are steadily growing, with total output around 5,000 barrels per annum. Most of it consumed locally, as there is no distribution outside Kentucky. Did you know that Lexington’s metropolitan area is pushing toward 500,000 people, and that the area’s biggest challenge is preserving the rural character of its signature horse farms while maintaining growth? I didn’t, or else I’d not mention it here. Lexington and environs deserve further scrutiny, indeed.

The winning homebrew was a surprisingly assertive cream ale, with a couple of good foreign-style stouts deserving recognition. The homebrewers were not bound to style, but had to use Kentucky Ale’s yeast (since a German-style Hefeweizen won a few years ago, wheat ales are now prohibited).

When all was said and done, the three of us proceeded to Pazzo’s, a pizzeria with at least three layers of different barrooms, good pie and around 30 draft beers, most of them craft or imported. It was fun, and I thank my traveling companions for an informative all-around day on the road.

NABC on board with "Last Call Film Festival" at the Rud, starting June 26.

NABC is helping to sponsor the Last Call Film Festival, which starts on Friday, June 26 at The Rudyard Kipling (422 W. Oak, Louisville). Festival organizer Andy Schanie may be doing related activities at the Bank Street Brewhouse in the future.

There'll be beer, and here's the scoop, as gleaned from Facebook.

Voted Best Louisville Film Festival for 3 years, the Last Call Film Festival is all about bringing independent films and good beer together for the masses. Last Call is sponsored by the fine folks at Wild and Woolly Video, The Great Escape, and New Albanian Brewing Company.

This year's lineup includes:

- A documentary on Scott Walker
- A documentary on Cathal Coughlin (of Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions fame)
- A performance by The Octopus Project, an Austin-based band.

For $5 each day, you can see these and many other fantastic films. For the complete schedule, go here.

For more information on all the films, go here.

New sidewalks for the future Wick's; Bank Street Brewhouse next up for similar upgrading.

The former Speakeasy building on State Street in downtown New Albany is receiving tender loving care in preparation for its new tenant, Wick's Pizza.




The new sidewalks being installed are one half the concrete work approved by the city authorities earlier in May, with the second half coming in front of the Bank Street Brewhouse as soon as the Wick's portion is finished. We're looking forward to it.

Updates on Bank Street brewery progress, among other news items.

Everyone wants to know when brewing will begin at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Trust me: I’m among the inquiring minds.

Inside, plumbing, electrical and glycol (chiller) installation has been ongoing. The boiler is supposed to be operational by June 15 or thereabouts. Work is being done in the grain room, and with the mechanics to transport grain to the mash tun.

The only real sticking point thus far is the gas line coming into the building, which must be modified by Vectren to be of use. We think this has been scheduled for the 15th. If so, grain can be ordered shortly thereafter, and brewing will commence. Licensing is in place, so we’re okay on the regulatory front.

The four brands to be brewed initially at Bank Street for outside distribution are Elector, Beak’s Best, Bob’s Old 15-B and Hoptimus. Others like Community Dark will remain available to old familiar customers, and these will be brewed at Grant Line, where Jared also will brew seasonal and specialties.

In other news:

Outside, the north patio (half the former parking lot, where smoking will be permitted) is being constructed. The roof is going up first, followed by the stone walls and then furnishings. The sidewalk on the eastern building front has been approved for replacement by the city, and once poured and finished, it will extend further into the street, permitting non-smoking outdoor tables between the building and the sidewalk. This should begin soon.

Mark Tuesday, July 14 on your calendars. There’ll be a special Bastille Day menu at Bank Street, prepared by Chef Josh Lehman, and a few special French Bieres de Garde that I’m “importing” for the occasion – not that Elector doesn’t pair with cassoulet.

Finally, on the beer front at Grant Line, the summer’s being dedicated to the long-awaited revamp of the bottled guest beer program. As part of the annual culling of some items and adding others, we’ll be changing the way we organize the menu to emphasize style and point the way to the many new and exciting beers now available to us.

Your patronage is appreciated, and don’t forget to direct your questions to me, the Publican: roger@newalbanian.com

LEO Mug Shot: "Summertime beer fests."

In today's LEO Weekly: Mug Shots: Summertime beer fests. I've resolved to publish these here at the blog, but note that I'll be skipping a start on June 24, with the next column coming on July 8. Cheers!

---

During the halcyon days of my youth, which were far less carefree in practice than when viewed decades later through beer-drenched memory, summertime always meant a profusion of outdoor beer festivals.

So did winter, spring and fall. When you’re 17 years old, look more like 13, live at home with your parents, and require divine intervention just to get served, the open air constantly beckons, especially those patches of isolated farmland belonging to people who don’t know or care that someone older had been recruited to score a few kegs of the cheapest swill possible, borrow the steel tubs otherwise used to water future beefsteak, and await the grapevine-laden onslaught of teenagers who’d learned there was a kegger taking place.

When it rained, we got wet – not the worst conceivable outcome in hot weather if any girls bothered to come, which was seldom. Some times, liquid consolation aside, it all worked out. Id insert Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” right about now, but to be honest, I never liked his music very much after “Katmandu,” which I heard for the first time at – where else? – an outdoor beer festival, with any beer you liked available for sampling so long as it was warm Falls City, and Seger’s tune blaring from the subpar radio of a car stuck in a muddy field littered with spent plastic cups.

Now I’m considerably older, and fake IDs no longer are needed for furtive liquor store visits, but warm-weather outdoor beer festivals remain on the must-do list of seasonal activities even if they bear no resemblance to those midsummer debacles, circa ’77.

Today’s outdoor beer festivals are devoted to craft beer, and they tend to follow a common template. As many different beers and breweries as possible are penciled in for duty. There’ll be brewers and beer sales representatives around to explain the choices offered. Your festival entry fee will cover numerous, if not always unlimited, small samples of these many beers, not full pours.

Food will be vended, usually on an a la carte basis, and musical entertainment provided. The latter tends toward the rock, pop, blues and bluegrass spectrum, although some sweet day I’d love to hear a string quartet performing modern compositions or a rocking Klezmer band.

Outdoor craft beer festivals are designed to expand the category through heightened consciousness and increased business for pubs, package stores and breweries, yet almost all such events support a chosen charity or commensurate good cause with a portion of its proceeds.

There also are special entry prices and terms of engagement for designated drivers, all of which goes to show that beer consciousness without social consciousness is little more than the ingestion of alcohol, as recounted in the opening paragraphs of this essay.

Last weekend, local beer aficionados had two summertime outdoor beer fests to choose from – and several hundred did just that.

On Saturday, Keg Liquors (617 Lewis and Clark Parkway, Clarksville) staged its fourth annual Fest of Ale at a new, nearby location, a field (!) behind St. Anthony’s of Padua Catholic Church. Twenty-three hours later, the inaugural Great Flanagan’s Beer Festival took the urban approach, with a half-block of Morton Avenue closed off adjacent to Flanagan’s Ale House (934 Baxter Ave., Louisville). Fest of Ale raised money for the Crusade for Children, and Pints for Prostates benefitted from the Flanagan’s gathering.

Discerning enthusiasts had great weather and eye-popping choices spanning the range of good beer, including local breweries, regional micros and selected imports. Numerous beer reps and industry people attended, and the knowledge level of tableside discussion was impressive and heartening.

Considering tighter times, was it a good idea to book two beer festivals on consecutive days? At first I doubted it, but based on conversations with the participating breweries, beer reps and wholesalers, I’ve changed my tune. The sponsors are different, and so are the crowds they draw. Most importantly, out-of-town beer reps get two promotional opportunities during one road trip, and that’s an enticement.

How about a discounted ticket for both festivals, with entry to another Saturday night “after party” thrown in for good measure? The after-party might even attract the most interesting man in the world, although in truth, I never once saw him at White Castle after one of our high school keggers.

Work begins on the Bank Street Brewhouse north patio.

Thinking about English ale.

I spent the week working on an article for the next Food and Dining magazine, and luckily for me, the assignment was something I'd just experienced in Europe: English ale.

First digression: In the modern era, beer enthusiasts the world over refer to different fermentation methods, and hence different fundamental types of beer, as ale (top fermented) and lager (bottom fermented). As is the case with two people divided by a common language, colloquial English usage in the UK confuses matters, because there, people say "beer" when they mean "ale," although "lager" remains "lager."

Beyond this, England remains a great place to experience "ale," primarily cask-conditioned "real" ale, so long as the visitor understands that not every pub plays the game the same way. It is absolutely essential to have a copy of "Good Beer Guide," the campaign for Real Ale's annual guidebook to the best pubs that serve the best cask ale. Without it, your beer hunting will be an expensive crap shoot.

After sampling at least 20 different cask-conditioned ales, the majority of them one shading or another of Bitter at around the 4% abv mark, I can say that the great triumph of English brewing methodology is producing richness of malt character in a low gravity quaff. It amazes me. Surely hop character is excellent, if restrained by American micro standards, but it's the malt that always impressed me in the best cask pints.

I'll have more to say on this.

Next FOSSILS meeting is June 13.

Submitted. If you're a FOSSIL, you should be there. If you're not a FOSSIL, what's your excuse.

---

FOSSILS FISH FRY & EQUIPMENT SWAP – June 13, 2009

Renowned cook, Steve Crull, has agreed to fry fish for the next FOSSILS meeting on June 13. Steve showed his fish frying skills at previous Otter Creek FOSSILS/LAGERS picnics. We will be meeting at Bob and Maureen Capshew’s house.
In addition there will be a homebrew equipment swap meet so that members can buy, sell or trade equipment. There are a lot of new members that need equipment and we want to get the equipment in the right hands. Please do a little spring cleaning and bring unused equipment such as brew kettles, burners, carboys, wort chillers, soda kegs, beer kegs, anything stainless steel, etc. We also plan to have a silent auction for a brew kettle that the club has acquired.

WHAT TO BRING: Excess homebrew equipment & homebrew (club will furnish food and some commercial beer).

WHERE: 7720 Corydon Ridge Road (Take I-64 west, exit Georgetown, turn left on exit ramp, turn right when road narrows from 4 to 2 lanes onto Corydon Ridge Road, go 2.5 miles. House is on the right.)

WHEN: Swap Meet starts at 4 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m.

After Fest of Ale on Saturday, a Left Hand meet 'n' greet at the Public House.

If you’re a beer aficionado residing in the Louisville metro area, you probably already know that this coming Saturday, June 6, is the occasion for Fest of Ale, which owner Todd Antz of Clarksville’s Keg Liquors seems willing and able to grow into a true signature event.

In three years, the event has grown from 75 paid attendees to 450 (in 2008), and for this year’s fourth edition, Todd has chosen a new venue: St. Anthony’s of Padua Catholic Church, located at 320 N. Sherwood Avenue in Clarksville.

It should come as no surprise that in previous years, selected beer personages in attendance have fanned out after the Fest of Ale’s conclusion and visited other notable on-premise beer spots in Louisville metro.

With this in mind, NABC Grant Line (Rich O’s and Sportstime) is teaming up with Cavalier Distributing (Indianapolis) and sales rep Mike Walters of Left Hand Brewing Company (Colorado) to stage a post-Fest meet ‘n’ greet in the Prost room at Rich O’s.

Two rare Left Hand specialties will be on tap, and specially priced by the half-pint for the occasion:

Left Hand Oak-Aged Imperial Stout
Left Hand St. Vrain Tripple

Plus, Mike will be bringing the remainder of his Fest of Ale bottle samples, so if you missed them at the event, free evening nips will be available.

We’ll be starting around 8:30 p.m. and continuing until 10:30 p.m.

And, don't forget the weekend's other event: Great Flanagan's Beer Fest is Sunday, June 7. NABC will be there, too.

Beercycling Denmark 2010 is being plotted. Want to take part?

Having returned from my first visit to Copenhagen in a decade, I’m suitably pumped. The Danish contingent of Kim & Kim are doing reconnaissance, and we’re in the initial planning stages of what is hoped to be Beercycling 2010 in Denmark, a ten or so day festival of bicycles and beer.

Why Denmark? We haven’t done it there previously. It’s a bike-friendly country. The past ten years have witnessed a remarkable flowering of Danish beer culture. We know people there. And, the country is filled to the brim with wonderful herring.

Consequently, Kim “Big Kim” Andersen is researching three or four beer- and brewing-related itineraries, including Copenhagen and the countryside. These would be daytrip-style arrangements, using a hub and using rental bikes to sightsee and visit breweries, perhaps with light touring in between, or trains used if necessary. If possible, the sag wagon/support vehicle notion will be incorporated, so those interested in the trip but not in cycling are very much welcomed so long as some one is willing to drive. We’ll all divide the costs.

Considering the climate, we feel that late June or early July would be the best time even though it’s high season. There is sentiment for a Bamberg side trip at the end. Finally, know that this trip will be expensive because Denmark itself is expensive. We’ll do what we can to cut costs, but understand that budget travel isn’t really an option.

If this interests you, please let me know via the usual channels. I will begin building an e-mail list and considering options. Of course, there is no obligation.

4th Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale is Saturday, June 6.

Straight from Todd Antz's word processor, here's the preview for this year's edition of Fest of Ale, which is coming this Saturday. I've copied it from Todd's announcement at the Louisville Restaurants Forum, and I'm sure he'll comment if there's anything to add.

--

30 Breweries, 3 Craft Beer Distributors, 2 Wine Distributors and over 100 beers and wines to be sampled, as well as food, music, and a charity silent auction to support the WHAS Crusade for Children on June 6th from 3 - 7PM.

Cost: $25 advance, $30 day of the event. Online ticket sales are now available via our website

Due to the growing number of supporters for this event, we have outgrown holding this at the Keg Liquors facility. We have partnered up with St. Anthony's in Clarksville to host the event this year. St. Anthony's is located 5 minutes from the store, at 320 North Sherwood Drive, Clarksville, IN

For more information, check out our website.

Breweries attending include:
Barley Island
New Belgium
Magic Hat
Sam Adams
Bells Brewing
Bluegrass Brewing Company (Clay & Main)
Bluegrass Brewing Company (St. Matthews)
Brownings
Sierra Nevada
Powerhouse Brewing Company
Cumberland Brews
Schlafly
Warbird Brewing
Upland Brewing Company
New Albanian Brewing Company
Wetten Imports
Brugge Brasserie
Three Floyds
Victory
Spaten
Franziskaner
Moylans
Hoppin Frog
Dark Horse
Dogfish Head
Lost Coast
Leinenkugel
Pyramid
Eurobrew
Huyghe (Delirium)
Kasteel
Gouden Carolus
Unibroue
St. Bernardus
Weltenburger
Verhaeghe

and many more on the way!

Craft Beer Distributors:
World Class Beverages
Cavalier Distributing
Winding Road Beverages

Wine Distributors:
InVie
Crossroads Vintners

Food will be available from the St. Anthony's Men's Group.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at 812-283-3988

Program and beer listings

Flanagan's Beer Fest is Sunday, June 7.

Submitted/press release

Flanagan's Ale House in the Highlands is hosting their first annual GREAT FLANAGAN'S BEER FEST! On Sunday, June 7th the doors will open at 2:00 p.m. and welcome guests to sample more than 85 different brews from more than 40 different breweries!

Morton Avenue will be closed to accommodate displays and representatives from breweries around the world. Guests will be able to roam from one brewery table to the next sampling the very best in domestic and imported craft brews from all corners of the globe.

A portion of the proceeds from this historic event will go to the Pints for Prostates campaign which raises funds for the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network. Pints for Prostates is a grassroots awareness campaign aimed at encouraging men to get regular prostate health screenings and PSA tests. Through the universal language of beer Pints for Prostates has reached more than 25 million people. For more information about this cause you can stop by their booth at the festival or go to www.ustoo.org/pints.

Sunday June 7, 2009
2PM-5PM
Tickets: $45 per person, on sale now contact Ashley at 502-585-3700 or ashley@louisvilleirishpubs.com

Flanagan's Ale House
934 Baxter Avenue
Louisville, KY 40204

BEER LIST (as posted on the Louisville Restaurants Forum, by wholesaler)

Beer House:
Bells – Hopslam, Oberon
Dogfish Head- Aprihop, 60 Min
Stone Brewing Co.- Barrel Aged Double Bastard, Levitation, Old Guardian
Chimay- White
Spaten/Franz- Lager, Spaten Dunkel, Maibock, Franz Dunkel
Great Lakes – Grassroots, Dortmunder
Founders – Cerise, Curmudgeon Old Ale

Bryant:
Wetten- Kasteel Rouge, Delirium Tremens
Global- Gulden Draak, Wittekerke
Duvel USA – Duvel, TBD
New Holland – Mad Hatter, Golden Cap
Schlafly – APA, Kolsch

Anheuser:
Goose Isalnd- 312, Matilda, Goose Summer
Red Hook – Drifter Pale Ale

Heidelberg:
Brooklyn – Lager, Summer
Hofbrauhaus – Lager, Maibock
Summitt – X-Pale Ale, Hefe

River City:
New Albanian – Bringing the Bus (3 Beers TBD)
Upland – Wheat, Dragonfly IPA
BBC – Trailer with APA, Bourbon Barrel, Alt
Brownings – ESB, She Devil (sharing trailer with BBC)
Alltech – Trailer with Light, Ale, and Bourbon Ale
Cumberland- Red, Cream (sharing trailer with Alltech)
Sierra Nevada- Pale Ale, Summer Fest
Warsteiner – Pilsner, Dunkel
Heineken- Dos XX, New Castle
Shiner- Bock, Black Lager
Barley Island – Dirty Helen, Barfly IPA
Leinenkugel's/Blue Moon – Summer Shandy, White Ale
Peroni, Pilsner Urquell
Magic Hat/Pyramid - #9, Pyramid Hefe

We will also have Draft Magazine there giving out free subscriptions, a food area, and My Old Kentucky Homebrew will be there.
Sam Adams – Boston Lager, Seasonal
Southampton – Double White, IPA

NABC Bank Street Brewhouse kitchen hours on June 2 & 3.

Because we need to do further work on the kitchen, the Bank Street Brewhouse will be without edibles all day on Tuesday, June 2 and half the day on Wednesday, June 3.

The bar will be open on both days at 3:00 p.m., and dinner will again be served starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

On the beer front, we're back to having NABC beers on most of the taps, thanks to Jared, who has been been performing like a brewhouse LeBron James at the garage brewery on Grantline.

Dave and Jesse remain hard at work installing the brewery at Bank Street, and the north face outdoor seating area is supposed to commence construction during the coming week. The city approved the reconstruction of the sidewalk in front, which will expand the amount of room and enable us to have tables there, too.

Stay tuned.

Red Dawn

by John Campbell

Yes, Roger is back from vacation, but since he is often accused of being a "commie", I thought I'd jump in for one last post to clear the air and dispel these malicious rumors. Seriously, is the Red Scare still going on? sigh...

While he was away we began to remove the protective coating from our new DME brewing system. Lo and behold what was found below:

Yes, we were shocked. But, wait, there's more...

and it wasn't just the fermenters (the other two had been defaced with repulsive images of Mao and Lenin), the mash tun had been vandalized with Bakunin:

the brew kettle with Trotsky:

and a horrifying image of a bald-faced, clean-cut Dr. Ernest Guevara was glued to the yeast propagator:

Eugene Debs on a bright tank? Who would do such a thing? ...wait a minute... what's that guy doing?

Tony Beard, New Albanian Brewing Co.'s Artist in Residence
OK, I must confess on behalf of the brewery staff (Jesse, Jared, David, and myself), Tony isn't completely responsible. We all conspired to label the tanks without Roger's consent. It was done in his absence and without his knowledge and we are quite proud of ourselves.

Power to the People!

Welcome home, Roger.

Revised and repaired sidewalk coming to the Bank Street Brewhouse.

We breezed back into town yesterday afternoon, to be greeted by another piece in the Bank Street Brewhouse puzzle, as reported in the New Albany Tribune:

The board awarded a bid to Knight Concrete to build sidewalks and curbs in small sections along Bank Street — near the Bank Street Brewhouse — and State Street — near the old Speakeasy and home of Wick’s Pizza. The cost for both jobs is $16,177.

Thanks to City Hall and the Board of Works for making this possible. It will have the effect of cleaning up the area in front, by the garage doors, which was last repaired some fifty years ago, and allowing us to have seating for dining by the street.

There'll be more to come as I sort through notes and photos of the holiday in England and Denmark.

Last Week in Review

By John Campbell

OK, OK. I get it. I am a lousy, inconsistent blogger and a poor substitute for the man himself. Please stop the harassing e-mails and personal messages to my social networking accounts (although I did like this one: "You were steady for a while last week, but nothing since Monday. What the fuck?"). Well, today turned out to be a "work" day, so I might as well keep up the momentum.

Here's what's been happening in Roger's absence:

In preparation for our impending beer distribution to corners far and wide, Gregg Rochman and I took a trip to meet New Albanian's potential Indiana distributor, World Class Beverage. Sitting down with Jim Schembre (the man behind the WCB mission) is always an educational experience and this session was not a disappointment. WCB seems to be a better choice than Indiana's other highly-reputed distributor, Cavalier, but it's only the second inning. Meanwhile, we've already selected River City (shown below) as our Louisville distributors.

River City's Ryan Burke and John Harris living large at last year's BBC/New Albanian Volksfest

Since we're on the subject of distribution and snotty messages to my personal accounts...No. I have not done away with Roger in order to take over the Potable Curmudgeon. I do not enjoy writing anymore (ok, I kinda do, but still, no).

I don't know how he maintains this blog in addition to his regular columns for the Tribune, LEO, and Food & Dining, and has time for the little things like, you know, building a brewery.

So, yes, he is enjoying a much needed vacation, but it doesn't mean he stops working. I have proof that he is alive, still writing, and working diligently for the cause. Here's the message I received from the Commandante this morning:

Greetings

Yesterday I was introduced to Mikkel, i.e., the fellow behind Mikkeller
beers. He runs an off premise specialty beer shop with his brother in
downtown Copenhagen, has an importing company so that he can bring in the beers he wants, and also brews his own at various sites. You can look them
up on Rate Beer or Beer Advocate.

We sampled the Oatgoop he brewed at Three Floyds, and it was excellent.
While Kim and I were shopping the unbelievable selection, he took my
business card and googled NABC, emerging to ask when he could begin
selling Thunderfoot in Denmark.

I said as soon as we get it in giant cans, which thrilled him. So, we have
an account here as soon as we can supply it.

See, I told you they're 'working' trips.

NABC, soon to come to Louisvile, Indiana and Copenhagen.

R
And there you have it.

Also in last week's news, Destinations Booksellers, located just a block from the Bank Street Brewhouse, hosted a public poetry slam last Wednesday night with the wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Reservoir Dogwoods.


Everything else is plugging along nicely. David and Jesse have the giant, drive-in keg cooler fully assembled, brewery construction continues, Jared is brewing strong at the Plaza Drive location and just released Jenever, our light-bodied, summer rye. We blew through two kegs in the first two days. It is now on tap at both New Albanian locations and at The Windsor on Market and Bank in Downtown New Albany.

Bob Ostrander, founder of Indanabeer.com, (below) showed his fuzzy face at the Bank Street Brewhouse on Friday afternoon for a pint of Pheonix and some mussels before heading to the north side compound formerly known as Rich O's for the real throw down.


Saturday, I took the day off. I did, however, spend some time rummaging through photos of the Bank Street project. Here's one from this time last year:


Today, I spent the afternoon at the Capriole Farm pouring healthy samples of Community Dark and Elector during their annual open house. Capriole is the second most serene place in which I've been fortunate enough to spend an afternoon. Last year Roger, Diana, and I attended the event and dined on fine cheeses and salad greens picked that very morning. I was a bit sad to be going on my own this year, but an afternoon at Capriole isn't complete without a New Albanian Ale.

To my surprise, nearly the entire Bank Street Brewhouse staff showed up with brewer Jared (below) and Chef Josh. A great way to end another week as a New Albanian.


Be warned, Denmark. we're coming your way.

Weekend in Review

By John Campbell

If you haven't read Roger's posts about the Madison, Indiana, Ohio River Valley Folk Festival, then go back a week and bring yourself up to speed. Roger did a great job of summarizing our overall theory and ethics and applying them to yet another AB atrocity. In the end, integrity won. Craft beer outsold the multi-national corporate swill by a landslide. The Folk Fest attendees and Madison natives showed their true colors by rising to the occasion to support regionally-brewed, independently-owned, hand-crafted, Indiana beer... American beer. The first keg of beer to blow was a double India Pale Ale (100 ibu, 10% abv) that we dubbed ANTI-CORPORATE IPA.

Banner courtesy of Ted Miller (Brugge Brasserie) and the Indiana Brewer's Guild

What's wrong with this picture:



Steve Thomas (of Thomas Family Winery, pictured below) and I were sharing our disappointment with the festival committee's poor decision making skills, inept ability to communicate, and absence of virtue when it was jointly decided that the weekend would play out much better if we kept our discontent amongst ourselves and our big mouths shut. Right at that moment a female voice called out from behind the Bud Light table,

"Steve, are you almost done with that cigar?"

"Why, yes, I am," Steve replied, "Is it offending you?"

"Yes, it is," she retorted.

"Well, your beer is offending us," I interjected, glancing momentarily at Steve as if to say 'so much for that'.

"It's not my beer," she spat.

"Well, then you should be even more ashamed to be serving it," I replied.

The committee member responsible for the AB presence quickly threw a warning flag. The lovely Bud trailer volunteer that had expressed disdain for good tobacco (and good beer by default) quickly charmed me into an apology and, as she predicted, we were "friends before the end of the weekend". hrmmph.

Steve Thomas of Thomas Family Winery, Madison, Indiana.

Steve's most awesome draft trailer.
Yes, I have draft trailer envy. btw Harvey, where the &%@$ is mine?

The weekend wouldn't have been complete without Jim and Debbie Frasier, homebrewers, FOSSILS members, Rich O's regulars, devote Folk Fest volunteers, and fascist-killing machines:

Louisville's own Bridget Kailin

My good friend Robert (pictured below) almost boycotted the festival after he found out about the AB fiasco. He picked up a keg of Elector prior to the festival and showed up Friday morning with a crate of hand-thrown, NABC/'09 Folk Fest mugs! He sold them all and we filled 'em up all weekend.

As noble as it sounds to say, "Support Your Local Brewery," the only wholesome thought I can muster is "Fuck Budweiser".

Cheers!

Grassroots and the Fabled Garage Brewhouse

By John Campbell

Grassroots seems like an appropriate theme considering that I'm off to Madison, Indiana, to attend the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival this weekend. I would love to brag about the integrity of the event, their support of craft beer, local arts, and grassrooted, folk festivities, but I can't (See Roger's blog posts from last week for an in-depth explanation). Unfortunately, too many people have forgotten their roots in the race for success and supremacy. I can firmly state that we are not of that stock. We will always strive to learn, to improve, to grow, and to expand, but never by turning our backs on those who helped us, believed in us, and carried us along the way.

Today I felt it necessary to acknowledge our roots, the brewery that started it all, and the brewer who has been carrying us for at least a couple of weeks now. While all eyes have been on Bank Street, Jared Williamson has been laboring away at the original location in the fabled Garage Brewhouse where it all began...

3312 Plaza Drive, New Albany, Indiana

While David and Jesse have been preparing for the new brewery and working hard to streamline the delivery and installation, Jared has been working just as hard to keep beer in the tanks and recover from our unforeseen beer drought. The brewing system at this location is a 4 barrel brewhouse with 8 barrel fermenters that require two brews to fill and, even then, will only produce 16 kegs of beer. The bottom line is this: it is labor intensive, requires a long brew day, barely supplies enough beer for both locations, and just when you think you are caught up, it starts over again. Yet, somehow Jared has managed to pull it off. Our beer is back on tap and tasting better than ever thanks to his devotion, David's added know-how, some new equipment, a bit of loyalty, a dab of commitment, and a big-ass, heapin' scoop of integrity.






Despite the long hours, Jared managed to brew enough beer for me to take 8 kegs to the Folk Festival this weekend. Kinda sad that it will be pouring next to an Anheuser-Busch truck this year, ain't it?

Jared inspecting the latest batch of Community Dark

David's newest contribution to our old way of doing things.

Here's some good news for our die-hard New Albanian fans and hopheads: Hoptimus is in the tank and will be back on tap soon! Jared pulled some off the fermenter and we had ourselves a good ol' grassroots nip off the tank.








That is the face of a Craft Brewer and that is the way beer was meant to be.