The NABC Weekend: Music at the park (cancelled), the Great Taste and Thunder Wrane.

(10:15 a.m. update: Tonight's Bicentennial Park Show is CANCELLED. I'll pass along further information if/when it becomes available)

It's a bit blurry, but no less historic: Beer has returned to the Indiana State Fair, and NABC's turn came this past Wednesday, as Blake Montgomery motored to Circle City to chat about our beer with fairgoers.

Both kegs were gone at day's end, and civilization did not crumble into smudgy little grease spots, as had been predicted by certain opponents possessing of a prohibitionist's mindset. Many other Indiana "craft" brewers will be featured throughout the fair’s run from August 1 – 17.

Meanwhile, this weekend we're pouring Progressive Pints in town and on the road.

FRIDAY the 8th

Tonight (Friday, August 8), New Albany’s Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series features both Humming House and Nick Dittmeier. Production Simple offers the synopsis:

At once danceable and reflective, familiar and nostalgic, Humming House is a musical experiment gone right. Woven together from diverse backgrounds (Americana, classical composition, bluegrass, soul, and traditional Irish music), their playground of musical exploration has something for every generation ... Nick Dittmeier is a singer-songwriter from southern Indiana. He fronted the alt-country band Slithering Beast for five years. In early 2013, he branched out and started performing under his own name and established a new band.

As usual, NABC will offer beery accompaniment to the show at Bicentennial Park. Tonight's updated selection: Naughty Girl, Action! Pale Ale, Community Dark and Frankensteiner. The latter is our newly released Hefeweizen. or Bavarian-style Wheat.

Remember that when patronizing Bank Street Brewhouse, Wick's Pizza will deliver anything on its food menu to BSB, and give you a 20% discount on the order. We're appreciative to Wick's for this generous standing offer.

SATURDAY the 9th

NABC is on the road often during the warm weather months, but few gigs are as important to us as the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin. This is one of the most awesome beer festivals in the history of the planet, and precisely the sort of event that inspires shameless hyperbole. Usually I personally attend, but cannot this year. However, the crew is there, and it should be as brilliant as always.

At the NABC booth
Community Dark … our best-selling English-style Dark Mild
Frankensteiner Promethean Wheat … a brand new Hefeweizen
Hoptimus … Louisville’s original signature Imperial India Pale Ale
Mt. Lee … California Common with a Southern California twist
Naughty Girl … collaborative India Belgian Ale
Turbo Hog … this Malt Liquor was NABC’s fastest mover at the 2014 Indiana Microbrewers Festival
USA vs Germany Sticke Alt … hoppy Dusseldorfer-style goodness

Cask-conditioned pins at the NABC booth
Get Off My Porch, Preacher Man … a variation on a Session IPA theme
Hoptimus-A-Rita … dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra, along with sweet orange peel
HotFoot … Dry Stout with locally grown hot peppers

At the Real Ale Tent
Beak’s Best Bitter … session strength Anglo-American Best Bitter
Bob’s Old 15-B … robust American Porter
Elector … strong ale that makes democracy pointless

Also on the 9th, there'll be music at Bank Street Brewhouse, from 8:00 p.m. outside at Lloyd’s Landing, or in the Reading Room in case of inclement weather. On the 9th, we have Thunder Wrane.

August 16: Ragged But Right
August 23: Five Foot Fish

SUNDAY the 10th 

Bank Street Brewhouse opens at Noon. Bring a picnic basket, pack in carry-outs or order delivery, and pair our Beers of Proven Merit with the very best food from local eateries ... well, at least those open on Sunday. Always remember that Indiana does have carry-out beer sales on Sunday: At craft breweries. For carry-out wine on Sunday, visit our friends at River City Winery or Indiana's many other artisanal wine makers.

To be reminded of why Indiana's alcohol laws governing beer temperature and daily availability came to be, visit the Indy Star: Will Indiana ever expand Sunday alcohol and cold beer sales?