The NA weekend calendar is filled with art and a garden party and music.

The 9th annual Art on the Parish Green takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The Culbertson Mansion's 3rd annual Garden Party is on Saturday night, after Art on the Parish Green wraps.

NABC has been delighted to be a part of these events since their inception.

I'm also told there'll be Black & Blue Grass available at tonight's Bicentennial Park concert.

During the month of June, New Albany Restaurant and Bar Association member businesses Fieldhaus, Big Four Burgers + Beer NA and River City Winery are catering adult beverages for the Friday night musical shows.

Thanks to Matt McMahan for pouring NABC Black & Blue Grass at these performances.

At the Garden Party in 2014.

NABC tonight and tomorrow, in and out of town.

Do you want to know what annoys me the most about Insider Louisville? It's the rote, scripted hip-icisms, most prominently the one that runs every Thursday:

"Honey, it's the weekend."

Blech. I consider vomiting whenever I see that.

But on a happier and non-cliched note, following is a list of activities occurring by sheer coincidence this coming ... weekend.

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Friday, June 6
Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series, downtown New Albany. Free musical performances from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Fridays through August 22 (except July 4). Production Simple books the music, and NABC serves the beer. Tonight’s band: Barefoot Movement.

On each of these same concert Fridays, the Big Four Burgers trailer will be parked at Bank Street Brewhouse, serving burgers and fries from 5:00 p.m. through 10:00 p.m.

In Kokomo, Indiana, NABC’s Blake Montgomery kicks off two days in his former city of residence with an NABC Tasting at Drake’s Bar & Grill, coinciding with Kokomo’s First Friday arts event. The sampling begins at 6:00 p.m. and also includes full pint pours.

Saturday, June 7
Garden Party at the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site (914 E. Main Street, New Albany). There’ll be music, croquet, nibbles (from Habana Blues) and NABC beers (Tafel and Hoosier Daddy) as the Culbertson Mansion revives a 135-year-old tradition.

In Evansville, Zoo Brew at the Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. NABC (featuring Aaron Kenney) will be among the sampling stations, dispensing Black & Blue Grass and Hoptimus, as patrons party like an animal by partying with the animals.

At the Central USA Iron Games at Club Fitness 24in Kokomo, Indiana, there’ll be an NABC beer garden all day long, with NABC’s Blake Montgomery presiding. Beers will be Black & Blue Grass, Houndmouth, Naughty Girl and Hoptimus.

Rocking the Culbertson's garden party with NABC Tricentennial.

It's the New Albany brewing history segment of the program. Thanks to Maria for  her photos.

Turns out a day's worth of weather anxiety was utterly misplaced. There wasn't a drop of rain on the Culbertson Mansion's garden party last evening, and yet it was appropriately wet insofar as an entire 15.5 gallon keg of NABC's Tricentennial Ale was concerned -- that is, before it became "dry" when the keg floated at last call.

Tricentennial Ale information page

As Bluegill presciently noted, it's encouraging to see the Culbertson emerging as an atmospheric venue, and there's a nice template there for numerous events. What I liked about the garden party was combining music (The Thumps and Myra Craig), food (Habana Blues) and beer with historical education. There's the house itself, and also the stories attached to it.

Mr. Culbertson reputedly was a teetotaler, but with a half-dozen local breweries operational during his mercantile and banking heyday, my guess is that he didn't approach the daily business equation with a prohibition-like stance.

Paul Reising was churning out 12,000 barrels of beer per year at its zenith in the 1880s, and 125 years later, only three Indiana craft brewers out of 63 are bettering that rate of production. Beer and brewing were integral parts of the scene in a working town filled with Germans and Irish. It's worth remembering.

Thanks to Jessica Stavros and staff for having us and organizing the fun. As for the unnamed elderly gentleman who complained that he can't attend a single damned event in town without seeing Roger and NABC there ... well, thanks. That's a wonderful thing to say.

A reminder: NABC Tricentennial debuts this Saturday at the Culbertson Mansion.

For further details, head this way.

(Poster design by Tony Beard)

"Local History Never Tasted So Good": Garden Party at the Culbertson on Sat., June 1.

Tricentennial Ale has been brewed and will be served at the Garden Party on June 1. For more, catch up on your reading:

Tricentennial Ale: The artwork, the recipe, the schedule and the future.

Tricentennial Ale: The label.

Tricentennially speaking, the Culbertson Mansion is "the jewel of New Albany."

I'm delighted to confirm NABC's official partnership with the Culbertson Mansion for its Garden Party on June 1, at which we'll debut NABC Tricentennial Ale: I'll see your bicentennial, and raise you a Tricentennial. Whatcha got?

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The Culbertson Mansion - Jewel of New Albany (uncredited; at the city of New Albany's web site)

If you grew up around New Albany in the 70’s, chances are you had an opportunity to take a class field trip to the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site at some point during your school years. But have you been back since? If not, you’re missing out as this historic landmark is not only an architectural masterpiece; it is an integral part of New Albany’s rich heritage, as were the Culbertsons.

“It was saved by New Albany, and it’s for them. If they feel ownership, they're more inclined to get involved,” said Jessica Stavros, program developer, Culbertson Mansion.

In the 1960s, New Albany almost lost the Culbertson Mansion when developers attempted to bulldoze it to make room for a gas station. Thankfully, a group of historic-minded individuals saved it. By saving the mansion, all can continue to learn about its legacy and the early philanthropic efforts of William Culbertson.

“William Culbertson took life experiences and he used the privilege of his money to improve the quality of life for New Albany,” said Stavros. Among the many contributions that William Culbertson made, he was the benefactor for much of New Albany’s infrastructure, as well as a philanthropist, establishing the Widow’s Home and an orphanage.

As we celebrate New Albany’s Bicentennial year, the Culbertson Mansion is a perfect stop because William Culbertson played such an integral role in the early history of New Albany. The interpretive staff and seasonal, hard-working docents, offer tours throughout the week, and there are a variety of special events during the year. Mayor Jeff Gahan met with Stavros earlier this year to discuss the upcoming events held by the Culbertson during New Albany’s Bicentennial Year.

"We are very fortunate to have such dedicated group of individuals working to keep this rich piece of history alive," stated Mayor Gahan. “I encourage everyone to stop by the Culbertson for one of their upcoming events.”

The Culbertson Mansion will hold its annual Derby Murder Mystery on April 26 and 27. This year, the setting will be the roaring year of 1929, and will feature Sam Culbertson, the son of William Culbertson. (Sam Culbertson once served as the president of Churchill Downs, and he will always be remembered as the person who started the Garland of Roses tradition.)

“Sam changed the Kentucky Derby forever,” said Stavros.

During the Annual Herb Sale on May 10 and 11, there will be a special herb workshop featuring certified herbalist Jenny Boice. This will be the perfect time to learn about different traditional herbs and the variety of uses.

“Herbs have many uses beyond the kitchen. Most homes during this time would have had a home apothecary, and the lady of the house would know what herbs alleviate headaches, which herbs bring down fever, and so on.” said Stavros.

This year, we’re all looking forward to the Garden Party. This will be the first Garden Party since the Culbertson Mansion became a museum in 1976, although the Culbertson Family held such parties regularly. During the original parties, the Culbertsons decorated the yard with Chinese lanterns, and brought the Oriental rugs from inside to the lawn. Stavros is excited to announce that they will do the same for this party. The Garden Party will feature live music, and in an official partnership with the New Albanian Brewing Company, they plan to debut the new “Tricentennial” beer. Roger Baylor, the owner of the New Albanian Brewing Company, will give a talk about the history of beer in New Albany, and the Culbertson Mansion will showcase bottles from local historic breweries along with Culbertson family letters that reference beer.

“This will be our celebration of New Albany’s Bicentennial,” said Stavros.

The Garden Party is open to those 21 and over. Events at the Culbertson Mansion may require an RSVP by calling 812-944-9600.

The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 pm to 5 p.m. The tours occur on the hour, with the last one commencing at 4.

•Derby Murder Mystery: Friday, April 26th & Saturday, 27th. 7:00 p.m., cost: $20 per person, $35 per couple. Reservation & advance payment required.

•24th Annual Herb Sale: Friday, May 10 & Saturday, 11th from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., workshop both days: 2 p.m., $7. Reservation & advance payment required.

•Community Open House, Saturday, June 1 & Sunday, 2nd from 1-5 p.m. cost: $2 for adults, $1 for children

•Garden Party, Saturday, June 1st from 8-11 p.m., 21 and over. cost: $10

Daily Tours: $5 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, $2 for children, children under 3 are FREE. For more information, please visit: www.indianamuseum.org

I'll see your bicentennial, and raise you a Tricentennial. Whatcha got?

In 2013, New Albany celebrates its 200th birthday, and obviously, a bicentennial is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Consequently, it would have been nice for more of the citizenry to be included at the big kids’ table.

Alas, quite a lot of bright local folks who might have contributed immeasurably to New Albany’s birthday have instead been effectively excluded from planning and implementing it, and sadly, lots of great ideas have gone unheard because the usual civic pillars have hoarded the process to ensure it proceeded according to their own narrow viewpoints, and while that’s a damned shame, the way this bicentennial has gone down to date is a perfect metaphor – a fitting distillation – of two hundred years of social stratification.

It’s disappointing, but here’s the good news: Craft beer can be a wonderful leveler.

For this reason, I decided that NABC will sit out this year’s “official” commemoration, better to honor “next,” or the more hopeful, forthcoming party we’re all guaranteed to miss – not because we were not invited, as was the case in 2013, but because each and every one of us will be dead as door nails in 2113.

Hence, it is my pleasure to announce NABC’s Tricentennial Ale … because in another hundred years, who knows?

NABC Tricentennial Ale is a slightly revamped formula previously released in 2011 as Steamboat Common, which was meant to observe the 200th anniversary of the first steamboat journey on the Ohio River. It's a malty ale on the strong side (circa 7% abv), with sorghum and/or molasses deployed as a fermentable.

Tricentennial’s official draft debut will be at the Culbertson Mansion’s Garden Party on Saturday, June 1. Immediately afterwards, there’ll be a limited amount of draft Tricentennial for sale at NABC’s two locations in New Albany.

On June 3, a limited run of 300 hand-numbered 22oz “bomber” bottles will go on sale at both NABC locations in New Albany, and at Keg Liquors.

Can you say “renegade collector’s edition”?

The label art by NABC’s graphics authority-in-residence Tony Beard depicts the city of New Albany in 2113, when our city’s future generations will have yet another chance to get it right, assuming they can hack a pathway through the inevitable phalanx of wagons circled by the descendants of the usual suspects even in that far-off era to come.

Draft Tricentennial then will make a cameo appearance alongside other NABC brands at the July 4th fireworks party at the Riverfront Amphitheater, which in New Albany is held on July 3, not July 4.

A second Tricentennial wave will occur during the 2013 edition of Harvest Homecoming, when draft Tricentennial will pour at NABC’s 6th annual Fringe Fest at Bank Street Brewhouse. At this time, we’ll also make kegs of Tricentennial available for purchase by six local draft accounts, hopefully affording festival attendees a final chance to drink to New Albany’s future.

Perhaps by then, we’ll have evaded our past. But only time will tell ... and that’s why we drink today.