Art on the Parish Green returns this weekend with its 13th iteration.

Sans byline, here's the newspaper's article about Art on the Parish Green, which takes place Friday and Saturday. If you travel via Market Street, be aware that the eastbound lane was closed on Friday morning to facilitate the festival's setup.

The question-and-answer with Fran Fach is quite good; it's just not clear who conducted it, newspaper or festival. From a personal standpoint, it's bittersweet to see the beer sponsorship pass from NABC to Donum Dei; nothing whatever against the latter, but I was always proud to help out Art on the Parish Green during my time at NABC.

The only constant is change, and the good news is that Art on the Parish Green has not only survived. It has thrived.

EASY BEING GREEN: Art on the Parish Green celebrates 13th year

The popular Art on the Parish Green festival celebrates its 13th year this weekend at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 11th and Main streets in downtown New Albany.

The event, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, features nearly 100 select fine arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, a beer/wine garden, live music, a YMCA Kids Art Place, and a Jazz Mass on the Grass Sunday at 10 a.m.

Below is a Q&A with festival coordinator Fran Fach about this year’s event ...

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: Donum Dei's second annual chili cook-off to benefit APRON is Sunday, January 27.

The chili cook-off in 2018.

For the inaugural gathering of Donum Dei Brewstillery's chili cook-off last year the temperature outside was 55 degrees, and we were sitting on the patio. It was a blast, but this year's long range forecast shows a high of only 31 degrees on Sunday, January 27 (1 - 3 p.m.)

That's "chili-er" weather, indeed -- and fully appropriate.

Thanks to my pal Blake Montgomery for making me aware. Before we get to the gritty details, just a bit about the good cause of choice.

APRON, Inc.

“Helping you out of the weeds”

APRON, Inc. was founded in 2011 by a group of individuals with ties to the local restaurant community. Apron supporters include owners, servers, chefs and others concerned about our local independent food and beverage service workers. They realize that independent restaurant employees may be susceptible to financial distress in times of crisis.

Now for the rules of engagement. I'm planning on stopping by.

Just when you thought "Bowl Season" was finished, Donum Dei presents our second annual chili cook-off to benefit Apron, Inc. We need 10 contestants for this event and already have 9 entered, so we need one more brave soul. Entry fee is $10, with prizes for first, second and third place. Last place will receive the Dilly Dilly Award. Open to the public! Samples are just $1.00 and bowls of chili are $5.00 (all proceeds to Apron). If interested in being the final contestant (no professional chefs/cooks), PM us at our Facebook page. Prizes include a filled growler of beer, pint glasses and t-shirts, plus a trophy for 1st and last place. The only rule for the contestants is NO PASTA (we are NOT Cincinnati) Any meat, any beans, any peppers/spices are allowed. Must cook the chili prior to the event and deliver in a crockpot or any type of kitchen appliance that you can plug in (ovens and grills are excluded). Come one, come all, and don't get the Dilly Dilly Award.

PINTS & UNION PORTFOLIO: Our keg of Donum Dei 812 Nouveau Harvest IPA will be tapped on Tuesday, October 30.

Oktoberfest finally has concluded at Pints&union.

Our last keg of Revolution (Chicago) Oktoberfest ran dry on Sunday, and as a short-term replacement, the focus shifts to Southern Indiana and a single half-barrel of Donum Dei Brewstillery's 812 Nouveau Harvest IPA, wet-hopped with hops grown near Nashville, Indiana.

Local beer writer Kevin Gibson previewed 812 Nouveau earlier in the month, and I completely agree with his assessment. I bought a growler recently from Donum Dei's taproom on Grant Line Road just to make sure.

Cross your fingers, because when 812 Nouveau is gone, we'll be very close to beginning what I hope will be an extended run for draft Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. 

Local Harvest equals fresh, hoppy beer at Donum Dei, by Kevin Gibson (LEO)

There aren’t a lot of hop farms in the Louisville area or even the region, for that matter, but as they begin to creep in, we may find new chances to drink local beer made with fresh hops.

Most hops are grown out West, largely in Washington state, and then pelletized and shipped. But some beers, such as Founders Harvest Ale, are made with hops pulled straight from the vine and placed directly into the beer.

A local example is available now from Donum Dei Brewstillery in New Albany in the form of 812 Nouveau Harvest IPA, made with fresh or “wet” hops, grown at Eight One Two Farms in Nashville, Indiana, about 90 miles north of Louisville.

Richard Otey, owner of Donum Dei, said 812 Nouveau is basically an Amarus — one of the brewery’s core beers — brewed with fresh Cascade hops from Eight One Two. If a nouveau (French for “new”) wine is made with newly-harvested grapes, then 812 Nouveau is its beer counterpart, he said. In other words, it’s a first product that offers a glimpse into what’s to come from the harvest ...

THE BEER BEAT: "Dives and hives" in Nawbany, a new brewery coming to Floyds Knobs, and other tales of the drinking life.

It's late notice, but if you're out and about today between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., drop by Donum Dei Brewery (3211 Grant Line Road in New Albany) for Chili Cookoff to Benefit Apron, Inc.

Let's begin with a gratifying round of self-aggrandizement.

Thanks to Sara "Bar Belle" Havens for the name-drop in this survey of "New Albany’s smoky dives and trendy hives" at Insider Louisville.

In the early ’90s, Roger Baylor transformed (NABC Pizzeria Public House) into a craft-beer mecca, long before craft beer was a big thing around here. And since then, it’s been the spot to try all sorts of styles and brands.

Ironically, the release of Sara's article was concurrent with RateBeer's annual list of very best places in America to have a beer, in which the Pizzeria & Public House yet again was named as Indiana's best brewpub (with Keg Liquors Clarksville capturing another "best bottle shop" citation).

Sara's pub crawl also took her to Jack's, Brooklyn and The Butcher and Hugh E. Bir Cafe. Taken as a whole, her wanderings testify to a rich diversity of drinking options in New Albany, and in spite of my own personal trials and travails, I have to admit I'm proud to have played my role in it -- and look forward to doing so again.

THE BEER BEAT: Have a look at this Pints&Union pub buildout progress report.

Speaking of start-ups, I too was surprised to see a brewery coming soon to Floyds Knobs.

A craft beer boom is looming. Keep an eye out for these 7 new breweries opening this year, by Bailey Loosemore (Louisville Courier Journal)

Our Lady of Perpetual Hops

Location: 3815 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs

Anticipated opening: Late spring

Introduction: We first heard of this new Southern Indiana brewery earlier this month, and it's already well on its way to capturing our attention.

The brewery will be located on a 10-acre property near the Valley View Golf Club, where four co-owners plan to eventually build an entertainment campus complete with a taproom, restaurant, sand volleyball courts, outdoor deck and beer garden.

The entire campus isn't expected to be finished until spring 2019. But this year, the company plans to open a small taproom and brewery in an existing building at the site.

CEO Robert Pappas, a chemist who owns Essential Oil University, said Our Lady's beers will be unique for the area.

With help from an experienced brewer, the team has created beers that incorporate essential oils to act as a sort of aromatherapy, Pappas said.

Follow the brewery's process on Facebook.

Upon further reflection, I recall discussing a similar idea with Rob (a longtime pub customer) in 2012 or thereabouts; at the time, he was looking at a farm in Starlight near the Huber winery and distillery. The brewer at OLPH is Kyle Richmer, and I'm enthused that the Knobs will be getting in on the game.

For the record, here is the entire list.

1. Falls City Brewing Co., 901 E. Liberty St., NuLu
2. Bluegrass Brewing Co., South Fourth Street and Broadway
3. Wild Hops Brewery, 1001 Logan St.
4. Our Lady of Perpetual Hops, 3815 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs
5. False Idol Independent Brewers, 1025 Barret Ave.
6. Against the Grain, 719 Lynn St.
7. Goodwood Brewing Company, Vine Street

As a closer, ignore the author's lapse (these days my beloved Pilsner Urquell is owned by Asahi of Japan, not the MillerCoors leviathan) and feel good about how far beer has come in the States.

Now, all we need to do is make sense of where we've been. I have a feeling this is something that will be occupying much of my time in the near future.

Craft Beer Is the Strangest, Happiest Economic Story in America, by Derek Thompson (City Lab)

Corporate goliaths are taking over the U.S. economy, yet small breweries are thriving. Why?

But what explains the nature of the craft-beer boom? From several interviews with economists and beer-industry experts, I’ve gathered that there appear to be two big reasons—a straightforward cause and a more complex and interesting history.

THE BEER BEAT: Chili cook-off at Donum Dei Brewery on the 28th, to benefit APRON.

This sounds like fun. Thanks to my pal Blake Montgomery for making me aware. Before we get to the gritty details, just a bit about the good cause of choice.

APRON, Inc.

“Helping you out of the weeds”

APRON, Inc. was founded in 2011 by a group of individuals with ties to the local restaurant community. Apron supporters include owners, servers, chefs and others concerned about our local independent food and beverage service workers. They realize that independent restaurant employees may be susceptible to financial distress in times of crisis.

Now for the rules of engagement.

Just when you thought "Bowl Season" was finished, we present the first chili cook-off to benefit Apron, Inc. We need 10 contestants for this event. Already have 6 entered so need 4 more brave souls. Entry fee is $10, prizes for first, second, third and last place will receive the Dilly Dilly Award. Open to the public! Samples are just $1.00 and bowls of chili are $5.00 (all proceeds to Apron). If interested in being a contestant the first 4 people that PM us will be entered. (no professional chefs/cooks). Prizes include filled growler of beer, pint glasses, t-shirts, and beer candles from Wik'd. plus a trophy for 1st and last place. The only rule for the contestants is NO PASTA (we are NOT Cincinnati) Any meat, any beans, any peppers/spices are allowed. Must cook the chili prior to the event and deliver in a crockpot or any type of kitchen appliance that you can plug in. (ovens and grills are excluded) Come one come all and don't get the Dilly Dilly Award

THE BEER BEAT: Beer news overview, featuring our Bamberg correspondent; Pearl Street Taphouse's anniversary; and a Dauntless beer dinner at La Chasse.

Look at the head on that!

Kim Andersen is an evil man, taunting the terminally New Albany-bound (that's me) with this photo of delicious, freshly-poured Spezial Rauchbier, as snapped from his current vantage point in Bamberg, Germany.

However, it's the two folks in back that make this view wonderful, because for them, it's just a restorative mid-afternoon local pub stop.

While I'm at it, cheers to Matthias Trum and family. Kim informs me that he was drinking six-month-lagered Schlenkerla Urbock on Thursday evening. No photos of Schweinshaxe -- yet. But he's got plenty of time.

(I posted the preceding words at Facebook long before lunch on Friday, when it was mid-afternoon in Bamberg.)

Then I watched as the pub crawl proceeded, first to Greifenklau ...

 ... then Schlenkerla.

Instantaneous communications enables me to see the photos before Kim's done draining his glass. The beauty of it is that I've been to these places enough times to possess near-total sensory recall: to taste the beers, smell the food and feel the room. It's grin-inducing.

I'm very fortunate, indeed.

---

Closer to home -- or Jeffersonville, to be exact -- last December we were introduced to Pearl Street Taphouse.

THE BEER BEAT: The Pearl Street Taphouse in downtown Jeffersonville.

I'm delighted for Kelly and Teri that Pearl Street Taphouse (that's downtown Jeffersonville, folks, not downtown New Albany) has come out of the gate so strong. Now comes the long haul ... and best wishes for it. If all goes as planned, my inaugural visit to Pearl Street Taphouse will be on Wednesday during a projected pub crawl of Jeffersonville.

These days, I'm too infrequent a customer anywhere locally to merit status as a "regular" (no Stammtisch for me), though here of late we keep going back to Pearl Street Taphouse for a round whenever engaged in errands by car.

The default remains walking 10 minutes to downtown New Albany. Runner-up has become Pearl Street Taphouse, which will celebrate its first birthday beginning December 1.

Good beer options in Jeffersonville have grown exponentially. I adore the fact that Tony Revak (you know him from Buckhead's) is running the beer program at Parlour, and of course Flat12's taproom is just a short distance away. Still, I like the ambiance at Kelly's and Teri's place; it shouldn't come as any surprise that the size and scale remind me of the Public House of old.

Congratulations to them, and may the birthdays flow into the future.

---

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," unless you're consistently branding a concept, in which case Big Four Burgers kept the same name even when the restaurant's second location opened in the New Albany building made famous by South Side Inn, miles from its namesake Jeffersonville bridge.

Then, when Matt McMahan's next food service idea germinated amid the vast expanse of the former South Side's kitchen, eventually giving birth to District 22 Pizzeria, the decision to take pizza and alcohol delivery to Jeffersonville will not result in the District 10 Pizzeria.

(22 and 10 are the county numbers for Floyd and Clark counties, respectively.)

Pizza, alcohol delivery concept District 22 is expanding, by Caitlin Bowling (Insider Louisville)

Roughly three months after opening the inaugural District 22, owner Matt McMahan said that he is expanding the pizza and alcohol delivery concept.

The first District 22 opened at 110 E. Main St. in New Albany in a space connected to McMahan’s casual dining burger restaurant Big Four Burgers + Beer. The two businesses share some staff and a kitchen.

Now, McMahan told Insider, he plans to do the same thing at the Big Four Burgers at 134 Spring St. in Jeffersonville.

“From Day One, I knew it was too much space,” McMahan said. “I’ve been wanting to do the District 22 for a long time.”

Although the concept is still young, he said that District 22 had done “decent numbers” since it opened, giving him the confidence to move forward with the Jeffersonville store.

“Sharing the space, sharing the utilities, sharing the kitchen, sharing the staff, it is literally a no-brainer,” McMahan said.

The ability to deliver alcohol, he said, has allowed District 22 to differentiate itself from the many other pizzerias in the area.

It's not just swill for home delivery, either.

---

Donum Dei will become the first brewery in our immediate vicinity to add a distillery, taking advantage of a trend toward statutory liberalization during recent years, as driven primarily by Indiana's Republicans (insert befuddled but appreciative emoticon here).

As accompaniment to Donum Dei's announcement, the Indy Star explains the boom in Hoosier "craft" distillation.

New Albany brewery to start making spirits, by Danielle Grady (That Jeffersonville Newspaper)

Rick Otey, a jovial, bearded figure, is already bursting with ideas now that his New Albany brewery, Donum Dei, has a license to distill spirits.

He hopes to start by crafting a beer brandy: a beer that has been distilled. Eventually, he wants to graduate to an all-grain moonshine, a vodka, whiskey and — finally — a gin, flavored with local botanicals.

On Wednesday, Donum Dei, located at 3211 Grant Line Road, became one of the few breweries in Indiana and the only one in Clark and Floyd counties, to also hold an artisan distiller’s permit. (Huber’s Orchard and Winery claims a distiller’s permit, but makes wine instead of beer).

It’s a goal that Otey and his co-owner/wife, Kim Otey, have been working toward ever since they opened their brewery to the public in 2015. At the time, breweries had to be in operation for three years before receiving their distiller’s permit. (Now, it’s 18 months).

---

In closing, there's a beer dinner coming on December 11 at La Chasse in Louisville.

I seldom mention events occurring across the wide expanse of water, over yonder in the big city, but as a reminder, the acclaimed La Chasse is Isaac Fox's restaurant. New Albanian old-timers will remember Isaac from Bistro New Albany and Speakeasy.

The dinner at La Chasse will feature beers from Dauntless Distributing, which brings some of the planet's finest brands into Kentucky, as well as handling Louisville brewers Against the Grain, Monnik and Akasha. Two NABC alums work for Dauntless: Richard Atnip and Kevin Lowber.

Details (menu, beers, price) have yet to be announced, but I'd love to see a good contingent of friends and fellow travelers in attendance. Aside from the beer angle, you owe it to yourself to have a meal at La Chasse.

There'll be no regrets.

THE BEER BEAT: From Sunday sales in Indiana to garlic tastings, an overview of informative news items.

Before glancing at a handful of interesting beer-related diversions, New Albanians should note that on Friday, September 13 there will be a day-long renewal of last year's Harvest Craft Beer Hop, as annotated and organized by The Exchange pub + kitchen in New Albany.

More than a dozen establishments in downtown New Albany will be listed on a paper passport, with the idea being to navigate the Harvest Homecoming maelstrom downtown and drink a beer at six of them.

Bartenders will validate the passport "stamps," and then walkers will return their passports to The Exchange to be entered into a drawing for goodies donated by the participating restaurants and bars.

There'll be more on this event as soon as the final version is released, probably later today. Just remember to have your ride arranged beforehand.

---

When it comes to Sunday sales laws in Indiana, it quickly becomes apparent that the various special interests are almost perfectly balanced in terms of political power. It's a WWI-trench-warfare-ready version of absolute stalemate, and so the status quo largely has remained, as discussed only recently hereabouts.

THE BEER BEAT: Schansberg explains Sunday and Indiana's lingering sales restrictions: "Support for restrictions is driven by greenbacks more than blue laws."

We still refer to restrictive laws like these as "blue," but as Eric points out, the prime motivator usually is green.

When it has come to carving out little toeholds of competitive turf amid the gaps in the fortifications of the bigger players, as when Sunday sales for craft brewers were legalized, the key figure in the Senate has been Ron Alting.

During my time on the Brewers of Indiana Guild's board, the underlying assumption was that we'd wait to see where Alting came down on an idea, and gauge the subsequent effort accordingly. There were other concerned parties in the House, among them our own Ed Clere, but in the Senate, Alting was (and surely remains) the gatekeeper.

No judging, just a fact. Seeing the senator's name in the context of overall reform is intriguing; however, as the authors concede, it's all about the details.

Want to buy booze at the store on Sunday? New developments offer some hope. Maybe, by Tony Cook and Robert King (IndyStar)

If you've been frustrated by Indiana's ban on Sunday alcohol sales, there may be hope on the horizon.

Maybe.

A key lawmaker who has blocked such efforts in the past says he is drafting a bill that would allow grocery stores and other retailers to sell alcohol for carryout on Sundays.

“I think it’s time for Sunday sales," said Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee.

But the devil will be in the details. Big questions remain on what conditions the bill might place on Sunday sales. Alting said it is too early to get into the specifics of the legislation.

Kevin Gibson surveys news about Gravely Brewing, Cumberland Brews and a Philosophy on Tap series of lectures (with beer and food) at Louisville's Migo restaurant on Dundee Road, but the item that caught my attention is closer to home.

Beer meets philosophy at Migo, by Kevin Gibson (LEO)

A pungent tasting at Donum Dei

Breweries host tastings all the time, usually from a guest brewery or from a series of new releases, but Donum Dei Brewery in New Albany will host a tasting of a different type on Oct. 19 — this one involves tasting garlic.

Yes, garlic.

Sirocco Ridge Farm from Henryville will bring in six different types of garlic for attendees to taste and learn about. It’s part of what the farm calls its Great Garlic Gathering (G3) Event. Hey, garlic is garlic, so the gathering has to be pretty great, right?

Donum Dei owner Richard Otey said the tasting is part of a twice-yearly tasting the brewery hosts. The program has been going on for the last three years, and won’t stop now.

The garlic-tasting event is free and is 6-8 p.m.; all of the different garlics presented, including a special wild garlic, will be available for purchase. Bring your own breath mints. And, hey, I’m just hoping the next one isn’t exotic cucumbers.

Having recently returned from fact-finding mission to Belgium and the Netherlands, and while in Haarlem enjoying enjoyed more than one session at the Jopenkerk ...

... it's an excellent time to remind readers that there's no better use for a shuttered church than to trasnform it into a house of beer worship.

Former churches find new life as breweries; Closed churches find second life as breweries, by Dake Kang (Associated Press)

YOUNGSTOWN – Ira Gerhart finally found a place last year to fulfill his yearslong dream of opening a brewery: a 1923 Presbyterian church. It was cheap, charming and just blocks from downtown Youngstown.

But soon after Gerhart announced his plans, residents and a minister at a Baptist church just a block away complained about alcohol being served in the former house of worship.

“I get it, you know, just the idea of putting a bar in God’s house,” Gerhart said. “If we didn’t choose to do this, most likely, it’d fall down or get torn down. I told them we’re not going to be a rowdy college bar.”

With stained glass, brick walls and large sanctuaries ideal for holding vats and lots of drinkers, churches renovated into breweries attract beer lovers but can grate on the spiritual sensibilities of clergy and worshippers.

At least 10 new breweries have opened in old churches across the country since 2011, and at least four more are slated to open in the next year. The trend started after the 2007 recession as churches merged or closed because of dwindling membership. Sex abuse settlements by the Roman Catholic Church starting in the mid-2000s were not a factor because those payments were largely covered by insurers, according to Terrence Donilon, spokesman for the archdiocese of Boston ...

Finally, something to give us hope with our libations.

Tapping Rural America: Craft Breweries Pour New Life Into Small Towns, by Kirk Siegler (NPR)

Chris Hernstrom was brewing in the craft beer mecca of Bend, Ore., when an ad caught his eye: Want to live somewhere gorgeous and make beer for a small community?

"It just seemed like an interesting challenge to come out to basically the exact opposite of Bend, some place where the brewing industry is still in its fledgling stages," Hernstrom says.

That place, Hernstrom's new home, is the cattle ranching hub of Valentine, Neb., population 2,700, tucked into the Niobrara River valley in the Sand Hills.

Hernstrom is head brewer at the Bolo Beer Company. On a recent weeknight, he was pouring pints of Aquifer Ale and filling carryout growlers of Wild West Wheat. With its modern pendant lights and bar made of reclaimed wood, the newly opened taproom looks as if it would be more at home in Seattle or Denver than in rural Nebraska ...

THE BEER BEAT: News and views from local breweries, and an incredible Uff-da.

Before embarking on a brief survey of local Southern Indiana brewery news, a nod to last evening's closer: New Glarus Uff-Da. It was among the beers purchased in early October when we fled to Madison, Wisconsin to escape Harvest Homecoming's annual presence.

Harvest Evasion 2016 in Madison WI, Day Two: The non-negotiable pilgrimage to New Glarus, brewery and town.

At some point around 1981, having only recently tried Guinness for the first time, I saw a six-pack of Stroh’s Bock at Cut Rate Liquors and bought it on a whim.

What was bock, anyway? According to an old man at Steinert’s, who spoke in stately and authoritative confidence, and probably hadn’t traveled any further afield than Cincinnati in his entire life, bock was brewed from the leftovers at the bottom of the vats after spring brewery cleaning each year.

As for himself, he wouldn’t touch the dark stuff for fear of its crippling 20% alcohol content and molasses-like consistency. It wasn’t long until I learned that those tales of spring scrubbing and heightened potency were utter nonsense. At first I suffered from embarrassment for having been so stupid, but later realized that listening to old men perched on bar stools telling stories was the important part, and their truthfulness a subsidiary consideration.

Uff-da refers to itself as a Wisconsin Bock, which is meaningful only in the sense of Bock being a Bavarian heritage creation, and the New Glarus brewery showing admirable consistency over the years when faithfully interpreting German lager styles like this. It is delicious.

I consider Uff-da (circa 6.9%) a traditional "single" Bock, falling just a tad shy of Doppelbock strength; dark brown, with a toffeeish malt character, and only enough hops to balance the malty sweetness.

I wish we'd bought a case instead of a six-pack. The Bavarians intended Bock as a colder weather beer, and Uff-da couldn't have been better calibrated to sip on our first truly frigid night of 2017.

Ironically, two weeks ago I had a beer at Red Yeti, and it also was a Bock. Red Yeti's version was lighter both in color and flavor -- perhaps intended as an American Bock, and in my estimation a lager too stripped of malt character to score better than average. However, I was delighted to see five or six house brewed beers on the board, so let's begin there.

RED YETI (RED FOOT), Jeffersonville

Last summer, Red Yeti was sued by Great Divide. It all seemed so senseless, but of course with "craft" beer queuing enthusiastically for the privilege of being the next revolution to fall prey to capitalism, it's to be expected. Here's an update, courtesy of the Jeffersonville newspaper.

A BEER BY ANY OTHER NAME: Brewery side of Red Yeti to be Red Foot to settle name dispute with Colorado brewery, by Aprile Rickert (News and Tribune)

JEFFERSONVILLE — The Red Yeti in Jeffersonville is changing its brewery name by February — the result of a settlement in a two-year dispute with a Colorado brewery.

After the change, the brewery side of the Spring Street business will be known as Red Foot Brewing, keeping as closely in line with the original theme as possible. The restaurant side will still be known as The Red Yeti.

FLAT12 BIERWERKS, Jeffersonville

It isn't clear whether there'll ever be brewing on site at Flat12, which instead has served as the Louisville metro taproom for the Indianapolis-based brewery, and this is of little consequence to anyone apart from Jeffersonville's economic development team.

It remains a gorgeous place to have a few beers, and an anniversary celebration is coming:

"Our Anniversary Beer Festivals are always free to attend, but the best way to experience it is with our $30 complimentary sample and Rastal Teku glassware package. A limited amount of tickets on sale now! Details in the link."

Flat12 Jeffersonville Anniversary Celebration

January 28th, we are celebrating 6 years of brewing in Indiana and 2 years at our southern home in Jeffersonville! To mark the milestone and thank our supporters, we are inviting our partners and loyal customers to join us at the Indy taproom for another epic Anniversary Party Beer Festival.

The festival will feature more than 30 beers including barrel-aged, sour, cask, and specialty brews and live music from 4p-6p. The party is free to attend (21+) and traditional half pints and pints will be available for purchase.

POINT BLANK BREWING COMPANY, Corydon

Point Blank Brewing Company is located on the historic old town square in Indiana's first state capital, and while it has been around for a few years, it opened for business with food service and guest beers before the brewery ever began producing beer. Red Yeti did, too, and trust me on this one: It's a difficult feat to integrate your own house beers after building a following for guest beers. Simple as that.

To judge from its social media presence, Point Blank still seems uncertain how to go about positioning itself as a brewery, but I'm told by a friend that a new brewer is on board, and the beers being brewed are definitely worthy of consideration. It has been at least two years since my last visit, and this needs to be rectified. Until then, Point Blank's owners have opened a new business adjacent to their building, separate but connected: Old Capitol Tap Room.

We invite you to be our guest at the Old Capitol Tap Room! Nestled on the historic town square in Corydon, Indiana. Our antique bar is rich in history and character, making the atmosphere of the bar one of a kind. Along with our own craft brews on draft, we have quite the selection of bottled beer to choose from and a great selection of liquor and wine.

The Old Capitol Tap Room also has a variety of carry-out beer specials. Our food menu is not lacking variety either! Come in and enjoy a nice dinner. Bring some friends and play some games (did we mention that we have a bookshelf full of board games, cards and dice?!?) Come and watch your favorite team on one of our big TV's. We also have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. While you are visiting us, don't forget to grab a basket of our free fresh popped popcorn!

FLOYD COUNTY BREWING COMPANY, New Albany

In December, FCBC instituted a loyalty program for regular patrons. There is a special "Friends of Floyd" area on the brewpub's Facebook page, so if you're dropping by regularly, have a look.

DONUM DEI BREWERY, New Albany

Rick and Kimberly Otey were ready when the William McKinley (oops -- I mean Lewis & Clark) Bridge opened in late December, and this video creatively shows Louisvillians the way to Donum Dei: "We are just 10 minutes from the East End Bridge on Grant Line Road."

NEW ALBANIAN BREWING COMPANY, New Albany

There was a time when NABC's propaganda was as incessant as it was entertaining, but these days, in-depth information is scant, and the scintillating edginess has almost disappeared. Beats me. Did something change?

(cue canned laugh track)

Okay, okay. I wrote the words for 25 years, and it's to be expected that in the aftermath of my (as yet scandalously unresolved) departure, it would take time to rearrange the outreach program. Obviously, I want NABC to succeed. If it doesn't, then my beak's best never will get wet.

At Facebook, the New Albanian Brewing Company Pizzeria & Public House page is updated regularly with house and guest tap rotations and beer specials.

Also at Facebook, the recently redubbed NABC Cafe & Brewhouse (formerly Bank Street Brewhouse) devotes more posts to food and live music than beer, which is unusual considering the presence of a mash tun, brew kettle and four 30bbl fermenters in the rear ... and yes, it's nothing to do with me.

To be perfectly honest, I do genuinely miss sampling the beers Josh Hill and Ben Minton are brewing. The ones I've had here and there have been as good as ever, and you can view the portfolio here. Perhaps if the Free House idea  ever gets off the ground, Ben can brew me a nice, gentle, representative, session-strength Ordinary Bitter.

Remember to support your local breweries ... with exceptions allowed for visits to Wisconsin.

Indie food & drink during Harvest Homecoming: Donum Dei Brewery and Wick's Pizza Parlor.

Harvest Homecoming's annual occupation of downtown New Albany is almost here, and in 2016, "booth days" take place from October 6 - 9 (Thursday through Sunday). We're here to have a look at what's taking place behind the booths, where our independent local businesses operate throughout the year.

Previously we've charted the progress of renovations at the old Abe's Rental building (140 E. Main Street). The current rumor has it eventually becoming a bakery, and more strides have been made since August, when this was posted:

RENOVATION UPDATE: You know, that building where Abe's Rental used to be (140 E Main St).

In the completed patio setting shown above, Donum Dei Brewery (3211 Grant Line Road; behind El Nopal) will be staging a beer garden during Harvest Homecoming booth days.

We will be having a Harvest Homecoming Beer Garden! Come and relax and have a couple of pints.

The locations is 140 E. Main. The garden will be on the patio behind the building.

Hours will be:

Thursday October 6, 11-10
Friday October 7, 11-11
Saturday October 8, 11-11
Sunday October 9, 11-6

We will have live original music Friday and Saturday night 7-9.

Friday Bob and Erin Youell
Saturday South Upand

A block away at Wick's Pizza Parlor (225 State Street), the emphasis is on the music, but of course there'll be food and drink as well.

As listings are posted, we'll add and update here.

For officially sanctioned activities, go here: 2016 Harvest Homecoming Festival Guide.

Read my profiles of Donum Dei Brewery and Floyd County Brewing Company in the latest issue of Food & Dining Magazine.

The quarterly Louisville edition of Food & Dining Magazine has arrived, and you can view it at issuu: Spring 2016 (vol 51) ... Feb - Mar - April 2016.

Glossy, tactile copies also can be snagged at hundreds of locations throughout metropolitan Louisville.

For the current edition, my "Hip Hops" column is given over to profiles of Donum Dei Brewery and Floyd County Brewing Company. By my reckoning, New Albany has not been home to three brewing companies in 109 years.

Why does it matter? According to writer James Fallows, there are 11 indicators of civic success, one of which is the presence of "craft" breweries:

One final marker, perhaps the most reliable: A city on the way back will have one or more craft breweries, and probably some small distilleries too.

Congratulations to my brewing brethren. In the next issue, I'll be writing about Goodwood Brewing Company in Louisville.

Meet New Albany's Two Newest Breweries

... Pendulums have a fortunate way of swinging back, and brewing returned to New Albany in 2002, when the New Albanian Brewing Company first mashed in.

Then, in 2015, there was an abrupt tripling of numbers: Donum Dei Brewery and Floyd County Brewing Company (FCBC) both opened, and while it may seem novel for such a small city to have so many breweries, this pattern is being repeated all across the country.

For those just learning about Food & Dining Magazine:

Food & Dining is a Louisville-based lifestyle publication focused on food & cooking, the enjoyment of wine & spirits, and the experience of dining out in one of the nation’s top restaurant cities.

We have all the sensibilities of a local magazine, but with the design and photography of a national magazine.

We pack the magazine and with gorgeous photography, engaging feature stories, entertaining articles, unique recipes and a restaurant guide that details over 1,000 restaurants.

The quarterly magazine began in 2003, and I started writing beer columns for John Carlos White a few issues into his run. The mag's his baby, and I'm delighted for him. Lots of other folks have played a part in launching and maintaining the publication, so thanks to all of them, too. May there be many more to come.

The Vintage Fire Museum moved to Jeffersonville so that Gahan might monetize.

Fire engines aren't everyone's shtick, but it's worth remembering that the impetus for what is now a Vintage Fire Museum as situated in Jeffersonville came almost entirely from New Albanians, from the Conway collection's inception straight through to the museum's brief residency in the Coyle showroom.

As the corporate welfare housing project at the former auto dealership has unfolded behind Jeff Gahan's perennially closed doors, it has become far easier to understand the reasons for the shabby treatment accorded the fire museum's stalwarts by Gahan and his economic dishevelment chief David Duggins.

They had a two-for-one TIF/sewer waiver deal to be completed just in time for the 2015 political calendar, and so the fire museum was given the bum's rush. The museum may or may not have been a good fit at the Coyle site, but what's clear now is that it did not fit into Gahan's governance-by-monetization worldview -- after all, how on earth could a handful of geezers ever kick back campaign finance to the tune of fat cats like Flaherty Collins?

I'm happy to see the Fire Museum's ongoing progress in Jeffersonville, and even more delighted that Rick, Kim and the crew at Donum Dei stepped in to help with an event that I wasn't able to organize. Thanks, guys.

'Chili, Brats & Brew' celebrates Jeff fire museum, by Jenna Esarey (C-J)

As NABC "soldiers on," Floyd County Brewing Company joins Donum Dei and Wrecker on the "coming soon" NA brewery list.

NABC operates two separate breweries in New Albany. A third brewery is close to opening, and two others are at various stages of development. If all of them come to fruition, there might be five functional brewery plants among four corporate structures producing beer by the end of 2015, which easily would be the most breweries in New Albany since the late 1800s.

Time for an update ...

City economic development officials have been hinting about this new brewery, but naturally couldn't so much as recall the name of the start-up, such is their level of commitment to independent small business, and so here it is: Floyd County Brewing Company.

It is to be located here, opposite the YMCA, Exchange and Aunt Artie's Antique Mall (the latter is ceasing operations next week).

Floyd County Brewing Company is not the same entity as the future Wrecker Brewing, as considered in this post from October, and presumably still looking at a location in the Uptown neighborhood on Market Street.

Wrecker Brewing is the variance seeker at 1419 E. Market Street in New Albany.

Meanwhile, the new brewery closest to (a) NABC's original location off Grant Line Road, and (b) completion is Donum Dei, which features prominently in this article: Five new Louisville breweries to watch out for in 2015, by Kevin Gibson (Insider Louisville)

Donum Dei Brewery: Over in New Albany, at 3211 Grant Line Road, just a stone’s throw from the original New Albanian Brewing Company location, is another brewery in waiting. Richard Otey is brewing in his new space, which is nearly complete. However, he still is yet to offer a target opening date.

Originally, he told us he had planned to open sometime around Derby 2014; that prognostication later changed to summer, and then to Thanksgiving. Now, early 2015 looks most likely. But Donum Dei already has a batch of its pale ale brewed and ready to drink, as well as an enkle. Up next is wee heavy.

Little is known about New Albany's forthcoming new brewery, but here it is.

I must confess to finding is somewhat amazing, and perhaps even admirable, that a fellow New Albanian has planned a new brewery, bought equipment and signed a lease without someone, somewhere telling me about it.

Well, why not? It's the sort of era when not one but two separate groups look to start a brewery in Tell City. I think it's a great thing, and so here's what little I know about the advent of Donum Dei Brewery.

My first clue came two months ago, when I saw a list of Indiana breweries in development, as prepared by the Brewers of Indiana Guild. Then John Wurth at LouisvilleBeer.com put together a page tracking the progress of brewing start-ups in metro Louisville, which pinpointed an address that sounded curiously similar to that of NABC's Pizzeria & Public House.

And so it is: 3211 Grant Line Road, which as it turns out, is the precise storefront once occupied by Earth Friends Cafe, in the 1990s strip building behind El Nopal. Where'd that garage door come from?

Yesterday Blake drove me past, and I snapped the photos above. Donum Dei means "Gift of God." And that's about all we know about it at present.

For quite some time, it has been a goal of mine to convince both city and indie business operators in the Grant Line Road commercial zone between McDonald Lane and the interstate to combine efforts and market the area as College Park, University Woods (prescient, those apartment builders of old) or some such tag to make the connection with IU Southeast and beautify and rationalize the vicinity. Having another brewery across the street fits perfectly. The Blair family is renovating the ramshackle former employment office into a dance studio. Now all we need is for a family-owned Turkish joint to move into the space left vacant when The Exchange moved downtown.

We just might succeed in spite of ourselves, which is the time-honored (read: only) formula in New Albany.