Monnik Beer Company will open a second location in downtown New Albany at the former Bank Street Brewhouse.

Win, lose or draw -- and there was plenty of each from 2009 through 2019 -- NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse was my baby, and now that one of my jobs is to report on such matters as its revitalization into Monnik in Hoosierland, I was absolutely determined to get the scoop.

EXCLUSIVE: Monnik Beer Co. plans brewery, kitchen in New Albany at the former NABC facility, by Roger Baylor (Food & Dining Magazine)

Monnik Beer Co. opened in Germantown in 2015 and enjoys a reputation as one of Louisville’s finest breweries. Meanwhile the New Albanian Brewing Company’s Bank Street Brewhouse production brewery in downtown New Albany was shuttered in May, 2019 after ten years of making beer and memories.

Now it’s 2020, and construction continues as Monnik works toward a location in Indiana at the former Bank Street Brewery building (415 Bank Street, New Albany).

The original NABC Pizzeria & Public House (founded in 1987) continues to bake pizzas and brew beer at 3312 Plaza Drive on New Albany’s north side ...

Following are photos I took on December 15, only two of which were needed in the article. Like me, you might be mourning the disappearance of BSB's unique concrete bar top, which evidently has given way to the imperative of kitchen expansion.

But this is small beer. The most important part of this story is the fact it's happening -- along with the February advent of Recbar 812 a block away, The Exchange's "Tavern Hall" expansion into the adjacent former Feast BBQ space, Board and You's future location on Pearl, and whatever else I'm missing.

And a tale of two artistic renderings.

Time erases: Signs, signs, everywhere signs; some coming, some going.

Quite a few of us always will love Chef Israel Landin and his food, and we enjoyed his ill-fated previous restaurant, La Rosita's (now he's rocking here), but isn't it pleasant at long last to see the old sign gone, the building being painted and a business (RecBar 812) coming close to occupying it?

Next up: That annoyingly permanent Preston's signage, always a decaying reminder of the store's demise eight years ago.

Power move: Him Gentleman's Boutique and Mane Alley Color & Extension Bar to transform the moribund Preston Arts Building.

Of course adjacent to the future Him is the currently moribund River City Winery, surely downtown's favorite topic of eatery speculation, and perhaps with new signs of hope ... like this one, although the bank comes off a tad badly.

Last, and appropriately, this one. It may have been my own former business, and it seems a shame to cover the artwork with fresh paint, but it has to happen eventually -- and no, I don't have any updates about the future occupant.

The Green Mouse keeps listening, you know.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: "Monnik Beer Co. is Now Distributing Canned Beers to Local Retailers."

Monnik Beer Co. has an announcement to make about canning its Hauck's American Pilsner and Monnik India Pale Ale (IPA), and the release is reprinted here. 

It so happens that two cases of Monnik IPA in cans are coming to Pints&union on Wednesday via Starlight Distribution, Monnik's wholesaler in Indiana, so if you're interested in trying some without driving over to Schnitzelburg they should be chilled in time for opening at 4 p.m. 

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Monnik Beer Co. is Now Distributing Canned Beers to Local Retailers

Louisville brewpub Monnik Beer Co. is now canning two of their popular brews, Hauck’s American Pilsner and Monnik India Pale Ale (IPA). The canned beers will be available in local retailers by late May of 2019.

Located in the heart of the Schnitzelburg neighborhood of Louisville, Monnik Beer Co. has been brewing craft beers and serving unique spins on Euro and American fare since 2015. Owners Brian Holton and Ian Luijk are committed to producing excellent beer and growing their presence in Kentucky’s brewery community. Canning their beers was an obvious next step in their goals for the future.

“Canning has always been part of the plan,” says Brian Holton, co-owner. “We want to create a strong neighborhood brewery and brand. Canning is a way for us to get our product out in people’s hands and expand our reach beyond drafts.”

Monnik Beer Co. began the process of canning their beers in the fall of 2018 by initially using a mobile canner. The company has since moved away from outsourcing, having canned their first batch in-house in February. The canned beers are distributed through their partner, Dauntless Distributing.

“We've been a proud partner of Monnik before their first pint was poured and have had the pleasure to grow our business alongside theirs,” said Michael Minton, owner of Dauntless Distributing. “The development of their canning program is another exciting chapter in our collective story.”

The brewery chose to start with canning its two most popular brews, Hauck's American Pilsner, clean, crisp and drinkable, like the beers that built America, and their India Pale Ale (IPA), a juicy citrus flavor with an aroma of pine resin and tropical fruits and a solid, bitter foundation. These two fan-favorites will be available all year-round, and 6-packs are priced at $10.99.

The cans’ design, created by artist Bryan Todd, includes icons and Dutch phrases that represent the company’s core values. An icon depicting a shot-gun house with the Dutch word for home, “gezelligheid,” is a nod to the Germantown and Schnitzelberg neighborhoods and signifies the company’s desire to foster a place of community within their taproom. The brewpub's name was inspired by the Dutch word for "monk," which embodies the intense focus and diligence Holton, Luijk, and the team brings to their craft.

Holton says the company plans to continue canning more of its signature brews in the coming months, with the "Ginger Saison" slated for release this summer and the "His Dark Materials" stout for this winter. Monnik Beer Co. will also be sponsoring this year’s Coat Check Pool Party at American Turners-Louisville, where their new canned beer, the “Coat Czech Pilsner,” will make its debut.

“We’re excited to connect with more people,” says Holton. “We’re hoping to add depth to Louisville’s already thriving beer scene.”

Monnik Beer Co. offers a curated selection of 20 beers on tap featuring a mix of flagships, rotating seasonals and one-off brews, with a menu of delicious appetizers, burgers, and main courses inspired by American and European traditions. Excellent beer is what they do. For more information, visit https://monnikbeer.com.

PINTS & UNION PORTFOLIO: Monnik beers have come to Indiana, so come to Pints&union on January 29 to taste and celebrate.

In case you were wondering, "monnik" is the Dutch word for monk. I'm guessing the brewery's co-owner Ian Luijk probably can tell you more about it.

Monnik Beer Co. is located in the Louisville neighborhood of Schnitzelburg, and Monnik beers now are being carried in Indiana by Starlight Distribution. Next Tuesday (January 29), Pints&union will be throwing a Hoosier release gala for our pals at Monnik.

The event begins at 8:00 p.m., but these two Monnik mainstays will be on tap from the pub's opening at 4:0 p.m.

Mild George
English Mild Ale, 4.2% abv
Toasted brown bread and dry, quaffable, low alcohol little brother of our King George.

Eagle Skull
Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 6.5% abv
Classic lemon/pepper saison yeast character; herbal hops over a light crackery malt base.

Come for the chance to enjoy Monnik brewer Scott Hand's excellent beers, but stay a while to chat about lots of other aspects of our life and times. Speaking personally, I like just about everyone in the Louisville brewing scene, but Monnik's owners and staff members are especially articulate, engaged and fluent in a wide variety of topics.

Tuesday, January 29 ... see you there.

A precipitous decline: "Haymarket owner says former employees exaggerated the number of his rape accusers."

Previously: 86 or 7 to 18? Another update in the accumulating lawsuits of Haymarket Whiskey Bar's owner Matthew Landan.

Earlier this week, The CJ and WDRB began unraveling the single most confusing aspect of the Haymarket saga.

In short, what happened to all the others?

Haymarket owner says former employees exaggerated the number of his rape accusers, by Bailey Loosemore and Darcy Costello (Courier Journal; January 17, 2018))

The numbers spread faster than anyone could explain.

First, it was one woman who publicly accused a Louisville bar owner of rape. Then eight, then 17, then more than 20.

Where the numbers were coming from appeared to be any social media user's guess. But now, the figures — repeated as fact by two of the owner's former employees — are being used against them in a civil lawsuit.

Also here:

Attorney for Haymarket bar owner Matthew Landan claims rape allegations are 'deliberate attempt' to ruin reputation, by Jason Riley (WDRB; January 17, 2018)

An attorney for Haymarket Whiskey Bar owner Matthew Landan claims there was “a deliberate attempt” to destroy Landan’s reputation and his business by falsely accusing him of rape and spreading allegations online and through the media.

The goal, according to attorney Andrew Horne, was an attempt by two Haymarket managers to take over the bar.

In court records filed last week, Horne argues that “within hours” of a woman claiming on Facebook in November that she was raped by Landan, managers Eric Snider and Christopher Maggio “joined in the takedown" and staged a coup in hopes of getting the bar.

Horne claims Snider and Maggio privately and publicly embellished the number of Landan's accusers, vouched for the allegations and engineered a walk-out by other employees -- all in an attempt to buy the bar at a low price.

It would seem that in terms of verifiable substance, and if we're aggregating correctly, there have been a total of three or maybe four scenarios involving Landan that are capable of being traced to an actual social media posting. Of these, two factor into the Haymarket owner's lawsuit.

Costello and Loosemore explain:

As of January, just one of the two women named in Landan's initial lawsuit has responded by court record.

The woman who accused Landan of drugging her drink filed a countersuit against him alleging that he committed criminal assault and wanton endangerment when he placed drugs in a drink that he served her in his bar on Market Street.

The second of these two women is the original pseudonymous Facebook accuser whose post prompted the firestorm; in it, she made reference to employment at Monnik Beer Company, hence this emerging story line, again reported by Jason Riley.

Attorney for Matthew Landan asks judge to hold brewery in contempt for refusing to provide information about rape accuser, by Jason Riley (WDRB; January 19, 2018)

An attorney for Haymarket Whiskey Bar owner Matthew Landan has asked a judge to hold Monnik Beer Company, a local brewery, in contempt of court for refusing to provide certain information about an employee who accused Landan of rape.

Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Audra Eckerle had ordered a representative of Monnik to provide testimony to attorney Andrew Horne, who was trying to identify the employee he believes posted a picture of Landan on Facebook on Nov. 13, saying, "Matthew Landan is a rapist" and accused him of raping her.

During the Jan. 17 deposition, Monnik provided the employee's name but refused to give other information, including her address, phone number and personnel file, Horne wrote in his motion, filed on Thursday.

Horne has asked Eckerle to order Monnik to provide the employee's last known address, personnel file and pay attorney’s fees.

An attorney for Monnik did not immediately return a phone message.

By any objective standard, the terrain has shifted since the initial furor, and this is why I'll continue updating the story. 

86 or 7 to 18? Another update in the accumulating lawsuits of Haymarket Whiskey Bar's owner Matthew Landan.

Previously: New cases in the case of Haymarket Whiskey Bar. (December 27, 2017).

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Pertaining to the ongoing saga of Matthew Landan and his Haymarket Whiskey Bar, as currently embroiled in lawsuits and countersuits, reporter Jason Riley of WDRB-41 recently posted two relevant tweets about judicial decision-making. We missed them, but here they are.

First, the judge has ruled that Monnik Beer Company will have to testify in the deposition. Monnik is involved because Landan seeks to prove that the name used by this woman on her social media account, where she initially made accusations of rape against Landan, is a pseudonym. 

In the original post, since removed, the accuser seemed to be implying that she worked at Monnik, hence the subpoena to the brewery.

It should be noted that Landan hasn't yet been formally charged with rape or crimes pertaining to sexual assault, although a second woman recently filed suit against him for criminal assault and wanton endangerment.

Link.

Concurrently, Landan's U of L dissertation remains on the table in the countersuit filed against him by two former employees.

Link.

In closing this installment, I have a serious question; maybe a reader can direct me to the answer, seeing as I've seen no mention of it lately.

In the immediate aftermath of the original social media post, information began circulating to the effect that numerous other women -- as many as 17 -- were coming forward.

Landan's lawsuit refers to this.

Landan believes his two former employees invented this information, so since the initial firestorm, have there been any further reports from or about these other women?

Stay tuned. This one's going to last for a while.