NABC "winding down" brewing at Bank Street Brewhouse, and Taco Steve "hanging up his apron."

After ten years, Bank Street Brewhouse will be no more. It's what I was referring to in this post from Wednesday.

River City Winery news flash: "We're selling our Pearl Street properties."

I'll be back at some point to analyze the news. Meanwhile, here's what what released at Facebook. 

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We’re winding down our brewing schedule over the next couple months & bowing out of distribution. This, unfortunately, means leaving downtown New Albany too where we've been for over a decade.

We will be seeking a prospective brewery buyer wanting to operate a 15 Barrel DME system out of Downtown New Albany, Indiana at 415 Bank St.

We want to thank this crew from the bottom of our hearts as well as all of the people involved over the years in our Downtown operation. They have done an amazing job.

Taco Steve is hanging up his apron too. Saturday May 25th will be our last day of operation. He and his crew have fit perfectly in with our team and want to thank them for all the deliciousness they have provided this past year plus some.

We believe brewing demands that you have a passion for it and this team definitely had that in spades with their unwavering commitment, dedication, hard work, heavy lifting, love and loyalty to their jobs. Under the leadership of Josh Hill, Head of Brewing Operations, an immensely talented brewer that has churned out some damn fine beers over the past five years.

We will continue brewing our favorite brands and delve deeper into some new brews too with Ben Minton continuing on as Brewer at NABC, that will be available for in house consumption for those 21 and over.

Thank you to all of those who choose to support us in downtown New Albany and fans of NABC beer for the last decade throughout the entire State of Indiana and across the river in Louisville.

Our decision to pull out of the market will allow us to laser focus on making The New Albanian Brewing Co. Pizzeria & Pub location better than ever! This is where it all started 32 years ago with two sisters working in a pizzeria as teenagers.

We see us growing old and retiring here...but not for a long time!

love,

The New Albanian Sisters

It's 30 years in the books; let the historical revisionism begin.

Special thanks to my wife Diana, to my friend and attorney Lisa Fleming, and to Stock Yards Bank & Trust for doing what MainSource Bank wouldn't.

And now, my special guests ...

Previously: THE BEER BEAT: At long last, my NABC business divorce is about to be finalized.

THE BEER BEAT: At long last, my NABC business divorce is about to be finalized.

Three years ago on this very day (February 26, 2015), I began letting go.

Media notice: Roger A. Baylor will take a leave of absence from NABC to run for mayor of New Albany.

Consequently, the first of many transitions on the path to come begins today. Effective immediately, I’m taking a leave of absence from the New Albanian Brewing Company (NABC), so as to devote my full attention to the campaign for mayor.

Five-odd months later, with a bit more time to think things over, the leave of absence became permanent.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015

After a quarter century, Roger Baylor will move on from New Albanian Brewing Company, by Kevin Gibson (Insider Louisville)

... Roger Baylor, well known for his long career in beer and brewing, is now running for mayor of New Albany. If he wins, that will be his new focus. If not, well, he’ll look for another path to follow. Either way, his position as the public face of New Albanian has come to an end. He already had announced he would step away if he won the election — instead, he’s moving on ahead of the decision. It was simply time, he says.

As is my habit, I started trying to explain myself.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015

A future mayor? An ex-brewery owner? 30 years later, there's another fork in the road, and I'm pumped.

Thirty years ago, I closed my eyes wide shut and jumped -- not so sure where or even if I'd land, but firm in the realization that I needed to do something to change my life.

Of course, NOTHING IN MY LIFE IS EVER SIMPLE.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016

Another twist in the Great NABC Non-Buyout Saga 2016.

Today was a landmark of sorts in the history of the New Albanian Brewing Company. It's the last time I'll mention it, at least for a while. I've always tried to be transparent in these matters, and see no reason to stop at this late date ...

... Last summer, I announced my intent to sell my shares in both businesses to my two business partners, in the hope that negotiations with them in good faith prior to activating the provisions of our buy/sell agreement might keep a few dollars out of the hands of attorneys.

Unfortunately, these negotiations have not amounted to much, and in order to protect my interests, I have not yet initiated the timetable according to the mechanism specified in the buy/sell. This means that I remain 1/3 owner/shareholder in both businesses. In short, I continue to enjoy the all risks of ownership without any commensurate rewards.

And then another year and a half passed.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017

THE BEER BEAT: The timeless wisdom of Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon.

It's colossally sad, and you wish it were possible for there to be a "do over," but there isn't, and in the end, that's life.

There's no sense in being bitter about things or people or feelings over which you have no control. When you know in your heart that you did your fair share, and your fair share mattered when it came to creating considerable value from absolutely nothing, then it really isn't about money, pride or reputation. It just is, and they can't take that away from you.

Now it's 2018, and tomorrow morning -- three years after I followed Dr. Freedman's advice to pull down my pants and slide on the ice -- my ass is FROZEN SOLID, and a bit chapped, but the exit transaction finally will be complete.

Just like that, 28 years (plus a couple of months, in all) of affiliation with NABC and its precursors officially will be put to rest. This is the same length of time that Bill Champlin was a member of Chicago (the band), but perhaps a better analogy is Peter Cetera, whose hit songs have been sung by a succession of replacement singers for more than three decades.

At least Cetera has enjoyed songwriting royalties. I'm settling for farthings and eternal notoriety, and if I'm lucky, everyone who ever said they'd buy me a beer now can join the queue at their earliest convenience.

As many readers already know, a new project has been gestating during this time of self-imposed exile. In some ways, I'm glad the process took so long. This allowed time to do much thinking, and to reconnect with Joe Phillips.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

THE BEER BEAT: The twentieth Gravity Head begets a Pints & Union update.

Here's an update about the emerging Pints & Union project.

I learned a hell of a lot those first 25 years at NABC, and perhaps even more during the past three away from it. The time has come to put all of it to use. In addition to partnering with Joe at the pub, I'll continue to write, and to perform periodic free-lance beer advocacy.

It's time.

Thanks to everyone, and especially Diana. She's my rock, and her patience has been otherworldly.

THE BEER BEAT: "How Jared Williamson Found Love — and a Head Brewing Job — at Schlafly."

I raided the Instagram account of Jared Williamson for this photo from his recent visit to Germany.

Uwe Schulz, the brilliant brewmaster from Spalter Bier. Blending tradition and innovation in a fascinating way in a village that is ~1200 years old.

In an effort to keep this simple: I'm delighted at Jared's career path in brewing, honored to have played a small part in encouraging it, and thrilled that he was able to go to Germany for a taste of what has inspired me for so long.

This blog post catches us up with Jared's world at present. Click through to read the entire piece. You'll love it.

How Jared Williamson Found Love — and a Head Brewing Job — at Schlafly, by Cheryl Baehr (Riverfront Times Blog)

Sitting at the top of one of Munich's tallest buildings with a beer in hand, Jared Williamson of Schlafly (2100 Locust Street, 314-241-2337) can't help but look back with amazement at how he got here.

"I started working with beer about fifteen years ago, and I was introduced to Spaten early in my beer education," Williamson recalls. "And here I am at the source. It's a culmination, like I'm circling back to where it all began."

Williamson's job as head brewer at Schlafly has led him to Munich, where he is embarking on a tour of Germany's hop fields. But his beginnings were much more humble. A native of Indiana — the part of the state just outside of Louisville, Kentucky — Williamson was introduced to beer while working at New Albanian Brewing Company, an establishment that was the first in the area to add lesser-known brews to its taps. In the late 1990s, seeing beers like Spaten, Guinness and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was not all that common in the Midwest. The novelty, as well as the quality of these beers, piqued his interest.

Though his job was to work on the brewpub's guest tap and bottle program, Williamson could not keep himself from wandering into the brewery. He found himself drawn in to the beer-making side of the operation. "I'm a musician, so I was drawn to the creative aspect, but I'm also a science nerd. The combination of the two is what really appealed to me," Williamson explains. "Eventually, the original brewer left and they handed me and another guy the keys. The world was our oyster, and we got to make the best beer we could — and make some mistakes too."

THE BEER BEAT: I guess if NABC isn't celebrating its 30th birthday, then I will, with a look back at the 25th.

Photo by John Wurth.

Yesterday (July 22) was the 5th anniversary of the New Albanian Brewing Company's 25th anniversary, which means the business entity variously known as Sportstime Pizza, Rich O’s Public House, the New Albanian Brewing Company (later, adding Bank Street Brewhouse, now dubbed NABC Cafe & Brewhouse) has celebrated its 30th birthday.

Ladies and gentlemen, the inimitable Tony Beard.

The exact date of inception is lost, but some time in June, 1987 is my best guess. My own involvement lasted from from 1990 through 2015, and as Mayor Jeff Gahan pointed out at a mayoral debate in 2015, my career as a double naught capitalist provoked unprecedented misery for the city of New Albany.

"(Roger’s) never done anything in a positive manner to help the city of New Albany.”

Actually, during the opening phases of Rich O’s Public House during the early- to mid-1990s, with Oasis and Nirvana playing deafeningly in the background, we often pointed to Kentucky license plates in the parking lot as proof of things working out just as we had hoped. Gahan probably didn't notice, given the pressing and frenetic weight of adulation that customarily accompanies a career in veneer sales.

This morning I scrolled back through recent Facebook posts at the Pizzeria & Public House and Cafe & Brewhouse to see if mention had been made of the anniversary.

I saw none, but then again, details like this always were my "area" during the period of my immersion, perhaps because I've always been aware we were constructing a narrative, and I'd be the guy writing the history.

The scribe departs and history ends; Fukuyama would be proud. Ironically, the past week may finally prove to be a watershed in our efforts to come to a monetary agreement about the professional divorce, absent the rigors of litigation. I remain hopeful. For those readers unfamiliar with the saga, I catalogued my consciousness in March.

By early 2015, themes and threads gestating for several years had combined into something approximating a personal resolve to do something different with my life, and I decided to sell my share of both NABC corporations to my two longtime business partners. Why, exactly?

Enough of that. There always was a dollop of Fleetwood Mac amid the pizza and beer, and today's objective is to celebrate the curiously neglected anniversary.

To begin, a few resurrected Potable Curmudgeon blog links from 2012, helping to provide background on the bacchanal of the 25th observance.

July 23, 2012
“New independent businesses are coming in and that’s what’s moving New Albany forward. We’ve all grown together and it’s great" ... There was a nice description of our 25th anniversary celebration in the Monday morning C-J.

July 21, 2012
Sarah models the NABC 25th anniversary t-shirt.

July 19, 2012
Beers, pours and pricing for "25 Years of Beer & Loathing."

July 17, 2012
NABC beer lineup for 25 Years of Beer & Loathing ... Here is the NABC beer lineup for 25 Years of Beer & Loathing, this Sunday at the Riverfront Amphitheater in New Albany. All the following will be ready to drink at 10:00 a.m., when the day kicks off.

July 16, 2012
Sara Havens in LEO: "A salute to NABC" ... All this week there'll be reminders of our anniversary posted here, leading up to the 25 Years of Beer and Loathing bash on the riverfront next Sunday. First up is my old pal Sara "Bar Belle" Havens of the Louisville Eccentric Observer, who interviewed me last week.

July 15, 2012
New "Baylor on Beer" at LouisvilleBeer.com ... I reworked an older column from 2010 into this "Baylor on Beer" submission to LouisvilleBeer.com, proving that it's always okay to sample oneself, especially when the schedule is too busy to be original. Seeing as this is NABC's 25th anniversary week, the following helps to explain a few motivations of my own.

Then, in closing, my ON THE AVENUES column of June 21, 2012: "25 years of Beer & Loathing." While it's true that the five years since then have been tumultuous and filled with nuggets of history, the 25th anniversary party it itself worthy of remembrance, in addition to being an apt summary of the first quarter-century.

But first, allow me to repeat something previously written.

In a space this brief, it would be impossible to recount the many life lessons I learned while at NABC, though one springs to mind: When business life is good, the employees get the credit, and when there are problems, it’s all on the owners.

The rank and file, and the workers on the shop floor – cooks, servers, dishwashers and staff members – do the heavy lifting and define the atmosphere. They’re the face of the business, and its esprit de corps. The job of the owner is to organize and manage them so they can thrive, and in turn, so the entity can succeed.

Yes, naturally there are exceptions. Firing someone isn’t fun, though occasionally it must be done. Employees make mistakes, and so on. The point to me is that so many of them, the vast majority, have been top-flight individuals, both before and after working for NABC.

We’ve had our share of teachers, media professionals, artists and musicians working as part-timers, supplementing their income with shifts. With IU Southeast just down the street from the original Pizzeria & Public House locations, there have been hundreds of students receiving W2s as they worked their way through school.

Just think of the local multiplier effect in human terms, for more than 25 years.

What’s more, so many of them have gone on to solid careers. If we had an NABC Alumni Association, it would include doctors, writers, sailors, lawyers, real estate moguls, gardeners, bar and restaurant owners, chefs, entrepreneurs, brewers, entertainers and distillers.

I see many of them on social media, raising their families and living their dreams. I’m pleased as punch to have played a part, however brief, in their formative lives. Cheers to them. I'm serene and looking forward to a new challenge, which I hope will be gathering steam quite soon.

---

ON THE AVENUES: 25 Years of Beer & Loathing (June 21, 2012)

My pal TR called for a catch-up chat. It had been a week since my return from four months in Europe, and I was woefully depleted of gossip, so TR suggested lunch at a joint called Sportstime Pizza, apparently recently established somewhere near Grant Line Road. I couldn’t really form a mental picture of the place until he resorted to a past-tense directional comparison: “It’s where the Noble Roman’s used to be.”

It was 1987, and now, as thousands of years of human history pass by, I join the chorus of individuals always asking, “Where did the time go?”

I couldn’t tell you the answer, except to mischievously recall another friend’s longtime assertion that his eventual autobiography would bear the title, “What I Remember.” Not mine, which is slated to be called “Beer, Bile and Bolsheviks: A Fermentable Life," but there’s little time to write the book because the business I inadvertently stumbled into two decades ago still keeps me ridiculously busy amid a career of selling the idea of beer, a course that somehow took shape during gaps between bouts of drinking lots and lots of it.

Naturally, none of this could have taken place without the work, contributions and input of so many people, from co-owners Amy and Kate through all our employees, customers and folks far too numerous to count – past, present and future. At the risk of sounding trite, I’ll consciously echo Queen, who said it best.

I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all

But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose

Unfortunately, as I’m channeling the late and lamented Freddie Mercury, the missus is assuming the voice of barrister’s mate Hilda Rumpole to remind me that any mention of “fortune” is utterly misplaced in my professional context. It’s true, although the value of enjoying one’s work and being paid to drink beer whilst performing it … that’s truly priceless.

---

The New Albanian Brewing Company will mark its first quarter-century of existence with a day-long picnic and concert at New Albany’s Riverfront Amphitheater on Sunday, July 22, 2012.

As most readers probably know, nowadays the original location near Grant Line Road is known as the NABC Pizzeria & Public House, incorporating Sportstime, Rich O’s Public House (1992) and the 2002 addition of craft brewing on site. NABC’s most recent progeny (2009) is NABC Bank Street Brewhouse, located in New Albany’s historic business district downtown.

“25 Years of Beer & Loathing” is what we’re calling the fete, and NABC’s 25th anniversary celebration will be a day-long musical, family-friendly event with food, activities and refreshments suitable for all ages. The venue is New Albany’s Riverfront Amphitheater, from 10:00 a.m. to sundown on Sunday, July 22. The Amphitheater is located by the Ohio River in downtown New Albany, with ample parking available by the levee at the foot of Pearl Street.

There is no cover charge for this event, and it’ll be cash 'n' carry for food, drinks and vending. Proceeds after expenses will be disbursed in the form of grants to Rauch Inc., the Isabel Jade Pickhardt Fund and New Albany First.

So that all of our current employees can participate in recalling 25 Years of Beer & Loathing, NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse will be closed on Sunday, July 22, although the Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar will be operating at the Riverfront Amphitheater from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (see below). Following in alphabetical order are details about what to expect.

Beer
NABC’s draft truck (Rosa L. Stumblebus) will be on hand with old favorites and special releases. We’ll be pouring all four of NABC’s 10th brewery anniversary beers: Bourbondaddy, Stumblebus, Turbo Hog and Scotch de Ainslie. There’ll also be a special 10th anniversary session ale called Get Off My Lawn. In addition, limited quantities of cask-conditioned Naughty Girl (double dry-hopped) and Oaked Choufftimus will be served while they last.

Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar
A Bank Street Brewhouse staple at Sunday brunch, the bar will move to the waterfront, with Miss Sarah on hand to guide visitors through garnishes, sauces and fresh embellishments.

Charitable donations
Net monies after expenses will be used for grants to be given to Rauch Inc, the Isabel Jade Pickhardt Fund and NA1st. Our longtime friends at Rauch support people with disabilities through services designed to promote individual choices, growth and well being, while encouraging a community environment that acknowledges the value and contribution of all people. They’ll be helping NABC with the children’s area and site clean-up. The Isabel Jade Pickhardt Fund was set up to assist the daughter of the late Ryan Pickhardt, a local musician and keyboard player for the band Sativo Gumbo, with whom NABC has longstanding ties. NA1st is New Albany’s only grassroots independent business alliance, seeking to support and promote independent business owners and to educate community members about the importance of buying locally. On the 22nd, volunteers from NA1st will assist NABC in monitoring entrances and exits, and policing the grounds.

Children’s Area Activities
A duck pond, face painting, temporary tattoos, an art area and perhaps other activities will be available for the kids.

Food
Feast BBQ (116 W Main St) is roasting a pig, and will be offering these items: Pork sliders with pickles and onions; pork tacos with cilantro, lime, cotija, and crema; and smoked corn on the cob ... Shawn, TJ and Charlestown Pizza Company will be preparing chicken salad croissants, Asian slaw, pasta salad, fruit cups and other fare ... NABC is brewing root beer for the event, and of course there’ll be water and soft drinks.

Music schedule

10:00 a.m.: (house music)
12 Noon: Roz Tate
1:00 p.m.: Ben Traughber
2:00 p.m.: Five Foot Fish
3:00 p.m.: Beeler Attic
4:00 p.m.: Jed and the NoiseMakers
5:00 p.m.: Porch Possums
6:00 p.m.: Dust Radio
7:00 p.m.: Whiskey Riders
8:00 p.m.: Toledo Bend

Wine
River City Winery will be on hand to sell wines and Sangria.

We hope you'll be able to stop by and help us remember what we remember.

FLASHBACK: My career as a double naught capitalist.

Amid paranoia, Kool-Aid and the circling of wagons, I mustn't forget to thank them for reading. As for one of many reasons why I continue to doing so, there's this from October 22, 2015.

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ON THE AVENUES: My career as a double naught capitalist.

A weekly column by Roger A. Baylor.

"(Roger’s) never done anything in a positive manner to help the city of New Albany”
--Jeff Gahan, during the mayoral debate at Silver Street Park

During the opening phases of Rich O’s Public House during the early- to mid-1990s, with Oasis and Nirvana playing in the background, we often pointed to Kentucky license plates in the parking lot as proof of things working out just as we had hoped.

Back then, apart from South Side Inn and a downtown liquor store or two, New Albany wasn’t much of a draw for residents of the Commonwealth. Fortunately, we were ahead of the curve in terms of better beer, and it was encouraging to know that “location, location, location” was bunk.

Niches and knowledge mattered, too. Aversions were overcome. How often did I read or hear comments like this one?

"It’s a really great place … and believe it or not, it’s in New Albany!"

25 years after drifting into the food and drink business, primarily on the strength of knowing more about beer than most other hospitality biz people did at the time, it’s a bit easier for me to be philosophical about the hardscrabble beginnings. There were far fewer epiphanies than daily, upward slogging.

In 1990, I’d worked at a package liquor store, and occasionally bartended, but didn’t have any food service experience. My objective was for us to be a world class beer bar in a locale where very little was aligned to accommodate such dreams. Like so many other aspects of life, we got by, learned by doing, and built gradually for a better future.

From the outset, it already was clear that pubs were my favored habitat, and usually the only truly comfortable places for me outside home and hearth. What I learned was that working in one is edifying, too – especially the sort of establishment evolving according to a particular, highly personalized plan.

Moreover, there is a fundamental honesty to preparing and serving meals and drinks for public consumption. Most of the time, the gratification is immediate. You know the customer liked it, or didn’t. When they return, it’s a wonderful feeling.

The television series Cheers had it right. We humans look for third spaces, these places where everyone knows your name. Social media is a way of connecting, but breaking bread and drinking beer with other people, all seated at a table in a room filled with others who are pursuing precisely the same goal, bring forth the possibility of genuine bonding.

They’re the days we’ll always remember, and do.

---

In a space this brief, it would be impossible to recount the many life lessons I learned during the past quarter-century, though one springs to mind: When business life is good, the employees get the credit, and when there are problems, it’s all on the owners.

The rank and file, and the workers on the shop floor – cooks, servers, dishwashers and staff members – do the heavy lifting and define the atmosphere. They’re the face of the business, and its esprit de corps. The job of the owner is to organize and manage them so they can thrive, and in turn, so the entity can succeed.

Yes, naturally there are exceptions. Firing someone isn’t fun, though occasionally it must be done. Employees make mistakes, and so on. The point to me is that so many of them, the vast majority, have been top-flight individuals, both before and after working for NABC.

We’ve had our share of teachers, media professionals, artists and musicians working as part-timers, supplementing their income with shifts. With IU Southeast just down the street from the original Pizzeria & Public House locations, there have been hundreds of students receiving W2s as they worked their way through school.

Just think of the local multiplier effect, for more than 25 years.

What’s more, so many of them have gone on to solid careers. If we had an NABC Alumni Association, it would include doctors, writers, sailors, lawyers, real estate moguls, gardeners, bar and restaurant owners, chefs, entrepreneurs, brewers, entertainers and distillers.

I see many of them on social media, raising their families and living their dreams. I’m pleased as punch to have played a part, however brief, in their formative lives.

In fact, seeing as I’m transitioning from company ownership into the “former” category of fogey datedness, I believe we should have such an NABC alumni organization.

Depending on the outcome of the election, I’ll get right on it come early November.

---

Being a democratic socialist does not imply being a non-capitalist, and while I may have chafed at the term in the past (hi, Mark), it isn’t something I bother disputing.

For the past 25 years, I’ve been engaged in capitalism of the local variety, this being the business of making waves: Starting with tiny ripples by serving a beer here and a pizza there, then accepting payment from generally satisfied customers (otherwise, we wouldn’t still be in business), and finally repeating these actions until they added up to a greater whole than the sum of their parts.

Independent local businesses of numerous stripes, engaging in every conceivable form of commerce, follow the same pattern as NABC. It is reckoned that one-third of the business activity in America is generated from enterprises like these with fewer than 50 employees.

In New Albany's historic downtown business district and the neighborhoods immediately surrounding it, this percentage is likely far higher. These are the businesses widely understood to have done the most in sustaining the city’s core during the lean years, and then boosting the revitalization of a formerly moribund area with a fresh wave of food, drink, retail and service businesses to complement the survivors of a previous era.

Not chains, not Flaherty and Collins, and not the Disney Corporation. Rather, local independent businesses, which keep a higher percentage of money in the local economy, do the capitalism thing, and grind it out all year long ... not merely during special occasions.

The pizzeria was founded in 1987, so I can honestly say that since the Reagan administration, NABC’s owners and employees have been privileged to serve hundreds of thousands of regular folks. We’ve paid taxes, dispensed wages, brought visitors to town, filled bellies and created memories.

Granted, while much of the volume has come from functioning as an on premise restaurant and bar, our two breweries, while small-scale and artisanal, also constitute manufacturing. We take raw materials, assemble them, pay taxes, and sell the finished product outside our immediate vicinity.

It’s nice having friends in other places, too.

---

Soon I'll be leaving NABC. For 25 years, I’ve wondered what I might do when I grow up, and at 55, it may at long last be time to find out.

There are a few hands I might have played differently, and decisions that were questionable in retrospect, but in the main, I'm proud of what we've achieved.

Speaking for myself, I put every bit of skin I possessed into this game, and I busted my ass in the process. What I get back from the business monetarily will be only a fraction of what was put into it, primarily because we’ve always reinvested proceeds, and refrained from extracting value.

I’m serene about NABC’s future. New blood and fresh ideas will step to the fore, as they usually do. The business itself will continue doing what it's always done, in as positive manner as humanly possible, fully contrary to the mayor’s somewhat uncomprehending utterance at the debate.

These folks involved with economic development at the municipal level ... have any of them actually ever owned a business?

Yep.

Didn't think so.

---

Postscript: According to community economics advocate Michael Shuman, mainstream economic development today is a scam.

THE BEER BEAT: Highlights but no Lites, or a beer news roundup.

Leading it off, NABC recently retrofitted the Maheen to fill 12-ounce bottles. The six-year "bomber" experiment has concluded, and now there are 4-packs of Hoptimus to compete for retail shelf space. In addition, these new packages can be found at both NABC locations.

Coincidentally, as I ponder the most recent effort (fingers crossed) to bring the NABC buyout saga to a conclusion, All About Beer offers a wonderful tip about the power of realism.

THE PERFECT ADDRESS: BREWERIES PASSING ALONG BUILDINGS MAKES OPENING, SCALING, AND CREATING COMMUNITIES EASIER, by Sarah Annese

Imagine starting a brewery on a shoestring, cobbling together a small system, making just one barrel of beer at a time. Then, after working tirelessly to reach a point where demand exceeds capacity, miraculously being able to move into a new location already outfitted with the exact equipment needed to expand. Improbable? Not quite.

In some cases, breweries can start or scale easily, without any break in production of beer, when they move into a location previously occupied by another beer company.

It's far too good of an idea to make sense in my situation, so let's turn to sad news from the left coast.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers to Cease Operations Indefinitely

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers has been forced to immediately cease brewing, packaging, and tap room operations at their San Francisco brewery for an indefinite period of time. Difficulty securing capital investment and outstanding debt obligations led to this difficult and painful decision. The company’s primary creditor will determine the future of the brewery and brand, and no decision or further information is available at this time.

Those words: capital investment, debt obligations, primary creditor. You embark on a crusade to change the world, and capitalism intervenes, reminding you that the monetary "powers that be" aren't really interested in the world changing, unless they get paid. Viva la Sanders!

Returning closer to home, the over-hyped advent of Yuengling has been like a clever litmus test to gauge the localism commitment of area pubs and eateries. In short, which beer was taken off tap to make room for another corn-laden adjunct lager, albeit family-owned and yes, to be defined as "craft"?

NUVO gets straight to the heart of the anti-matter.

12 local Indiana lagers to drink instead of Yuengling, by Cavan McGinsie (NUVO)

If you're one of the many people who doesn't really care that another macrobrew is coming to Indianapolis — whether it be due to their political leanings or if you just prefer to support your local business owners and the kickass beer that they make right here in Indiana — we're here to provide you a few locally-crafted lagers.

Speaking of Indiana-brewed ...

7th Annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

Choose from hundreds of beers to sample from 50+ Hoosier breweries and guests at the Brewers of Indiana Guild's annual spring fundraiser. #BtownBfest returns to Historic Woolery Mill for the seventh and possibly final time before we move to a new location, so don't miss out on your chance to support Indiana's brewers through this one-of-a-kind experience.

At some point soon, the unique Woolery Mill site is to be redeveloped and the festival will move to another location in Bloomington. As an aside, during my time as a Brewers of Indiana Guild board member, there were many discussions about staging a smaller event along the lines of the one at Woolery Mill, but at a Southern Indiana venue, serving as an Indiana beer showcase for the Louisville metro market. An autumn fest slot remains open.

Just saying.

As for Louisville news items, here are three. First, as introduction to one of my recent favorite local beer profiles, kudos for use of the word "predicaments" in a headline. What's more, the folks at Drinkswell are wonderful, and how many brewing system contractors have their own taproom?

Drinkswell keeps beer flowing from taps, despite wild ‘predicaments’, by Kevin Gibson (Insider Louisville)

Drinkswell’s main focus is setting up brewing systems for restaurants, breweries, venues and more – it’s the only business of its kind in Kentucky, in fact. Bullen has been a beer enthusiast since he began homebrewing at age 16 while growing up in Canada. A former professional brewer for the now-defunct Hops chain of brewpubs, among other breweries, Bullen opened Drinkswell in 2005 because, “I think I realized I wanted to stay in the beer business, but I wanted to work for myself.”

In addition to the never-a-dull-moment installation and repair work, Drinkswell also is home to a cozy craft beer taproom — open to the public Wednesday through Saturday — in its headquarters inside Butchertown Market Building. Not that Bullen gets to spend much time there, given he’s on the road so frequently; his car is less than a year old, and there’s already 20,000 miles on the odometer. One of the two Drinkswell service trucks has 300,000 miles on it – and it’s a 2011 model.

Over in Germantown, the Eiderdown's reboot is drawing plaudits. The chronicler Gibson focuses on food, but the beer selection also has been overhauled to feature more German styles.

Eiderdown’s new menu highlights Germantown roots at a nice price

Not long after Germantown Craft House abruptly closed late last year, Eiderdown suddenly announced it also would close temporarily to revamp its menu, leaving residents in Germantown wondering what the heck was going on.

But Craft House is now reborn as Goss Ave. Pub, and Eiderdown has since reopened with a new menu that focuses not only on Germain culinary traditions, but also price-friendly options designed to keep people coming back.

I'm almost three weeks late on the latest brewery opening, so allowing for a quick catch-up, a hearty welcome to Holsopple.

East End brewery is opening today, by David A. Mann (Louisville Business First)

Holsopple Brewing Co., at 8023 Catherine Lane in Lyndon, just north of New La Grange Road, opens today.

We first told you about this new spot last June. Wife-and-husband team Kristy Holsopple and Sam Gambill, both of who are career beer brewers, have developed the brewery.

For reviews of the beers, go to LEO Weekly for Syd Bishop's careful analysis.

Finally, with St. Patrick's Day landing on a Friday in 2017, a weekend of sheer chaos is assured. Blog readers are perfectly capable of surveying the landscape for establishments in which to celebrate, and as you'd imagine, I recommend your friendly local brewery. Given the circumstances, 2017 also would be a fine year for symbolism, so dying Yuengling green might actually be funny -- or maybe orange would be more appropriate in at least two different but complementary ways.

If you're interested in learning the St. Patrick's Day rules, read all about them in this reprint from 2016.

ON THE AVENUES: Erin Go Blagh -- a timeless classic for a green-hued holiday.

· Not only is the "Irish Car Bomb" (a pint glass half full of Guinness with a shot glass of Bailey’s and Jameson dropped in) an appalling name for a drink, the waste of Guinness and Jameson in some novelty shooter is nothing short of blasphemy. Save the “Boilermakers” for the Milwaukee’s Best and enjoy a quality beverage the way it's meant to be enjoyed.

THE BEER BEAT: In which we talk beer on the "Flies on the Wall" podcast at Crescent Hill Radio.

Flies on the Wall is a weekly podcast on Crescent Hill Radio.

Last week I had the great pleasure of sitting in on the podcast with Kevin Gibson and Butch Bays. We talked about beer and listened to tunes by Roz Tate and Jericho Woods. If you have an hour to kill, listen to it on Soundcloud -- and no, I'm not going to give you a preview.

But I had a blast, and we might do it again.

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.

I'm overwhelmed and grateful for the collision of Indie Fest, Sativa Gumbo and NABC on Saturday night.

Photo by John Voyles.

New Albany Indie Fest took place on Saturday. On game day, the event went off with very few hitches, although several seemingly impassable mountains were climbed just to get to the 24th.

However, these are topics for another day, so allow me to thank my fellow committee members and everyone else who helped in any way to pull this one off. To attempt an exhaustive list would be to risk an omission. You know who you are. At the same time, I'd be remiss to ignore the central role Marcey Wisman-Bennett has played in keeping the dream alive.

Special thanks to the cast and crew at Bank Street Brewhouse. The band Sativa Gumbo's anniversary performance was a major impetus for the musical component at this year's Indie Fest, and for it to take place on NABC property ultimately felt right in a way I didn't anticipate. I cannot take credit for the idea. I'm just glad it happened.

The emotion I felt last night is hard to explain. I wasn't expecting to be gobsmacked. To be honest, I never was a die-hard "fan" of Sativa Gumbo as a musical collective; let's face it, I'm a British-influenced pop/rock kind of fellow, but this distinction is irrelevant, because I've always been a hardcore fan of the musicians in Sativa Gumbo -- admiring them for their talents and skills as individuals, and also adoring them for the family vibe they've engendered over two decades.

There were lots of folks in one place last night who probably haven't been together for a while, and their love and enthusiasm was a reaffirmation of life itself. There are many degrees of connectivity, and all sorts of overlapping circles, but for me it's acknowledging the huge part all of them, musicians and spectators alike, occupied in my own working career.

Whether it's my place to say so or not, I'm awfully proud of them. NABC alumni have gone on to do awesome things. It was incredibly moving for me to see past and present employees mixing with the many longtime customers of the businesses, who're the real superstars keeping the train rolling for so long.

It's the closest I'll come to knowing what it felt like for Bob Youngblood, witnessing the success and good works of former students, and knowing he made a difference. It's gratifying to have played a part, albeit small, in so many players moving up to the majors ... and mixed metaphors be damned.

I wasn't expecting Sativa Gumbo's comeback to generate epiphanies, but one must take them as they come. Peace and serenity are so important, and Saturday night helped me clarify a few decisions. They may as yet be difficult, though they'll be easier than before.

Thanks, everyone. You rock.

ON THE AVENUES: My career as a double naught capitalist.

ON THE AVENUES: My career as a double naught capitalist.

A weekly web column by Roger A. Baylor.

"(Roger’s) never done anything in a positive manner to help the city of New Albany”
--Jeff Gahan, during the mayoral debate at Silver Street Park

During the opening phases of Rich O’s Public House during the early- to mid-1990s, with Oasis and Nirvana playing in the background, we often pointed to Kentucky license plates in the parking lot as proof of things working out just as we had hoped.

Back then, apart from South Side Inn and a downtown liquor store or two, New Albany wasn’t much of a draw for residents of the Commonwealth. Fortunately, we were ahead of the curve in terms of better beer, and it was encouraging to know that “location, location, location” was bunk.

Niches and knowledge mattered, too. Aversions were overcome. How often did I read or hear comments like this one?

"It’s a really great place … and believe it or not, it’s in New Albany!"

25 years after drifting into the food and drink business, primarily on the strength of knowing more about beer than most other hospitality biz people did at the time, it’s a bit easier for me to be philosophical about the hardscrabble beginnings. There were far fewer epiphanies than daily, upward slogging.

In 1990, I’d worked at a package liquor store, and occasionally bartended, but didn’t have any food service experience. My objective was for us to be a world class beer bar in a locale where very little was aligned to accommodate such dreams. Like so many other aspects of life, we got by, learned by doing, and built gradually for a better future.

From the outset, it already was clear that pubs were my favored habitat, and usually the only truly comfortable places for me outside home and hearth. What I learned was that working in one is edifying, too – especially the sort of establishment evolving according to a particular, highly personalized plan.

Moreover, there is a fundamental honesty to preparing and serving meals and drinks for public consumption. Most of the time, the gratification is immediate. You know the customer liked it, or didn’t. When they return, it’s a wonderful feeling.

The television series Cheers had it right. We humans look for third spaces, these places where everyone knows your name. Social media is a way of connecting, but breaking bread and drinking beer with other people, all seated at a table in a room filled with others who are pursuing precisely the same goal, bring forth the possibility of genuine bonding.

They’re the days we’ll always remember, and do.

---

In a space this brief, it would be impossible to recount the many life lessons I learned during the past quarter-century, though one springs to mind: When business life is good, the employees get the credit, and when there are problems, it’s all on the owners.

The rank and file, and the workers on the shop floor – cooks, servers, dishwashers and staff members – do the heavy lifting and define the atmosphere. They’re the face of the business, and its esprit de corps. The job of the owner is to organize and manage them so they can thrive, and in turn, so the entity can succeed.

Yes, naturally there are exceptions. Firing someone isn’t fun, though occasionally it must be done. Employees make mistakes, and so on. The point to me is that so many of them, the vast majority, have been top-flight individuals, both before and after working for NABC.

We’ve had our share of teachers, media professionals, artists and musicians working as part-timers, supplementing their income with shifts. With IU Southeast just down the street from the original Pizzeria & Public House locations, there have been hundreds of students receiving W2s as they worked their way through school.

Just think of the local multiplier effect, for more than 25 years.

What’s more, so many of them have gone on to solid careers. If we had an NABC Alumni Association, it would include doctors, writers, sailors, lawyers, real estate moguls, gardeners, bar and restaurant owners, chefs, entrepreneurs, brewers, entertainers and distillers.

I see many of them on social media, raising their families and living their dreams. I’m pleased as punch to have played a part, however brief, in their formative lives.

In fact, seeing as I’m transitioning from company ownership into the “former” category of fogey datedness, I believe we should have such an NABC alumni organization.

Depending on the outcome of the election, I’ll get right on it come early November.

---

Being a democratic socialist does not imply being a non-capitalist, and while I may have chafed at the term in the past (hi, Mark), it isn’t something I bother disputing.

For the past 25 years, I’ve been engaged in capitalism of the local variety, this being the business of making waves: Starting with tiny ripples by serving a beer here and a pizza there, then accepting payment from generally satisfied customers (otherwise, we wouldn’t still be in business), and finally repeating these actions until they added up to a greater whole than the sum of their parts.

Independent local businesses of numerous stripes, engaging in every conceivable form of commerce, follow the same pattern as NABC. It is reckoned that one-third of the business activity in America is generated from enterprises like these with fewer than 50 employees.

In New Albany's historic downtown business district and the neighborhoods immediately surrounding it, this percentage is likely far higher. These are the businesses widely understood to have done the most in sustaining the city’s core during the lean years, and then boosting the revitalization of a formerly moribund area with a fresh wave of food, drink, retail and service businesses to complement the survivors of a previous era.

Not chains, not Flaherty and Collins, and not the Disney Corporation. Rather, local independent businesses, which keep a higher percentage of money in the local economy, do the capitalism thing, and grind it out all year long ... not merely during special occasions.

The pizzeria was founded in 1987, so I can honestly say that since the Reagan administration, NABC’s owners and employees have been privileged to serve hundreds of thousands of regular folks. We’ve paid taxes, dispensed wages, brought visitors to town, filled bellies and created memories.

Granted, while much of the volume has come from functioning as an on premise restaurant and bar, our two breweries, while small-scale and artisanal, also constitute manufacturing. We take raw materials, assemble them, pay taxes, and sell the finished product outside our immediate vicinity.

It’s nice having friends in other places, too.

---

Soon I'll be leaving NABC. For 25 years, I’ve wondered what I might do when I grow up, and at 55, it may at long last be time to find out.

There are a few hands I might have played differently, and decisions that were questionable in retrospect, but in the main, I'm proud of what we've achieved.

Speaking for myself, I put every bit of skin I possessed into this game, and I busted my ass in the process. What I get back from the business monetarily will be only a fraction of what was put into it, primarily because we’ve always reinvested proceeds, and refrained from extracting value.

I’m serene about NABC’s future. New blood and fresh ideas will step to the fore, as they usually do. The business itself will continue doing what it's always done, in as positive manner as humanly possible, fully contrary to the mayor’s somewhat uncomprehending utterance at the debate.

These folks involved with economic development at the municipal level ... have any of them actually ever owned a business?

Yep.

Didn't think so.

---

Postscript: According to community economics advocate Michael Shuman, mainstream economic development today is a scam.

---

Recent columns:

October 19: ON THE AVENUES REWOUND: Courtesy bicycle to the Hotel Silly (2010, 2013).

October 15: ON THE AVENUES: To the New Albanians, each and every one.

October 8: ON THE AVENUES: There’s an indie twist to this curmudgeon’s annual Harvest Homecoming column.

October 1: ON THE AVENUES: No more fear, Jeff.

September 24: ON THE AVENUES: Almost two years later, Mr. Gahan has yet to plug in this clock, and so it's time for him to clock out.

September 17: ON THE AVENUES: Dear Neighbor: If you’re tired of the same old story, turn some pages.

September 10: ON THE AVENUES: Lanesville Heritage Weekend comes around again.

September 3: ON THE AVENUES: When even Mitt Romney can run to the left of New Albany’s Democrats, it's a very big problem.

Last call: "After a quarter century, Roger Baylor will move on from New Albanian Brewing Company."

Just in case you missed it yesterday, here is the reason why folks should always spend months and perhaps even years reading between the lines to decipher cryptic hints.

There is no firm timetable for the process, which involves approximately 395 details painted in varying shades of "what about this or that?" Just know that my decision to leave the business has been made, and exactly what comes next depends on the will of New Albany's electorate.

As for the story: Kevin Gibson gets it right, for which I'm much appreciative.

After a quarter century, Roger Baylor will move on from New Albanian Brewing Company, by Kevin Gibson (Insider Louisville)

... Roger Baylor, well known for his long career in beer and brewing, is now running for mayor of New Albany. If he wins, that will be his new focus. If not, well, he’ll look for another path to follow. Either way, his position as the public face of New Albanian has come to an end. He already had announced he would step away if he won the election — instead, he’s moving on ahead of the decision. It was simply time, he says.

Regarding his growing involvement in local politics over the last few years, Baylor tells Insider, “It seems to be what I’ve been interested in for a while now and seems to be what I spend a lot of time on. That might actually tell me something about where my head is.”

And while he still enjoys beer and brewing, it’s become more of a hobby-level interest, in part because of the popularity of what is now termed “craft beer.”

A future mayor? An ex-brewery owner? 30 years later, there's another fork in the road, and I'm pumped.

Thirty years ago, I closed my eyes wide shut and jumped -- not so sure where or even if I'd land, but firm in the realization that I needed to do something to change my life.

I packed a gym bag, converted my life's savings into traveler's checks, bought a plane ticket and a rail pass, and went to Europe for three months.

It doesn't sound like much, and in the cosmic scheme of things, it wasn't. Millions of human beings have done the same, in different ways in different times. I'm just a speck, but it's the only speck I have, and I needed to relaunch the whole process of figuring out exactly who I was, because back then, the mechanism had stalled.

I was fortunate, and the plan worked. Europe made me what I am today, or more accurately, my stubborn determination that Europe would make me what I became actually bore fruit. It has been one hell of a ride, with only a handful of negligible regrets.

Three decades later, it's time for another jump, and another relaunch. It's been time for quite a while. The public end of this process began this morning with the publication of an article by Kevin Gibson at Insider Louisville: After a quarter century, Roger Baylor will move on from New Albanian Brewing Company.

The private side has been cogitating for a very long period. True, the devil's always in the details, and numerous stories might yet be written about how we got here, but there are three main bullet points that matter to me right now:

I want to be mayor of  New Albany, because this city desperately needs challenging from someone like me, and it's our time.

If not mayor, then I'm looking forward to a "solo" career as yet uncharted; NABC has been and will continue to be, so don't worry.

I am quite serene about these and other developments.

Thanks to everyone expressing support today and in the weeks to come. If not for that first leap back in 1985, I'd have gotten to know precious few of you, and be the poorer for the omission.

The following was published last week at Potable Curmudgeon. I may even have intended it as prelude. The 1985 travel series will continue in fits and starts, as I have the opportunity to write.

---

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 15 … The traveler at 55, and a strange interlude.

A weekly column by Roger A. Baylor.

(Fifteenth in a series chronicling my travel year 1985)

In 1985, I wasn’t a very good flier.

Given my lack of experience in the air – in life itself – perhaps this is understandable. Up until then, I’d made only two round-trip flights ever, and the first one was when I was a small child. It was a prop plane, and the destination was Detroit. We taxied forever.

That’s all I’ve got.

The second was in 1978, to San Francisco and back, and it was unpleasant in the extreme. I probably required sedation. My problem wasn’t an aversion to enclosed spaces, or to the Hare Krishna devotees still roaming airports back then, but a fear of heights, which plagues me to this very day, even if I’ve gotten better managing it.

Consequently, the prospect of leaving on a jet plane instigated a fair share of anxiety. Everything about it made me nervous, and to make matters worse, I’d gotten absolutely hammered in Chicago the night before the flight.

Boarding Icelandair for Luxembourg via Reykjavik, and the long-awaited adventure of a lifetime, I was in the throes of a brutal hangover, immune to any hair of the dog, constitutionally and existentially challenged, and with certain doom lurking just around the corner.

Was it too late to call the whole thing off?

At least there was a bright side. I wasn’t in the smoking section, which in those days still existed in the back of the plane. Strange, isn’t it? Using the toilet meant cutting through a wall of cigarette smoke, and of course, one couldn’t just step outside for a breath of fresh air.

Later I realized that for a nicotine addict, being deprived of cigarettes stood to greatly compound the sort of fears gripping me, and in physically wrenching ways I’d mercifully never understand because I didn’t smoke.

However, the Rubicon was ripe for crossing. After the usual pleasantries, instructions and delays, we took off and soon reached cruising altitude. The trip was inexorable and irreversible. Europe finally was coming, and I could feel the level of stress slowly ebbing.

Then there was a random act of turbulence, and the plane abruptly took a big, swooping roller coaster dip.

WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

Pulse skyrocketing, my heart pushed into my throat, and with a panic attack about to ensue, at least I had the presence of mind to look around the cabin, where dozens of fellow passengers were snacking, reading, talking and napping, utterly serene and oblivious to the commonplace.

Relief yielded to chagrin as I worried whether anyone else had seen me lose my composure.

In short, it was my life of naïve underachievement in a nutshell, but a good lesson for a hick from somewhere near French Lick: Fake it until you can make it. Just stop, look, listen and imitate. I tried mightily to apply it once on the ground, and for the thirty years since, with only varying degrees of success.

Eventually I became a better flier, although it didn’t happen overnight. By the 1990s, I actually began looking forward to transatlantic flights as the only time I could be untethered, relax and not be bothered. Nowadays, these commuting hours are sacred times for decompression and meditation. I’ve come a long way in this regard.

---

As noted previously, one of the factors most influencing my decision to spend three months in Europe in 1985 was an absolutely debilitating level of self-doubt. It’s nice knowing you’re capable of connecting with reality just enough to get by, but sheer hell being bright enough to realize you’re doing nothing and going nowhere.

Would I return to university and get my public school teaching credits? What about law school? I’d done relatively well on the LSAT. Maybe get a real job at last, instead of stringing together part-time gigs?

In fact, I was damned fortunate to have the space for dawdling rumination. There were no wars to be drafted into fighting, no nearby mines with coal for extracting, and no babies with mouths to feed. I worked, ate, drank and slept alone, because it hadn’t yet occurred to me that the opposite sex’s interest in knowing me just might be enhanced by me knowing something about myself.

Looking back after three decades, it’s quite clear that once I’d made the decision to spend time in Europe, it was necessary to up the ante. To be sure, it was a legitimate fork in the road for me, but one I didn’t randomly encounter. It was self-engineered.

I’d never spent so much time working toward something tangible. Traveling simply had to be an act of self-redemption. There was no Plan B, apart from returning home and following meekly into the mundane world of home, car, job and IU basketball season tickets.

I had to jump, damn it, and trust the parachute would open.

Fortunately, it did.

---

Thirty years later, with the consummate luxury of perspective, there are times when I’d like nothing more than to return to the blissful, uncomplicated life of the 24-year-old me (who celebrated his 25th birthday in Leningrad), except I’d have to retain what I’ve learned since, and there’s the eternal rub.

No debt or encumbrances and dumb as a rock, or achieving periodic glimpses of wisdom amid being mortgaged to the hilt, both literally and figuratively.

I’ll settle for the latter, because in 2015 it comes equipped with my partner in life, without whom little of it would make much sense. Her presence does not prevent me from trying to imagine a simpler all-around existence, one allowing for a return to those long-ago fundamentals – and that’s what they were, too: Fundamentals.

It was about fundamentals, basics, and growing into a conceptual framework for interpretation of much that followed 1985. Eventually I witnessed the collapse of the post-war European order, stumbled into a career in beer, experienced the transformational impact of the wider-wired world, raised my share of hell, learned, fought, loved, lost and even sometimes won, and now, 30 years on, it seems that I’ve arrived at another of those forks in the road.

Once again I’ve gamed it, because a change has to come, but this time there’s a twist.

The fundamentals that most interest me are currently are undervalued in my career in beer, but they’re sorely necessary in a broader sense in my city, New Albany.

That’s the first fork, and it’s irrevocable. I’m running for mayor, and soon, I intend to be an ex-brewery owner, although I know it will take time to complete the forms.

The next choice is just over the horizon, and depends on the whim of the electorate. Win or lose, it’s time again to jump, and trust the parachute will open.

I trust it will.

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Previously:

The PC: We pause Euro '85 to remember the Mathäser Bierstadt in Munich.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 14 … Beers and breakfast in Munich.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 13 … Tears of overdue joy at Salzburg's Augustiner.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 12 … Stefan Zweig and his world of yesterday.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 11: My Franz Ferdinand obsession takes root.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 10: Habsburgs, history and sausages in Vienna.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 9 … Milan, Venice and a farewell to Northern Italy.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 8 … Pecetto idyll, with a Parisian chaser.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 7 … An eventful detour to Pecetto.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 6 … When in Rome, critical mass.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 5 … From Istanbul to Rome, with Greece in between.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 4 … With Hassan in Pithion.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 3 … Growing up in Greece.

The PC: Euro '85, Part 2 ... Hitting the ground crawling in Luxembourg.

The PC: Euro ’85, Part 1 … Where it all began.