An Elector Day story ... and Bank Street Brewhouse changes its name to NABC Cafe and Brewhouse.

Scroll down and learn how Elector Ale came to be 14 years ago, but first, as you can see, Bank Street Brewhouse has a new name.

Since the guy who founded the business and wrote something like 96.7% of the press releases no longer is affiliated with the business, we might be waiting a bit for an explanation, though I'm sure it falls under the all-purpose heading of "rebranding."

And, before anyone asks, what I wrote in May remains the case: Here's the latest in the Great NABC Non-Buyout Saga of 2016.

On a more sensible note, it appears that the august (November?) institution of Elector Day has not been abandoned, and that popularly-priced pints of the elixir are available Tuesday at both locations, BSB (oops, the Cafe) and the original Pizzeria & Public House location on the north side.

While I may no longer be involved in the business, it is a matter of pride that Elector has survived three and a half White House terms, and (hopefully) will persist into a fifth residency.

As such, here's a freebie -- written in 2014, updated for now. It's okay; you can pay me later at the usual piece rate.

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Elector was born 14 years ago on Election Day, 2002.

Now it is the year 2016, and on November 8, Elector’s birthday will be celebrated at both NABC locations with big cuts in the “poll” tax: $2 Imperial pints of Elector, all day long, and $6.66 growler refills of Elector, all day long.

No longer must we labor under the delusion of an election day prohibition on alcohol sales, so drink early and vote often.

Here is the Elector Story.

Elector’s conceptual roots extend to the beginnings of NABC’s original garage brewery off Grant Line Road — now the Research & Development Brewery.

Elector was the third recipe brewed by NABC’s founding brewer, Michael Borchers, and his assistant, Joey Burns, and was made for the very first time on Election Day, 2002.

Brew day happened to be the mid-term congressional election following the disputed presidential race of 2000, in which Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide, but lost the White House owing to Florida’s uncounted hanging chads and the state’s subsequent votes for George W. Bush in the Electoral College.

Needless to say, as subversive leftists (and craft brewers, who always should be subversive leftists), this political outcome was still somewhat fresh in our minds in 2002 as Michael concocted an initially modest plan to follow Community Dark and Beak’s Best with a traditional English-style seasonal winter warmer.

Brew day was uneventful, but as the fermentation proceeded and time rolled past, it became obvious that the new batch of winter warmer was going to have a deeper burgundy color than planned, and also was considerably hoppier than the intended style should ever be.

Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, as it turned out.

The resulting hybrid was delicious, full-bodied and aggressively hopped, and we concluded that while the intent had been tamer winter warmer, the result was something else – Imperial Red, in our reckoning – and we went forward with the results.

These days, I prefer to call it Elector-Style Ale, such is the beer’s uniqueness. It is a one-off, and stylistically, there is no classification except fine flavor.

Before the finished character of our newly hybridized ale had become apparent, we’d already started the process of hybridizing its name, something that arose out of drunken mischief (imagine that) when after much discussion, Joey suggested Elector in reference to the Electoral College and the way it made the popular vote pointless, and by extension, democracy itself somewhat redundant.

I replied that the “-tor” suffix would suggest Doppelbock in the minds of knowledgeable drinkers, and of course we had no intention of producing a beer remotely close to Doppelbock.

Joey: “Right.”

Roger: “Right.”

Good, then we’re agreed … Elector it would be.

Now it’s fourteen years later, and I feel just as strongly as I did then: An Elector in hand is well worth two Bushes in retirement, any election day, and in fact, any time of the year. Elector’s back story would be sufficient to render it an iconic brand, and Tony Beard’s graphics greatly add to the mystique — but of course, it’s the liquid in the glass that really matters.

Elector Day is now. Prohibition is over, so you can drink early and vote often.

There's a reason why an Elector makes democracy pointless.

Tuesday, November 4
Elector Day at both NABC locations
NABC’s Elector Ale was born 12 years ago on Election Day, 2002. Now it’s 2014, and on November 4, we’ll be celebrating Elector’s birthday at both NABC locations with big cuts in the “poll” tax:

• $2 Imperial pints of Elector, all day long
• $6.66 growler refills of Elector, all day long

The Pizzeria & House opens at 11:00 a.m., and Bank Street Brewhouse at 3:00 p.m. No longer must we labor under the injustice of an election day prohibition on alcohol sales, so drink early and vote often.

Not to mention our valuable brewing machines:

Servitude is for yellow journalists: Remove your yokes, and drink entirely legally in public, before voting.

As for me, I've never really trusted teetotalers.

I refer not to those who abstain from alcohol for personal, organic reasons -- don't like the flavor, don't like the sensation, and so on.

Rather, I speak of those who are "dry" out of doctrines political or religious -- or worse of all, both.

Today is primary election day, and while Indiana seems intent on fouling the long-held principle of neighborhood voting, at least (since 2010) we can get shit-faced drunk before doing so, publicly, in a genuine saloon surrounded by friends, countrymen and chicken wings. No longer must Democrats surreptitiously distribute half-pints of Kessler in the shadow of slumlord properties owned by its grandees; now, voters can be lubricated all at once, in a clean and well-lighted place, and charged to a credit card.

If this doesn't render you misty-eyed and patriotic, then haul your butt off to Russia.

Unlike in depressing days of yore, New Albany's licensed drinking establishments are open and serving today. Please consider patronizing them. It makes you a better voter.

Let's do an Elector Day recap, with Electimus and a requisite graphic Elector retrospective.

Let's do an Elector Day recap.

Since 2010, Indiana no longer labors under the restrictive "blue laws" that formerly forbade alcohol sales until the closing of the polls at 6:00 p.m. Kentucky has no such luck, and life there will be painfully dry until early this evening.

Over here on the Sunny Side, some taverns will open at 7:00 a.m., and package stores will be doing business as usual.

Both NABC locations will be open at 11:00 a.m., serving beers of proven merit. Our time-tested Elector Ale (for over a decade, it has made democracy pointless) will be on special all day at $3 for an imperial pint.

Also, there's a rare beery surprise: Electimus, which comes out of hiding only during presidential election years. It's a blend of 70% Elector and 30% Hoptimus, and there's only one keg of Electimus at each NABC location. That's it.

In 2008, there was no Bank Street Brewhouse, and so the tradition begins there tonight. I'll be there. The Pizzeria & Public House will be rocking, too, as has been the case since Bill Clinton was elected in 1992.

Vote (and drink) early and often, people. Let's kill a few minutes with a visual history of Elector. First, the official Tony Beard "HOPS" poster for 2012.

The Elector Day 2008 poster was designed by John Campbell. The crazed John McCain image is a classic.

Just how far has Elector progressed since the first clip art cut 'n' paste from 2002? Here is what I cobbled together, pre-Tony.

By 2007, glimmers of a new Elector were to be seen. For a fairly succinct history of Elector, how it was first brewed and the way it came to be named, go here.

There was a retrofit in preparation for bottling, once Elector was being brewed downtown at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Which brings us to the present day -- Elector Day, 2012.

And a big round of applause for the inimitable Tony Beard. He thanks you, and we thank you.

Indiana only: Tomorrow you can vote AND have a beer before the polls close.

Since 2010, no longer has there been election day blue law tomfoolery in Indiana. Tomorrow, on November 8, the polls will be open -- and so will the taverns in Indiana. At long last, you can legally drink an Elector or two, and then go vote ... in Indiana. Both NABC locations will observe regular business hours sans beer tapping restrictions -- that's right, only in Indiana. Unfortunately, Kentucky as yet isn't so lucky. See you tomorrow.

Elector Day is coming.

We're printing a slew of these for duty in the days prior to the election, because it's always worth remembering: An Elector Makes Democracy Pointless. Note also that in conservative Indiana, the rules have been liberalized (read: rationalized), and we can serve beer while the polls are open.

An Elector Day pint special.

Because a troglodyte surely will complain, note the small print: In the state of Indiana, discounted alcoholic beverages are offered all day long during business hours, to all comers in a strictly non-discriminatory manner, provided (a) you're 21 years of age and can prove it, and (b) not already intoxicated. Enjoy Elector Day responsibly.

Attention: Both NABC locations are open and serving beer today!

Touting election day alcohol sales at my own establishments does not make me a capitalist. It makes me a physician, because craft beer is medicine, and it makes me a patriot, because These Machines Kill Fascists.

But not a capitalist.

So ... don't forget that both NABC locations are open and serving beer today. The state law changed earlier this year, and the prohibition on election day imbibing finally was removed.

The Pizzeria & Public House opens at 11:00 a.m., and Bank Street Brewhouse opens at 2:00 p.m.

Yep ... it's Elector Day in Indiana, and NABC is Elector HQ.

I'll be at Bank Street for a while tonight, so I may see some of you there.