At LouisvilleBeer.com: "Bourbon, bone marrow, Greg Fischer … and Stella Artois?"

Beginning now, my twice-monthly column at LouisvilleBeer.com will become a weekly, assuming a level of relative sobriety sufficient to churn out the words. It appears that I've been dubbed Craft Beer's Sweetheart, and upon closer examination, I resemble that remark.

Also up at the site is Pint/Counterpint, in which I joust periodically with Against the Grain's Adam Watson. The topic is "Beer Cellaring: Is This What the Brewers Want You to Do?", and since the two of us agree on the issue, it's left to me to be irreverent -- fortunately, something I quite enjoy.

Bourbon, bone marrow, Greg Fischer … and Stella Artois?

THE POTABLE CURMUDGEONDecember 8, 2013

My New Year’s resolution was going to be writing this column weekly, rather than twice monthly, in 2014. Might as well get started.   

Whether working as brewers, taco slingers, distillers, baristas, vintners or sous chefs, we customarily inhabit an insular space within the hospitality industry zone. Of course, the trick is […]

Written by Roger Baylor

More on Mayor Fischer's beer-less task force.

It's a tempest in a teapot, but on an otherwise slow weekend, I'll play the hand I'm dealt.

The topic is Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, his task force on top-shelf dining and bourbon, and the absence of other food scene elements (including brewing) from the plan.

Greg Fischer: Bourbon and local craft beer don't mix.

This morning at Insider Louisville, Steve Coomes goes deeper in support of the mayor's aims.

Steve Coomes: Some complain mayor’s restaurant-bourbon tourism team neglects beer, coffee, food trucks

There have been good points all around during this discussion, and given that it's always a good idea to consider your own side's strong and weak points before jumping into the fray, one thing stands out to me: If there was to be a cogent rebuttal from Louisville's brewers, it should stem from a position of unity. Unity requires organization, and this is a great and enduring challenge for craft brewers in general.

As a director on the board of the Brewers of Indiana Guild, I feel qualified to admit to such. BIG has made considerable progress in bringing itself to a point where a political personage such as Louisville's mayor (and his staffers) wouldn't think of a task force without consulting the craft brewing bloc first. It takes time, though. It requires commitment and engagement.

Otherwise, we're merely lobbing barbs from a barstool.

Greg Fischer: Bourbon and local craft beer don't mix.

In marketing terms, Greg Fischer's idea to tether himself to Kentucky's red-hot bourbon business and Louisville's equally torrid restaurant scene makes a lot of sense, even if it requires a leap of faith to position the city ahead of the actual places in Kentucky where bourbon is produced.

But politically, it's an eyebrow archer -- as noted by Jake at The 'Ville Voice. Why exclude the city's craft beer scene? Bad or non-existent advice is my best guess. It's rather shocking that local media members didn't think to ask this question at the unveiling, but then again, maybe they don't teach questioning at steno school. Kudos to Louisville.com's Elizabeth Myers for reading the Twitter feed and getting on the rebuttal very quickly: Louisville Mayor's Tourism Task Force Leaves Out Local Beer and Coffee.

Sadly, what do we know is a waste of time in Louisville? Task forces and committees.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has set up a 36-member task force with a mission to come up with ways to promote the city as a top “culinary and beverage city.” Minus anyone in coffee or brewing, of course, because coffee and beer apparently aren’t important. [online-extra-" id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1386241962815_6449" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #000099; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">C-J/AKN]

Also: At Insider Louisville