Weekend events, Editorial, Etc.

Lots of things going on this weekend.

Thursday:

• Sandwerka starts at RichO's, New Albany. Celebration of all beers Bamburg. Here's the menu. I'll be there Thurs and Fri for the Mahr's Brau Farmers Lager and Fischer Rauchbier from gravity kegs.
• Beer Tasting. Big Red Liquors, Bloomington. 6-8pm
• Beer Tasting. Belmont Beverage Lima Rd. Ft. Wayne. 4-7pm. Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers.
• Indy Whisky & Fine Spirits Expo. hundreds of Scotch, bourbon, and other whiskies. For Pink Ribbon. Vine & Table. At Montage. 6:30pm-9pm. $50/$75VIP. Reservation needed.

Friday:

• Beer Tasting. Liquor Locker, Evansville. 4-7pm
• Beer Tasting. Parti Pak, Greenwood. 5-7pm
• Beer Tasting. Crown Liquors, Carmel. 5-7pm.
• Beer Sampling. Norma's Fine Wines. Indy. 6-8pm

Saturday:

• Cystic Fibrosis 10th Annual Festiv-Ale 3-7pm. Opti-Park, 820 E 66th St. $40/$50
• Crown Challenge homebrew competition. Crown Brewing, Crown Point. Plus Octoberfest with bands, beer, brats, etc.
• Between Heaven and Earth Dinner w/Mad Anthony paired beer. North Manchester. $75.
• Ales for Tails. Bridge Liquors, New Albany. 4-7pm. $5
• Hop & Harvest Festival. Bluegrass Brewing (Brewpub), Louisville. Admission: 3 canned goods.
• Beer Tasting. Kahn's, Indy. Dark Horse, Taj, Dogfish Head

Sunday:

• We're not supposed to drink beer on a sacred day – which leads us to this Editorial:

Sunday Sales Watch: It's dead. Rep. Trent Van Haaften, the head of the committee and the guy who will make the decision, said “I do not see a compelling argument made to change the law.” article  More alarmingly, Sen. Robert Deig, vice chairman of the study group says "“I don’t see it going into effect this year. When you open up Sunday sales, you have more teen deaths and accidents. I think Sundays are a sacred day. Sundays are a day where people go to church and are there with their families. Most people take a break from alcohol and get back to the family atmosphere.” DID YOU READ THAT? One of the top guys on the Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverages Issues thinks Blue Laws are a good and natural thing. That people consciously choose to not have a beer while watching the game. That ticks me off more than the Indiana Retail Council calling itself a grassroots effort. It's just that Deig is so pre-JFK on this point. The early 1960s Blue Laws in South Bend where I grew up allowed restaurants, drug stores, and gas stations to be open but nothing else. When the first shopping mall was built in adjoining Mishawaka that all changed. The Town & Country Mall was instantly swamped with shoppers and became the "in" place for the high-school set (that's why I remember). The two SB department stores, Robertson's (Catholic) and Wyman's (Jewish) now had to be open on Sunday. Lesson – In a rational society Blue Laws disappear when they are interfere with profits. Yes, Deig comes from Posey County where the folks are more holy but Deig isn't anti-alcohol, just pro-Sunday. Even the Rappite Harmony Colony in his district had a brewery and 2 distilleries. "F. Rapp will always have on hand and for sale the first quality of STRONG BEER by the barrel, at Harmonie, Indiana." – Ad in the Western Sun Vincennes newspaper, April 30, 1819.   Even though the 2 top guys in the committee are against Sunday Sales, the Brewpubs may still get parity with wineries to sell bottles (and growlers) of beer to go at the brewery or brewpub. If so, Mark Webb will have faced down an uphill battle and succeeded. Best of luck to him.

There's a letter in today's Indy Star from Grant M. Monahan, President of the Indiana Retail Council. He says 35,000 people signed their petition. Back in July 2 they say they had 25,000 signatures (reference). On Aug 17 it was 30,000. Not big numbers but consistent.

HBGs Ron and Jess go on a road trip heading for GABF. First Stop, Boulevard Brewing. Second repot, Avery. "Present upon each table was a list of 30-40 aged, barrel-aged, or otherwise super-rare beers that they will be tapping throughout the week."

Hoppin' Frog will have their fresh-hop "Imperial Pale Ale" in bombers in October. 7.5%. 45IBU of Centennial hops.

Ten Tips for Cooking with Beer.
How to Pair Food and Beer.
Best selling beers around the world.

Ethanol producers are running into problems with bacteria during the production. Using antibiotics leaves residue in cattle feed. What do do? Hops to the rescue. article