New Albanian Brewing Company
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{{Infobox Brewery
| name = New Albanian Brewing Company
| image = New Albanian Brewing Company logo.png
| caption = Brewing Ahead of the Curve
| location = 3312 Plaza Dr, New Albany, Indiana
| owner = Roger Baylor, Kate Lewison and Amy Baylor
| opened = 1987
| production = {{convert|1571|usbeerbbl|hL|lk=on}}(2011)
| active_beers =
{{brewbox beer|name=Beak's Best|style=American Bitter}}[http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/nabc-beers/ NABC Beers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828233712/http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/nabc-beers/ |date=2012-08-28 }}
{{brewbox beer|name=Bob's Old 15-B|style=Porter}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Community Dark|style=Mild ale}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Elector|style=Imperial Red}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Hoptimus|style=Imperial India Pale Ale}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Tafelbier|style=Belgian Style Table Beer}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Tunnel Vision|style=Belgian Rye Wit}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Yakima|style=Rye India Pale Ale}}
| seasonal_beers =
{{brewbox beer|name=Bonfire of the Valkyries|style=Schwarzbier}}
{{brewbox beer|name=Oaktimus|style=Oak-Aged Imperial India Pale Ale}}
| other_beers =
}}
The New Albanian Brewing Company, located in the Metropolitan Louisville area in New Albany, Indiana, is a regional craft brewer with distribution throughout the states of Indiana and Kentucky. It has been rated as high as sixth among the world's craft breweries according to Ratebeer.com.[http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/SCENE02/706160301/1044 Go Rich O's!] Louisville The Courier-Journal, June 16, 2007[http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=408 New Albanian Brewing Company Rating] It is the first commercial brewery to operate in New Albany since 1935.[http://www.newalbanian.com/nabcsite2008/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=932 New Albanian Brewing Company to begin bottling ...]
New Albanian operates two breweries in New Albany, a production brewery in their downtown facility shared with their Bank Street Brewhouse taproom and gastropub[http://web.newalbanian.com/bankstreetbrewhouse/ NABC Bank Street Brewhouse - New Albanian Brewing Company] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723110131/http://web.newalbanian.com/bankstreetbrewhouse/ |date=2012-07-23 }} and their original brewery, which now serves for research and development brewing and shares a suburban building with the company's New Albanian Pizzeria & Public House.{{Cite web |url=http://web.newalbanian.com/pizzeriaandpub// |title=NABC Pizzeria & Public House - New Albanian Brewing Company |access-date=2012-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827020915/http://web.newalbanian.com/pizzeriaandpub/ |archive-date=2012-08-27 |url-status=dead }}
The business dates to 1987 as a family-owned pizzeria, then known as Sportstime Pizza, and became one of the Louisville area's most popular venues for craft and imported beers with the opening of its public house, originally Rich O's Public House, in 1992.[http://leoweekly.com/special-issues/2011-readers-choice Best Beer List: 1st place, NABC Pizzeria & Public House] Planning for the business' expansion into Craft Brewing began with its incorporation as the New Albanian Brewing Company in 1994 and brewing commenced in October 2002.
Brewing
New Albanian began brewing in October 2002 in an annex to the company's suburban Pizzeria.[http://web.newalbanian.com/ourcompany/history/ A History of the NABC] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130110072156/http://web.newalbanian.com/ourcompany/history/ |date=2013-01-10 }} The brewery was established by Roger Baylor, his former wife Amy (O'Connell) Baylor and her sister Kate (O'Connell) Lewison.[http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2007/06/sportstime-pizza-will-be-20-years-old.html Sportstime will be 20 years old] The first brewmaster was Michael Borchers[http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/nabc-beers/retirees/ NABC Brewers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828233812/http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/nabc-beers/retirees/ |date=2012-08-28 }} who brought experience and a 4-barrel brewing system from the former Silver Creek Brewing Corporation of Sellersburg, Indiana. Jesse Williams assumed brewing responsibilities when Borchers left in 2005 and was joined by Jared Williamson in 2008. Brewing is currently done by veteran Louisville Craft Brewer David R. Pierce, Director of Brewing Operations since 2009, at the Bank Street production brewery[http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/brain-trust/david-r-pierce/ David R. Pierce] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828233637/http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/brain-trust/david-r-pierce/ |date=2012-08-28 }} and Ben Minton at the R&D brewery.[http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/brain-trust/ben-minton/ Ben Minton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828233402/http://web.newalbanian.com/beersandbrewing/brain-trust/ben-minton/ |date=2012-08-28 }}
NABC's original 4 barrel system produced 14,000 gallons of beer in 2005.[http://www.news-tribune.net/cnhi/newstribune/homepage/local_story_324115717.html TOP STORY: Baylor brewing up success] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120913025303/http://www.news-tribune.net/cnhi/newstribune/homepage/local_story_324115717.html |date=2012-09-13 }} Evening News November 20, 2005 With the addition of the 15 barrel DME production brewery on Bank Street in 2009 production has more than doubled, increasing to 1,571 US barrels in 2011 and permitting broader regional distribution. Bottling of select NABC beers in 22 oz. 'Bombers' began in March, 2011, with Elector, the NABC's Imperial Red Ale.[http://www.newalbanian.com/nabcsite2008/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=993 Bottled Elector, our Imperial Red Ale, Now Available]
Pizzeria & Public House
File:New Albanian Brewing Company Public House, New Albany, IN - Exterior view.jpgWhile the brewery was officially founded in 2002, Rich O's (the public house) and Sportstime Pizza (the pizzeria) have operated prior to its inception. The establishment began in 1987 with Sportstime Pizza and it has slowly expanded since.[http://www.newalbanian.com/food.pdf New Albanian - Food.PDF] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714172733/http://www.newalbanian.com/food.pdf |date=2011-07-14 }} The establishment was originally a Noble Roman's franchise operated by Rich and Sharon O'Connell, parents of Amy and Kate O'Connell and the namesake of Rich O's Public House. Rich O's opened in 1990 under Amy O'Connell's control. Roger Baylor was hired in 1992,[https://books.google.com/books?id=LEOE3_1PUgwC&pg=PA94&dq=Rich+O%27s&sig=AT7OiPOvQnkI-yXD5SPZfS0_pb0 Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Kentucky & Southern Indiana, 2nd Edition] By Chip Nold and Bob Bahr (Globe Perquot) Page 76 {{ISBN|1-57380-043-0}} and was soon to marry Amy. The marriage did not last, but the business relationship did. The businesses of Rich O's and Sportstime are co-owned by beer master Roger, and Kate and Amy, the daughters of Sharon and Rich O'Connell. For a brief period in the late 1980s a second location, "Sportstime II," was located on Vincennes Street in New Albany, across from New Albany High School.
Rich O's Public House offers 648 different beers to its customers in addition to its own beers. However, they refuse to serve light beer, deigning that as "unfit for human consumption."[https://books.google.com/books?id=LEOE3_1PUgwC&pg=PA94&dq=Rich+O%27s&sig=AT7OiPOvQnkI-yXD5SPZfS0_pb0 Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Kentucky & Southern Indiana, 2nd Edition] By Chip Nold and Bob Bahr (Globe Pequot) Page 94 {{ISBN|1-57380-043-0}} In addition to refusing to serve light beer, the company is strongly against mass-marketed domestic beer.
Sportstime Pizza has regular varieties of pizza, in addition to many specialties, such as the "refrigerator" style. They also offer alternative sauces for their pizza such as ranch, pesto, and barbecue. One of their other wildly popular products is their Beer Cheese.
The differences between Sportstime and Rich O's are mainly aesthetic, as the establishments share the same tiny kitchen and offer the same food and drink menus.
Located near Indiana University Southeast and across the river from the University of Louisville, the NABC is frequented by students and faculty of both schools.
External links
{{portal|Beer}}
- [http://www.newalbanian.com/ New Albanian Brewing Company]
- [http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/ The Potable Curmudgeon] co-owner Roger Baylor's blog contains frequent updates on the beer selection and other activities of the New Albanian Brewing Company.