Another Beer Geek Comes to the Forum

Hi all. I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself. I am the somewhat new (going on 7 months) Louisville area rep for Alltech's Lexington Brewing Co., brewers of Kentucky Light, Kentucky Ale, and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. I've been reading Robin's reviews for a few months now, and they have been an invaluable tool for my sales work and personal edification. Thanks Robin. You are a rare asset to the community.

I'm a native Hoosier, but come to KY by way of Upstate NY, Tennessee, and Nevada. I got my start in the beer business working for Duvel and Ommegang up in Cooperstown, NY so I've got a warm place in my heart (or is that stomach?) for the Belgians. Great people, great food, great beer.

Anyway, it's been a pleasure as an outside observer to the Forum, and I'm excited to finally join the fray. Through my work, I'm discovering much of what the Louisville culinary scene has to offer, and though I'm relatively new to the area, I hope I can enrich the discussion.

Proost!

Welcome Jeremy. Have you had a chance to check out any of the local micro brewery's yet? Cumberland Brews is my favorite spot, if you wanna meet for a beer sometime drop me a line. Rich O's is a favorite also, just don't make it there as often because it is in New Albany. Of course Brownings is downtown which is also excellent and downtown and BBC is in St. Matthews and downtown.

Hi Brian. I was actually at Cumberland tonight and chatted with Matt a little. Certainly a great place, deservedly packed with people; it appears that they are going to up capacity a bit in the coming months. Another craft beer success story.

I hit Rich O's for gravity head, and my wife and I stopped in not long ago for pizza and pints. I've been to quite a few brewpubs around the country and Rich O's easily ranks as one of the best.

Haven't been over to Brownings or either BBC location yet, but I'm a fan of their beers. If an account doesn't have our beer available, it's usually what I order. I especially love the Brownings Bourbon Stout and BBC's cask stuff.

Love to get together sometime. Just name the barstool.

it appears that they are going to up capacity a bit in the coming months.

As far as beer production or expanding the restaurant? I'm assuming beer because I don't think they have any room to expand in their current location.

I've gone there since they opened in 2000, at the time my best guess was they wouldn't make it but I was praying I was wrong. I guess my prayers worked! lol They are sitting on a solid customer base now. Something I've just really thought about at this moment however is their menu. I really like their food, especially the jerk chicken wings but their menu has not changed much (if any) since they opened. I'd like to see some new things and a little more creatitivity in that dept.

Evidently the cat's out of the Cumberland Brews bag. I believe they have purchased a much larger brewing system for installation at another location, and will use it to supply the restaurant & outside accounts in the region.

As a side note, I enjoyed a couple pints of Matt Gould's delicious Cumberland Cream Ale yesterday while devouring fish cakes at the Irish Rover. This was after shopping for couscous fixings and Hungarian stuffed peppers at Lotsa Pasta, and before savoring an espresso at Caffe Classico.

It was a nice day off work.

Nice to hear you had a well deserved nice day off Roger, I know the business is a lot of hard work.

Ok, what's the word on the location or area of town that Cumberland is targeting? This is some interesting info to me.

[Robin Garr]

before savoring an espresso at Caffe Classico.

It was a nice day off work.

If you had savored a Gilberto Gelato at Caffe Classico, it would have been an even better day off work!

Brian, I'm not sure which part of town, but note that the idea as conveyed to me is that it would be a production facility with little public access, i.e., not a pub setting.

Robin: Good point.

I used to go to Cumberland daily a few years ago for the cream ale. It always had a popcorn flavor for some reason. Anyway, I stopped because something changed and it is still different. I don't know what but it seems to me it hurt their brews. The cream ale doesnt have the same flavor of the yesteryears. I do like the place though.

Cream has tasted the same (had drink of a friends last week but I never get it, the Nitro is my favorite.

It was a nice day off work.

You figured out how to get days off from work in this business??..... man I am still a rookie!

Maturity, Todd. 15 years in the trenches. You're still a young pup.