Over the weekend on Saturday, Sept. 6, Black Abbey Brewing Company celebrated a dozen years of business providing great beer and big fun out of their facility at 2952 Sidco Drive. As part of the commemoration of 12 years, the company has released a new brand refresh and launched a new year-round beer.
The new logo is a depiction of Lutherhaus in Wittenberg, Germany, once the home of Black Abbey’s (literal) spiritual inspiration, Martin Luther. It was known as the “Black Cloister” when Luther was a monk in residence, and Luther’s wife, Katherine von Bora, brewed beer there. (The rules for monks were a lot different back then.)
Black Abbey took its name from an interpretation of Black Cloister and inspiration from Katherine to brew its own line of Belgian-style beers and other European-influenced American craft beers.
Their newest permanent offering is a helles-style beer called Black Abbey Original Lager. With this release, Black Abbey now offers beers inspired by the “Big Three” most famous European brewing cultures: England, Germany and Belgium. You can find Black Abbey Original Lager at the brewery, in discerning taprooms (including all M.L.Rose locations!) and in cans at retail.
In brown-water news, Nashville Barrel Co. continues its march toward global domination with the announcement of a new distillery and tasting room location in Kentucky. Louisville Barrel Whiskey Co. will focus on the same dedication to producing award-winning single barrels and small-batch blends of spirits that have earned NBC international acclaim.
Slated to open early next year at 717 E. Market St. in the hot NuLu neighborhood of Louisville, the new location will offer a tasting bar, a bottle shop and dedicated space for the sort of hands-on distillery experiences that have made Nashville Barrel Co. a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
"We are incredibly excited to bring our passion for hands-on, curated whiskey experiences to Louisville, the undisputed bourbon capital of the world," says Michael Hinds, CEO at Nashville Barrel Company in the official announcement. "The NuLu neighborhood is a vibrant hub for craft distilleries and is the ideal location to showcase our unique approach to whiskey fans looking for something truly special. We are thrilled to be part of such a dynamic community."
Prime + Proper, the Detroit-based classic steak house, will soon be sliding into the former Continental restaurant space in the Grand Hyatt like a hermit crab finding a new home. They've chosen to introduce themselves to Nashville as part of a fun industry event put on by Henrietta Red.
Julia Sullivan and her team usually hold a monthly industry-focused night at the bar, but on Tuesday, Sept. 9, they’re inviting all comers to sample some of Prime + Proper’s dishes alongside three of their signature cocktails. Even better, P+P will be covering part of the tab if you get there early enough. For this special event, the offerings will be available throughout the restaurant from 5 until 8 p.m., not just at the bar.
Some of the imminent items on offer: Nashville Whiskey-Aged Wagyu, a Dry-Aged Burger, Chicken Fried Lobster and a Detroit Dog. It sounds like they’ve got an interesting idea of what Nashvillians are looking for. I’m not saying they're wrong, either!
Finally, if you’re a fan of Jefferson’s Bourbon (which is easy to be), consider making a reservation for a special tasting event at Thistle & Rye in the Conrad Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6 until 9 p.m.
The kitchen will prepare a special menu of four courses paired with different Jefferson’s expressions for just $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Seats are still available, but I wouldn’t wait too long!
