Following are a handful of signposts on our journey from back then, until right now. We at NABC are longtime lovers of beer, food and pub culture. We live and love our working lives, and when you stop by, we hope you enjoy our world as much as we do.
1987
The O’Connell family transforms a failing Noble Roman’s franchise off Grant Line Road at 3312 Plaza Drive on New Albany’s north side into a perky independent pizzeria called Sportstime Pizza.
1990
Rich O’s BBQ is added in the same building, on the other side of a common kitchen shared by it and Sportstime Pizza. Amy O’Connell is the operator of Rich O’s.
1992
Rich O’s BBQ is redubbed Rich O’s Public House when Roger Baylor joins the business. From this point forward, there is a conscious decision to move the Public House’s beer program onto ever higher ground, away from the typical slavish allegiance to mass-market American beer, and to fully embrace the revolution of better beer in bottled and draft form.
1994
Roger, his then-wife Amy and her sister Kate (O’Connell, now Lewison) take complete control of the business and reincorporate as the New Albanian Brewing Company, with the stated intention of eventually brewing on site.
1994-2002
As the resources necessary to begin on-site brewing gradually are amassed, Rich O’s became regionally (and in due time, nationally) renowned for its specialized “guest” beer program. Taps are constantly added, and the bottled list continually expanded to include as many of the best examples of beer styles as available from America and the world.
1999
The first ever Gravity Head is held.
2001-2002
With a small 4-barrel brewing system salvaged from the defunct Tucker (Salem IN) and Silver Creek (Sellersburg) breweries, NABC begins brewing operations.
2005
The Prost wing commences operation as the Public House’s special events area.
2007
In preparation for NABC’s expansion, customers at the original Plaza Drive location are encouraged to begin thinking about Sportstime & Rich O’s as one unit, the NABC Pizzeria & Public House. Few do.
2008
Renovation work begins at the former “day old bread store” at 415 Bank Street in downtown New Albany, future site of NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse. As the build-out progresses, the first Fringe Fest is held in October.
2009
The Bank Street Brewhouse gastrobrewpub opens in March, at first serving NABC beers brewed at the Pizzeria & Public House. The new DME brewery (15 barrel) at Bank Street Brewhouse opens in August, and distribution to Southern Indiana and Louisville begins later in the autumn.
2011
After almost a quarter-century in business, and having spawned a slew of imitators, the New Albanian Brewing Company shows it can still succeed in business without really trying, as in the annual Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) reader poll:
Best Beer List: 1st place, NABC Pizzeria & Public House
Best Restaurant in Southern Indiana: 1st place, NABC Bank Street Brewhouse
Best Local Beer: 1st place, NABC Hoptimus
Best Local Brewery: 2nd place, New Albanian Brewing Company
Just bought the Hoptimus for my husband. It’s his first time trying it and it’s totally his kind of beer. I have to give kudos to whoever your writer was for the label. Loved the vocab! Great beer, great writing, will definitely have again.
Receive our e-mail newsletter
Just bought the Hoptimus for my husband. It’s his first time trying it and it’s totally his kind of beer. I have to give kudos to whoever your writer was for the label. Loved the vocab! Great beer, great writing, will definitely have again.