BY THOMAS MACCULLOCH

The Bluegrass Brewing Company (or BBC for short) attracted national attention when Stuff Magazine rated their Dark Star Porter 24th in the Nation in August 2005. Columnists Jonathan Stern and Ryan Isaac's Red, White and Brew selected and ranked the Top 80 Beers brewed and bottled in the United States. The four-page beer feature included mass-produced lagers (Budweiser, Coors Light, Rolling Rock, etc.) as well as popular craft brews such as Bell's Oberon, Stone IPA, and Rogue Dead Guy Ale. BBC's Dark Star Porter placed above such notorious libations as Brooklyn Brown Ale, New Belgium Abbey Ale, Left Hand Milk Stout and Great Divide Hibernation Ale, proving once again that the BBC guys know how to brew great beer!
Dark Star Porter is a traditional English-Style Ale, dark in color with a robust flavor and subtle hint of chocolate malt. The admired brew was awarded the Silver Medal at the 1998 Real Ale Festival and Southeast Regional Champion in 2003 at the United States Beer Tasting Competition. The Porter was aptly named after the 1953 Kentucky Derby Winner, Dark Star. Besides being ranked 24th in the Nation among American brews, Stuff Magazine added that Dark Star Porter was "Best for Session Drinking", "Best for Beer Snobs", and "Best for Fighting."
The Bluegrass Brewing Co. has also won numerous awards for their German-Style Altbier, Bearded Pat's Barley Wine, and their flagship American Pale Ale. Brewmaster David Pierce approaches brewing as a form of art. He spent two years perfecting one recipe just to satisfy his selfish appetite for beer and applies that same level of dedication and discipline to each batch produced at the Bluegrass Brewing Co. The BBC staff uses North American Harrington 2-row barley malted to their specifications, Belgian specialty malts, and hops from North America, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. Their philosophy is quite simple: "To truly enjoy life you have to love what you do and we love brewing!"

The Bluegrass Brewing Co. is located on the corner of Clay and Main Street in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky. Brewery tours are available by appointment. The Taproom and Kentucky Brewing History Museum is open at 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Friday.