Wed update: New craft brewery, BBQ Fest map, Robert Graham event @ Lansky, A Trip to the Moon restored, 38103 shirts for sale at Trolley Tour, and tube top news

Yesterday friend Karen baked me PBR cupcakes to celebrate winning the Blind Bear's final table two weeks ago. Thanks to Karen, and to her husband Dennis for bringing them to the Bear.

Big news for beer lovers in Downtown Memphis today. It looks like we’re going to get a second craft brewery. High Cotton Brewing Company has a contract on a building at 598 Monroe, which would be across the street from Kudzu’s, and they plan to turn the former auto repair shop into a brewery. There are five partners, one of whom is the owner of brewers’ supply shop Mid-South Malts. In addition to selling kegs, they hope to have a tap room with limited hours, although this would require a change to a city ordinance. Full details in the Fuzzy Brew blog.

Memphis in May has released the 2012 BBQ Fest booth map. Individual booths are not numbered, but if you know your team’s number you should be able to count to find your spot. Our booth is almost all the way to the southern end of the park. That’s booth good and not good. Good because it’s easy to give people directions to find us; not good because most of our guests will come in through the north entrance and have to walk the length of the park to get to us.

Lansky at the Peabody is having a big event Saturday from 11 to 5. They’re having a visit from Robert Stock, designer of my absolute favorite line of shirts in the world, Robert Graham. Here’s the event summary they sent me:

Robert will lead the ducks down the red carpet at 11a which will kick off our event. Lansky at the Peabody has turned into a Robert Graham shop for the weekend with a lot of new clothing offered by the brand and an exclusive opportunity to preview and special order the Fall Collection. Robert Stock rarely does guest appearances so we are lucky he chose Downtown Memphis’ very own Lansky at The Peabody. Live music in the shop by New York’s The Colour Sound. Gift with purchase of any Robert Graham (while supplies last). It’s going to be a fun party all day at Lansky’s. A trimmer fitting, denim-based sportshirt line by Robert Graham called Freshly Laundered will be featured in Lansky 126. The Robert Graham shirts have a following and collector’s like to come to the even to meet Robert and have their shirts autographed by him. Robert Graham connoisseur’s are welcome to bring their previously purchased RG gear for him to sign as well.

Not a Downtown event, but worth posting anyway: A few months ago I posted a YouTube video of A Trip to the Moon, a 1902 movie that was the first science-fiction film ever. On Thursday and Saturday, the Brooks is showing A Trip to the Moon. The film has been hand-painted in color, and is accompanied by a new soundtrack by the French band AIR. The 16-minute film is paired with an hour-long documentary about its restoration. Buy tickets here. $6 Brooks and Indie Memphis members, $8 non-members, free with VIP Film Pass.

If you like the 38103 shirt I’ve been wearing in recent weeks, Hoop City Memphis will be selling that shirt and the others in its line at South of Beale Friday night for Trolley Tour.

However, I’m still getting requests for 38103 tube tops, and Hoop City doesn’t seem to be getting on board. Since our BBQ team has a tube top option this year, I’m going to get with our designer and ask if he’d like to do a 38103 tube top. Stay tuned for details. I hope to talk with him about it this weekend.

Quick run to Target then back to work. Weather’s nice and I’ll be out somewhere tonight, not sure where yet.