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Other Beer NewsRandom Beer Roundup - The Super EditionLooking for good beer? Check out HBG's Guides to Drinking in Indy. Hoosier Beer Calendar Events are subject to change From the Brewers From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis: Friday 2/3 $10 Cover starting at 5pm - Goliathon 6:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday 2/4 $10 Cover starting at 5pm - Oreo Jones 6:30pm - 9:30pm From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis: Join us at Thr3e Wise Men this coming Tuesday February 7th for the tapping party for out next seasonal beer, Wise Ass White IPA. We will be starting this tapping party at 6pm so when you get off of work come on by. We will have some free snacks and you can get a pint of this tasty beer for $3.50!! From Mike at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence: Triton has 2 specialties on tap currently: Sin Bin Ale and Sweet Georgia Brown. Guest Taps: Granite City Double IPA (They are out. This is the last til next year.) Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale Stone 11-11-11 Founders Dirty Bastard Alltech Kentucky Bourbon Ale Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Bells' Sparkling Ale Upland Winter Warmer At Bars and Restaurants From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Castleton: Friday the 3rd we are having a Sixpoint Brewing welcome party. Beers on tap will be: The Crisp Righteous Ale Bengali Tiger Sweet Action Disel 7th Anniversary Ale Belgian IPA Gorilla Warfare From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville: Can you say Hopslam and Zauis Oatmeal Stout from Sun King? Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale Pint 5.00 Bell's HopSlam 8oz 5.25 12oz 7.50 Boulder's Hazed and Infused IPA Pint 5.25 Suggest your favorite for our open tap. Two Brother's Resistance IPA Pint 5.25 Boulder Cold Hop British Style Ale Pint 5.00 6.3%abv. Two Brother's Heavy Handed IPA 12oz 5.25 People's Brewing Mr. Brown Pint 5.25 ( a higher than normal abv. hoppy brown) Next up is Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf (look for it on our facebook page) New Alabnian Yakima Rye IPA Pint 5.75 7.5% abv From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis: We will be featuring a new can beer lineup starting Friday February 10th featuring Finch's Beer Co out of Chicago, Six Point Brewery out of Brooklyn, and Indianapolis' Sun King. Come out on Tuesday for our Triton Brewery sponsored Trivia Night! They will have a lot of great beers including Sweet Georgia Brown, Railsplitter IPA, Dead Eye Stout, and Fieldhouse Wheat. Trivia starts at 8:30pm and ends at 10:00pm. Upcoming drafts for this week include: Three Floyds Pride and Joy Flat12 Walkabout Sun King ESB Bier Brewery seasonals Bells Hopslam Bells Lager Upland Preservation Pilsner From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations: This Sunday will be a great day to go out and watch the game and drink some beer! All Scotty's location will be showing the Big Game and be pouring all of the amazing craft beer that we have! Stop by for some beer and wings!! Scotty's Brewhouse Northside is now pouring Stone Smoked Porter! Come on by on Wednesday and get this great Porter for only $9 for a 48oz Pitcher! Scotty's Brewhouse Muncie is now pouring Bell's Hopslam! You can come by any day of the week and get this amazing beer from Bell's for $6 a pint! Scotty's Brewhouse West Lafayette is now pouring Flat 12 Half Cycle IPA. You can get this great IPA on Thrusday for $3.50 a pint. This just in, in celebration of a wonderful Super Bowl week we would like to give back to our regulars! Next Mon-Thurs you can enjoy all these specials at these locations: SBH: Kids Eat Free & Tuesday Pitcher Specials All Week ($5*/$6* select microbrews) SLH: Kids Eat Free & Tuesday Pitcher Specials All Week SBJ: Kids Eat Free & Tuesday Pitcher Specials All Week ($5 Select Microbrew Pitchers) 3WM: Kids Eat Free, $8 Growler Fills & $3 Pints *depends on location From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven: Latest beers on tap: Southern Tier pumpking Goose Island Mild Winter Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Ommegang Abbey Ale Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock Delirium Tremens The Delicious Dozen Tapping Event - Friday, February 17th at 7pm 3 Floyds/Mikkeller Boogoop 3 Floyds Behemoth Blonde Barleywine Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire New Holland Blue Sunday Sour 15 Jenlain Blonde Kulmbacher Eisbock Kulmbacher Edelherb Pils Nøgne-Ø #100 New Belgium Cocoa Mole New Belgium Biere de Mars Sam Adams Alpine Spring Use our Interactive Daily Tap List to check out the rest of the 58 beers we have on tap.Package Store specials (available now): 3 Floyds Behemoth - 750ml bottles - $15.99 (price includes tax) 3 Flodys/Mikkeller Boogoop - 750ml bottles - $19.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere - 750ml bottles - $14.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire - 750ml bottles - $14.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza - 750ml bottles - $15.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin La Roja - 750ml bottles - $15.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza - 750ml bottles - $16.99 (price includes tax) Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura - 750ml bottles - $16.99 (price includes tax) North Coast Old Rasputin XIV - 500ml bottles - $19.99 (price includes tax) Bell's Hopslam - 6-packs - $15.99 (price includes tax) 3 Floyds Gumballhead - 6-packs - $9.99 (price includes tax) For Carry-out From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville/New Albany: Here is the latest from Keg Liquors: Rivertown - Lambic (Ohio) Three Floyds - Behemoth Barleywine (Indiana) Bells - Expedition Stout (Michigan) Oud Beersel - Framboise (Belgium) Crispin - The Saint Cider (Minnesota) Hoppin Frog - DORIS the Destroyer (Ohio) Minhas - Chocolate Bunny Stout (Wisconsin) Cantillon - Mamouche (Belgium) Flying Dog - Horn Dog (Maryland) New Belgium - Prickly Passion Saison (Colorado) Sprecher - Black IPA (Wisconsin) St Bernardus - Pater 6 (Belgium) Lightning - Black Lightning Porter (California) Lightning - Electrostatic Ale (California) From the Distributors From Jen at Cavalier Distribution: NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE Sixpoint Craft Ales The Crisp - American Lager; everyday offering; 4 pack 160z cans and draft Righteous Ale - Rye Beer;everyday offering; 4 pack 16oz cans and draft Sweet Action - Cream Ale; everyday offering; 4 pack cans and draft Bengali Tiger - American IPA; everyday offering; 4 pack cans and draft Staropramen Prague Lager - Czech Lager; everyday offering; 6 packs, 16.9oz bottles and draft Coney Island Human Blockhead - Dopplebock; now an everyday offering; 22oz bottles and limited draft Tyranena Down and Dirty Chocolate Stout - Oatmeal Stout; limited seasonal; 6 packs and limited draft Lakefront Bock - Traditional Bock; limited seasonal release; 6 packs only Boulder Mojo Risin - Double IPA; limited seasonal release; 4 packs and limited draft New Albanian Bonfire of the Valyries - Black Smoked Lager; limited seasonal release; 22oz bottles and limited draft UPCOMING EVENTS 2/3 - Finch's/Sixpoint Tasting at Pat's Liquors; Porter; 4pm-6pm 2/3 - Sixpoint 8 Tap Launch Party at Beer Geeks; Highland; 8pm 2/3 - Sixpoint 8 Tap Launch Party at Beer Seller; 6pm 2/7 - Birdy's Monthy Beer tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10 2/10 - Sixpoint/Finch's Tasting at Liquor Bucket; Merrillville; 4pm-6pm 2/11 - Craft Beer Tasting at Cap N Cork ; Ft. Wayne 2/14 - Sixpoint Tap Takeover at Yogi's; Bloomington 2/16 - Sixpoint 6 Tap Lauch Party at T.G.I. Friday's; Terre Haute 2/17 - Sixpoint Tasting at Wiseguys; Merrillville; 5pm-7pm 2/18 - Craft Beer Tasting at Liquor Stockhouse; Schererville; 5pm-7pm 2/23 - Founders Tapping Event at Fickle Peach; Muncie Upcoming Events From Donna at IUPUI in Indianapolis: The 2nd Annual "HEART of the BREWS" - An ALE tasting event to support RESEARCH for KIDS with AILING HEARTS. Proceeds to benefit research at the Riley Heart Research Center Come together with friends and learn about the beers offered by local breweries, and find out what foods go best with different beers in an educational, responsible and relaxing atmosphere. In addition, this year we are excited to have a Silent Auction as part of the evening. While enjoying your tastings, take time to bid on items, which will include autographed sports memorabilia, museum membership, gift certificates to local hotels and restaurants, private tour and tasting at Sun King, gift baskets and more. DATE: Friday, February 24, 2012 TIME: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM Doors will open at 6:30 PM for Registration and check-in Silent Auction will be open from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Tasting will be available from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PLACE: Omni Severin, 40 W. Jackson Place, downtown Indianapolis Must be 21 years of age to attend; picture ID will be required. Contact Person: Donna Fischer, dfischer@iupui.edu; 317-278-1130 Beer tastings provided by: Sun King Upland Barley Island BIER Ticket Information: $30 Early Bird Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between January 13, 2012 and February 3, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet) $35 Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between February 4, 2012 and February 23, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet) $40 At the Door – General admission ticket (available February 24, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet) $10 Designated driver – May be purchased in advance and at the door (includes complimentary water and soft drinks). We encourage responsible drinking. Designated drivers are welcome to attend, but they must be 21 years of age. Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
HBG at HubWork todayIf you're participating in the Super Bowl festivities, stop by the City Market today at 2. We'll be giving a talk on craft beer and some basics of pairing beer with food. Afterwards, stick around for an Indiana beer tasting hosted by Upland. Then grab a beer from Tomlinson Tap Room in a
plastic cup and head back out to Georgia Street for more free concerts. It's like we just planned your afternoon for you. You're welcome!
If you aren't familiar with HubWork, it's sort of a coffee shop for out-of-towners (and even in-towners) to hang out, use wireless internet and have a coffee or beer without being harassed by a barista about taking up a table all day. Check out more at http://www.hubwork.org/. Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Bee Creek Brewery: 2007 - 2012Brazil's Bee Creek Brewery recently announced they are closing their doors. They will be greatly missed, as we were fans of their beer, holding fond memories of the Clay County Coffee Stout, among others. We hope as this door closes, this won't be the last we hear from them. Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Porters and Stouts KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
<div class="separator" style="clear:The second year of the Beer and Cheese Club starts off with a bang. In the beer department, Shoreline's 2008 Curse the Goat barrel-aged doppelbock. Shoreline's barrel series can typically fetch $20 or more at a liquor store, so for Curse the Goat to show up in an edition of the Beer and Cheese Club is really something special. But it doesn't stop with an impressive beer, oh no. Our cheese selection is crafted by an Italian cheese maker that decided to set up shop in Kentucky. Giovanni Capezzuto's Kentucky Grana gets an even more local twist this month. The Smoking Goose has smoked a wheel of this cheese and it is this month's cheese selection with the Beer and Cheese Club! The beer is from the north, the cheese is from the south and Goose the Market brings it all together with the Smoking Goose and the Beer and Cheese Club. If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your January installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. We normally get this out ahead of time, but Winterfest slowed us down this month. Despite our lethargy, I think you'll enjoy the pairing just the same. This month brings an extra special treat to members. The beer is from Indiana’s own Shoreline Brewery and part of their Big Bourbon Series. Curse the Dopplebock is interesting right now. It imparts a bit of sour flavor, mixed with aromas of bourbon and dark fruit. It is light on the tongue and a little warming in the belly. This goat’s milk cheese from Lexington, KY is made by Napoli native, and now Lexington resident, Giovanni Capezzuto. His Old World approach makes for a deliciously subtle and buttery textured cheese. But this particular batch gets a little “Goose” from Chris Eley. This cheese has been smoked at the Smoking Goose, which gives it a little extra something special. If you’ve ever been fortunate to have some bacon or other smoky treat from the Meatery, you know how delicious it is. This cheese takes on that flavor like a champ. Thanks Goose! I was quite excited about this beer, because everything I've had from the Barrel Series has been great. Curse the Goat took me a little by surprise, perhaps because the barrel aging is beginning to influence the beer in the sour direction. Sour red grapes were the first thing I noticed in the aroma, followed with faint notes of raisin, chocolate, malt and bourbon. The flavor was similar. A bit of tartness mixed with plums, figs and raisins and a hint of bourbon in the background. Certainly no longer your typical doppelbock, this is now something entirely unique. I wouldn't let this beer sit another year or it may lose its body to sourness, but right now the balance is intriguing. The cheese is another story, as it is quite fresh and bursts with a beautiful smoky flavor. The fresh Smoking Goose treatment is immediately noticeable both in the aroma and flavor. The cheese has a distinct dry, salty, nuttiness that lends itself to smoking and creates an incredible end product. When tasting the cheese and the beer together, the doppelbock notes are incredibly complimentary with the dark fruit and rich malt flavors pairing well with the smoked character of the cheese. The sourness creates an interesting reaction with the salty flavor of the cheese, which seems to run parallel to the other flavor interactions without disturbing them. Certainly a unique pairing! Sorry, you don't get the whole wheel To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St. Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Good Beer for Super Bowl XLVI Visitors
Over the past weekend, visitors coming to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI began hitting the city. Fans from New York, New England, and elsewhere will continue to arrive in Indy this week to cheer on their team on Sunday. But rather than instill rivalry and conflict between Giants and Pats fans, it's our mission at Hoosier Beer Geek to spread the love of craft beer, especially among those visiting Indiana. We know how hard it can be finding good beer in an unfamiliar state.
Where to Drink Craft Beer in Indianapolis We've covered this one before. Rather than repeat it all, check out our "Where to Drink" guides. In these guides, we cover many local bars, breweries, and brewpubs. We also provide some tips on effectively using public transportation to get to your desired craft beer destinations. All in all, it's going to be busy this week, so a lengthy list of watering holes will be a good thing to have. Hey, we actually have a lot of beer in Indianapolis. Many of the establishments we list in our Where to Drink guides are holding special events and will be open for extended hours this week. If you're interested in visiting an establishment after perusing our Where to Drink guides, check that establishment's website for more details on specials (we link to their websites in the Where to Drink guides). You should also check this blog on Friday morning for our weekly feature, the Random Beer Roundup, which will have the latest news on any Super Bowl-related events featuring craft beer. Our HBG calendar in the sidebar of the blog is also a handy tool. What to Drink We cannot emphasize this enough: Indiana breweries are making amazing beer. If you know anything at all about Indiana breweries, you're undoubtedly familiar with Indiana's most acclaimed brewery among beer geeks, Three Floyds. Rest assured that if you're looking for Three Floyds beers in Indianapolis, you'll find them at just about every establishment that serves craft beer in this town. But don't fixate on only Three Floyds. While we love their beer, you won't be disappointed with other Indiana-brewed beers. The Indianapolis area alone boasts 16 breweries, with several more opening soon. In short, we have a burgeoning craft beer scene in Indianapolis. We cover most of the breweries in our Where to Drink guides. If you'd just like a simple list of Indianapolis breweries, head over to Indiana Beer. And now for Indiana's silly liquor laws One last warning: At some establishments, you cannot purchase beer/wine/liquor for carry-out on Sunday. This law primarily includes liquor stores and grocery stores. Do NOT forget this or you may end up very upset if you want to have your own stash of beer for your hotel room or tailgate party. Plan ahead and buy before Sunday. Yes it's stupid, but we all have our dumb liquor laws we have to work with. All is not lost, however. Keep in mind that you can still drink at bars, restaurants, and breweries on Sunday. In addition, Indiana breweries and wineries *are* permitted to offer carry-out sales on Sundays, though not all breweries take advantage of this. In closing, we hope you like your stay in Indianapolis. It might be called Naptown, but don't expect to have time for a nap while you're here; there are plenty of things to do in our fair city. Have fun, and enjoy the big game! Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to DowntownYou can forget all your troubles and forget all your cares and drink downtown…
Indianapolis has some great drinking neighborhoods. Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Massachusetts Avenue… they all have great establishments for craft beer, but if you live, work, or visit downtown, there is no need for expensive cab fares or a potential DUI. There are a variety of places within stumbling distance. Here are a few of our favorites, with distances from the center of the city (Monument Circle) and from the house that Peyton built (Lucas Oil Stadium)… Adobo Grill (Monument Circle: 2 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 8 blocks) 110 E. Washington St. http://www.adobogrill.com/indianapolis/ HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2009/06/kotbr-74-tacos-and-chelada-at-adobo.html This Mexican grill has a small craft beer selection, but they make your guacamole tableside (highly recommended), have fantastic tacos, and a fine selection of tequila, if that’s your thing. Creation Café (Monument Circle: 11 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 18 blocks) 337 W. 11th St. http://www.thecreationcafe.com/ The Creation Café is located in the former church building known as Buggs Temple. It is located at the north end of the Central Canal, which puts it a good mile from the city center. But it is close to IUPUI and a short people mover ride to Methodist or IU/Riley Hospital. Because even hospital patients need a drink. The views from Creation Café are spectacular and a popular place when the weather is nice. Dick’s Bodacious Bar-B-Q (Monument Circle: 1/2 block; Lucas Oil Stadium: 9 blocks) 50 N. Pennsylvania St. http://www.dicksbbq.com/ This counter-service Texas-style BBQ joint keeps a great craft beer list on tap and in bottles. A great choice for a quick bite and a drink. I highly recommend the Hoss nachos. Hoosier Park’s Winner Circle (Monument Circle: 1 block; Lucas Oil Stadium: 8 blocks) 20 N. Pennsylvania St. http://hoosierpark.com/winnerscircle If you want to place a bet on the big game, you can’t do it in Indy. At least, not legally. But if you want to bet on the ponies, Indy can help you. The Winner Circle is a bar, restaurant, and off-track betting facility. It just recently opened, but you’ll find craft beer to help lubricate your wallet. The Libertine (Monument Circle: 1 block; Lucas Oil Stadium: 7 blocks) 38 E. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 http://www.libertineindy.com/ HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/search/label/Craft%20Beer%20and%20Fine%20Food%20Symposium Chef Neal Brown owned and operated L’Explorateur before opening The Libertine. We are fans of Neal’s food. The Libertine is probably better known for their cocktails than their craft beer, but we are making a convert out of Neal… Mo’ Joe Coffeehouse (Monument Circle: 7 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 10 blocks) 222 W. Michigan St. http://www.mojoecoffeehouse.com/ HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2009/09/kotbr-86-berghoff-at-mojo-coffee-house.html Close to IUPUI, Mo’ Joe is an off-campus coffee shop that is adjacent to a college bookstore and serves a selection of bottled beer. A relaxing place to hang and be out of the way. Pearl Street Pizzeria and Pub (Monument Circle: 2 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 7 blocks) 65 E. Pearl St. http://www.pearlstreetpizzeria.com/ A little off the beaten path, but close to everything, Pearl Street serves up pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and craft beer. It is in the same building as O’Reilly’s ( ) and Coaches Tavern ( ), two other bars with craft beer selections. And great picks if Bankers Life Fieldhouse is your destination. Ram Restaurant & Big Horn Brewery (Monument Circle: 3 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 8 blocks) 140 S. Illinois Street http://www.theram.com/indiana/indianapolis.html HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2011/06/kotbr-128-knights-of-beer-ramtable.html The two breweries downtown are chains, but they have good food and locally crafted beers with fantastic brewers. We recommend you grab a burger and a pint of Andrew Castner’s special or seasonal brews. Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (Monument Circle: 1 block; Lucas Oil Stadium: 6 blocks) 10 W. Washington Street http://www.rockbottom.com/indianapolis-downtown HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2008/11/kotbr-59-likely-story.html http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2007/11/rock-bottom-pumpkin-ale.html Brewer Jerry Sutherlin brews up some fantastic hoppy beers (the Hopbomb is a personal favorite) and the food is good too. I recommend the nachos (I like nachos!) Scotty’s Brewhouse (Monument Circle: 2 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 7 blocks) One Virginia Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.scottysbrewhouse.com HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2009/06/kotbr-77-socratic-beer-method.html Scotty’s Brewhouse has locations in Indy, Muncie, Lafayette, and Bloomington with a brewery (Thr3e Wise Men) in Broad Ripple and a Burger Joint in Columbus. The food menu is extensive and the craft beer tap list is the largest downtown. The patio is a great place to hang and there are plenty of TV’s inside. It is a block from the front door of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tavern on South (Monument Circle: 9 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 1 block) 423 W. South St. Indianapolis, IN 46225 http://tavernonsouth.com/ HBG Visits http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2011/08/kotbr-133-youre-going-to-hate-this.html Tavern on South has one of my favorite non-nachos appetizer: Shagbark Teriyaki Duck Wings. The mushroom cappachino soup is wonderful on a cold day. The entire menu is fantastic. It is close to Lucas Oil Stadium. And it has a great tap list. You’ll find me there after work during half priced appetizers (4p-6p Monday through Thursday). Tomlinson Tap Room at the historic City Market (Monument Circle: 3 blocks; Lucas Oil Stadium: 10 blocks) 222 E. Market Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 http://www.indycm.com/index.php/tomlinsontaproom HBG Visits http://www.hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2010/11/sneak-preview-tomlinson-tap-room-at.html http://www.hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2011/02/replicale-tapping-at-tomlinson.html If you are looking for a variety of local food bites, you’ll find it at the City Market. Papa Roux and 3 Nights in Paris (crepes) are amongst my favorites. But the icing on the cake: the Tomlinson Tap Room. Located on the second floor of the main hall, the TTP serves nothing but Indiana craft beer. And you can get growlers to go (except on Sundays). Previously in our "Where to Drink in Indy" series: Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Broad Ripple, the North Side, and the Northeast Side Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Mass Ave, the Near East Side, and the Near North Side Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Fountain Square Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Broad Ripple, the North Side, and the Northeast SideTo better serve our readers and folks coming to town for Super Bowl XLVI, we're updating our "Where to Drink in Indianapolis" series. In our third post of the updated series, we focus on one of Indy's prime entertainment and cultural districts: Broad Ripple Village. We also highlight some drinking destinations on the city's north side and east side. Here's our list, sorted according to area. South Broad Ripple/Meridian Kessler Recess/Room Four If you're looking for an amazing culinary experience to match your search for excellent beer, you should dine at Recess or its companion restaurant, Room Four. Chef/owner Greg Hardesty is a gastronomic superstar in Indianapolis, and the restaurants' contemporary American dishes are unparalleled in the city. The menus change daily. And the beer selections, though offered solely in bottles, are perfect for pairing with Hardesty's cuisine. Reservations are a must for Recess; if you want to walk in, try Room Four. 4907 N. College Ave. 317.925.7529 Website HBG Visits: Scenes From a Beer Dinner: Nøgne Ø at Recess The Sinking Ship Along with Recess/Room Four and the Upland Tasting Room, the Sinking Ship recently brought a welcome revitalization to the long-neglected intersection of 49th Street and College Avenue. The Ship has a punk vibe and a menu of hearty sandwiches and draft beers from regional and local brewers (though be prepared to have your beer served in a Mason jar). The Ship is a great place for hockey fans because NHL games are always on during the season. 21+ only. Smoking permitted 4923 N. College Ave. 317.920.7999 Website Twenty Tap The sign outside Twenty Tap says "Craft. Beer. Bar." What more need we say? Well, this: Twenty Tap, owned by Broad Ripple Brewpub brewmaster Kevin Matalucci, is one of your best bets for getting a taste of the best beer Indiana has to offer, especially considering that the pub boasts 31 taps. It's also worth noting that Twenty Tap offers half-pours of any of their beer selections, allowing patrons to moderate their sampling. Chef Rob Coates keeps a menu of expected bar food favorites interesting and upsale yet remarkably affordable. The vegan (yes, vegan) bahn mi sandwich is a Hoosier Beer Geek favorite. 5408 N. College Ave. 317.602.8840 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #134 - Zombies on Twenty Taps Upland Tasting Room Bloomington-based Upland Brewing Company opened up their Indianapolis outpost, the Tasting Room, in 2009. The brewery's concept for the space is pretty simple. They serve beer, but they're not a bar. They serve food, but they're not a restaurant. The best way to describe the Tasting Room is that it's like a coffee shop, but with the emphasis on beer instead of coffee. Stop in and you'll be able to grab a beer and relax in a funky chair, or just walk in with a growler and head home to enjoy some fresh Upland beer there. We recommend the Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout or a bottle of one of Upland's acclaimed lambics (if available). 4842 N. College Ave. 317.602.3931 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #124 - In Tribute Upland Tasting Room Now Open! Upland Coming Soon to Indianapolis Broad Ripple Binkley's Kitchen & Bar Binkley's is a neighborhood favorite with Broad Ripple and Meridian Kessler residents. The restaurant offers classic American fare and has a great line-up of local and regional beers on tap, including unique offerings from a nitro line. 5902 N. College Ave. 317.722.8888 Website HBG Visits: Sierra Nevada Brewmaster Meet and Greet - Binkley's Broad Ripple Brewpub Despite owning Twenty Tap, Kevin Matalucci still holds down a regular job as the head brewer at the Broad Ripple Brewpub. English expatriate John Hill opened the Brewpub in 1990 in an effort to bring an authentic English pub experience to Indianapolis. He did more than that, kick-starting Indiana's craft beer revolution and creating an Indiana craft beer monument. Matalucci's English-style ales and an extensive menu help complete the effort. Order whatever is on the hand-pull. We especially like the Monon Porter. 842 E. 65th St. 317.ALE.BREW (253.2739) Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #94 | 2001: A Stout Odyssey The 2009 Knights of the Beer Roundtable Beer of the Year - Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter KOTBR #64 - Forgotten Landmarks Indiana Beer Week Bar Hop - Day One - Operation Chaos KOTBR #11 - Broad Ripple Brewpub's Wee Alec Heavy Brugge Brasserie Look below and you'll see a long list of posts we've written about Brugge Brasserie. There's a good reason for this: Brugge is an Indianapolis treasure. Nestled next to the Monon Trail, Brugge is unique among Indiana's brewpubs because it's the only brewery in the state to focus on Belgian-style beers and food. Ask your server if there are any sour beers on tap, and be sure to order the frites (fries), which are among Indianapolis' best. You also can't go wrong with a glass of Brugge's famous Tripel de Ripple, but be advised: there's a two-beer limit due to the potency of this beer. 1011 E. Westfield Blvd. 317.255.0978 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #124 - In Tribute KOTBR #120 - Two Places, One Beer - Dogfish Head/Three Floyds Poppaskull Beer Diary #17 - Jim | The Power of Names KOTBR #104: Brugge Spider Beer Diary #18 - Lose Ends Edition KOTBR #90: Medal Winners Beer Diary #15 - Mike - Vacations The First Annual Hoosier Beer Geek Craft Beer Breakfast Beer Diary #10 - Mike KOTBR #51: The Hoosier Beer Geek Second Anniversary Party Indiana Beer Week Bar Hop - Day One - Operation Chaos KOTBR #48 - Dude, Where's Chris's Car? Six Pack Interview with Brugge's Charlie Midgley The Complete Works (so far) of Ted Miller (abridged) KOTBR #34 - Two at Brugge Brasserie - Thunder Monkey and Impérial Beer Diary - Mike The Hoosier Beer Geek 6 Pack - Ted Miller, Brewer/Owner of Brugge Brasserie and Brugge Beer Beer Diary - Jim | South Florida Edition KOTBR #14 - Brugge Quadripple KOTBR #5 - Brugge's The Black Chumley's Pub Chumley's is more or less a college bar, attracting much of its clientele from nearby Butler University (home to Indy's beloved Butler Bulldogs). But unlike many college bars with their sole focus on macrobrews, Chumley's has an extensive tap list that always has something to suit any beer geek's tastes. The bar also sells beer by the pitcher and has several nitro lines that pour more than the usual nitro offerings. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 838 Broad Ripple Ave. 317.466.1555 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #55 - Beer and Progress with the Urbanophile Corner Wine Bar If you're looking for a restaurant that is perfect for date night and that has a well-curated wine and beer list, visit the Corner Wine Bar. Along with a menu of Continental-inspired dishes, the CWB has a cozy English-style pub with a small but nice selection of draft beers. Stop by on Wednesdays, when pints are $3.00. Smoking permitted in the pub. 6331 Guilford Ave. 317.255.5159 Website HBG Visits: Beer Diary #8 - Jim | Then and Now Locals Only Art & Music Pub Seeking local music in an off-the-beaten-path establishment? Then Locals Only is your place. There's a stage in one corner of the bar, offering live music of all sorts. The work of local artists hangs on the walls. And then there's the amazing bottle and draft beer selection, put together by proprietor and craft beer lover David Quiesser. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 2449 E. 56th St. 317.255.4013 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #38 - I Love Scotch. Scotchy Scotch Scotch. Here It Goes Down, Down Into My Belly... KOTBR #12 - Locals Only...With a Special Guest Star Monon Food Company Offering a selection of 60 beers (mostly bottled), the Monon Food Company is a great place to dine in a family-friendly and casual atmosphere. During the summer, the restaurant's deck is a great place for people watching due to the restaurant's close proximity to the Monon Trail. When it comes to the food, we recommend the Ultimate Mac and Cheese. 6420 Cornell Ave. 317.722.0176 Website Northside Social Managing to be upscale and casual at the same time, Northside Social carries a sophisticated air with its contemporary furnishings, well-dressed patrons, and attentive servers. Sink into a cushy chair in the lounge area, grab a table, or snag a spot at the bar and you'll have a good draft list at your disposal. 6525 N. College Ave. (317) 253-0111 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #112 - Flashback at the Northside Social Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company Scott Wise's Scotty's Brewhouse restaurants are well-known in central Indiana, especially in the area's college towns. To refer to Wise as possessing a restaurant empire would be no exaggeration. But Wise is an emperor of the best kind: a benevolent one who always wants to ensure a fun, good-quality dining experience. In 2011, Wise added a brewpub to his stable of restaurants with Thr3e Wise Men. With its blond wood paneling and airy space, the restaurant kind of looks like a ski lodge inside. But pizza and beer are the house specialties. Hop-heads should go for a Golden Zoe IPA, which is lovingly crafted by head brewer Omar Castrellon. 1021 Broad Ripple Ave. 317.255.5151 Website HBG Visits: 3WM HBG Double Brown Tapping KOTBR #132 - Thr3e Wise Men Golden Zoe IPA, Neil Patrick Harris Style Opening Today: Thr3e Wise Men Union Jack Pub There was a time when hardcore soccer fans in this town had no place to go if they wanted to watch a match from across the pond. Around the time of the 2006 World Cup, Indy's barkeepers began to catch on to the fact that yes, rabid fans of the Beautiful Game make Indianapolis their home. The Union Jack Pub is one of Indianapolis' soccer-centric bars, offering Saturday and Sunday breakfasts to accompany the English Premier League matches they show. The pub has a pretty extensive draft and bottle list with some British, regional, and local offerings. 924 Broad Ripple Ave. 317.257.4343 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #75 - Secret Meeting of the (Expanded) Knights of the Beer Roundtable North Side Ale Emporium Billing itself as "The Home of Honest Pizza," the Ale Emporium certainly has a diverse selection of pies to choose from. But this Allisonville pub also has a well-rounded selection of local and regional craft beers on tap and in the bottle. You can even order by the pitcher if you desire. Visit on Tuesdays for discounted pints and pitchers. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 8617 Allisonville Rd. 317.842.1333 Website The Beer Sellar "100 bottles, 50 taps, and 1 bitchin' jukebox"--with the Beer Sellar's tagline, you at definitely know what's in store for you. This bar is probably the north side's best known beer bar and occasionally hosts tap takeovers by the likes of Michigan's Bell's and Indy's own Sun King. If you're on the north side and don't mind smokers, we definitely recommend that you stop in, especially on Wednesday, when Indiana beers are $3.00 by the pint and $4.00 by the bottle. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 6466 E. 82nd St. 317.849.2739 Website HBG Visits: Photo Post: 30 Bell's Taps at The Beer Sellar Chatham Tap Fishers Like soccer? We do. Chatham Tap is the default choice for fans wishing to catch English Premier League action. The pub's tap list follows suit, with the standard English selections as well as local taps and a nice bottle list. And if you happen to follow the U.S. National Team, the Chatham Tap is where you want to be on match day because the local American Outlaws chapter takes over the bar with their bawdy chants and infectious enthusiasm. 8211 E. 116th St. Fishers, Indiana 46038 317.845.1090 Website Rock Bottom College Park Unfortunately, chain brewpubs sometimes get a bad rap. People automatically assume that if it's corporate, it's not worth having. Definitely not so with Rock Bottom. While some of Rock Bottom's beers are the same no matter which Rock Bottom you visit, each pub's brewer is given the freedom to brew several other beers according to the brewer's own recipes. Rock Bottom's north side location offers several gems from brewer extraordinaire Liz Laughlin. We recommend ordering whatever's on cask. 2801 Lake Circle Dr. 317.471.8840 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #107 - Re-dedication at Rock Bottom College Park Northeast Side Bier Brewery and Taproom Bier Brewery and Taproom's Darren Connor began his brewing career at homebrewing supply store Great Fermentations, perfecting the homebrewing craft that he learned in college. In late 2010, he opened Bier just a few doors down from Great Fermentations. Bier is different from other Indy breweries in that it operates on a small, 1.5 barrel system. So in that sense, Bier is the city's one and only nanobrewery (though that will change soon with the opening of Black Acre Brewing Company in Irvington). Because Bier's batches are small, the brewery rotates styles quite frequently and offers only growlers for sale. But that's not a bad thing; variety, as they say, is the spice of life. We're quite fond of Bier's DFG IPA, so grab a growler if it's on. 21+ only. 5133 E. 65th St. 317.253.BIER (2437) Website Triton Brewing Company Triton Brewing Company opened in 2011 out at Fort Benjamin Harrison in a marvelously refurbished building that was long-used as a horse barn. At Triton's helm are Jon Lang, former head brewer at Barley Island Brewing Company; Mike DeWeese, a longtime veteran of Indianapolis' craft beer scene; and David Waldman. Triton's name--borrowed from the name of Greek sea god Poseidon's son--stems from the brewery's emphasis on water quality. Indeed, Triton uses a reverse osmosis filtration system to ensure the highest quality water for its beers. Pints and growlers are available at the brewery, along with local and regional beers from the brewery's guest taps. Drinkers won't be disappointed by Triton's Rail Splitter IPA or Deadeye Stout. Fort Benjamin Harrison 5764 Wheeler Rd. 317.735.2706 Website Previously in our "Where to Drink in Indy" series: Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Mass Ave, the Near East Side, and the Near North Side Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Fountain Square Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Flat12 Winterfest Tap ListWe just heard from Josh Hambright, brewer at Flat12 Biewerks, who sent us the brewery's taplist for today. According to Josh, Flat12 will not schedule the tappings. Rather, they'll just tap what they feel like drinking at the time.
Here's the taplist in no particular order. Half Cycle Lacto-Matic Cherry Milk Stout Cranber Moustache Ride Moustache Rides Again BA Nunmoere Black Coconut Porter 1/2 Cycle Reserve Grandpa's Glazed Ham Barrel Jack Walkabout Pale Ale Apple Bottom Blonde Fruitcake IPA BBD68 (Big Black Dog - American Rye Stout) Winter Cycle Winter Cyclo (Belgian Double IPA) Super Bravo 46 Passion Fruit Walkabout Flateua Du Dorman (Blackberry Porter) Kiwi^2 (Kiwi Kiwi Hefe) We hope everyone enjoys the festival today! Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Random Beer Roundup - The Winterfest EditionHoosier Beer Calendar Events are subject to change From the Brewers From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis: Super Bowl is here and our 11 day Tent Party that we've dubbed: The Local Underground is in full effect! Our 4,000 square foot temperature controlled structure is hosting the Big Green Bistro with our brand new draft trailer for pouring Fresh•Local•Beer and some of Indy and the surrounding area's best bands! We have created this as a place for locals to enjoy some of the festivities surrounding the big game, as well as an experience where visitors can get a true taste of Indy. The Local Underground is open from 11 a.m.. to 10 p.m. Friday, January 27th through Saturday, February 4th and we'll be serving up Brunch on Sunday January, 29th and February 5th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We'll be pouring Java Mac and plus featuring the Sunny Mary and Pale Mary with Hoosier Mama's Bloody Mary Mix. Chef JJ is putting together an incredible menu so make plans to join us for lunch, dinner, brunch or just stop by for a good time and some Fresh•Local•Beer... Live Music Schedule: Friday 1/27 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Stereo Deluxe 6:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday 1/28 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Woodstove Flap Jacks 6:30pm - 9:30pm Wednesday 2/1 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Neon Love Life 6:30pm - 9:30pm Thursday 2/2 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Left Lane Cruiser 6:30pm - 9:30pm Friday 2/3 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Goliathon 6:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday 2/4 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Oreo Jones 6:30pm - 9:30pm From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis: Come into Broadripple and enjoy all of the Big Game Festivities with Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company! Stop by and enjoy a beer before you head down the street to watch the concerts and take part in the fun and then grab one to go and take it down the street with you. We will be serving all of our amazing beers plus our current seasonal the Lombardi’s Super Baltic Porter all week long! From Mike at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence: Triton has 3 specialties on tap currently: Sin Bin Ale, Muletide Raspberry Bourbon Stout and Sweet Georgia Brown. Those will be tapped at Winterfest Saturday. Look for our schedule at the event. Guest Taps: Stone 11-11-11 Founders Dirty Bastard Rogue Hazelnut Brown Alltech Kentucky Bourbon Ale Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Bells' Sparkling Ale Upland Winter Warmer From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington/Indianapolis: We're hiring a brewer! :) http://uplandbeer.com/brewer-position-at-upland-brewing-co/ At Bars and Restaurants From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Castleton: It’s almost here: Our Super Bell's Party Wed. Feb. 1st. Party starts at 5pm. Black Note and the firkin will be tapped at 6pm. Live music is at 6 as well. Amber Best Brown Black Note Double Cream Stout Expo Stout Golden Rye Harry Mag Spiced Stout Hell Hath No Fury Ale Hopslam Java Stout Kalamazoo Stout Lager of the Lakes Oarsmen Porter Quinannan Falls Raspberry Ale Sparkling Third Coast Beer Rye Stout Two Hearted Winter White The firkin will be HOPSLAM We also will have a small amount of Oracle and 25th Anniversary bottles. Friday the 3rd we are having a Sixpoint Brewing welcome party. Beers on tap will be The Crisp Righteous Ale Bengali Tiger Sweet Action Disel 7th Anniversary Ale Belgian IPA Gorilla Warfare Our current tap list includes as of 1/25/12 Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye Great Divide Oaked Aged Yeti Bell's Hopslam Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf Three Floyds Gumball Head Kasteel Rouge Brooklyn The Companion Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout Rogue Double Chocolate Stout Bell's Sparkling Ale Duvel Single Sun King Wee Muckle New Bottles Goose Island BCBS Goose Island King Henry Founders Imperial Stout Sun King Osiris Cans Sam Adams The Vixen Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11 Upcoming Drafts coming NEXT WEEK 1/30/12-2/6/12 Bouder Mojo Risen on Nitro Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11 Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Founders Breakfast Stout Founders Double Trouble Founders Imperial Stout Great Divide Hibernation Ale New Belgium Fresh Hop IPA New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison Three Floyds Behemoth Triton Sweet Georgia Brown Harpoon Leviathan IPA Flat 12 Walkabout Pale Ale Sun King Zaius Oatmeal Stout Fountain Square Count Nibula Chocolate Stout Brooklyn Blast Dark Horse Scotty Karate Rogue Chateau Orgasmic Ale Three Floyds Dreadnaught Victory Storm King Stout Goose Island Pere Jacques Between Winterfest and Sunday's Game these beers will be put on, Stay tuned to our twitter,facebook and BeerMenus to check for updates. From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville: ON DRAFT Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale Pint 5.00 Bell’s HopSlam 8oz 5.25 12oz 7.50 Boulder’s Hazed and Infused IPA Pint 5.25 Schmaltz Brewing Lenny’s Rye IPA 12oz 7.00 10%abv (almost gone) Two Brother’s Resistance IPA Pint 5.25 Boulder Cold Hop British Style Ale Pint 5.00 6.3%abv. Two Brother’s Heavy Handed IPA 12oz 5.25 People’s Brewing Mr. Brown Pint 5.25 ( a higher than normal abv. hoppy brown) North Coast Pranqster - A big and tasty Belgian Style Golden Ale 12oz 7.5% abv. New Albanian Yakima Red IPA Pint 5.75 7.5% abv. From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis: Tuesday Night Trivia will be hosted by Bier Brewery on January 31st with 5 tap handles. Bier Brewery is located on 65th and Binford and produces some "Awesomeness" for everyone to taste! Darren, Jerry, and Corbin will be giving us some of the best product for everyone to see what they have to offer. We have just added a new dart board are with real cork, offical distances, and tournaments. We stay open until 1am for our double dollar menu with all sliders, tacos, toastadas, and snacks at $2 a piece. This week we will be adding a few new beers to our lineup including Sun King Malus Pi, Flat12 walkabout pale ale, Three Floyds Robert the Bruce, and Bier Brewery seasonal brew. Weekly craft specials: Monday- $4.50 imperial craft pints Tuesday- $3.00 pints of Tuesday Night Trivia Sponsor Wednesday- $2.50 craft draft Thursday- $3.50 craft pints Friday- $13.00 craft pitchers From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations: Scotty’s Brewhouse Downtown is going to be rocking out for the Big Game! We are celebrating right with a huge heated tent over our patio. We have a whole list of great things going during the week. The Nick & Artie Show will be broadcasting live Monday thru Friday 10am to 1pm next week. We will also have Free Tweetup with Peter King from Sports Illustrated on Tuesday evening at 5:30pm in our tent. Then join us on Friday morning for the live Broadcast of the Smiley Morning Show! We will be opening at 7am for Eggs & Kegs with Smiley! Our full breakfast menu will be available and will be handing out free shirts for the first 50 guest. Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington now has Bluegrass Brewing Company’s Bourbon Barrel Stout on tap! You can get this delicious beer every Thursday night for $3.50 a pint! Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now pouring People’s Brewing Company’s Mr. Brown on Nitro! Come on by on Wednesday evening and enjoy this awesome Brown for only $9.00 for a 48oz pitcher! Scotty’s Burger Joint in Columbus now has Triton Brewing Company’s Magnificent Amber on tap! Come by on Tuesday and enjoy a 48oz pitcher for only $5.00!! For Carry-out From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville/New Albany: Here is the latest from Keg Liquors: Jolly Pumpkin - Calabaza Blanca (Michigan) Jolly Pumpkin - Oro de Calabaza (Michigan) Jolly Pumpkin - Fuego del Otono (Michigan) De Proef - Flemish Primitive #4 (Pinhead) (Belgium) De' Proef - K-O Blonde (Belgium) Spezial - Rauchbier (Germany) Kulmbacher - Monchshof Kellerbrau (Germany) New Albanian - Bonfire of the Valkyries (Indiana) Pretty Things - Babayaga (Massachusetts) Three Floyds Mikkeller - Boogoop (Denmark) Xbeeriment - #44 Smoked Stout (Barack) (Denmark) De Molen - Bommen & Granaten (Netherlands) De Molen - Bed & Breakfast (Netherlands) Finchs Beer Company - Cut Throat Pale Ale (Illinois) Finchs Beer Company - Golden Wing Blonde Ale (Illinois) From Josh at Payless Liquors on SR135 in Greenwood: New Beers in stock- Jolly Pumpkin = Bam Biere Bam Noire Calabaza Blanca Oro de Calabaza Fuego Del Otono Weizen Bam Noel de Calabaza Saint Somewhere Lectio Devina, Pays du Soleil & Athene Mikkeller/Three Floyds BooGoop High & Mighty Beer of the Gods Pretty Things Babayaga Sixpoint Crisp, Bengali Tiger, Sweet Action & Righteous Finch's Golden Wing & Cut Throat Boulevard Chocolate ale Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Winterfest 2012 Preview MapLook what else I just found... it's a map for this year's Winterfest! You'll notice that there are more breweries listed in the previous post than are on this map. I believe the list is more up-to-date than the map, so use the list as a brewery reference and the map as a general sense of layout. And if your next question is "Will there be a program" the answer is yes and it will include the map. Although I didn't make it so I don't have a copy of it to share with you. Of course if I can dig one up between now and Saturday, you guys will be the first to know.
Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Winterfest Brewery Line-upAs you may have heard, we aren't organizing Winterfest this year. But that's not to say that we don't still have our connections! The date is drawing close and many of you have been wondering which breweries will be present. The following list may not be 100% complete, but it should be pretty representative of the festival. Enjoy and remember to thank our volunteer crew for their hard work on Saturday!
Against The Grain Brewery (Louisville, KY) Back Road Brewery (LaPorte, IN) Barley Island Brewing Company (Noblesville, IN) Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (Kalamazoo, MI) Bier Brewery & Taproom (Indianapolis, IN) Big Woods (Nashville, IN) Black Swan Brewpub (Plainfield, IN) Bloomington Brewing Co (Bloomington, IN) Bluegrass Brewing Co. (Louisville, KY) Bluegrass Brewing Production Brewery (Louisville, KY) Breckenridge Brewery (Breckenridge, CO) Broad Ripple Brewpub (Indianapolis, IN) Brugge Brasserie (Indianapolis, IN) Bulldog Brewing Co (Whiting, IN) Crown Brewing (Crown Point, IN) Cutters (Bloomington, IN) Das Big Dawg Brewhaus (Richmond, IN) Falls City Brewing Co (Louisville, IN) Figure 8 Brewing Co (Valparaiso, IN) Finch’s Beer Co (Chicago, IL) Flat 12 Bierwerks (Indianapolis, IN) Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI) Fountain Square Brewing (Indianapolis, IN) Four Horsemen Brewing Company (South Bend, IN) Half Moon (Kokomo, IN) Harpoon Brewing (Boston, MA) Kentucky Ale (Lexington, KY) Lafayette Brewing (Lafayette, IN) Mad Anthony’s (Fort Wayne, IN) Magic Hat (South Burlington, VT) Main Street Brewing at Turoni's Pizza (Evansville, IN) Napa Smith Brewery (Napa, CA) New Albanian Brewing Company (New Albany, IN) New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO) New Day Meadery (Indianapolis, IN) North Coast Brewing Co. (Fort Bragg, CA) Oaken Barrel Brewing Company (Greenwood, IN) People's Brewing Co (Lafayette, IN) Power House Brewing Co. (Columbus, IN) Pyramid Brewing Co. (Seattle, WA) RAM Restaurant and Brewery (Indianapolis, IN) Rivertown Brewing Co. (Cincinnati, OH) Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (Indianapolis, IN) Samuel Adams, Boston Beer Co. (Boston, MA) Schlafly Beer (St. Louis, MO) Shoreline Brewery & Restaurant (Michigan City, IN) Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA) Stone Brewing Co (Escondido, CA) Sun King Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) Three Floyds Brewing Co. (Munster, IN) Thr3e Wise Men Brewery (Indianapolis, IN) Three Pints Brewing (Plainfield, IN) Triton Brewing Company (Indianapolis, IN) Upland (Bloomington, IN) Victory (Downingtown, PA) And a few breweries you'll find in the Malt Shoppe... Abita Brewing Company (Louisiana) Brooklyn Brewery (New York) Dark Horse Brewery (Michigan) Dogfish Head (Deleware) Flying Dog (Maryland) Ommegang (New York) Rivertown (Ohio) Rogue Ales (Oregon) Although I guess it doesn't really matter if you were on the fence about the festival, as tickets have been sold out for weeks. At least now you can be reassured that there will be a ton of great beer! Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Indianapolis Breweries by IndyGo Bus (and a Guide to Super Bowl XLVI)So there you are, shuttled on the IndyGo Green Line from Indianapolis International Airport directly to the doorstep of your downtown hotel and from there into the warm confines of your room. All that travel has you craving a beer. A local beer. But the company you work for is a bunch of cheapskates and you have NO CAR.
First things, first: you're in downtown Indianapolis and you're a hop skip and a jump away from a local beer just about anywhere! For tips on where to go, take a look at Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Downtown. Within easy walking distance of downtown hotels there are a pair of brewpubs and virtually every bar and restaurant has some craft beer to offer you. But say you've been to Indy before or you're here for Super Bowl XLVI and have already been knocking around downtown for a few days. You're itching for something new.....again, though, you have NO CAR. My friend, you need to get on the bus. For the low, low price of $4, you can buy an all-day pass of unlimited boardings on IndyGo buses to go galavant around the city. For a trip with a plethora of interesting beer stops, we highly recommend the #17 bus. This bus route begins downtown at Ohio St. and Meridian St. and winds along restaurant and bar hotspots such as Mass Ave., College Ave. and Broad Ripple Ave. (click the links for more detailed info about beer destinations on this route). Take a look below for all the information you'll need on your bar-hopping bus trip plus some additional information specific to bus transportation during Super Bowl XLVI. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INDYGO:
SPECIAL SUPER BOWL XLVI BUS INFORMATION: As a special incentive to encourage using public transportation during the Super Bowl XLVI festivities, ALL IndyGo bus boardings will be free Thursday, February 2 through Sunday, February 5th (airport Green Line excluded). In addition, a special bus line will operate during Super Bowl XLVI that circulates between downtown, Mass Ave and Fountain Square. Monarch Beverage and World Class Beer will sponsor the bus, with service times and stop information available below: Mass Ave will have FREE shuttle service Feb. 2 - 4 from 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. Shuttle stops can be found on Mass Ave: 300 block near Alabama/Vermont intersection; 600 block near Dean Johnson & 800 block near IPS bus entrance. Additional stops are Indianapolis City Market, Indiana Government Center, Fletcher Place and Fountain Square. Shuttles will run along Mass Ave to the Indianapolis City Market, through Downtown, to Fountain square and back to Mass Ave. Shuttles can accommodate 25 passengers and will have on-board concierges at all times. We'd love to see a bus route like this become permanent (even just Fri/Sat service would be great) but we'll certainly take advantage during the brief time that it's available. Get on board and enjoy all the independent bars and restaurants outside the core of downtown! OTHER BREWERIES BY BUS: For the adventurous types with some time to kill, these far-flung breweries and brewpubs can also be reached from downtown on the following bus lines:
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN RIDING THE BUS! Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Miscellaneous Session BeersOn January 28, the Brewers of Indiana Guild will stage the fourth annual Winterfest, which will of course feature offerings from Indiana's craft breweries. In honor of Winterfest, we've decided to focus most of our posts this month on Indiana beers.
As part of this focus, we thought it would be a good idea to shine the spotlight on Indiana beers that are overlooked or underrated--the unsung heroes of Indiana craft beer, if you will. Admittedly, our methods in picking these beers were not scientific. Indeed, some of the beers that we'll talk about have won awards, so calling these beers "unsung heroes" might be a bit of a stretch. Moreover, our list is going to focus on only one beer from each Indiana brewery we discuss, and we may have omitted breweries who brew beers worthy of unsung hero status. So leave us a comment noting any beer that you think should have been included in the list. In our last installment of this series, we reveal our picks from Indiana's session beers of miscellaneous styles. Brugge Brasserie White. In our opinion, there's nothing quite like a well-crafted Belgian witbier. Brugge Brasserie's White exemplifies the style, with its melding of citrus tartness and coriander spiciness. We wish the brewery would have this beer on more often, particularly during the summer months when the heat calls for a crisp, thirst-quenching beer. Forget Hoegaarden--Hoosiers have Brugge White. Lafayette Brewing Tippecanoe Common Ale. If you're looking for a hoppy session beer, Lafayette Brewing's Tippecanoe Common Ale should be high on your list of Indiana beers. We reviewed this flagship brew when we visited the brewery a few years ago. In short, we were quite impressed: "The Tippecanoe Common Ale is LBC's best selling beer, and it's easy to see why. Hints of grapefruit-like hops are nicely balanced with a tasty caramel back, giving you a hoppy yet complex and extremely sessionable red ale. We all liked this one, and luckily it's bottled, so we were able to bring some home." "There is a reason why Tippecanoe Common is so popular: it is delicious. This is one of those beers that is well balanced between hops and malts. But it isn't lacking in Amarillo hops, even in the bottle." New Albanian Community Dark Mild Ale. Not many American breweries are doing an English dark mild ale. Fortunately for Hoosiers, New Albanian is with its medal-winning Community Dark. This is a true session beer, clocking in at 3.7% ABV. What's more, Community Dark does not lack for flavor with its malty chocolate, nut, and molasses notes. Along with Beak's Best, this is one of our go-to beers when we visit the Bank Street Brewhouse. If only NABC sold this beer in bottles. Previously: Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Porters and Stouts Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Brown Ales Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Pale Ales & IPAs Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Lagers Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Porters and StoutsOn January 28, the Brewers of Indiana Guild will stage the fourth annual Winterfest, which will of course feature offerings from Indiana's craft breweries. In honor of Winterfest, we've decided to focus most of our posts this month on Indiana beers.
As part of this focus, we thought it would be a good idea to shine the spotlight on Indiana beers that are overlooked or underrated--the unsung heroes of Indiana craft beer, if you will. Admittedly, our methods in picking these beers were not scientific. Indeed, some of the beers that we'll talk about have won awards, so calling these beers "unsung heroes" might be a bit of a stretch. Moreover, our list is going to focus on only one beer from each Indiana brewery we discuss, and we may have omitted breweries who brew beers worthy of unsung hero status. So leave us a comment noting any beer that you think should have been included in the list. In our fourth installment of this series, we reveal our picks from Indiana's porters and stouts. Bee Creek Clay County Coffee Stout. The little brewery from Brazil is best known for its signature beer, Hoosier Honey Wheat. While Hoosier Honey Wheat is delicious, it's Bee Creek's Clay County Coffee Stout that really hits our palates in the right spot. Malty, chocolaty, and full of java boldness, Clay County Coffee Stout goes down especially well in the January cold (though we also enjoyed it quite a bit in the August heat). Great Crescent Coconut Porter. Aurora's Great Crescent Brewery is currently one of two Indiana breweries offering its beers in cans. While Central Indiana beer drinkers might not be used to frequently seeing Great Crescent beers anywhere aside from the Brewers of Indiana Guild's festivals, that is changing. Kahn's is now carrying Great Crescent beers, and the brewery recently received recognition from CraftCans.com for its Bourbon's Barrel Stout. The brewery's Coconut Porter, however, is the beer we really crave. Brewed in the English porter style, Coconut Porter has the classic roasted malt and chocolate notes you'd expect from this sort of beer. And the coconut note is just hinted at rather than emphasized. Ram Total Disorder Porter. As we've noted before, Ram's brewmaster Andrew Castner is one of the coolest people in the Indianapolis craft beer community. In our experience, his seasonal beers are definitely worth seeking out. When it comes to Ram's flagship beers, Total Disorder Porter is the one that we consistently reach for. The most sessionable offering in our list of unsung porters and stouts, Total Disorder Porter offers a moderate mouthfeel with smooth chocolate and coffee notes. Definitely a multiple pint beer. Rock Bottom Downtown Hoosier Ma Stout (Oatmeal). Hoosier Ma Stout is my default beer at Rock Bottom's downtown location, even though the brewery rotates styles for this beer. Indeed, that's part of the allure for me. When Brewmaster Jerry Sutherlin puts Hoosier Ma on as an oatmeal stout, the beer rivals the best stouts in the state. The nose on this beer is wonderful, full of chocolate and toffee notes. The flavor is a deluge of malt and chocolate with a subtly sweet finish. I adore the mouthfeel of this beer; it's one of the creamiest stouts I've ever had. Previously: Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Brown Ales Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Pale Ales & IPAs Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Lagers Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Random Beer Roundup - The Sugar and Spice EditionHoosier Beer Calendar Events are subject to change From the Brewers From Bob at Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis: For Super Bowl Week: The Flat12 Bierwerks taproom will be open special hours for tasting, pints and carryout as follows: Monday - Thursday 2-7 Friday-Saturday 12-8 Sunday 12-4 Friday, January 27th, we will tap a specialty brew that celebrates Indianapolis' big week. The beer, a sessionable Extra Pale Ale, features Super Galena hops and Bravo hops. It comes in at 46 IBU. The working name for this brew is Super Bravo 46. Or SB46, for short. Friday, February 3rd, we will tap Big Black Dog 68, an American Stout brewed with Rye Malt. Head Brewer, Rob Caputo, describes the 6.8% ABV Rye Stout as "chewy and big." A couple other surprises are probably in the offing on this date as well. Meats, cheeses, soups and other items from Smoking Goose will be featured on the food menu. From Skip at Fountain Square Brewing Co. in Fountain Square: At our Grand Opening this Saturday we will tapping two new beers…..Count Nibula Chocolate Stout and Workingman’s Pilsner. Stop by between 7pm and 11pm. From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Indianapolis/Fishers: Super Bowl prep is in full swing! The coming weeks are going to be a great chance to come downtown and see the once-in-a-lifetime experience. When you're taking in the sights, pop in to the RAM to warm up and grab a pint. Two new seasonals were release today for your enjoyment. Happy tasting! Aries American Wheat - light with a citrusy hop finish ABV: 5.5% IBUs: 27 SRM: 3.4 Sticky Fingers Stout - roast, coffee, and caramel with a slight hop finish ABV: 4.4% IBUs: 34 SRM:36 Batch 1100: Monk Juice - Belgian Tripel with citrus notes and a peppery finish ABV: 9.5% IBUs 32 SRM: 4.6 From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis: We're busy gearing up for the big game here at Sun King... Next week we will be kicking off our 11 day Tent Party that we've dubbed: The Local Underground. This 4,000 square foot temperature controlled structure will play host to Chef JJ's enormous food trailer, The Big Green Bistro, our brand new draft trailer for pouring Fresh•Local•Beer and some of Indy and the surrounding area's best bands! We wanted to create a place for locals to enjoy some of the festivities surrounding the Super Bowl, as well as an experience where visitors can get a true taste of Indy. The Local Underground opens its doors on Thursday, January 26th at 5:00 and Rusty Redenbacher & Mr. Kinetik take the stage at 6:30 PLUS we'll be tapping several kegs of Sunlight Cream Ale that were aged for a year in William Henry Harrison Bourbon Barrels! The Local Underground will be open from 11 a.m.. to 10 p.m. Friday, January 27th through Saturday, February 4th and we'll be serving up Brunch on Sunday January, 29th and February 5th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with special guest Java Mac. Chef JJ is putting together an incredible menu so make plans to join us for lunch, dinner, brunch or just stop by for a good time and some Fresh•Local•Beer... Live Music Schedule: Thursday 1/26 FREE Mr. Kinetik & Rusty Redenbacher (#ATFU) 6:30pm - 9:30pm Friday 1/27 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Stereo Deluxe 6:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday 1/28 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Woodstove Flap Jacks 6:30pm - 9:30pm Wednesday 2/1 $5 Cover starting at 5pm Neon Love Life 6:30pm - 9:30pm Thursday 2/2 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Left Lane Cruiser 6:30pm - 9:30pm Friday 2/3 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Goliathon 6:30pm - 9:30pm Saturday 2/4 $10 Cover starting at 5pm Oreo Jones 6:30pm - 9:30pm From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis: Come by Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company to enjoy our newest seasonal, Lombardi’s Super Baltic Porter! Stop by on a Wednesday evening and enjoy this or any of our other beers for $3.00 for a Pint. We will be tapping our next seasonal, Wise Ass White IPA, on Tuesday February 7th so put that on your calendar. From Mike at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence: Triton has 3 specialties on tap currently: Sin Bin Ale, Muletide Raspberry Bourbon Stout and Sweet Georgia Brown. Guest Taps: Stone 11-11-11 Founders Dirty Bastard Rogue Hazelnut Brown Alltech Kentucky Bourbon Ale Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Bells' Sparkling Ale Upland Winter Warmer From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington/Indianapolis: The main thing we have going on we'd like to share is our Valentine's Day Beer and Food Pairing. http://uplandbeer.com/valentines-day-beer-and-food-pairing-dinner/ At Bars and Restaurants From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Castleton: Feburary 1st Super Bell's Party 5 pm Tap List for the event Amber Best Brown Black Note Double Cream Stout Expo Stout Harry Mag Spiced Stout Hell Hath No Fury Hopslam Java Stout Kalamazoo Stout Lager Oarsmen Porter Quinannan Falls Raspberry Ale Rye Stout Sparkling Third Coast Beer Two Hearted Winter White A Firkin of Hopslam From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville: Can you say HOPSLAM?...okay, so it's not Indiana Beer, but come on, it's hopslam....starting Wednesday night 5pm..1-18....in addition we are pouring at the moment, Flat-12 Porter, Two brothers' Resistance as well as their Heavy Handed IPA...my favorite lately is the Boulder Brewing's Cold Hop (think ESB)...we've got Boulevard's Tank 7 Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale, and Boulder's Hazed and Infused Pale. From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis: Sahm's Place will be having our weekly Tuesday Night Trivia this week starting at 8:30pm. It will kick of our 10 week season in which you take your 8 best scores and play for a top 5 spot in the end to win some cash! We will have different craft sponsors each week with Bell's Brewery up on the 24th with Hopslam, Two Hearted, Winter White, and Double Cream Stout. Our weekly craft specials: Monday- $4.50 20oz Imperial Pints Tuesday- Craft sponsored trivia night w/ $3.00 Pints Wednesday- $2.50 craft draft Thursday- $3.50 Craft Pints Friday $13.00 craft pitchers From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations: All Scotty’s Brewhouse locations now have new beer menus! Please make sure to stop by and try some of the new additions to our list. Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington is now pouring Bluegrass Brewing Company Bourbon Stout! You can get a pint of this very delicious brew every Thursday for $3.50. Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving Upland Bad Elmer’s Porter! You can enjoy a 48oz pitcher of this amazing Indiana beer for only $6.00. Scotty’s Lakehouse is now serving Triton Magnificent Amber! Come by and enjoy a 48oz. Pitcher of this Indianapolis Brew for only $9.00 every Wednesday! From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven: Latest beers on tap: Great Divide Old Ruffian Southern Tier choklatBell's Hopslam Upland Teddy Bear KissesMad Anthony Snowplowed Winter AleWells & Young's Banana Bread BeerSierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA On Deck (kegs are in-house and will be tapped any day...as soon as a handle opens up) Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Ommegang Abbey Ale Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock Delirium Tremens Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Use our Interactive Daily Tap List to check out the rest of the 58 beers we have on tap.Package Store specials: Old Rasputin XIV 500ml bottles - $19.99 (price includes tax) Hopslam 6-packs - $15.99 (price includes tax) Gumballhead 6-pack - $9.99 (price includes tax) Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to the Mass Ave CorridorTo better serve our readers and folks coming to town for Super Bowl XLVI, we're updating our "Where to Drink in Indianapolis" series. In our second post of the updated series, we focus on one of Indy's designated cultural districts: Mass Ave. We also highlight a few establishments that aren't in the Mass Ave Corridor but that are close enough that they ought to be discussed in the same breath. When I moved to Indianapolis in 1993, Mass Ave was a neighborhood in the infancy of a renaissance. New businesses that are now institutions were starting to sprout up along the avenue, but Mass Ave wasn't a place where many went to do anything after dark. Nearly 20 years later, the neighborhood has blossomed into the one of the places where locals go to drink, dine, shop, and enjoy art. If you're looking to explore Mass Ave and the surrounding area, here's our list of the neighborhood establishments to check out, especially if you want to enjoy a good pint or two (or three, etc.). The Ball and Biscuit Perhaps the most polished of all the Mass Ave bars is The Ball and Biscuit, a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge with a menu of excellent small plates and a solid craft beer lineup. The cozy space is made even more comfortable by the lack of televisions. This is a bar built for conversation. 21+ only. 331 Massachusetts Ave. 317.636.0539 Website HBG Visits: Notes from the Beer and Chocolate Benefit KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade KOTBR #108 - A Great Divide at the Ball & Biscuit Bazbeaux Opened in 1989, this widely loved pizza parlor has become an Indianapolis institution. Offering a wide array of gourmet pies, Bazbeaux also carries a full selection of craft bottles to keep you on even keel. The pizzeria added taps last year, and most of them are craft. 333 Massachusetts Ave. 317.636.7662 Website Black Market This acclaimed gastropub lies at the east end of Mass Ave in a cul-de-sac that juts off the street. Black Market is literally a "blink and you might miss it" sort of place because the restaurant has no signs facing the avenue; you'll have to look for the pub's black awning. The restaurant's menu focuses on locally-sourced selections that put a modern spin on traditional Hoosier comfort food. Black Market also has eight craft taps flowing mostly with locally-brewed beers. 21+ only. 922 Massachusetts Ave. 317.822.6757 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #129 - A Local Brew in a Kick Ass Neighborhood Bar Bru Burger Bar This recently-opened restaurant specializes in gourmet hamburgers and has what appears to be an impressive tap and bottle list. We haven't visited yet, but Bru is on our list of roundtable targets. Early reviews are good. 410 Massachusetts Ave. 317.635.4BRU (4278) Website Chatham Tap Like soccer? We do. Chatham Tap is the default choice for fans wishing to catch English Premier League action. The pub's tap list follows suit, with the standard English selections as well as local taps and a nice bottle list. And if you happen to follow the U.S. National Team, the Chatham Tap is where you want to be on match day because the local American Outlaws chapter takes over the bar with their bawdy chants and infectious enthusiasm. 21+ only. 719 Massachusetts Ave. 317.917.8425 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #93 | Jingle Bells So what's on the telly? Football, you say? Beer Diary #3 - Jason KOTBR #31 in Review | Wychwood Hobgoblin Ale @ the Chatham Tap The Chatterbox Jazz Club The Chatterbox Jazz Club--a Mass Ave original--is the divey-est of dive bars, with a legendarily dusty interior, the most interesting stage carpet that ever existed, the biggest ball of aluminum foil in Marion County, and bathrooms that are either scary or entertaining, depending on your outlook. Your best drink option is probably Sun King in a can, but what an atmosphere! 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 435 Massachusetts Ave. 317.636.0584 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade Dorman Street Saloon This beloved dive bar is nestled among the Victorian-era shotgun houses in the Cottage Home neighborhood, which is a hop, skip and jump from Mass Ave. The clientele tends to be on the bohemian side, and the jukebox is certainly hipster-influenced. But don't let that discourage you from visiting because the bottle list is quite nice. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 901 Dorman St. 317.237.9008 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #67 - Reader Submitted Locations - Ralph's Great Divide and Dorman Street Saloon Flat12 Bierwerks Flat12 Bierwerks, one of the city's newer breweries, is located in Indianapolis' historic Holy Cross Neighborhood, which has gone through a recent revitalization with the recent additions of Flat12 and Goose the Market's Smoking Goose Meatery. Since opening in 2010, Flat12 has gained a dedicated local following for their "tradition with a twist" approach, leading to a myriad of variations of their house lineup, as well as an adventurous attitude toward their specialty beers. 21+ only. 414 North Dorman St. 317.635.BEER (2337) Website HBG Visits: Flat12 Bierwerks Flat12: Start Your Engines Goose the Market Opened in 2007 in the Fall Creek Place neighborhood, Chris and Molly Eley's Goose the Market quickly became a hub in Indianapolis' growing gourmet and local food movement. In June 2010, they opened up their basement space to create The Enoteca, "a casual place to drink wine" (and beer), featuring six ready-to-drink beer choices as well as anything from the well-selected varieties on their store shelves. While the beer selection is nothing to blink at, it's the Enoteca's food that's the star. With selections such as duck rillette, terrine, charcuterie, or one of their highly-regarded sandwiches, there's something adventurous and tasty waiting for you. 2503 North Delaware St. 317.924.4944 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #122 - Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 3.edition KOTBR #115 - Hanging Out with Bears in the Basement Notes from the Beer and Cheese Benefit Beer Diary #20 - Mike - Goose the Market's Enoteca A Lesson on Beer and Cheese MacNiven's You might be thinking that a place named MacNiven's is an Irish pub. You'd be wrong. MacNiven's is a Scottish/American Pub. It also features one of Indianapolis' most extensive beer lists and regular tappings from the likes of Sun King, Bell's, and Three Floyds. And we haven't even mentioned the awesome haggis (yes, you read that correctly--the words "awesome" and "haggis" in the same sentence), which comes in both regular and vegetarian versions. With the bar's recent decision to go non-smoking and its addition of a hand-pull, MacNiven's has become one of the city's premier craft beer destinations. 21+ only. 339 Massachusetts Ave. 317.632.7268 Website HBG Visits: American Craft Beer Week, Annoying Photo Angles Edition | Sun King/Three Floyds Takeover @ MacNiven's Scenes from a Tapping: Bell's Hopslam Firkin at MacNiven's KOTBR #91 - A Second Helping of BCS KOTBR #54 - MacNiven's Broken Promise KOTBR #3 - Three Floyds Robert The Bruce Mass Ave Pub Located across the avenue from the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum, the Mass Ave Pub is where IFD's finest like to have an after-shift drink. On top of that, proprietor Tracy Robertson (whose husband Stuart is the man behind MacNiven's) always has the pub well-stocked with a deep selection of craft beers in the bottle and on draft. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 745 Massachusetts Ave. 317.974.0745 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade Mesh on Mass Avenue If you're seeking contemporary American cuisine and a place that's ideal for date night, you'll want to check out Mesh on Mass Avenue. A craft-beer-focused group of eight taps and a well-rounded bottle selection will please beer drinkers as well. 725 Massachusetts Ave. 317.955.9600 Website Old Point Tavern Something about Old Point Tavern is just plain cool. Maybe it's the flatiron building's wedge shape, or the girl dancing on the sidewalk outside, or perhaps even the extensive beer menu. In any case, the cozy confines provide plenty of entertainment. 21+ only. Smoking permitted. 401 Massachusetts Ave. 317.634.8943 Website The Rathskeller If you're the German beer-hall type, the Rathskeller is your Indianapolis answer. Located in the historic Athenaeum building (designed by writer Kurt Vonnegut's grandfather Bernard), the Rathskeller offers a full selection of German-brewed beers as well as a sausage-heavy menu that fits the atmosphere. In the warm-weather months, the Rathskeller's outdoor biergarten offers an unparalleled Mass Ave experience; the biergarten band shell hosts an eclectic group of bands. Grab a stein of Spaten Optimator and get ready to polka! 401 East Michigan St. 317.636.0396 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #119 | A Toast to the Original - The KOTBR & Paulaner Salvator KOTBR #81 - The All-Request Line KOTBR #28: Roll Out The Barrels KOTBR #2: Spaten Optimator Sun King Brewing Company Since opening in July 2009, Sun King has skyrocketed to brewing success. Aside from being the first production brewery to brew in Indianapolis since Indianapolis Brewing Company closed in 1997, Sun King recently made big waves in craft beer community, capturing eight medals at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival and showing the country what Hoosiers already knew: Indiana makes great beer. 21+ only. 135 N. College Ave 317.602.3702 Website HBG Visits: KOTBR #130 | The Super-Secret Sneak Preview Review of Sun King's Johan the Barleywine KOTBR #125 - Three Kings vs. Eight Knights KOTBR #111 - Polka, Wieners, and Beer KOTBR #102: The Island of Misfit Beers The Hoosier Beer Geek 2009 End of Year Readers Survey: RESULTS! (Part 3) - The Rise of Sun King The Sun King Rises Over Indy, Part 2 The Sun King Rises Over Indy Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Beer Diary #23 - Mike | Three Free from Magic Hat, a Tribute to David BeckhamIt's a Wednesday night. I start vacation tomorrow. I have beer in the fridge that was gifted to me by Magic Hat (I've been mailed some wacky stuff lately, but gifted beer is a rarer occurrence than you might think). Why not beer diary? Here it goes.
Howl Black Lager - Pilsner lager nose, hint of chocolate malt, dry chocolate. flavor follows through on nose, sweet pilsner elements, a tiny hint of chocolate malt, finishes chewy, tasty. This is a pretty nice Schwartzbier which I liked quite a bit, and it's well worth a purchase at the local grocery store. Ravell (Porter brewed with Vanilla) - I can't think of a vanilla porter I like - usually the vanilla tastes off, or the beer doesn't mesh together all that well, or... I'd say that Ravell has less nose than Howl, and also less flavor. The flavors that do come through are light across the board, with a hint of cinamon or perhaps even a slight note of burnt plastic in the finish. That sounds worse than it is - basically this is a beer. And that's about all. Encore (American Wheat IPA) - What's a wheat IPA? Maybe a Gumballhead sort of thing? I do get hops out of the nose here, and taking a drink reveals a sweet cereal-like beer (I can't put my finger on what cereal, but think of the oversweet marshmallow packed cereals made for kids), that finishes with a flourish of massive bitter hop flavor. Interesting, sure. Would I have a second bottle? Unlikely. But if unbalanced hop overload is your thing, maybe this is a beer for you. About that Beckham thing. Seems he's sticking around MLS. Good. (He also wears number 23). Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
KOTBR #138 | Fountain Square Times TwoWe make no secret of the fact that we like Fountain Square. Poll all seven of us and most (if not all) of us will tell you that it's our favorite Indianapolis neighborhood. We love the neighborhood for both sentimental and practical reasons. As for the sentimental reasons, Fountain Square is where the seed of Hoosier Beer Geek was planted and began to grow. Indeed, when we started regularly doing roundtables in 2006, we made the now-defunct Deano's Vino our unofficial base of operations. We also used to hold HBG parties at Deano's, and our first anniversary party was there as well. As for the practical reasons, Fountain Square is close to where most of us live. Add to this the fact that the neighborhood is finally coming into its own as a cultural destination in the city and we wonder why we would spend our entertainment dollars anywhere else in Indianapolis. We still love places like Broad Ripple and Mass Ave. But Fountain Square is where the city's young cultural heart truly beats. We'll get out to different parts of the city for future roundtables. But for our most recent roundtable, we found ourselves back in Fountain Square to hit up two new establishments: La Margarita (1043 Virginia Avenue, 317.848.1457) and End of the Line Public House (1105 Shelby Street, 317.687.4857). In addition to offering hearty Mexican fare and a well-rounded selection of premium tequilas, La Margarita has six craft taps and a good bottle selection. Proprietor Jon Carlos Rangel likes to stock off-the-beaten-path craft beers. For example, about a month ago, we enjoyed some Three Floyds/Dogfish Head Poppaskull on tap. Currently, Belgian quad Urthel Samaranth is on draft. As for End of the Line, Fountain Square finally has a bar devoted solely to craft beer with the recent addition of this bar. The End of the Line has ten taps, mostly local, along with a diverse menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. The menu also has a good selection of vegetarian dishes. While at La Margarita, we had People's Pilsner from Lafayette's People's Brewing Company. Mike: The nose on this beer is sweet like sweet corn (minus the flaws implied) or those powdered sugar Christmas cookies. The beer is sweet and clean throughout, finishes clean but not particularly dry. Clean, agreeable, drinkable, all things a pils should be. 4.00 Mugs. Gina: Brewed for its working-class citizen coal miners and steel workers, the original Dortmunder-style pilsner was made to be full-bodied and thirst-quenching. It needed to be hearty enough to satisfy the strongest of thirsts. The history of the style is quite fascinating if you’re into that sort of thing. People’s gave a nod to this style with People's Pilsner. Their rendition takes advantage of the hard water in Lafayette. This, along with Caramalt and Santium hops, gives this beer a balance of sweet and bitter. This beer is full-bodied with a slightly dry finish and absolutely loaded with flavor for a 4.5% ABV beer. If I had not just come from dinner, this beer would have been perfect with just about everything at La Margarita. 3.60 Mugs. Jim: This beer stood out to me because of its spicy finish. Indeed, the beer left my palate with a peppery note. I'm used to a bitter finish on pilsners, but the peppery bitterness in People's Pilsner was quite memorable. A great representation of the style and one that I'll now be seeking out more often. 4.00 Mugs. After finishing our People's Pilsners, we headed over to End of the Line to have Flat12 Bierwerks' Walkabout Pale Ale. Flat12 just celebrated their one-year anniversary, where they featured some outstanding variations on some of the flagship beers they brew. Gina: For last year’s ReplicAle, the Brewers of Indiana Guild chose a single hop pale ale. Each brewery chose their hop and brewed their beer based on a recipe created by brewmaster Liz Laughlin of Rock Bottom College Park. Flat12 chose Galaxy as their hop and brewed their beer. It was a smash hit at the festival, and they found themselves replacing their existing Puppet Show Pale Ale for this delightful new brew. It has a tropical fruity aroma that is so nice, it is almost relaxing. Malt shines through in this beer as well, making it a well-balanced brew. 4.00 Mugs. Jim: I poured beer at the ReplicAle tent at last summer's Indiana Microbrewers Festival, and Gina is correct when she calls Flat12's Walkabout a "smash hit." Above all other ReplicAles, festival attendees were clamoring for this beer. The keg blew quickly, and for good reason. Not only is this beer fairly sessionable at 5.3% ABV, it's brimming with flavor with its mango, passion fruit, and grapefruit attributes. That being said, it doesn't overwhelm your palate, making it a good beer for multiple-pint sittings. I don't know that I'd put Walkabout in the quite the same class as Three Floyds Zombie Dust, but it's pretty close. 4.45 Mugs. Mike: Grapefruity, biscuity, fuck who needs another goddamn pale ale review. This one is fucking good though. Chewy chewy chewy. I like a little more malt, but I can't fault the beer. 4.00 Mugs. People's Pilsner Mike: 4.00 Mugs | Gina: 3.60 Mugs | Jim: 4.00 Mugs KOTBR Score: 3.87 Mugs Flat12 Bierwerks Walkabout Pale Ale Mike: 4.00 Mugs | Gina: 4.00 Mugs | Jim: 4.45 Mugs KOTBR Score: 4.15 Mugs Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Brown AlesOn January 28, the Brewers of Indiana Guild will stage the fourth annual Winterfest, which will of course feature offerings from Indiana's craft breweries. In honor of Winterfest, we've decided to focus most of our posts this month on Indiana beers.
As part of this focus, we thought it would be a good idea to shine the spotlight on Indiana beers that are overlooked or underrated--the unsung heroes of Indiana craft beer, if you will. Admittedly, our methods in picking these beers were not scientific. Indeed, some of the beers that we'll talk about have won awards, so calling these beers "unsung heroes" might be a bit of a stretch. Moreover, our list is going to focus on only one beer from each Indiana brewery we discuss, and we may have omitted breweries who brew beers worthy of unsung hero status. So leave us a comment noting any beer that you think should have been included in the list. In our third installment of this series, we reveal our picks from Indiana's brown ales. Barley Island Dirty Helen. Let's face it - when it comes to picking a beer from the menu, many craft beer aficionados don't immediately go for a brown ale. But brewers would do well to have a well-made brown ale in their beer stable for those times when their patrons want something agreeable and sessionable yet flavorful. Barley Island's award-winning Dirty Helen is just such a brown ale. Back in 2009, we sat down with some very special guests for a roundtable that included Dirty Helen. Here's what our guests had to say about this excellent beer: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps: "I like it. It’s a good beer for everybody. Malty for the malt heads. But hoppy enough for hop heads like me. Did you know that hops and marijuana come from the same family?” U.S. Women's National Soccer Team goalkeeper Hope Solo: "It's not over the top like me, but it is very drinkable with flavors of slightly bitter coffee, caramel, and malt. I could see myself drinking several after one of my matches, where I am the best goalkeeper ever." Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford: "This dark brown ale had a nose redolent of bread, flowers, and metal (that’s right—metal). It was heavier in hop character than the brown ales I’ve enjoyed in across the pond, but in my opinion, heavy is good. The flavor was a pleasant combination of caramel, chocolate, and malty sweetness. There’s no question that Barley Island is delivering the goods with this beer. I predict that it will become the rage in craft beer circles." Danzig frontman Glenn Danzig: "Woooaahahh Dirrrrty Helllllen. She's a deep mahogany devil." Crown Brewing Crown Brown. One criticism we often get is that we don't focus enough on beers and breweries from northern Indiana. We think this criticism is a fair one. And as it so happens, one of our favorite brown ales in the state comes from the Calumet Region. The most sessionable of our brown ale picks at 4.1% ABV, Crown Brewing's Crown Brown is what a good brown ale should be: roasty, malty, a bit chocolaty and nutty, with a hint of caramel, backed by the mild fruitiness and woodiness of Fuggle hops. This is a beer that you'll be reaching for more than once in a sitting. We'd love to see Crown Brown more widely available on draft here in Indianapolis. Sun King Naptown Brown. Sun King has become the big macher of central Indiana breweries. So a fair question may be whether they indeed make any beers that qualify as unsung heroes. We think so. The lone India brown ale entry in our brown ale picks, Sun King's Naptown Brown is a seasonal brew released each February by the brewery in honor of Indy's own Naptown Roller Girls. It carries an enticing chocolate and molasses sweetness balanced by an aggressive pine hop presence. I can't speak for my fellow Knights of the Beer Roundtable, but I would love to see this beer become one of Sun King's flagship beers. Previously: Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Pale Ales & IPAs Unsung Heroes of Indiana Craft Beer - Lagers Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
HBG Six Pack Interview with Shane Welch of Sixpoint Brewing CompanyNext week, Indiana will welcome a new beer company to town from the borough of Brooklyn. I've had the pleasure of having their beer on several occasions in my travels to the East Coast. Sixpoint is a canning operation that currently cans in 16 oz. cans, but they will be launching a 12 oz. "tall boy" can for their newest DIPA called Resin. We reached out to Shane Welch, the president of Sixpoint, for one of our six pack interviews.
1. Who are you and where do you work? My name is Shane C. Welch, and I am the President and Founder of Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, NYC. 2. Indiana is a great state that is really taking off for craft beer. What about the Indiana market attracted you to begin selling here? Because the people of Indiana are the type of people I can have a beer with. :-) There is something about the Midwest, particularly the Great Lakes region, that I can instantly identify with. I was born and raised in the Midwest, so these are my roots. I always knew I would one day bring my beer back to the people who helped make it all happen, so it was just a matter of time. 3. How did Sixpoint get to where it is today? Can you tell us a little about its founding and the people behind it? What is the company's mission statement around crafting new beer? Sixpoint arrived at where it is today through a groundswell of support and innovation from the community and its staff. It's the people that made it happen. Sixpoint is merely a reflection of this collective effort. I have a history with beer that goes back to when I was two years old (see attached photo). There was always something magical about beer to me, and as a chemistry study it seemed like the perfect application for my knowledge. Therefore, I started homebrewing on the regular while in college. By my junior year, I was completely hooked and brewing several times per week. I eventually decided to drop out of school (my parents were pissed) to pursue brewing full-time. I took up a job at a local homebrew supply store, and eventually landed a position at the Angelic Brewing Company in Madison, WI. I worked there for three years and actually went back to school and completed my degree, then traveled around the world for 9 months and visited over 100 breweries before starting Sixpoint. Sixpoint represents a mashup (no pun intended) of my collective homebrewing experience, my three-year apprenticeship at Angelic Brewing Company, and my visits, experiences, and internships at various breweries around the globe. Our mission statement around craft beer is we brew to taste, not to style. The inspiration comes through improvisation to us, so there is a lot of feeling and sentiment in what we do. However, we have a solid bedrock of the scientific fundamentals underneath all of this, so that is why we call ourselves the "Mad Scientists." 4. Is Indiana going to be getting your full portfolio of beer? What beers can we look for to start with distribution? Our full portfolio of beer consists of over 200 varieties, so unfortunately you won't get everything! :-) That said, you will be able to get all four core flavors in draft and cans, as well as the four seasonal beers. You also will have the Spice of Life Series and some of the Mad Scientists Series as well. So you will be launching with at least 10 different offerings to start, with extra treats thrown in for the Indiana Winter Beer Fest. :-) 5. Sixpoint is a canning operation. 16 oz. cans is how most of your beers are being released to the public. Can you talk a little bit about the decision to do some cans (Resin at least) in 12 oz. tallboy format? The primary reason is to provide value to the customer and keep the price reasonable. A 4-pack of 16 oz. double IPAs is going to be running over $10 for sure in most markets, and up to $13-15 in Manhattan where there are outrageous markups at the retail level. But that is not the most important reason why. We are doing this because we believe for too long, "big" beers (meaning high gravity beers, or high "potency" beers with a lot of IBUs and ABV) are in too large of a format. Let's say you get home one evening and you crack open a 22 oz. bottle of a really strong double IPA. It may taste great after the first few sips, but after 12 ounces of beer it really starts to warm up and you might be ready to move on to a different style. At that point though, you still have 10 oz. of beer to burn through. We feel it's better to have the option to savor a smaller amount of a complex beer than be forced to finish a higher quantity in one sitting. After all - does anyone ever pour a 22 oz. draft of double IPA at a bar? No, of course not. As a matter of fact, they usually pour you less than the standard 16 oz. A more complex, flavorful brew is often enjoyed best when it's savored. That is why we wanted to offer this beer in a 12 oz. format instead of the typical 16 oz. We feel it's the appropriate amount of liquid to enjoy in a session. And most important, if you wanted 22 oz. of it, well you can just open up another 12 oz.! :-) Also, sometimes it's fun to try 3 different beers in one evening. That's pretty hard to do when you are talking about drinking three 22 oz. bombers of beers like double IPA. That's the equivalent of drinking an entire 12-pack of regular beer. Last, and this is an important consideration for folks who live in NYC, Philly, Boston, Washington DC, etc. - or anyone who has a small apartment or home really - its simply better to have a tall slim can. It's smart design - like building skyscrapers in your fridge. The narrower width and taller height allows you to make more efficient use of your limited refrigerator space. This way, you can fit more beer more efficiently into the same footprint of space. Easier for beer trades too! :-) Just sayin.' For these four main reasons we have opted for the 12 oz. tallboy for this release. 6. What else should a craft beer drinker that is new to Sixpoint know about beer? What beers are your favorites that Sixpoint produces? Any epic failures that just didn't do well when first rolled out or in R&D? I could probably write a whole book about epic failures. Luckily, when you people trust you, or more importantly, they trust your intentions, they are willing to forgive when you don't quite hit the bullseye on the first go-around. Many of our epic failures are actually operational rather than beer recipes that didn't turn out right. Like the time we decided to dry hop a batch of double IPA with four large sacks of hops (about 30 lbs. in a 15bbl batch). Of course, the hop bags clogged the drain port and the beer was completely stuck in the tank with no way of getting out. Haha. Then there is the time I had the brilliant idea of doing a Carob Porter. Carob is great because it's the hippie chocolate, right? Yeah, except when you boil it down into the kettle it turns into a thick tar, and this sludge clogs all of your centrifugal pumps and burns the motor out. LOL. Smells like burning! I don't know if I have any favorite, as it changes throughout the season. Be on the lookout for a very special sour, spontaneously fermented beer we did recently. It's really quite tart and refreshing. Very cool. And of course, we have a ton of stuff in the pipeline as per our tradition of being the Mad Scientists...so we'll always be keeping it fresh, with the strong core portfolio. Cheers! ☮ ☮ ☮ ☮ ☮ ☮ Shane C. Welch President Sixpoint - Brooklyn - NYC 11231 We really appreciate the time Shane has taken to answer our questions. I also find it of note that Sixpoint's price point will be in the neighborhood of $8.99 for their four pack offerings here in Indiana. Categories: Brewing Site Feeds
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