Misc News – Mar 31

Visiting Indy for the Final Four? HBG has Your Final Four Beer Guide to Indianapolis. Also see

• Brewpubs
• Downtown, Mass Ave, and Fountain Square
• Broad Ripple
• 36 hours in Indianapolis

Lafayette Brewing will have $2 pints on April 15th. Takes some sting out of tax day. Early may will find a Brown Ale on tap and mid-may Star City Lager (Dortmund style).

Since the Sunday Carry-out law goes into effect on July 4th, LBC will start to be open on Sundays beginning then. On that first Sunday it will be $4 growler refills.

Beer Baron reports "Our brewery is now in Indianapolis! Jon Lang our tireless and talented brewer spent the last two weeks coordinating the move.  In addition to the HDP 20 Hectaliter system, we got kegs, bottles and plenty of raw materials! Currently the system is sitting in a warehouse, waiting on the lease."

In honor of the 77th anniversary of the almost-repeal of Prohibition Yesterbeer offers a commemorative "Happy Days are Here Again" T-shirts. (we didn't cut of her head, Rich did).

Hoosier Beer Geek's Second Annual Craft Beer Meal That Comes Before Lunch: The Recap. With lots of baconated beer pictures.

If you ordered this year's beers from Upland, they are waiting for you at the brewery.

Don't know exactly what's going on but the Brewers of Indiana Guild (drinkindiana) is now on Twitter.

Black Art Beverage, an importer of German beers is going to be coming to Indiana via Southern Italy Imports of Verona, WI. Eh? article Don't make space in your fridge just yet as this convoluted mess dead ends with a web site that right now forwards to a broken Yahoo url. Good luck.

Zythophile uncovers the first ever reference to IPA. In the Liverpool Mercury. A long time after pale ales were sent to Indian. An excellent article.

"It is well known that other things being equal, the liquor keeps in proportion to the quantity of hops. Fresh beer may have from a pound to a pound and a half to a barrel of 32 gallons, June beer two pounds and a half, beer for the month of August three pounds and for a second summer three and an half. For India voyages, four pounds."

Brewfest 2010 (Fort Wayne) Wrap-up

Brewfest 2010 was attended by approximatley 230 people at the Masonic Temple in downtown Fort Wayne. The event included a homebrew competition, rafffle drawings, silent auctions, and radio personalities. Beers available were from Mad Anthony Brewing Company, Five Star Distributors, Crown Brewing, Granite City Food and Brewery to name a few. A representative from Great Fermentations of Indiana located in Indianapolis was present along with a representative from The Brewers Art Supply store located in Fort Wayne. All-in-all a good time appeared to be had by the attendees and look forward to next year's Brewfest.

Misc News – Mar 28

Pelican Brands of Carmel are newest beer guys in the state. They're a brand manager rather than a distributor. Right now they represent Singha and Napa Smith brews. Interesting concept. article article

Sun King's Dave and Clay were interviewed this morning onWISH-TV's Inside INdiana Business. The video should be up in a few days on the interwebtubenet. They announced Sunlight Cream Ale and Osiris Pale Ale will be available in cans at the Indianapolis Indians baseball games.

Nuvo's 20th anniversary issue devoted a full page to the Broad Ripple Brewpub which is also 20 years old this year. Unfortunately Nuvo's lameish web site doesn't have the article.

Schlafly Helles Summer Lager will be out in Cans – but only in St. Louis, Missouri, and Central Illinois.

Bell's Oberon release is tomorrow, Mon, Mar 29. WCB has a map of where to find it. link.

Fort Wayne News

J.K. O'Donnell's currently has Clipper City Holy Sheet on tap and served in 1/2 pts. due to the ABV (9%).

800 Degrees currently has Rogue John John Ale on tap.

Cap n' Cork (Covington Plaza)(see calendar) is having a beer tasting tomorrow evening. There will be beers from Dogfish Head, Bluegrass Brewing Co., Rogue, Unibroue to name a few. Bring a friend (21 yrs. old or over) and sample some beers and perhaps find a new favorite beer!

Misc News – Mar 24

Big Woods Brewing is currently constructing a new brew house. Having shared the restaurant kitchen, Tim O'Bryan will get his very own digs on the north side of the building. Currently they are closed on Monday and Tuesday so brewing and cooking don't conflict. Once the project is complete they plan on being open 7 days a week and will have more beer available.

Right now Busted Knuckle Red, Possum Trot Pale, Hare Trigger IPA, and Tim’s Big Woods Stout are on tap.

Carrie has a post up about Girls Pint Out on St. Paddys Day. Their next outing is April 6th to taste Three Floyds beer at Vine and Table in Carmel.

The Beer Scientist at Thank Heaven for Beer has posted a 6-part series wherein an huge Imperial Stout is laced with bourbon and then eised to maybe 45%. Or 103%. Or, well there are a lot of questions. Here are links to the individual posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

New Boswell – Indiana's newest Brewery

The newest brewery in Indiana doesn't have any beer. The New Boswell Brewing Company blew everything in the tanks at their grand opening celebration on St. Paddy's day.

Roderick and Kiera Landess of Winchester have quarters in Richmond to brew.

For equipment, with a $20,000 grant from the Eastern Indiana Regional Workforce Development Board they've acquired a boiler that was a coffee maker at the Masonic Temple in Ft. Wayne, 2 Groen kettles to use as circular mash tuns, and 4 wine fermenting tanks.

Right now, all these vats are empty but Roderick will find time from his full-time IT job with the Richmond Schools to refill and serve at restaurants in the historic Depot District. Soon they want to expand to Muncie.

Misc News – Mar 23

Broad Ripple Brewpub was the first brewpub in Indiana, opening the brewery in 1990. So this is their 20th anniversary. John, Kurt, and Kevin plan a series of events leading up to a celebration on Nov 14th. Mondays in March are $3 pints. During the next 7 months Kevin will brew some recipes from the past years. Go to their website and vote for your favorite – the top 6 will see life again. Right now Limping Mallard is winning with Diving Duck American Brown and Amarillo Lager right behind. ongoing results

Barley Island presents the return of Count Hopula Imperial IPA, this Thursday March 25th for a 6:30 pm tapping at our Broad Ripple and Noblesville locations.  Last brewed in 2008, this version is an all new recipe with 5 different hops and an amazing malt backbone.  9.75% ABV and 90 IBU's.  Only available in draft at Barley Island but watch for a full fledged launch with bottles and kegs this coming October.
Cheers, Jeff Eaton

Also this week, the usual liquor store tastings, three special tappings, and a beer breakfast:

• Wed – Mar 24 - Beer Tasting. Westside Liquor, Evansville. 4:30-6:30pm
• Wed – Mar 24 - Beginning Brewing Class. Great Fermentations, Indy. 6pm
• Thurs – Mar 25 - Boulevard Beer tasting at Keg Liquors, Clarksville.
• Thurs – Mar 25 - Beer Tasting. Big Red Liquors, Bloomington. 6-8pm
• Thurs – Mar 25 - Beer Sampling. Chalet Party Shoppe, CR 17, Elkhart. 4-6pm
• Thurs – Mar 25 - Count Hopula Imperial IPA tapping. Barley Island Noblesville and Broad Ripple. 6:30pm
• Fri – Mar 26 - Beer Tasting. Liquor Locker, Evansville. 4-7pm
• Fri – Mar 26 - Beer Tasting. Parti Pak, Greenwood. 5-7pm
• Fri – Mar 26 - Beer Sampling. Norma's Fine Wines. Indy. 6-8pm
• Fri – Mar 26 - Beer Tasting. Cap n’ Cork Covington Plaza. Ft. Wayne. 5-7p.m.
• Fri – Mar 26 - Release of Infinite Wisdom Tripel. With Norton Wisdom. Upland, 7pm. $10/$12
• Sat – Mar 27 - Barrel Aged Tapping of 6 or so beers. Ram Downtown Indy. Noon - 4:30.
• Sat – Mar 27 - Hoosier Beer Geek's Second Annual Craft Beer Meal That Comes Before Lunch. Brugge. 10am. $30

Following the failure of Guinness Light, Guinness Black Lager is on trial in Northern Ireland. With Budvar Dark growing in the isles, Diego claims "Guinness Black Lager, like all lagers, is characterised by its refreshing taste. The addition of Guinness expertise, roasted barley and a late hopping imparts a taste that is unique among lagers.”

Roger Protz sais Pilsner Urquell is different from that in the pre-SABMiller days but it's still good. article

Misc News – Mar 17

The newest brewery in Indiana? Not Figure 8. It's New Boswell Brewing Company. Named for the first commercial brewery in Indiana. Where? Right where the first Boswell brewery was, Richmond. It opened yesterday.

The full story is at the Winchester News-Gazette, but here's the highlights.

Rodrick and Kiera Landess have started this production brewery to supply restaurants first in the Richmond and hope to expand to others in the eastern part of the state.

Their flagship is The Hoppit, an American Amber. They are also making an American Brown, Cream Ale, and a Pilsner.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.

---

In other news, Dark Lord Day's Golden Ticket sales are over. It took less than an hour. Even with a full crash of not only 3Floyds.com and DarkLordDay.com, but the sales site they used, Shopify.com, and even Twitter.

---

Or you might even be interested in Coors Batch 19. Pre-Prohibition lager. "A true, authentic, original beer". article

Misc News – Mar 17

Cindy points out the rules for the DarkLordDay Golden Tickets are supposed to be posted this evening at 3floyds on Twitter.

Jason visits Lil' Charlie's.

Britain's CAMRA's (Campaign for Real Ale) Investment Club has bought 1/40th of the Cantillon brewery. To seal the deal the van Roys broke out a 1976 Gueuze (right).

Marston's will be yelled at a lot probably for their new process of secondary fermentation via highly flocculating yeast "beads" they are calling Fast Cask. Advantage: the beer drops bright immediately without finings and still acts like Real Ale. Disadvantage: it's not traditional. article Interesting that it is introduced just days after Patent 5070019 ran out.

Misc News – Mar 14

Lots of tappings this week. Coincidentally, many involve an Irish Red.

• Tues, Mar 16 - Tapping of Irish-American Red at Alcatraz, Indy. 6pm
• Tues, Mar 16 - Tapping of the last keg of New Albanian / O'Fallon / Schlafly C1 at Charlestown Pizza Company's Third Anniversary Party. 6-11pm
• Wed, Mar 17 - Tapping of Irish Red and induction of members to the Big Woods Stout Drinkers Society. Nashville
• Wed, Mar 17 - Tapping of O'Mordha Irish Red and more St. Patrick's Day stuff at Brickworks Brewing. Hobart
• Sat, Mar 20 - Brewfest Fort Wayne 2010. 2-6pm. $15/$20.
• Sat, Mar 20 - Barrel Aged Tapping of 6 or so beers. Ram Fishers. Noon - 4:30.

Mad Anthony's Good Karma IPA is in the final four of the Brewing News National IPA Championship – We'll find out if it wins outright next week. The competition is now Firestone Walker's Union Jack. Then it meets the winner of Coronado Brewing's Islander IPA vs Fat Heads' HeadHunter IPA.

Chairman of the Indiana House Public Policy Committee, Trent Van Haaften's days are numbered. As this session ends, he is headed toward a run for the US Congress from the Evansville area. article He's been a fair person and has not demonized the beer business in Indiana.

Thomas Jefferson, Beer, Monticello. Jefferson advocated using a bushel of malt for every eight or ten gallons of strong beer, noting that "public breweries" produce fifteen gallons from every bushel, which "makes their liquor meager and often vapid."

Sunday Sales, the last word

Fri. Mar 12: Mitch buys the pitch and fixes our itch with a twitch of his pen.

Effective July 4th.

Misc News – Mar 12

Scott Bort was on hand when Figure Eight Brewing Opens. Great pictures also. Ro-Shampo is his favorite.

Coming in April. Hop-O at New Albanian. Don't know if this will be <airquotes> 1% ABV </airquotes> like the Prohibition brew from Southern Indiana Ice & Beverage that shut them down in 1923 when it tested over 3%. Of course that was complicated by an attempt to bribe a Treasury Agent. Also single-hop pale ales with Centennial and Amarillo. Plus more Hoosier Daddy.

March 22nd New Albanian will do C2 - a second collaboration with Schlafly and O'Fallon. This one in New Albany. Probably a Belgian.

Roger is teaching a non-credit "Here's to Beer" course with IUSE. Next round is 4 Wednesdays in April.

Meanwhile, Gravity Head continues.

Craft beer up 7.2% in 2009. Indiana craft at Cavalier Distributing up 10%. Overall beer market down 2.2%. We must be doing something right.

Total number of breweries only increased by 57 nationwide. Craft is 4.3% of the total bbls and 6.9% of the total dollars. Vermont has a brewery for every 32,698 people. Founders grew 72%. Oskar Blues grew 71%. O'Fallon 36%. Great Divide 34%. Dogfish Head 30%. Boston Beer Co. 2%. Hmmmm. We must be doing something right. Brewers Association

But are there Too many beers? Too many breweries? Too many distributors? Does the 3-tier system help or hurt? discussion

Iowa has a 5% ABV limit on beer from Iowa breweries. Yike. May be changed. article

Beer tasting. 250 people. 750 beers. 9 hours. Anaheim. article

Böner beer. It's always bigger in Texas. Bad pun turns into contract brew. article

Fort Wayne Happenings

Cap n' Cork (www.capncork.com) (Lima Rd.) Irish beer tasting March 12th from 5p.m.-7p.m. Also beers from Bells, Rogue, Three Floyds to name a few.

Currently on tap at 800 Degrees - Bells Third Coast, Bells Two Hearted, Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout, Dogfish Head Indian Brown, Peroni, and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Mad Anthony Brewing Company will serve their FIRST EVER cask conditioned beer on March 12th starting at 4p.m. This beer will be their Hop X which is an Imperial Style IPA. Pints will be available for $5 and mugs for $4.75. Quantities are limited so get there early!

Mad Anthony Brewing Company (Ft. Wayne, Auburn and Warsaw) will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day with some irish foods along with Green "Gabby Blonde" Lager, "Irish Red" Ale and "Harry Baal's Irish Stout. Each location will also feature live music.

J.K. O'Donnell's will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day this year both outdoors with a tent and live music from 5p.m.-11p.m. for those of all ages (cover charge of $5 for everyone 13 yrs. and over and free to those 12yrs. and younger. The pub will be open for those 21 yrs. and over from 11a.m.-1.a.m. with no cover charge.

Misc News – Mar 7

Oaken Barrel's Java Stout is getting richer by the day. There are really two versions. At the main bar it is dry-beaned with a sack of Strange Brew's Caramel roast. In the Stainless Steel room it's a Blueberry roast. Coming up is a barleywine produced with local homebrewers and bucket-clubbers Keith Bauty and John Showalter.

Power House's 2 Dave's IPA is a creamy American Bitter that is nicely not overdone.

The Columbus Bar is up for 6 nominations for Best of Columbus at the area's Liberty alternative newspaper. Best Burger, Best Tenderloin, Best Fish Sandwich, Best Signature Dish (donut burger), Best Bartender (Nana Willey, Michael Hayes, Drrick Jarral), Best Place for Live Music, Best Bar, and of course Best Beer Selection.  Vote here.

Figure 8 Brewing's grand opening was standing-room-only. New microbrewery helps quench craft-beer thirst : Post-Tribune.

 

More short notes so you can look elsewhere

Hoosier Beer Geek: Beer Diary: Crown Brewing

Gina's weekly Hoosier Beer Geek: Random Beer Roundup

Review of Rock Bottom Downtown's Brewer's Dinner

Upland Infinite Wisdom Tripel returns March 26th

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery hires its Brewmaster

Schlafly Brewery: Suds up

Indiana, especially Three Floyds, make Rate Beer's list.

Rate Beer's Best of 2010 is out. Indiana has some places noted:

• Best Beer Restaurant
  Rathskeller Indianapolis – 50th best in the world.
  
• Best Beer Retailer
  Crown Liquors Fishers – 31st best in the world.
  Keg Liquors Clarksville – 44th best in the world.
  
• Best Brewpub
  Three Floyds – 25th best in the world
  
• Best Beer Bar
  New Albanian Public House – 10th best in the world
  
• Best Beers
  Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord – 2nd best in the US – 4th in the world
  Three Floyds Vanilla Bean Barrel Aged Dark Lord – 3rd best in the US – 5th in the world
  Three Floyds Dark Lord – 4th best in the US – 7th in the world
  Three Floyds Dreadnaught – 20th best in the US – 26th in the world
  Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine – 46th best in the US – 69th in the world
  
• Best Brewers
  Three Floyds – 1st - #1 in the world
  
• Best Beer by Style
  Strong Lager - Three Floyds Decimator Doppelbock – 4th best in the world
  English Pale and Bitter – Three Floyds BlackHeart – 1st best in the world
  IPA – Three Floyds Dreadnaught – 2nd best in the world
  Stout – Three Floyds Oak Aged, Vanilla Bean, Dark Lord – 3rd, 4th, and 5th best in the world
  Strong Ale – Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine – 5th best in the world
  American Amber / Pale – Three Floyds Alpha King – 1st best in the world

Figure 8 Brewing – Valparaiso

(All words and picture directly stolen from their web site)

Figure 8 Brewing is a small craft micro brewery situated in the city of Valparaiso (Vale Of Paradise) Indiana about 60 miles south and east of Chicago. While we are only just getting started, we are excited to join the other craft brewers in north west Indiana (Three Floyds, Shoreline, Crown, Back Road, and Brickworks), helping to make this area a craft brew destination.

The initial lineup, from left to right:

• First Ascent (A Belgian Honey Lager) - brewed with an overabundance of local light clover honey and cascade hops, this brew has a crisp citrus/clover nose with a clean malty slightly bitter finish and a hint of toast
• Ro Shampo (Imperial Red Ale) - brewed with four varieties of hops and a blend of 6 malts, this is well balanced with a nose that evokes thoughts of toffee, fine whisky, and cotton candy while finishing with the satisfaction of a taffy apple on a warm autumnal day
• Camp 4 Brown Ale - a hazy Northern England Nut Brown Ale style with notes of chocolate, coffee au lait, caramel, and perhaps a hint of a turtle sundae
• Rye Knot - a complex rye based brew somewhere between a baltic porter and a stout with a rich black head, hints of licorice, oak, cognac, and a light woodsy bitter finish

All brews are hand crafted from natural ingredients, unfiltered and unpasteurized for a healthier, fuller bodied beer rich with essential vitamins, flavonoids and antioxidants.

Misc News – Mar 3

The geeks detail Rock Bottom Brewer's Dinner

Good Beer Show - King of the White Trash. NSFW

While you're up in Chicago for the Craft Brewers Conference April 7-10 be sure to try some Heartwood Symposium. Collaborations might be getting out of hand. This one involves 15 breweries. 10.5% bourbon barrel aged blend of Imperial Stout, Imperial IPA, Scotch Wee Heavy and a Barley Wine. Made in small pieces by America’s Brewpub, Destihl, Emmett’s Tavern, Flossmoor Station, Goose Island Brewpub, Goose Island Beer Co., Gordon Biersch Bolingbrook, Half Acre, Lunar Brewing, Mickey Finn’s, Piece, Revolution Brewing, Rock Bottom Downtown, Lombard, Orland Park, Warrenville, and Three Floyds. Label by Randy Mosher.

Also coming up: Widmer Prickly Pear Braggot. "Ale brewed with honey and prickly pear juice". 10%.

Craft Beer & Ale: A Parody of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham.

The new Big 4 have established a clear lead, with combined market share estimated at just over 50 percent (pro forma 2009). AB InBev had beer volumes of around 350 million hectolitres in 2009 (9.24602183 × 10⁹ US gallons), well ahead of Miller-brewer SABMiller at just under 250 million, Heineken at just over 200 million, and Carlsberg around 125 million, while Tsingtao trailed at just over 50 million hectolitres a year.
In sixth place was North American Molson-Coors Brewing Co, while Mexico's Grupo Modelo, China's Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co Ltd and Japanese brewers Kirin Holdings Co Ltd and Asahi Breweries Ltd made up the rest of the top 10. – BelgianShop WeekLetter.

Misc News – Mar 1 – SB 75 Supplement

Headline: Senate sends booze reform to Daniels. Stay classy, Indianapolis Star. Here's the complete skinny from the man. Here's the final bill.

One good thing: Sunday growler sales. Up to nine growlers. Or two cases of bottles. Up to 576 ounces. Hey, that is 4.5 gallons. So much for 6th bbls and corney kegs. Sigh.

Must be at the brewery only (by the address of the permit – hope the restaurant part of your brewpub is at the same address). This seems to leave out the tap houses owned by Mishawaka, Mad Anthony, Barley Island, Turoni's, and Upland. And may complicate things at New Albanian – can beer made at the Public House be sold for Sunday carryout at Bank St.?

One good thing: Open on voting days.
One so-so thing: Open until 3am on Sunday nights.
One bad thing: Everyone must be carded for take-out. Even the clerk's mother.

Don't completely drink in the "unless they look over 50" talk. That's true, but you can still get cited and will have to prove your side. "In a criminal or administrative proceeding, it is a defense to a charge under this section that the individual to whom the permittee or employee or agent of the permittee sold, bartered, exchanged, provided, or furnished alcoholic beverages for consumption off the licensed premises was or reasonably appeared to be more than fifty (50) years of age." You conceivably could have to produce the customer or a picture of the customer at the hearing.

Oh, and that server training thing. Mandatory server training for all permit holders and re-training with each license renewal has been put off until May 1, 2011.

Anticipating the normal state-police run courses won't be able to handle the volume, those benevolent and omnipotent folks in downtown Indy have already allowed people to set up private server training schools. There are 67 already. Mainly because this silliness was supposed to go into effect 2 months ago. I wonder how many will be around when the madness starts next year. Or maybe our fearless leaders will just cancel the whole concept.

---

HBG reviews the new Scotty's Lakehouse out on Geist Resevoir.
Cincinnati is the home to the world's oldest Bock Festival. And it's this coming weekend. Parades, Tours, Parties, Sausage Queen, Lots of bocks at lots of bars. Even burning snowmen.

Misc News – Mar 1

The Hoosier Beer Geeks get the scoop on the upcoming Beer Baron / Thr3e Wise Men / Scottys / Lang / DeWeese / Waldman brewery at Broad Ripple Ave and the Monon Trail using the closed Warbird equipment. Read it there or from Scott Wise's viewpoint at the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Upland has started taking reservations for Kiwi, Raspberry, and Persimmon lambics and Dantalion dark wild ale. You can claim one bottle of each and pick them up between Mar 29 and Apr 12.

Jon and Adrian at the Ram will host two barrel aged beer tappings. Fisher's location on Sat, Mar 20. Downtown – Mar 27. Both from Noon to 4:30pm. A half dozen or so each time. Buttface, Irish Stout, and Porter in Woodford Reserve. Cream Ale in Buffalo Trace, Breakfast Stout in Jack Daniels, Irish Red in Jameson. Etc. They have so much they may even sell growlers.

From Gina's Random Beer Roundup we learn Powerhouse has a Dark Wheat on tap, BRBP has $3 pints on Mondays. And lots more such as Mike DeWeese's cellar list.

Craft beer business thrives in Michigan.

Stan Hieronymus looks at Brewing on the high seas – now and then.

2010 Beer Drinker of the Year award goes to Alaskan resident.

"It’s the year 2010. A plague of unbalanced, exaggeratedly hoppy beers have wiped out millions of palates in the United States since 1996. Only a small percentage of the population’s discriminating palates have survived to this point. Many beer drinkers are now forced to live without the ability to taste malt." Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey: a game-changing IPA.