Recent Events - May 28

I recently attended the Granite City Food & Brewery Mug Club Party as they tapped their Belgian Golden Ale. They advertised this beer as "A beautiful golden color with crisp, spicy, malty flavors. It's the perfect summer time refresher!" I was told the ABV of this beer is 10.2%. "Really" I responded "as it certainly does not taste very strong and does not come across as a sipping beer if the ABV really is 10.2%". Interesting. The appearance was a small head, very fizzy and bubbly, opaque body and no carbonation. The aroma was malty and spicy. The flavor was sweet, very acidic, fruity, spicy, and crisp. It was a very easy drinking beer, but I still question the 10.2%ABV.

I attended my first Bock and Rock beer event in Minster, OH. I have heard a lot of good things about this event from a beer friend in Ohio who attends this event and decided to attend and see for myself what the hype was all about. I was definitely not disappointed and plan to attend next year's event which will be the event's fourth year. I attended the VIP event in which John Najeway, Head Brewmaster at Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. (Akron, OH) and Ken Belau, Head Brewmaster at Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Kalamazoo, MI) conducted a two hour guided beer and food education/pairing for the 148 VIP attendees. There were 11 different bottled and cask conditioned beers served from both breweries that were paired with cheeses, sandwiches and desserts. After the VIP event concluded the general public tent was open and the ticket price included 20 sample tickets, a tasting glass for 5oz. pours and a booklet detailing what beers are located at each of the tables along with a style description of the beer. There were 90 or so beers available for sampling. Some of the breweries represented were: Kulmbacher, Tucher, Schneider, Weihenstephaner, Troegs, Chapeau, Unibroue, St. Bernardus, New Holland, Wyerbacher, Avery, Dogfish Head, Great Lakes, Stone, Southern Tier, Founders, Great Divide, Thirsty Dog, Bell's, Abita, Flying Dog, Wooden Shoe, and Elevator to name "a few". There was also food available and live music to add to the fun. This was a well attended event and one that I look forward to attending next May. Their website is http://www.bockandrock.com/.

Upcoming Fort Wayne Events - May 28

Free beer tasting (21 yrs. old & over) today at Cap n' Cork at Covington Plaza from 5p.m.-7p.m. Sample beers from New Holland Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, Southern Tier Brewing Company, and Goose Island Beer Company.

S&V Liquors, Illinois Road, will be having their second annual Tasting Extravaganza on Saturday, June 26th, from 5p.m.-8p.m. Over 100 beers, wines and liquors will be available for sampling along with special guests from the Wisconsin Cheese Company providing appetizers during the event. This event is free and open to the public (21 yrs. old & over).

Remember to check the Calendar section on this website for beer events not only taking place in Fort Wayne, but around the state and beyond.

Misc News – May 27

The public voting for the 6 beers to come back during Broad Ripple Brewpub's 20th Anniversary demanded Limping Mallard, Amarillo Lager, 10th Anniversary, Violet's Strawberry Blonde, Dual Citizenship Ale, and the one that's on now – Diving Duck American Brown.

Brugge Brasserie's Pooka is billed as a Boysenberry Wheat and some fruit and some wheat (wit?) character is there. It all is really put under the table by the lactic, lactic, lactic. In fact it is getting tarter and sourer every day. Seems some kind of Gaelic Faery sneaks in every night with more cheek-pucker. Bad Kitty has been put to shame.

The Indy International Wine Competition has been moved from the Indiana State Fair to Purdue's Department of Food Science with new organizers and such. The new web site is ww.indyinternational.org although there is nothing there yet except "currently developing", "check back soon" and "Entry forms will be sent in June". So evidently the traditional mid-June date for the judging will be set back a bit.

He'Brew's Chosen Beer, Rejewvenator '10 is the Year of the Grape. "Half Doppelbock, half Belgian style Dubbel. Ale Brewed with All Natural Concord Grape Juice. They are also putting out 500 total cases of RIPA on Rye.

Bombers of Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet's latest, Smoke on the Water, a Smoked Porter, will hit the streets in June. 8%.
Daaah Da-Da DAAH DAH.

Paulaner Weisn Okotberfest will be coming to the U.S. for the first time this July through October. They claim it is the actual "authentic beer of the 200th Munich Oktoberfest". 5.8%. If it really is the same served in the park it will be quite hoppy in comparison to other O'fests from Augustiner, Hacker, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Pschorr, or Spaten. Kicker: It will be in cans.

 

Triton Brewing

Triton Brewing – That's the name of Jon Lang's new brewery startup to be built on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Partners Lang, Mike DeWeese, and David Waldman unveiled the corporate name last night as Jon served prototype beers including a no-name flagship American IPA – quite good – that will probably end up being called Railsplitter Ale.

Here's what we know:

• The 20-bbl equipment from Warbird is in Indy waiting to be installed in their new digs.
• The water will be tamed by reverse-osmosis.
• The Triton name reflects "it's all about the water".
• Investment opportunities are still available.
• They plan a tasting room at the brewery – which will be "conveniently close to Great Fermentations".
• Jon plans an IPA, a Brown, and more of his barrel-aged beers that won lots of medals for Barley Island.
• They hope to have beer hitting the stores yet this year.

More at HBG

Previously we had reported Jon and Mike and Scott Wise were working on Beer Baron or Thr3e Wise Men to be located in Broad Ripple and produce a line of beer for Wise's Scotty's Brewhouse chain. That partnership has fallen apart but we're told Wise has signed for the location on Broad Ripple Ave and the Monon Trail signed for and is looking for equipment and a brewer.

 

Misc News – May 26

New Albanian and Brugge Brasserie probably won't be the only brewpubs to show all the World Cup games but NABC is brewing special beers for the occasion - Ordinary Bitter, Keller Pils and Biere de Garde. Plus a really cool poster.

The Hoosier Beer Geeks Tailgate for Nothing 2 recap. Plus they talk about Rock Bottom's Brewer's Dinner.

Chalet Party Shoppe Opens New Location in Elkhart – from Eric Strader's Beer Nuts blog in the Elkhart Truth.(Folks up north, if you don't follow Eric's blog, you should be).

Bell's Eccentric Cafe is getting a complete refurb. article – article

The Atlantic talks about the elephant in the pup-tent. When is a Craft Brewery just a Brewery? Sam Adams and AC Golden really aren't

Pabst is being sold. After Paul Kalmonovitz ruined the beer industry he died and the took the S&P corp, Falstaff, Stroh's, Narragansett, National Bohemian, Olympia, Pearl, and Pabst down with him to the gates of a sudsy hell. The rights to Pabst, for instance, ended up owned by a charity that has made the most of it by rebranding as a retro boutique beer and getting good contract-brewing from City Brewing in LaCrosse. Now they are making money. Unfortunately the IRS doesn't like to see non-profits make profits and they've been trying to sell the brand for 5 years. Now Dean Metropoulos may buy it. He's made a bundle with Chef Boyardee, Bumble Bee Tuna, and Vlasic Pickles. article

AB InBev is rumoured to have put Bass, Boddingtons and Flowers up for sale. article

Misc News – May 24

The Post-Trib covers the Illiana Mayfest and its sellout of "1,000 geeks" and 17 breweries. article

Figure 8 Brewing was there with Ro Shampo, Where Lizards Dare IPA, Camp 4 Nut Brown Ale. They will soon be releasing a Watermelon Wheat.

Three Floyds gets ink in The Atlantic.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Charlie, Fred, and Ken's Imperial Helles Bock (8.9%) left the warehouse today. info - But there won't be any Anniversary Ale this year. It will be replaced by Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale. in August.

Esquire rates Nine of the Worst Beers on Earth. From Bud Light & Clamato to Olde English 800.

Space hops stolen by aliens?

Hops seeds that were taken into space last year and supposedly brought back to Earth last month on the space shuttle Discovery have gone missing, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced on May, 13. The seeds entrusted to JAXA by a Tokyo-based science education venture were taken to the International Space Station in August last year and were stored inside Japan's Kibo laboratory module until Discovery's light back home in April. But JAXA was notified by NASA in late April that the 120 grams of soybeans, hops and other seeds were missing despite records showing they were brought back to Earth by the shuttle.
JAXA officials said the organization will investigate what happened, while the venture said it is holding talks with JAXA over the matter. The project aimed to study the impact of zero-gravity on the taste and smell of the plants. After the experiment, the hops were supposed to be given to one of the leading Japanese brewers, Sapporo. Source: BelgianShop

Blitz Chiller. Need we say more? Oh, $40 from Amazon. Oh, and you have to supply your own ice. Nevermind.

The World Cup is coming. Tesco's Supermarkets in England is getting flack from the drinks industry and the no-binge people for selling Bud, Carlsberg, and Stella 69p per pint (they are also selling Carling, Tennent's and Strongbow at that price). article - Lets see. That's equivalent to $18.00 for a case of 24 12oz cans. Stella goes for about $30 here. Hmmm. But Bud at Kahn's in Indy is:

Misc News – May 21

Big Woods Brewing is going to be closed next week from Sunday the 23rd through Friday the 28th while the install the new brewing system and remodel the kitchen. After that is done they will be open 7 days a week and have more beer. Until now they have been closed on Monday and Tuesday while they used the kitchen area to brew. Way to grow, guys.

Hey breweries, The Brewing News is holding a summer beer bracket contest again this year - The Global Warming Open. To submit beers by June 7th, see the rules, etc.

New from Cavalier:

• Clipper City Barrel Aged Below Decks Barley Wine
• Clipper City Red Sky at Night Saison
• Cottleigh Golden Sea Hawk Premium Best Bitter, Barn Owl Premium Ale, Tawney Owl Bitter. Also in "Beers of Prey" Mix Packs
• Mendocino Summer Blonde Ale
• Coney Island Mermaid Rye Pilsner. Only found in a variety pack with Albino, Python, Sword Swallower & Lager
• Shmaltz He'Brew RIPA on Rye. Aged in Sazerac 6 year Rye Whiskey Barrels for over 3 months
• Laverstoke Park Organic English Ale & Lager
• Williams Sir Perry Pear Cider

Wenlock a mascot for the 2012 Olympics. Maybe the Mayans were right. ==>
Who will be the first to make the Wenlock bottle opener?

Coming up BrewDog Paradox Macallan with a 12-month barrel age. 180 cases are being sent to the U.S. and Indiana should get some.

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement has been going nuts recently, kicking pubs about minor infractions, fining people for selling beer that doesn't have the right certifications. To sell a draft-only beer at Philly Beer Week, Bells had to get label approval when there isn't any label. Now we see this: A warning that "You, by your servants, agents or employees, identified Monks Ale Beer with a tap labeled Monks Flemish Sour Ale Beer."

Misc News – May 20

Upland's UpCup Homebrew competition was won by Brian Steuerwald of the FBI with a Altbier. It will be brewed by Upland in June and available in the tap rooms later in the summer.

Second was Brent McGill of MASH for Duwerdesteinekrankenschwesterbrauchen Berliner Weiss. Third was Peter Cowles of Connecticut for a Black IPA. source

Jim Ailes and David Pentzien of the Chatham Tap on Mass Ave in Indy are looking to open a new place, where the Fionn MacCools was on 116th St. in Fishers. The Fishers Tap might open as early as next month. article

On June 8th, Omar will tap an Alt at the Alcatraz in Indy. An early preview shows a malty start and quick mellow Saaz bitterness. It is currently maturing at 40°. He also has a couple of kegs of Milk Stout aged on Bourbon Oak chips. Roasty when cold and Bourbon roasty when warmed. It will be poured at the RadFest and other special occasions.

Ram's Maibock (Tool Box Bock) is appropriately light, pale, sweet and fits the warm sunny days ahead.

Bob Mack posits both sides of Cans or Glass? Which is Greener?

41% Sink the Bismarck from Scottish BrewDog. Piffle. Schorschbräu (right) takes the title back with 43% ABV. "In our graciousness we had decided not to begrudge the Others the little joy of holding the title for a few weeks. Let’s not overdo this – from now on, the World’s Strongest Beer lives again where it belongs: in Franconia! Schorschbock 43% Vol., ’cause Frankonian Men don’t dress like girls.” article

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Now for something completely different.

Last weekend my high-school-graduating niece commented as I extolled the virtues of New Belgium 1554 that I should be a beer critic. I had to reply "Sometimes I am". Now I get a chance to be a arts critic. We probably wouldn't have heard about Rita Kohn's play "Before the Shadows Flee" if Rita wasn't one of the good guys of beer.

Ron Spencer (left), an actor of large emotive hands and an infinite memory, gives a 60-minute soliloquy as Edwin Booth (right) preparing to play Hamlet in the 1890s. Rita gives him period speech where "forced breath" is three syllables – suitable and quickly natural.

Booth laments his father's life, his life, Hamlet's life, and the life of his brother, John Wilkes. It's real and it's fascinating. The research comes through and the attention to detail is heard in every voice of the character.

Using just 3 simple props, each representing a Shakespearian mood, Ron gives life to a fascinating character who's tragedy is mostly in his own mind.

It's not all somber because Edwin Booth was a real larger-than-life person. He owned his own theater in New York City. He had gone to the gold fields of California. He had prospered and busted many times during his long life. He had redefined the acting methods of the century to be approachable and acceptable to a changing modern theatergoer. He had even saved the life of a young Robert Todd Lincoln. He was the Richard Burton of his day. A bit of both Richard Burtons.

Go, See, Enjoy Rita's 24th play. It has one more performance at the Indiana State Museum on Saturday the 22nd at 2pm. You should be there.

Ron Spencer is the artistic director of Theater on the Square.

Indiana Replicale – 2010 - Schwarzbier

Dave Colt has sent out the recipe for this year's Indiana Replicale. It's a Bavarian Schwarzbier. article

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Known as Schwarz, Schwartz, or Black beer, these out-black Dunkels due to the addition of more roasted malts. Higher hopping rates make it a drier beer. Sometimes they have bitter chocolate taste and usually have a long finish. They are sometimes quite thick.

Despite that ominous-sounding description Schwarzbiers are normally fairly elegant in a rich way. In the best, everything blends together with a clean lager taste as the background for the rest of the cast of characters.

The style really has a big range. Some are thicker, especially in the far south and around the North Sea. Some have candy notes. Even the level of blackness varies from just-past-Dunkel to Guinness-black.

Developed in Thuringia in Eastern Germany and now brewed all over German-speaking Europe. The actual originator of the modern Schwarzbier is lost to history but it's probable they were interested in making a beer that would compete with Porters that were becoming popular in Europe. They are now made by many breweries in Japan, having been first brewed there by Sapporo in 1892.

No doubt the first, although not modern, Schwarzbiers were ales since lager yeasts weren't yet developed. It's documented that Mumme was brewed in Braunschweig by 1390.

There are two classics:

• Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei in the small town of Bad Köstritz was founded in 1453. Goethe and Bismarck both loved Köstritzer Schwarzbierbier. The brewery had problems during the Communist rule but was re-organized and expanded in 1993.
• Kulmbacher Brauerei in Kulmbach in extreme northern Franconia, Bavaria is the successor of the first Kulmbach Monastery brewery formed in 1174 by charter of the Bishop of Bamberg. Kloster Mönchshof Schwarzbier is considered the best Schwarz in Germany.

Native Territory	Thuringia, Eastern Germany
Color (SRM)	Brown to quite black. (17 - 30).
Head	White and frothy.
Aromas	Malt but not sweet. Some roastiness. Coffee or chocolate is sometimes evident. Sometimes Noble hop aroma.
Flavors	A lot of malt and often a sweet base. Chocolate is common.
Finish	Bitter chocolate or roasted taste lingers, depending on the brewer's choice. Can become bitter dry. Lingers.
Mouthfeel	Medium to fairly thick.
Carbonation	Moderate - does not get in the way.
Alcohol	Usually not noticeable in the mouth since other flavors and the thickish mouthfeel cover. 4.5 - 5.4% ABV. Note that some brewers make their Swartz as a higher-alcohol beer that can run to 7.5%.
Bitterness (IBU)	Noble hop presence is balanced by the malt. (22-32)
Serving	Usually in a stemmed glass that is smaller than the bottle. This keeps the head refreshed when refilling, trapping the essence of the beer.
Malts	Munich and Pale malts. Dark Roasted malts in small quantity for color and roasted taste.
Hops	Noble hops.
Yeast	German Lager yeast.
Related Styles	Dunkel beers are similar but sweeter. Porters are more roasty and made with ale yeast.

 

Bob's Pick	Dinkelacker-Schwaben Bräu Das Schwarze - Stuttgart regional brewery - In swing-top bottle. "Vollwurzigund hopfenherb zugleich". Guinness-brown lager with nice bitterness that augments a toasty-burnt taste. Goes down easy.
Rare Gems	Brauerei an der Thomaskirche Spezial Schwarz - Leipzig brewpub - Earthy. Almost porterish. Served fairly warm. A seasonal beer. - Located in a soulless building on a soulless platz just 100ft from the Thomaskirche where Bach was the organist and musical director. You have to look hard to see it's a brewery or even find a name among the big awnings of the outdoor garden. The inside is modern, clean, and quiet. Weissbräu zu Köln Pantaleons Schwarze - Cologne brewpub - Ask for the black beer. Served in a stone mug so it's tough to see how black it is but the head is the same exact color as the mug. It's the blackest beer I've ever tasted. Grows on you fast. - This place reminds one of a Manhattan pre-prohibition bar; a noisy mixed-ethnic local with kids galore while a family Friday get-together eats platters of food and matronly grandmothers tsk-tsk everything. Störtebeker Swarzbier - Stalsund, Germany regional brewery - Balanced and pleasant. Porterish. A little thicker than a normal schwarz lager. They say this is the style on the North Sea. 5.0% Pivovar Avar Derer Schwarzbier - Hlučín, Czech - Deep brown. Rye and bready with floury dryness. Tangy dark fruit background. Neuzeller Klosterbrau Schwarzer-Abt (Black Abbot) - Neuzelle, Germany regional brewery - Pure black. Lots of licorice hit. Candy sweetness without being sugary. Located on the Polish border and gets lots of influence from the east.
Widely Available	Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei Schwarzbier - Bad Köstritz, Germany regional brewery - Thick. Dark brown. Rich roasted, dark fruit, and roasted tastes. Good balanced finish. Kumbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier - Kumbach, Germany megabrewery - Quite dark Tan head. Roasty aroma and taste. Not a complex beer. Sapporo Black - Tokyo megabrewery - Fairly thin body. Big flavor with a bit of chocolate and mild bitterness. Often available in cans. Sprecher Black Bavarian - Glendale, WI regional brewery - Dark brown with reddish notes. Sweeter than most. Balanced with a coffeeish finish. Kaiser (Molson) Xingu - Diviaopolis, Brazil mega-brewery - Very black. Grainy mouthfeel. Coffee, chocolate, licorice. Earthy. Balanced hops.

Typical 5-gallon (US) recipe:

Grains	5 lb German Munich malt 4 lb Pale malt .5 lb Dark Munich malt .5 lb Carafa II malt .5 lb Roasted Barley malt
Adjuncts, Fruit, Spices	None
Hops	8 oz Perle hops at start of boil .6 oz Hallertau hops for a boil of 40 minutes .5 oz Sazz hops at end of boil
Yeast	German or Czech Lager yeast
Mash	Decoction mash of Carafa II malt
Boil time	60 minutes
OG / FG	1050 / 1013

 

Weissbräu zu Köln – Cologne

 

Pivovar Avar Derer Schwarzbier at the
Berlin International Beer Festival.

Misc News – May 17

It's American Craft Beer Week and there are LOTS of things all over the state on the Calendar. Way too many to list here.

$35 admission tickets for the Microbrewers Festival, July 17th, are now on sale.
Interesting article on why 3-way licenses are cheaper now in Muncie. article
RIP Deano's Vinos.

John  Kerry and Mike Crapo have bills in the U.S. house and senate which will reduce the federal excise tax from $7 to $3.50 / bbl on the first 60,000 bbls produced by a brewery. That's about 10¢ a gallon or a penny a pint. Won't help us consumers much but Indiana breweries could each save from $600 to $30,000 per year. article

Police in Nottingham have recently closed pubs for any reason they could find. This includes displaying a copy of the pub's license instead of the original.

Cavalier has picked up Stevens Point Brewery and will bring Indiana 6-packs of Blegian White, Cascade Pale*, Burly Brown, 2012 Black, Special Lager* and Nude Beach Summer Wheat*. *Also available in cans.

Continuing the theme, New Belgium's Skinny Dip Belgian this year supports savethecolorado.org. Complete with downloadable poster. Staying classy, we'll just reproduce the naughty bits.


John Holl tells us about Sierra Nevada Beer Camp. Enter their contest to spend two days brewing in Chico, CA, this September.

For the Ladies - Girls' Pint Out (GPO) - May 15

There is an all-female organization called Girls' Pint Out (GPO) headquarted in Indianapolis and spearheaded by Tamre. There are approximately 50 members in the Indianapolis area with Chapters in Chicago and Phoenix. Their websites are:http://girlspintout.wordpress.com/, http://girlspintout.wordpress.com/events/ and http://girlspintout.wordpress.com/chapters/.

Their focus is to get more females interested in craft beer through beer education, beer tastings led by experts in the craft beer industry, monthly beer events, field trips, and meet-ups and drives. The atmosphere is laid back and non-threatening as evidenced by my attending my first GPO event which was a beer and cheese pairing event recently held in Indianapolis at Crown Liquors (downtown). There were approximately 25 attendees sampling and pairing a variety of beers/cheeses.

I am interested in organizing a Fort Wayne Chapter of GPO to initiate/educate those ladies here locally and nearby what craft beer is all about. It will be for ladies who are beginning to discover craft beer, who may be somewhat skeptical about trying craft beer and for those ladies who drink craft beer but may be looking to further their knowledge about craft beer. If you are interested, please email me at: cindy@indianabeer.com

Beer Day in B'Town, May 15

Lot's of beer events in Bloomington today! American Homebrewers Association Rally comes on the heals of the Upland Brewery Upcup homebrew competition. Homebrewers are encouraged to join AHA or show their AHA card for festivities starting at 4:00 today at Upland Brewery on W 11th in Bloomington. Judging for the Upcup competition will have ended by 5 when winners will be announced. AHA has prizes and information for homebrewers

Nearby the Venue Gallery, 114 S Grant St. Bloomington has homebrewers on hand to share beer knowledge and art starting at 5:00!

If you still have not had enough beer satiation stop at Crazy Horse on Kirkwood (one block from Bloomington's square) for a Gaffel Kolsch from the keg -- a rare find! You can stop at the Alley Bar on the same block for a Hoegaarden (Belgian wit) on tap or refreshing Boulevard Lager from Breckenridge (nice gentle hop bitternes) or at Irish Lion between these two for fresh Guinness, or a Bitburger, Leffe or other great beers on tap!

Both Upland and Lennies local brew pubs will have their versions of IPAs with Lennies doing a Silk IPA - a gentle pale with a bit more hop characteristic

Upcoming Cap n' Cork Beer Tastings - May 13

The following FREE beer tastings (21 yrs. old & older) will take place at these Cap n' Cork locations from 5-7p.m.:

Friday, May 14 - Broadway location
Friday, May 21 - Coldwater Plaza
Friday, May 28 - Covington Plaza

Please check the Calendar section of this website for beer events taking place in and around the Fort Wayne area and also throughout the State of Indiana and beyond.

American Craft Beer Week - Fort Wayne Style & Beyond - May 13

American Craft Beer Week is May 17-23 and here is a list of events that was sent to me as to where one can show his/her support for craft beer:

Monday, May 17 - J.K. O'Donnell's Irish Ale House - Tapping Dark Horse Double Crooked
Tree IPA
Tuesday, May 18 - 800 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza & Pub - Tapping Victory Saint Victorious
" " - St. James Restaurant (Avilla, IN) - $2 Craft Beer Night
" " - Deer Park Lodge - Spring Beer Tasting
Wednesday, May 19 - Bill's City Grill - Bell's Night
Friday, May 21 - Acme Bar & Grill - Craft Beer Tasting
" " - Bottle n' Keg (Roanoke, IN) - 10% off All Craft Beer
Friday, May 21 & Saturday, May 22 - Service Liquors East (Warsaw, IN) - 10% off All Craft Beer

Check back as this list may include some additional events as they become known. Cheers!

Misc News – May 12

Oaken Barrel's Uberweizen, brewed for the summers since at least 2006, is still Bavarian-worthy. Cloudy hefe with a sweetish banana and only a touch of clove. Mark also has Caldwell's Scottish Ale on tap. Deep Irish red with an ivory head. Scottish malt plus plenty of East Kent Goldings bitter.

"Has your consumption of beer increased as a homebrewer?"

"No, but my friends have increased."

Great stuff.

'Hangover' Molecule in Brain Found. Kicker, they are using worm brains as a basis of the study. Who knew?

Upland's Lambics + Misc News – May 12

The 2010 Upland Lambics are a bit of a disappointment compared to last year. An 8, a 6, and a 0.

The Persimmon is the best. A minor gush came up once the dalek-shaped cork was thumbed off. Pale yellow, almost greenish. Crisp refreshing fruit comes through  and warmth brings out the earthy qualities. Not a sour lambic by any means but far less than a sweet one. Did seem quite salty.

The Raspberry is bright read, medium tart. Good amount of raspberry flavor. Yeasty and cloudy with glass-lining qualities. Worthy.

The Kiwi gushered big time. A smell of old socks and maybe fresh trimmed horse hooves. Completely undrinkable. Presumably this was an infected bottle. See some good reviews of better bottles.

We're laying the Dantillon down for a while as suggested on the bottle.

Big Woods Brewing's latest is Ian McCabe's Common Necessity. It joins Possum Trot Pale, Busted Knuckle Red and Tim's Big Woods Stout on tap right now.

New Albanian's Bank Street Brewhouse gets ink in LEO. "Bank Street Brewery hits a culinary home run for food and beer and other good things."

Three Floyds gets ink in The Atlantic.

Congratulations to Oklahomans - you can finally homebrew starting in November. Too bad for you Alabamans and Mississippians – it's still illegal for you to homebrew. article

Clarksville, TN - "After reportedly stealing beer from a gas station on the Bypass, a man brought the drinks back minutes later and attempted to exchange the stolen beers because they weren’t cold enough." article

Misc News – May 11

One more note on the Indy musical chairs. Keely Thomlinson (right) is now moonlighting from her full-time job making cheese at Trader's Point Creamery as Omar's assistant at Alcatraz.

Upland is releasing this year's 6.2% Nut Hugger Brown at their locations on May 17th and it will hit the store shelves in 6-packs a bit later. Double Dragonfly Imperial IPA will go into the regular lineup when it is released in late May. 9.1% and 80+IBU.

Sun King Sinlight Cream Ale and Osiris Pale Ale are in Indianapolis stores in 16oz cans. Kahn’s, Parti Pak, Vine & Table, 21st Amendment (Broad Ripple), Crown Liquors Downtown, United Package (96th & Olio).

Barley Island will have $6.50 growler refills and $10.00 new growlers at Noblesville and Broad Ripple for Craft Beer Week - May 17 - 22.  Also at both locations one of our pints will be on special.

Guinness is currently testing Foreign Extra Stout at 7.5% in New York and Atlanta.

IndianaBeer call for bloggers + Changes to B.I.G.s web site

IndianaBeer is looking for reporters. Nana Wiley of the Columbus Bar is going to join Cindy Modesitt, Greg Kitzmiller, and myself and we are looking for people to report on what's going on in their region, what beers they like and dislike, etc. It doesn't pay anything but you'll be able to help promote Indiana's beer scene and our 35 breweries.

Updates can be done online via Google's Blogger or offline via Windows Live Writer. Camera and editing skills are nice but not required.

IndianaBeer exists to help promote good beer in Indiana. Our sponsor and sorta-owner, World Class Beverages doesn't put any editorial policies on us at all. Gush about a Cavalier beer - OK. Dis a WCB beer - OK. Just don't say anything nice about Bud Light Lime.

PLUS

Rodney Weaver is taking over the Brewers of Indiana Guild web site. The Indiana Beer Calendar has moved to the IndianaBeer web site which Bob Ostrander will continue to maintain. Also the Indiana Brewing History and Beer Dictionary.

Misc News – May 7

Ram growler refills will be $5 during American Craft Beer Week – May 17 – 22.
Musical brewers is again being played in Indy this one centered around the Ram.

• Andian Ball has left the Ram to go to Sun King as the primary brewer.
• John Simmons has left the Ram to be a stay-at-home daddy for his new daughter for a while.
• Andrew Castner has left Oaken Barrel to be the head brewer at the Ram.
• Skip Duvall has left Alcatraz to be the assistant brewer at the Ram.
• John Treeter has moved up to full-time assistant brewer at Oaken Barrel.

Brugge's secret plan gets ink on the Indianapolis Business Journal web site. Brugge Brasserie brews plans for expansion.

People's Brewing beers on draft will be available throughout the state via World Class Cavalier Distributing.

Brewers Association releases 2010 Beer Style Guidelines.
Reuters reports a study that says Moderate drinking linked to lower diabetes risk. "Our results indicate that ... moderate drinkers with the most healthy lifestyle behaviors ... had a lower chance of developing diabetes compared with subjects with these healthy lifestyle behaviors who did not drink,"

How many things can you find wrong with the YouTube video How to Pour Beer?

Upcoming Events - May 6

Fort Wayne - Free beer tasting (21 yrs. old and older) at Cap n' Cork (Dupont Rd.) on Friday, May 7th, from 5p.m.-7p.m. Come out and maybe you will find a new favorite beer to enjoy this summer.

Minster, OH - Beer tasting event with over 80 imports, craft beers and microbrews available on Saturday, May 15th, at Four Seasons Park. Food (extra cost), beer and music can be enjoyed at this event. For more info. visit the event's website at www.bockandrock.com.

Misc News – May 5

The HBG reviews Brugge Spider. A pure black, pure sour "1/3 Tripel de Ripple + 2/3 Hibernal Black blend aged in a chardonnay barrel on the same Brettanomyces yeast used in Diamond Kings".

Todd Antz of Keg Liquors gives ink to spring beers in the Clark County Focus.

New Albanian's Beak's Best is available at Louisville Slugger Field – at least for the next week's 8-game home stand.

Ever wondered what Roger Baylor's beer fantasies are? See Mug Shots in LEO.

The Franklin Redevelopment Commission originally talked about $1.4 million to bring TailGate Beer to Johnson County. The actually approved $15,100. They "questioned whether the city should be providing funding to the brewer without having seen a business plan or other financial documents." article

Misc News – May 3

Bloominton's Butler Winery Spring sale is going on through May 7th. Discounts: Glass, Malt extracts - 10% off. Grain (50lbs+) – 20% off.

In the 17th century colony of Massachusetts brewing on Saturday was forbidden lest the beer should "work" on Sunday. - Origin and History of Beer and Brewing, John P. Arnold, 1911

Wynkoop begins horse-powered deliveries.

If you have CurrentTV on your cable or satellite check out Tapped Out – probably Tuesdays at 2am. OK, you'll probably need a DVR also. It's basically viewer-contributed videos that last week covered Black Isle - an Organic Scottish brewery, the Tabeh Brewing Co. in Palestine, the Tsing Tao brewery, the beer pong world championships, a British video on "am I an alcoholic?", and hash house harriers – did you know they started in Malaysia?