Misc News – Dec 17

Skip Duval made his Alcatraz public debut with a tapping party for Penitentiary Pilsner. Oh, and he has an assistant now – Dan Krzywicki of Great Fermentations comes in once a week to help out.

• Penitentiary Pilsner - Creamy and clean. Not Czech hoppy but more Cream Ale-y.
• Rock Bock – Light tawny brown. Medium to strong malt gives good mouthfeel. Caramel comes through the low IBU. 6% ABV. Pretty good stuff.
• Conjugal Visit Hefeweizen – Skip’s first stuck mash was recovered to produce a very cloudy hefe with sweet bready banana esters. A+ Bought a growler (half price ($4) on Thursdays).

More Tastes:

• Upland 2010 Strawberry Lambic – Brewed in 2009. Strong, bright lambeek to a tart balance. Crisp and refreshing – a summer beer. Not a lot of strawberry left.
• Sun King Walking on the Sun – Sunlight Cream Ale with about 18 Scoville units of heat from roasted peppers. Nice slow bite. Less hot that cinnamon gum. Very little pepper taste, just a bit of heat. Lets make it a regular. Go Cold Sweat. Unfortunately the keg it lasted 3 days in the tap room with no immediate plans to return.

Upland has a “Local’s Twelver” variety pack on the shelves with the slogan “Nature’s idea of beer”. 2-each of Wheat, Dragonfly, Bad Elmer’s Porter, Pale, Am Brown, and a Seasonal. A peek inside turned up Oktoberfest at my local Krogers. $15. Good price.

Keeping up with Girls Pint Out, The Mans Town is starting a sorta-similar social organization in Indy. First meeting in mid January.

Two words: Brandy Barrel-aged Poppa Skull. and a new tank at FFF.

Headlines: Is change in alcohol I.D. law in the cards? and Change needed in alcohol laws

The Muncie Star-Press editorializes for Sunday Sales.

The Hoosier Beer Geeks and Goose the Market in Indy are proud to announce a new club to feed your curds-and-whey craving and appetite for artisanal ales. Register in the Beer and Cheese Club before Dec. 31st and get a 1 year subscription to Beer Advocate Magazine! $99 per 4 monthly allotments of farmstead cheese paired with craft beer plus tasting notes and HBG reviews. Call the Goose to register: 317.924.4944

The HBG seems to be done posting their Metromix collaboration detailing the breweries of Central Indiana – augmenting their Where To Drink in Indianapolis from a year ago.

• Alcatraz Brewing Company
• Broad Ripple Brewpub
• Barley Island Brewing Company
• Brugge Brasserie
• Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
• Ram Restaurant and Brewery
• Rock Bottom – Downtown
• Rock Bottom - College Park
• Sun King Brewing Company
• Upland Brewing Company
• Wilbur Brewing Company
• Breweries with Indy outposts (Upland, Granite City, BJ’s)
• Other Breweries in the Greater Indy Area (Big Woods, Bloomington, Half Moon, Lafayette, People’s, Power House, Upland)
New and Proposed Breweries in the Indy Area (Bier, Flat 12, Thr3e Wise Men, Triton, Black Swan, 3 Pints, Brownfield, Blue Republic)

Sun King. Coconut Wee Mac. Just sayin.

Brewpublic sorts out the Rock Bottom/Gordon Biersch merger. “A source associated with Rock Bottom’s brewing department, who asked to remain confidential, tells us that it now looks like things with the RB-GB merger “aren’t going the way (the most of brewers) had hoped” telling Brewpublic ‘We’re less than a month into this thing and the new CEO has decided to start making changes to our beer program. He wants us to standardize at least four, and possibly up to six of our beers across the entire company.’ ” article

Martyn Cornell has sorted out what ales really were called back in the Victorian era. article

It’s always winter in your refrigerator.