Indiana Beer News - September 12

This week in stuff to do. (see http://www.indianabeer.com/calendar.html for more).

• Today:  Sandkerwa begins at New Albanian's Public House. All beers Bavarian (including Bamberg). Continues for a couple of weeks.
• Tues, Sept 13 - Rocktoberfest tapping. Rock Bottom, Downtown Indy. 6-8pm. 
• Thurs, Sept 15 - Official Grand Opening of Triton Brewing. Lawrence.
• Fri, Sept 16 - Great Lakes Brew Fest. Racine, WI.
• Sat, Sept 17 - Fall Fest. Back Road, La Porte. w/ Ein Prosit band. 1-5pm. $20.

Brewers Art Supply has moved a couple of blocks to 1425 Wells St. in Fort Wayne. Francie and Joe have filled their new digs with grain, hops, etc. and out back is a pleasant, shaded courtyard for special events.

 Triton soft-opened last Saturday with Jon Lang's first batch of beer - a root beer - and a full set of guest taps. That day, Jon was in the back room brewing an American Wheat - the first beer that will hit the taps.

Figure 8 Brewing is in the early stages of moving to a 12,000 sq ft building on the south west corner of the Porter County courthouse square (Indiana & Washington Sts. in Valpo). They will devote 1,800 sq ft to a full restaurant and the back room to an expanded brewery with bottling.

Right now, F8 has Date Night with Jumbo Love on tap. Jumbo Love is their Black Barleywind (10%) and the Date Night name references the use of Medjool dates in the recipe.

 Figure 8's new place

 The county courthouse is reflected in the window

Crown Brewing is also expanding. Adding 2 more fermenters to the already-crowded brewhouse. Next year a separate brewery with a 15bbl system is in the plans. The new fermenters are part of a 7bbl extract system they bought at auction and the rest of those vessels are available for sale. Contact Tim Walsh.

We missed Tim Marshall's last brew at Rock Bottom Lombard/Yorktown, IL. (He named it "Good Riddance IPA"). Davin Bartosch is taking his place.

The  Bulldog Brewing Co in Whiting has the essential stainless steel in place and the furniture ready to become a full brewpub. It has a long bar and stool seating on one side and table seating for 30 on the other side. The back of the mash tun and boiler are in the front window. They have "We're hiring" signs in the window and might be opening this autumn.

 Future home of the Bulldog in Whiting

Sam and company have been working since last January on the back rooms at the extensive Shoreline building to make room for a 30 bbls system and bottling works. New walk-ins, a cask room (now with 23 barrels for next year's release with plans and space to double that in the future). There's still a lot of work to do so don't expect 12oz bottles until next spring.

Back Road is now open Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun. Chuck really should put that on their web site. My apologies for dropping in at crunch time.

Rock Bottom, Downtown Indy's Rocktoberfest tapping is Tues, Sept 13th. $1 of every Rocktoberfest sold goes to Miracle on Washington Street.

Oaken Barrel will be tapping their Oaktoberfest on Sept 17th.

We've lined up a couple more Hoosier Beer book signings to bother you with. Sept 22nd at Barley Island. Oct 12 at Shoreline.

Headline: Brewing Mecca: Wet your whistle in Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan

The neo-prohibitionist Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking is back. Director and sole employee Lisa Hutcheson calls for more taxes, etc. article