The Dribs and Drams of the end of Oktoberfest

If you haven’t heard, Daredevil is moving to downtown Speedway. press release

The Beer Barons preview the Taxman Brewing Co. of Bargersville. link They have a Biere de Garde and a Belgian IPA.

You definitely must check out Bank Street Brewhouse’s Indiana Statutory Compliance Restaurant Menu. see it here and decide if you want your overpriced powdered milk with or without water.

Headline: Lawsuit Claims Templeton Rye Misled Drinkers Into Thinking It’s A Bootlegger’s Whiskey. Basics: Templeton Rye is distilled in Lawrenceburg Indiana, then bottled and marketed in Iowa. Lawyers in Chicago are suing claiming it misleads drinkers with to have a name the same as some booze made during prohibition. article

USA Today gives a review of the beer and wine at the State Fair. article

Booze is flowing at the fair for the first time in 67 years, but officials and fair-goers say strict drink limits and other containment measures have kept the alcohol from spoiling the family-friendly atmosphere that the legislature had long sought to protect by banning alcohol sales.

Headline: AB InBev Getting Drunk On Idea Of Buying SABMiller For $122 Billion article

Ron Smith’s Master of Beer Appreciation starts this semester on Oct 4th. website

Yr Hmbl Srvnt will host a program with the Indiana State Museum on October 23rd at the Tow Yard Brewing Co. It’s called The Rise of Craft Beer in Indiana.
Plus, Tow Yard’s Hook Up Shandler Golden Ale will be served during Colts games.
The ISM has a full line of interesting programs on tap including some on Prohibition. press release

Overseas News

Oktoberfest goes until October 5th this year. Get your plane tickets here.

Headline: Medieval Belgian Town Installing A Beer Pipeline Because — Wait, A Beer Pipeline?! article with bonus news that De Halve Maan brewery in Brugge will start bottling and exporting.

Headline: The Plot to Destroy America's Beer. Yep, Beck’s is brewed in St. Louis. article And it’s down 14% in sales.

Headline: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz Brewer Purchased By Russian Beverage Company article

Headline: Waiter Earns Eternal Bragging Rights By Carrying 27 Full Beer Mugs At Once article
Secondary: Waiter smashes world beer-carrying record by hauling nearly 30 large glasses of ale in one go article

Other stuff

Headline: Feds Pushing States To Lower The Drunk Driving Threshold To 0.05 BAC article

Headline: Someone Made Craft Beer Jelly Because That Is Clearly What Peanut Butter Has Been Missing article Made with Oatmeal Stout, Hefeweizen and IPA.

Headline: Beer and wine names it’s hard to believe really exist photo tour

And the mandatory dirndl photos (still trying to figure out the Chuck Taylors in the bottom pic):

 
  
 

Brew Bracket vs. Oktoberfest vs. Irvington BrewFest - 9/27/14

This coming Saturday brings along a trio of beer festivals. Unless you are great at either time management, drinking tolerance or just the easiest route - you have a clone, how do you know what festival to go to?

That is sometimes my problem. So many good events, so little time. How does one choice which even to go to?

For me, I wouldn't go to Oktoberfest this weekend. Oktoberfest is celebrated many times around this city. From more traditional styles of celebrations such as the one put on early in September by the German American Klub to Upland Brewing Co's gathering in Military Park. Some are family friendly and some are for the 21+ crowd only. As much I love to celebrate with a good lager in my hand,  Prost! to those who go out from 1pm - 9pm. Have a stein for me.

I may be biased by Brew Bracket has always been one of my favorite events. I love that the drinkers get to vote who is the best and that it is tallied up right there for everyone to see. The one coming up on Saturday is a new type of Brew Bracket. Instead of taking a basic style, the team at Brew Bracket are daring 8 breweries to get crazy and experiment with an IPA style of beer.   This appeals to me because it gives people the opportunity to try a beer they may never have had before and may never have again. It also gives the breweries a challenge to turn on the  creativity.  If I was available I'd be at Brew Bracket in a heart beat.  Even if only to see what Flat 12 created for this event.

Irvington Brewfest is tempting only because it is such a small little event. With only 4 local breweries and one local meadery. You could really get to taste, talk and enjoy the music and festivities. Plus it is trying to gain some light for the up and coming Irvington community.

I used to think that so many events was a bad thing and the bubble of beer events or breweries would bust in Indianapolis given the bulge of new craft breweries but maybe sometimes too much of a good thing isn't a bad idea.

I wish I could go to at least one of these events this weekend, but I hope at least some of the readers get a chance. If you do go to Oktoberfest.. please wear a lederhosen, only cause that'd be incredible to see a local reader celebrating in German style.

Cheers!
Kathleen

Flat12 Fall Preview

I recently had the good fortune to sit down with Rob Caputo, Director Of Brewery Operations at Flat12 for a sneak peek into some of their plans for the fall season; and while it isn’t my place to reveal all of the upcoming surprises, I can tell you this fall looks to hold a full fermenter of fun for you savvy beer fans. Here’s what can be know for the moment:

Prairie Plates – September 7th at Connor Prairie. Flat12 will be offering small batch-cask conditioned beers to be paired with amazing food choices from Chef Neal Brown (of Pizzalogy and the Libertine fame). Some of these beers, I am told, will even feature some ingredients from the gardens on site at Connor Prairie (chamomile, mint porter anyone?). This looks to be a wonderful event held on the grounds of a beautiful venue. Tickets are still available.

Defining Drink Local – September 25^th at the brewery on Dorman St, in conjunction with Indiana Girls Pint Out and Indy Beer News, this event is a panel discussion on the topic of defining what it means to drink “local” beer. Special tappings for this event include a beer where all four of the components used to brew beer (for you beer purity law fans) are Hoosier born and raised. For all of you brewers out there (home or pro) this looks like an exciting development for the local community.

Indy Urban Acres Farmraiser – September 27^th onsite at Indy Urban Acres Organic Farm. Flat12 is helping to promote this organic farm that not only provides information and workshops on organic farming, but also donates 100% of the produce raised there to hungry families via Gleaners Food Bank. I have it on good authority that beers featured at this event will also focus on including local ingredients as part of the brewing process. Rumor has it the brew liquor (water) used in one of the beers was seasoned with sweet corn from the farm itself. And who doesn’t enjoy a little locally grown sweet corn  late in a Hoosier summer? Always fun, and always innovative, as usual – Flat12 pushes the envelope.

All this and more: Flat12 is currently putting the finishing touches on their new facility down south in Jeffersonville, with build-out happening now. And for anyone who has been to a Halloween celebration in the past, you can always expect Rob and crew to raise the bar. This seasons’ event is no different. Make it a priority for your Halloween season, you’ll be glad you did. And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the annual Black Friday celebration at  Dorman Street. Much like the annual Halloween celebration, this event is always a lot of fun. This year promises more of the same.

Watch this space for more details on the events as they draw nearer. In the meantime: relax, don't worry, open a bottle of Flat Jack and check out tickets to the September events. There’s sure to be great beer, great food, and lots of great times.

Dribs, Drams, and time to clean the Augean stables

Hi, we’re back. Here’s some good news (as opposed to the mideast, midwest, and Southwest Airlines).

The 18th Street Brewery in Gary plans to double capacity and start canning by the end of the year.

Sun King plans to add a 2nd brewery and tasting room in Fishers. article

Triton is celebrating their 3rd anniversary on Sept 20th. Family party with games and kiddy artists: 2-5pm. Tappings and music start at 6pm.

Quaff On Brewing will have a Beer & Music fest on Sept 19 & 20 at the Bill Monroe Music park in Bean Blossom. info

Robbie Mehling, with friends, made a half-hour video about Indiana brewing as a master’s thesis. See Caleb, Clay, Nick, Ray, Rodrick, Roger, Ryan, Derrick, Me, and an impressive work of visuals. video & article

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An article about Kent Martin who oversees TTB’s label chief. The guy who doesn’t like Bad Elf.

Headline: 30 great beers you've probably never heard of. article

Popular Mechanics headline: 10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Beer article

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And, bad news:

Headline: Corona Extra Beer Recalled Because Glass Particles Don’t Go Down So Smoothly article

Headline: Brewery removes ‘fart-smelling’ beer from sale. Yep, Norwegian. article

Everything’s bigger in Texas. article

Headline: Bavarian bakers threaten strike during Oktoberfest, pretzel shortages loom article

Beer floats. That’s ice cream floats, not like, floats on water. Thankfully this is in Philly, not IN. article

Guinness Blonde American lager. Brewed in the USA. Thump, thump, thump. article

Headline: Beer shortage and heatwave spells misery for Cubans. article