Combine a beautiful, historic venue and allow Indiana craft beer to flow for a few hours and you get one super beer festival! This coming Saturday, April 9, the Woolery Mill in Bloomington hosts the Brewers of Indiana Guild annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival with general admission from 2-6. The event has sold out for the last several years so check to see if tickets are still available at bloomingtonbeerfest.com.
Nearly 60 Craft breweries from all over Indiana will pour samples; many with their regular beers but many with very special beer! Here are just a few we would put on our list to check out!
First we have to give a big shout out to the "Locals:"
Bloomington Brewing always brings the regulars and some of their special beers this year include a bourbon barrel pale, vanilla Belgian dark strong beer, and rhubarb (think local!) IPA
Function Brewing has TWENTY SEVEN beers on their list; to include Mayan chocolate stout, orange IPA, Sour cherry, Chai brown, experimental yeast beers, a cascade single-hop, a brand new bitter, more + look for a cask of Hefe with pineapple and toasted Coconut. Brewer Steve says he is ahead this year but will have very fresh and tasty beer!
The Tap Beer Company has already announced plans to bring a Beatbox Samurai and an American Brett Ale along with others.
Upland not only brings their regulars and Oak Aged Belgian Quad, Oak Aged TBK, a Coffee Blond, Coffee brown and more!
And let's include Salt Creek located about 20 minutes down the road who brought a powerful double IPA last year.
Finally, Quaff On has a restaurant and brew pub locally and has really been delivering delicious beers. They will have their regulars plus a strawberry blonde
Then let's mention some of the newer brewers that are in this year:
Big Lug from Nora has a very nice session brown that let's us drink more beer.
Brew Link from Plainfield may be bringing their Belgian Wit (we hope).
Deer Creek has opened in Noblesville as a sister to long-running Barley Island and features a few different variations we want to try.
Hoosier Brewing has been around nearly two years and is moving to Franklin. We love their Indiana focus and ingredients! they've added a pina colada stout to their mix
Metazoa of Indy loves animals (donates a %) but loves been more. They opened in 2015 and will bring a honey weiss, dark mild, cream ale, their dubbel, an Irish red, a (wait for this name...) FrangIPAna Midwest IPA, and an American Red
Saint Joseph has been around awhile now with a very seasoned brewer and anything they bring will be a delight while their Belgian Blonde or Black Lager will be a particular delight.
Schnitz of Seymour has a session hefe that brings flavor with low %.
Of course, we often also gravitate to Zwanzigz of Columbus because it might not be complete without a ghost chili pepper stout but they will offer a Rauchbier we've tried that is truly made the traditional way!
AND Daredevil is ALSO pouring Rauchbier (5.2% ABV) but for the VIP session -- inspired by the Bamberg style that uses a Märzen base recipe with the traditional smoked malts sourced from Germany.
Union Brewing Company's "Are You A Cop?" - well, no it is actually a Porter but gets good ratings! They also will bring a Belgian Strong Ale and a Raspberry Jelly Donut Porter! along with others.
Two Yard has a LOOONG list including tapping a Black Japanese Malt Liquor at 4PM. They also offer a double pale (7.7%), Imperial Oatmeal stout (8%), and Imperial Red (11%!) plus more
Look for the Cask Section at the South End of the Building on 'high ground' where we'll find such beers as Triton's Belgian Blonde Ale with hibiscus and chamomile while Tin Man Brewing offers a Prickly Pear Alloy Firkin! Must be a trend because Two Yard (Indy) will have a cask of Belgian blonde with hibiscus & chamomile. Triton brings a pin of O'rye Galaxy w/cara oranges (hey, that's what THEY wrote).
Oh, and Broad Ripple Brewpub announced they willl have a Barrel Aged Red Bird Mild!
And, yes, Wabash returns with BaconFace Brown ALd (named after a dog.... I've just GOT to get that dog story!!)
Here was our highlights from 2015 CLICK HERE TO READwhich points out some excellent beers we tried!
And here is a look back at a piece written here two years ago that will likely whet your palate for some good brews this year! CLICK HERE TO READ
We get letters
Hello
–
I
recently purchased a New Albany, Indiana paperback book “Postcard History
Series” by David C. Barksdale and Robyn Davis Sekula. On page 83 it
shows a photo taken in 1907 during a flood. The caption reads “This
building was located on the northeast corner of East Third and Water
Streets. For years the building housed the John E. Meyer Saloon. In
1907, when this area flooded, the building was vacant., etc”.
Copies of 4 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists for the years 1862,
1863, 1864 and 1865 show my Great Great Grandmother, Maria
Eva Meyer paid tax for this liquor business. This would lead me to believe that
she owned the business prior to John E. Meyer. Since they both have the
same last name there seems to be a connection.
I
have used an old 1925 map and it appears the location would be the same for the
photo and the tax info I have. I’m thinking the building would be
between 3rd and 4th on Upper Water Street, as below is
how the Tax Assessment Lists read:
The 1862 tax info lists “Upper Water” and “Hotel”The 1863 tax info lists “3 & Water streets” (twice)The 1864 tax info lists “Upper Water”The 1865 tax info lists “Upper 4th and Water st)
My
GG Grandmother married on January 5, 1867 in New Albany and moved to Louisville
with her new husband, Charles Rott. This would explain why she sold the
business. If your readers have any information, I look forward to hearing it.
Cathy
Rott Nuzum
This is the picture from the Postcard History book. The New Albany Beer sign seems to be an ad for the New Albany Brewing Co. - a continuation in 1886/1887 of the Market Street Brewery.
Dribs and Drams
A short calendar for the rest of the month:
Rita's Nuvo column covers New Boswell in detail. And of course more.
More about Scarlet Lane from Indiana On Tap.
15 Scotch Secrets from Glenfiddich’s Malt Master including "small stills make better scotch.
2015 GoEuro Beer Price Index. $2 in Krakow, $6 in Geneva. No U.S. prices.
Feb 26 until the
beer runs out near the end of March.
|
New Albany
|
New Albanian's Gravity Head. NABC Public House. Opening with
Stone Brewing offerings.
|
Mar 26 | Fort Wayne | Beer Bourbon Bacon Festival (now who can turn that down?) $11.54-80.12. 5-9pm. |
April 2 | Hammond | Brews at the Shoe. Beer tasting at the Horseshoe Casino. $37-$73. 3-7pm. |
Rita's Nuvo column covers New Boswell in detail. And of course more.
More about Scarlet Lane from Indiana On Tap.
15 Scotch Secrets from Glenfiddich’s Malt Master including "small stills make better scotch.
2015 GoEuro Beer Price Index. $2 in Krakow, $6 in Geneva. No U.S. prices.
Dribs and Drams
Finally, and finely, a brewpub with a bocce ball court. No Mean City reviews Blind Owl Brewery
Rita's columns have been about "Prohibition and Privilege" and "Coffee and Beer, a match made in Heaven". Of course, both have lots of other news. Her columns are always a must-read.
An Nuvo also has a timely review of "St. Paddy's Day Pubs in Indy" by Cavan McGinsie.
And an announcement that Metazoa Brewing Co. will open in Indy April 1st.
The defunct Terre Haute Brewing Co. has been sold and the new owner says he'll be up and running in 2016. Hmmm.
When you fall back this Sunday night, thank the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for extending Sunday night sales to 4am.
State parks in Indiana could soon sell alcohol
The AB-InBev and SABMiller is still in the works.
Inside the Global Scotch Shortage. Single Malt's popularity is overwhelming what the distilleries planned for, what, 7 years ago. With prices looming can whisky futures be the next hot trading commodity?
The NTSB wants a nationwide .05% rule.
For Sale: Large Handmade "Game of Thrones" style drinking horn. Real cow horn. $34. On Amazon.
Zomething Different: The Zima Story
6 Delicious Breakfast-Themed Beers
Rita's columns have been about "Prohibition and Privilege" and "Coffee and Beer, a match made in Heaven". Of course, both have lots of other news. Her columns are always a must-read.
An Nuvo also has a timely review of "St. Paddy's Day Pubs in Indy" by Cavan McGinsie.
And an announcement that Metazoa Brewing Co. will open in Indy April 1st.
The defunct Terre Haute Brewing Co. has been sold and the new owner says he'll be up and running in 2016. Hmmm.
When you fall back this Sunday night, thank the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for extending Sunday night sales to 4am.
State parks in Indiana could soon sell alcohol
The AB-InBev and SABMiller is still in the works.
Inside the Global Scotch Shortage. Single Malt's popularity is overwhelming what the distilleries planned for, what, 7 years ago. With prices looming can whisky futures be the next hot trading commodity?
The NTSB wants a nationwide .05% rule.
For Sale: Large Handmade "Game of Thrones" style drinking horn. Real cow horn. $34. On Amazon.
Zomething Different: The Zima Story
6 Delicious Breakfast-Themed Beers
Dribs and Drabs
Rita's Nuvo Column spotlights Twenty Below, Black Acre, QuaffON, Big Lug and more. Last week she wrote about Black Acre, Fountain Square and, of course, more.
LaOtto Brewing is open. LaOtto is north of Fort Wayne. Video
Indiana Craft Beer Week is April 24-30. Organized by Indiana On Tap. They say it's the first of the kind but they probably didn't know about the BIG Indiana Beer Week of July, 2008.
Martin's Supermarkets in Michiana have increased their beer shelving dramatically. (Thanks, The Beer Is Good)
The Ratebeer ratings of best in each state are out. Winners: the New Albanian Public House, M. Moggers, New Day, Keg Liquors, the Heorot.
The state Senate committee has approved bills to increase the number alcohol permits in Hamilton and Boone County. Sunday sales for artisan distilleries. Growlers of mead and cider. Turns down Sunday sales again.
Beers to hit the state soon include Ballast Point (launch at Boombozz in Carmel March 8, 3pm. - Thanks Eric)
Meijer's is going to bring in Michigan beers. Bell's Founders, Short's, New Holland, Atwater, Arcadia.
Tallgrass Brewing is coming in via Cavalier.
10 Reasons to Brew Your Own Beer.
Whaaaaa? AB InBev is trying to buy SABMiller? Cost $100 million. Heck you can buy a presidential nomination with those bucks. Stock $ goes down.
Chicago's Field Museum has an ancient Peruvian beer on tap starting Mar 3.
Here's Men's Journal's pics of the best 10 new IPA.
Coffee fixes your liver. Well, it keep your liver healthier. Got to give this a try.
The Sandford Park Alehouse in Cheltenham is CAMRA's best pub in England. Runners up are a couple of perennials, The Drovers Rest in Carlisle, Kelham Island in Sheffield along with a micropub, Broadstairs, in Kent.
Marble's Chocolate Marble was named the Champion Winter Beer. It's a "strong mild" from a small small brewery in Norwich. "It embodies everything a great winter beer should be, packed with flavour, complexity and depth, but still incredibly drinkable."
Meanwhile in England, CAMRA found half pints are charging between 41p and 50p more for two half pints than for a full pint. They are not amused.
LaOtto Brewing is open. LaOtto is north of Fort Wayne. Video
Indiana Craft Beer Week is April 24-30. Organized by Indiana On Tap. They say it's the first of the kind but they probably didn't know about the BIG Indiana Beer Week of July, 2008.
Martin's Supermarkets in Michiana have increased their beer shelving dramatically. (Thanks, The Beer Is Good)
The Ratebeer ratings of best in each state are out. Winners: the New Albanian Public House, M. Moggers, New Day, Keg Liquors, the Heorot.
The state Senate committee has approved bills to increase the number alcohol permits in Hamilton and Boone County. Sunday sales for artisan distilleries. Growlers of mead and cider. Turns down Sunday sales again.
Beers to hit the state soon include Ballast Point (launch at Boombozz in Carmel March 8, 3pm. - Thanks Eric)
Meijer's is going to bring in Michigan beers. Bell's Founders, Short's, New Holland, Atwater, Arcadia.
Tallgrass Brewing is coming in via Cavalier.
10 Reasons to Brew Your Own Beer.
Whaaaaa? AB InBev is trying to buy SABMiller? Cost $100 million. Heck you can buy a presidential nomination with those bucks. Stock $ goes down.
Chicago's Field Museum has an ancient Peruvian beer on tap starting Mar 3.
Here's Men's Journal's pics of the best 10 new IPA.
Coffee fixes your liver. Well, it keep your liver healthier. Got to give this a try.
The Sandford Park Alehouse in Cheltenham is CAMRA's best pub in England. Runners up are a couple of perennials, The Drovers Rest in Carlisle, Kelham Island in Sheffield along with a micropub, Broadstairs, in Kent.
Marble's Chocolate Marble was named the Champion Winter Beer. It's a "strong mild" from a small small brewery in Norwich. "It embodies everything a great winter beer should be, packed with flavour, complexity and depth, but still incredibly drinkable."
Meanwhile in England, CAMRA found half pints are charging between 41p and 50p more for two half pints than for a full pint. They are not amused.
Tailspin fest, Feb. 20 - a great way to learn Indiana and Kentucky beers in a historic setting
This years Tailspin Ale Fest in Louisville promises to be better than ever on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Eight Indiana breweries (the venue is just 8 miles from the Indiana state line) are serving including Tin Man and Carson's of Evansville, Flat 12 of Indy and Jeffersonville, New Albanian of New Albany, 450 North of Columbus, Upland of Bloomington, Central State of Indy, and 3 Floyds of Munster. Kentucky brewers will come from far and wide including new breweries!
The airplane hanger at Bowman Field provides a great historic setting for brewers from sixteen states! Against the Grain Brewery of Louisville was part of the Brewdogs television series and distributes in several states as well as several countries! ATG will have a barrel aged wheat wine and a rye imperial stout along with others. Sponsor West Sixth Brewing of Lexington will serve several beers including a coconut porter and a tripel. Country Boy of Lexington will offer a Red Ale aged in sherry bbls with blackberries along with other beers. Goodwood of Louisville features a coffee stout on oak. Yet another brewery in a church has opened in Louisville, and 3rd Turn Brewing will offer a porter and a cucumber saison. Rhinegeist Brewery of Cincinnati, with former Indy brewer Jim Matt, will share a bbl aged imperial stout and a Belgian style dark ale. Louisville's Apocalypse Brewing, with strong ties to Indiana, presents a Pro-Am collaboration with LAGERS local New Albany home brew club. Dry Ground Brewing of Paducah, KY is so named because their building, an old Coca-Cola bottling plant was flooded by the Ohio River in 1937. They too will bring a bbl aged imperial stout, a Belgian style rye PA, and a tripel.
With over 200 beers offered from nearly 50 breweries to sample between 3-7PM this Saturday and a chance to help the Dare to Care Food Pantry the event will build on the three successful past years offering up Honky Tonk music plus several food trucks and promised sixty-degree weather this year! For tix, directions and more CLICK HERE Everybody get's a free empty growler from Liquor Barn.
The airplane hanger at Bowman Field provides a great historic setting for brewers from sixteen states! Against the Grain Brewery of Louisville was part of the Brewdogs television series and distributes in several states as well as several countries! ATG will have a barrel aged wheat wine and a rye imperial stout along with others. Sponsor West Sixth Brewing of Lexington will serve several beers including a coconut porter and a tripel. Country Boy of Lexington will offer a Red Ale aged in sherry bbls with blackberries along with other beers. Goodwood of Louisville features a coffee stout on oak. Yet another brewery in a church has opened in Louisville, and 3rd Turn Brewing will offer a porter and a cucumber saison. Rhinegeist Brewery of Cincinnati, with former Indy brewer Jim Matt, will share a bbl aged imperial stout and a Belgian style dark ale. Louisville's Apocalypse Brewing, with strong ties to Indiana, presents a Pro-Am collaboration with LAGERS local New Albany home brew club. Dry Ground Brewing of Paducah, KY is so named because their building, an old Coca-Cola bottling plant was flooded by the Ohio River in 1937. They too will bring a bbl aged imperial stout, a Belgian style rye PA, and a tripel.
With over 200 beers offered from nearly 50 breweries to sample between 3-7PM this Saturday and a chance to help the Dare to Care Food Pantry the event will build on the three successful past years offering up Honky Tonk music plus several food trucks and promised sixty-degree weather this year! For tix, directions and more CLICK HERE Everybody get's a free empty growler from Liquor Barn.
Dribs and Drams
The House Public Policy committee turned down the bill to allow carry-out Sunday sales. Cold beer still will be only in liquor stores and pubs. Everything stays the same. Tap rooms and brew pubs can still sell growlers on Sunday. link
Rita talks about Beer and Donuts, especially in Wabash with Wabash Brewing. Also an interview with Redemption Alewerks' Dan Gohr. New titles on the beershelf. And more.
Roger says the B.I.G. is looking for board members. He also has the lineup for Gravity Head that starts on Feb 26.
The Beer Is Good.com passes on that in north central indiana, Martin's Super Markets have added a lot of craft beer. link
Hammond's Byway Brewing aspires to be world-class. Opens today. more
Banana Flask. $17.63
Wine Enthusiast magazine has a long article about America's Mead Renaissance.
Why You Feel the Burn when You Drink Alcohol.
The 101 Best Beers in America (per the Men's Journal).
Canada's 12 Oldest Bars
The Rise and Fall of the World's Most Unlikely Pub. Yeah, it's near a tourist attraction but the hiking path over a 14,000 ft. pass from Machu Picchu takes four days. And that's the only way to get there unless you're a llama. (Porters are available.)
Going to the pub is good for your wellbeing - CAMRA press release about an Oxford study.
Find Love at your local this Valentine's Day - Another CAMRA pr
Rita talks about Beer and Donuts, especially in Wabash with Wabash Brewing. Also an interview with Redemption Alewerks' Dan Gohr. New titles on the beershelf. And more.
Roger says the B.I.G. is looking for board members. He also has the lineup for Gravity Head that starts on Feb 26.
The Beer Is Good.com passes on that in north central indiana, Martin's Super Markets have added a lot of craft beer. link
Hammond's Byway Brewing aspires to be world-class. Opens today. more
Banana Flask. $17.63
Wine Enthusiast magazine has a long article about America's Mead Renaissance.
Why You Feel the Burn when You Drink Alcohol.
The 101 Best Beers in America (per the Men's Journal).
Canada's 12 Oldest Bars
The Rise and Fall of the World's Most Unlikely Pub. Yeah, it's near a tourist attraction but the hiking path over a 14,000 ft. pass from Machu Picchu takes four days. And that's the only way to get there unless you're a llama. (Porters are available.)
Going to the pub is good for your wellbeing - CAMRA press release about an Oxford study.
Find Love at your local this Valentine's Day - Another CAMRA pr
Winterfest 2016 the lesser known brewers and beers
Winterfest 2016 by the Brewers of Indiana Guild is a great place to try new beers. Winterfest was held this year on Saturday, January 29, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds from 2:00 (early bird) -6:45. With over 80 Indiana brewers plus many guest beers it took a strategy to decide what beer to try. Simple math says that if there were 84 Indiana breweries pouring at least 5 beers each (Bare Hands offered 40 brews) no one was going to sample over 400 beers!
We started with breweries we don’t know as well, those maybe farther away or newer.
One of the first beers we tasted was Blind Owl Brewery’s Belgian Dark Strong. They used traditional ingredients, La Chouffe yeast, and candy sugar in this one to provide a nice slightly sweet heavy beer. Blind Owl has not been open a year yet and is known for Hoo Brew Honey Brown and None the Wiser IPA, both of which they offered.
Schnitz Brewery’s Wayne Patmore offered us the Schnitz porter, with very nice deep roast flavor – a solid porter. Wayne had been home-brewing for about 15 years and loves to brew all styles. He told us the IPA & Blonde sell best, and we’d clearly support the porter!
Heady Hollow is a north side Indianapolis brewery (116th and Allisonville) with a wheat, APA, IPA, and scotch ale who are now adding small batch beers to their line up. The 60 Horses Scotch Ale is named for the 60 horses William Conner’s Delaware tribe wife kept when she left him to move on with her tribe! If Conner was brewing scotch ale back then we hope it had the solid flavor this one had.
Crooked Ewe Brewery of South Bend brought their Glasgow Butcher Scottish with nice caramel notes. Brewer Andy Walton has been concentrating on 5 styles but is starting to mix it up a bit. Their brewpub has a view of the river.
Cedar Creek (Winery &) Brew Co. has been around less than a year as a brewery and offers a slightly bitter, cocoa flavored porter. Their brewpub and winery is east of Martinsville off of Highway 252.
Big Lug’s Kristofferson is a true to style medium hopped pale from the hands of Steve Ellis, former brewer at The Ram downtown Indy. We also sampled the King’s Jive Brown which was malty with a chocolate hint. Big Lug opened this past year just over the Monon Trail at 86th Street. It is owned by Sahms who have many restaurants in town.
BrewLink, originally a beer and wine supply firm, has a brewery with one of the more unusual beers we tried. Ivory, a partner to their Ebony oatmeal stout, is a ‘white coffee stout.’ This very rich and ‘stout flavored beer’ has coffee, British malt, vanilla, and cocoa nibs but is a pale, golden color. If you closed your eyes this would seem to be a dark beer. And no matter, it is delicious! We’ll have to keep our eye on the new cans in distribution, their taps, and their upcoming taproom in Plainfield.
Devil’s Trumpet of Merrillville , open over a year, gave us their Chocolate Taco imperial oatmeal stout. We went for the name and the beer gave us nice solid chocolate flavor in a deep stout.
Route 2 Brews of Lowell, IN, is only about 30 minutes from Merrillville and is a really new brewery, open just a few months, yet Brewer Chris Fast brews 8 styles and we tasted his Psychotic blonde which was a good beer.
Back Road Brewery is not a new brewery but since we were tasting northern Indiana beer, once we saw the Bacon Spire Red Rye we just had to go for it. What we particularly liked was the modest level of bacon which did not overpower the slight bite of a rye.
Deviate Brewing opened in Fall 2015 and, true to their name, love to take a slight twist on classic beer styles. Their Tiki Mocha Nut Russian Imperial stout with coffee, coconut and vanilla beans gave a wonderful tropical trip in a dark stout at 10%, but stood up next to their The Main Monkey Business Scottish Strong with coffee and banana. Yep, you read that right this was one deviant but delightful pair of beers. The new brewery near 96th and Michigan Road in Indy is one to get to.
There is no reason to pick 'the best' from these. It was a real joy to try beer from a dozen or so breweries we have not been to. But since Deviate, Big Lug, and Blind Owl are on the north side of Indianapolis they are worth a visit to try sooner, rather than later. And Northwest Indiana is just a hotbed of new breweries so... road trip.
We'll post a Part Two about some of the special beers from breweries that have been around awhile.
We started with breweries we don’t know as well, those maybe farther away or newer.
One of the first beers we tasted was Blind Owl Brewery’s Belgian Dark Strong. They used traditional ingredients, La Chouffe yeast, and candy sugar in this one to provide a nice slightly sweet heavy beer. Blind Owl has not been open a year yet and is known for Hoo Brew Honey Brown and None the Wiser IPA, both of which they offered.
Schnitz Brewery’s Wayne Patmore offered us the Schnitz porter, with very nice deep roast flavor – a solid porter. Wayne had been home-brewing for about 15 years and loves to brew all styles. He told us the IPA & Blonde sell best, and we’d clearly support the porter!
Heady Hollow is a north side Indianapolis brewery (116th and Allisonville) with a wheat, APA, IPA, and scotch ale who are now adding small batch beers to their line up. The 60 Horses Scotch Ale is named for the 60 horses William Conner’s Delaware tribe wife kept when she left him to move on with her tribe! If Conner was brewing scotch ale back then we hope it had the solid flavor this one had.
Crooked Ewe Brewery of South Bend brought their Glasgow Butcher Scottish with nice caramel notes. Brewer Andy Walton has been concentrating on 5 styles but is starting to mix it up a bit. Their brewpub has a view of the river.
Cedar Creek (Winery &) Brew Co. has been around less than a year as a brewery and offers a slightly bitter, cocoa flavored porter. Their brewpub and winery is east of Martinsville off of Highway 252.
Big Lug’s Kristofferson is a true to style medium hopped pale from the hands of Steve Ellis, former brewer at The Ram downtown Indy. We also sampled the King’s Jive Brown which was malty with a chocolate hint. Big Lug opened this past year just over the Monon Trail at 86th Street. It is owned by Sahms who have many restaurants in town.
BrewLink, originally a beer and wine supply firm, has a brewery with one of the more unusual beers we tried. Ivory, a partner to their Ebony oatmeal stout, is a ‘white coffee stout.’ This very rich and ‘stout flavored beer’ has coffee, British malt, vanilla, and cocoa nibs but is a pale, golden color. If you closed your eyes this would seem to be a dark beer. And no matter, it is delicious! We’ll have to keep our eye on the new cans in distribution, their taps, and their upcoming taproom in Plainfield.
Devil’s Trumpet of Merrillville , open over a year, gave us their Chocolate Taco imperial oatmeal stout. We went for the name and the beer gave us nice solid chocolate flavor in a deep stout.
Route 2 Brews of Lowell, IN, is only about 30 minutes from Merrillville and is a really new brewery, open just a few months, yet Brewer Chris Fast brews 8 styles and we tasted his Psychotic blonde which was a good beer.
Back Road Brewery is not a new brewery but since we were tasting northern Indiana beer, once we saw the Bacon Spire Red Rye we just had to go for it. What we particularly liked was the modest level of bacon which did not overpower the slight bite of a rye.
Deviate Brewing opened in Fall 2015 and, true to their name, love to take a slight twist on classic beer styles. Their Tiki Mocha Nut Russian Imperial stout with coffee, coconut and vanilla beans gave a wonderful tropical trip in a dark stout at 10%, but stood up next to their The Main Monkey Business Scottish Strong with coffee and banana. Yep, you read that right this was one deviant but delightful pair of beers. The new brewery near 96th and Michigan Road in Indy is one to get to.
There is no reason to pick 'the best' from these. It was a real joy to try beer from a dozen or so breweries we have not been to. But since Deviate, Big Lug, and Blind Owl are on the north side of Indianapolis they are worth a visit to try sooner, rather than later. And Northwest Indiana is just a hotbed of new breweries so... road trip.
We'll post a Part Two about some of the special beers from breweries that have been around awhile.
Dribs & Drams
Here are five events to get you through the February doldrums
The Brewers Guild has a new Drink Indiana Beer app.
Rita talks about Beers for Musicals. Sun King and Clowes Hall pairings to, for instance, Guy Meets Girl. Plus Tow Yard and The Tap Brewing are making a collaboration Black Japanese malt liquor. Brew Tours in Hamilton County. And also a Winterfest wrapup.
Yelp's best Irish pubs ranks Nine Irish Brothers as best in Indiana.
A state law introduced will let state parks serve alcohol.
The 18th Street Brewery is moving to 5417 Oakley Ave in Hammond on the 5th. It will be a full brewpub with the brewing equipment from the award winning 5725 Miller Ave micro. Oh, and the old location will continue to be a tap house with noshes. The re-grand opening will bee noon-midnight Saturday, 21+, and cash-only until they straighten up the charge system.
Kroger Wants Alcohol Companies to Pick up the Tab For Its New Booze Organization Plan.
How Flint's Only Brewery is Dealing With the Water Crisis.
Italian Monks are brewing and sending (soon?) their Belgian-style beers here.
This Dutch Machine Lets You Automatically Brew Your Own Beer. $2220. Not in production - looking for financing. Makes 5 litre batches. Controlled by iPhone apps. Good luck.
Feb 19 | Hammond | 219 Day (that's the northwest's area code). Hammond Civic Center. 5-10pm. Four breweries will pour $5 pints - 18th Street, 3 Floyds, Byway, Wildrose. Food, music. Free. |
"Crowds gather for traditional burning down of health clubs at 2:19 p.m." and encouraging the Gary South Shore Railcats mascot Rusty to threaten to beat up the Colts mascot, just on principle." | ||
Feb 20 | Columbus | D-Vine Winter Wine & Beer Festival. At the Commons. 1-7pm. $20-$25. |
Feb 20 | Michigan City | Shelf Ice Brewfest. $40-$65. Outside - dress warm. 1pm+ |
Feb 26 | Indianapolis | Indy (Pizza) Pies & Pints. At Ivy Tech Culinary School. 7-10pm. $25-$50. |
Feb 26 until the beer runs out near the end of March.
|
New Albany
|
New Albanian's Gravity Head. NABC Public House. Opening with Stone Brewing offerings.
|
The Brewers Guild has a new Drink Indiana Beer app.
Rita talks about Beers for Musicals. Sun King and Clowes Hall pairings to, for instance, Guy Meets Girl. Plus Tow Yard and The Tap Brewing are making a collaboration Black Japanese malt liquor. Brew Tours in Hamilton County. And also a Winterfest wrapup.
Yelp's best Irish pubs ranks Nine Irish Brothers as best in Indiana.
A state law introduced will let state parks serve alcohol.
The 18th Street Brewery is moving to 5417 Oakley Ave in Hammond on the 5th. It will be a full brewpub with the brewing equipment from the award winning 5725 Miller Ave micro. Oh, and the old location will continue to be a tap house with noshes. The re-grand opening will bee noon-midnight Saturday, 21+, and cash-only until they straighten up the charge system.
Kroger Wants Alcohol Companies to Pick up the Tab For Its New Booze Organization Plan.
How Flint's Only Brewery is Dealing With the Water Crisis.
Italian Monks are brewing and sending (soon?) their Belgian-style beers here.
This Dutch Machine Lets You Automatically Brew Your Own Beer. $2220. Not in production - looking for financing. Makes 5 litre batches. Controlled by iPhone apps. Good luck.
Winterfest 8 By Brewers of Indiana Guild another great success
You could almost leave your jacket in your car at Winterfest on Saturday, January 30, 2016, the 8th annual. We counted at least 86 Indiana Breweries plus plenty of guests pouring a huge variety of beers. We knew Burn Em Brewing of Michigan City had decided a dozen varieties of beer was not enough and brought 16, but that was nothing compared to the 40 different beers from Bare Hands Brewery of Granger, IN. Looks like those from northern Indiana took this very seriously -- and each had some unusual beers. We'll have a report on some of the beers we enjoyed as we renew our notes. Here are a few photos that recap Winterfest!
Dribs and Drams
Let's get ready to Winterfest
Jan 30 | Indianapolis | Brewers of Indiana Guild Winterfest at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. 101 breweries. 3-6:45pm. $40. |
Jan 30 | Dayton OH | Brew Ha-Ha. $35-$50. 6-10pm. |
Early bird Winterfest tickets are sold out. General admission $40 tickets are available at the website. There also a list of represented breweries there. Oh heck, lets copy it here
18th Street Brewery 450 North Brewing Co. Back Road Brewery Bare Hands Brewery Basket Case Brewing Company Bier Brewery Big Lug Canteen Black Acre Brewing Company Black Swan Brewpub Blind Owl Brewery Bloomington Brewing Company Books & Brews Brew Link Brewing Broad Ripple Brewpub Brugge Brasserie Bulldog Brewing Co Burn 'Em Brewing Carson's Brewery Cedar Creek Brew Co Chapman's Brewing Chilly Water Brewing Co. Crown Brewing Danny Boy Beer Works Daredevil Brewing Co Deer Creek Brewery Deviate Brewing Evil Czech Brewery Figure Eight Brewing Flat12 Bierwerks Flix Brewhouse Fountain Square Brewing Co. Four Fathers Brewing Function Brewing Goshen Brewing Co. Grand Junction Brewing Co. Half Moon Restaurant & Brewery
Heady Hollow Brewing
Hoosier Brewing Co.Iechyd Da Brewing Company Indiana City Brewing Co. Ironwood brewing co Lafayette Brewing Co | Mad Anthony Brewing Company Man Cave Brewing Co. MashCraft Brewing Metazoa Brewing Company New Boswell Brewery & Tap Room New Corner Brewing Company Noble Order Norris English Pub and Brewery Oaken Barrel Brewing Company Outliers People's Brewing Company Planetary Brewing Co. Power House Brewing Co. Quaff ON! Brewing Co Ram Restaurant & Brewery Redemption Alewerks Rock Bottom Route 2 Brews LLC Saint Joseph Brewery Salt Creek Brewery Scarlet Lane Brewing Company Schnitz Brewery & Pub Shoreline Brewery St John Malt Brothers Brewing Sun King Brewing Co. Taxman Brewing Co. Tell City Brewing Company The Devil's Trumpet Brewing Co. The Guardian Brewing Company The New Albanian Brewing Co. The Tap Brewery Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. Three Floyds Brewing Co. Tin Man Brewing Co. Tow Yard Brewing Company Triton Brewing Co. Turoni's Main Street Brewery TwoDEEP Brewing Co. Union Brewing Company Upland Brewing Co. Wabash Brewing Wildrose Brewing Company Wooden Bear Brewing Company ZwanzigZ Brewing |
Rita's columns lately have been
- Centerpoint opens, Three Pints closes plus anniversaries and much more news.
- Winterfest, beyond the beer.
- Winterfest preview: Big beers and big expectations which notes beer that will be served this Saturday.
- Craft beer and costumes at Winterfest.
- Winterfest newcomers The new breweries you shouldn't miss.
She's blogger faster than we can post. OK Rita, you win.
The Brewers Guild's drinkin.beer web site has an app with maps of Indiana breweries, events, and probably basically their newsletter.
The Indy Star gives us 8 ways to get alcohol on Sundays. and Indiana bill would bring back happy hour (video)
Northewt Times — A House committee is expected to approve legislation Thursday that could enable alcohol sales at the Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion, regardless of consent by local authorities.
WTHI - New senate bill would help Indiana beer producers. Tax relief to Hoosier farmers of hops and barley and to the brewery's that use them.
Or on the negative side that's being used politically: "Local businesses can testify to the negative impact it’s had on the state’s reputation in the global marketplace. Doug Dayhoff, president of Upland Brewing Co. said that he’s experienced a downturn in interstate exports. At a big festival in North Carolina, some beer enthusiasts told Dayhoff that they didn’t want to buy his beer because they didn’t like “what Indiana stands for.”"
NE Indiana & Fort Wayne News - Sylvan Cellars Barn Opens Craft Beer & Cocktail Tasting Room. Rome City.
Keep Track of the Brews You've Sipped With This Scratch-Off Beer Poster. Printable image but note that Pop Chart Lab makes all sorts of neat products. A real
27 craft beer labels that are intoxicating to the eye
We hate to not completely respect a giant when they do good but this picture is just too good to pass up. AB has always had a good history of helping people during emergencies and natural disasters. In all, they've donated over 74 million cans of drinking water since 1988 (Scripps Media) They have already sent 51,000 cans to Flint. (Question? Does that bottled water going there from many groups including governments do any good when taking a bath or shower? How long can families live on sponge baths? Am I a pervert for asking that question?)
Dribs and Drams
Here
Bloomington: Where to eat and drink. Featuring Function Brewing.
Deviate Brewing gets love in Beeradvocate. (Thanks Rita)
Rita looks at Flat 12's 5-year anniversary.
Tow Yard and Denver's Factotum are collaborating on a Peyton Manning beer.
HopCat is going to open a Louisville location to add to their Lexington taps.
Cold sales in groceries and gas stations has been shot down again.
But there's another move afoot to allow to-go sales on Sundays. A bill has now been filed - HB 1399. Last year it was so confused by amendments the author withdrew it.
The mainstream media is all agog that someone may have said that carryout growlers are illegal. Friend of beer, Indiana Senator Ron Alting plans to fix it with SB 169. WISHTV, Oh, it's just in special Economic Development Zones.
The AP has a story about Eli Lilly's in-house bar.
The Star talks about Monarch Distributing's "fight to sell hard liquor".
The 18th Street Brewing Co. is now in Oklahoma.
There
Hoosier Hopped Coffee.
Patoka Like Winery gets love in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
Elsewhere
Remember that 100-year old beer found off the coast in Nova Scotia? Well it's been tested and tasted. "Pretty good . . . tree fruits, cherry, sulphur, rotten eggs".
Remember the London Beer Flood of 1814?
Martyn Cornell's choice of 20 beer quotes. (Thanks Roger)
British health says people shouldn't drink more than 6 beers per week. Good luck with that.
Military Times laments the French Navy can drink beer on board. Not to be confused with baby on board.
Naked Capitalism posits that beer is under siege by global warming. Hop crops are already smaller.
Where?
Bloomington: Where to eat and drink. Featuring Function Brewing.
Deviate Brewing gets love in Beeradvocate. (Thanks Rita)
Rita looks at Flat 12's 5-year anniversary.
Tow Yard and Denver's Factotum are collaborating on a Peyton Manning beer.
HopCat is going to open a Louisville location to add to their Lexington taps.
Cold sales in groceries and gas stations has been shot down again.
But there's another move afoot to allow to-go sales on Sundays. A bill has now been filed - HB 1399. Last year it was so confused by amendments the author withdrew it.
Sale of alcoholic beverages. Provides that a holder of an alcoholic beverage permit who is authorized by law to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout may sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sunday from 7 a.m., prevailing local time, until 3 a.m., prevailing local time, the following day. Requires a sales clerk who: (1) rings up; or (2) assists customers in accessing; alcoholic beverages in a grocery store or drug store to hold an employee's permit and have alcohol server training. Provides that the provision that allows individuals who are at least 19 but less than 21 years of age to ring a sale of alcoholic beverages in the course of the individual's employment does not apply to dealer establishments. Establishes alcoholic beverage display requirements for liquor dealers of grocery stores and drug stores. Requires video surveillance in stores, other than package liquor stores, where customers have access to alcoholic beverages without assistance. Makes it unlawful for: (1) the holder of a liquor dealer's permit, other than a package liquor store, to sell or distribute mini bottles through a self-service display; and (2) a person who is the proprietor of a package liquor store, drug store, or grocery store to allow a purchaser, or any other person who is not a sales clerk, to ring up or otherwise record an alcoholic beverage sale.
The mainstream media is all agog that someone may have said that carryout growlers are illegal. Friend of beer, Indiana Senator Ron Alting plans to fix it with SB 169. WISHTV, Oh, it's just in special Economic Development Zones.
The AP has a story about Eli Lilly's in-house bar.
The Star talks about Monarch Distributing's "fight to sell hard liquor".
The 18th Street Brewing Co. is now in Oklahoma.
There
Hoosier Hopped Coffee.
Patoka Like Winery gets love in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
Elsewhere
Remember that 100-year old beer found off the coast in Nova Scotia? Well it's been tested and tasted. "Pretty good . . . tree fruits, cherry, sulphur, rotten eggs".
Remember the London Beer Flood of 1814?
Martyn Cornell's choice of 20 beer quotes. (Thanks Roger)
British health says people shouldn't drink more than 6 beers per week. Good luck with that.
Military Times laments the French Navy can drink beer on board. Not to be confused with baby on board.
Naked Capitalism posits that beer is under siege by global warming. Hop crops are already smaller.
Where?