New Micro in Bloomington; Function combines gastro-pub with many taps.

Steve has always had a dream... as many home brewers do Steve wanted to open his own brewery. Arlyn, his wife, is really into food. Quite some time ago the two decided to live the dream, seeing what will happen.

As many who have followed them on Facebook for many months know, it has been quite a process making the dream a reality. Yet, this week Function Brewing, 108 E Sixth Street in Bloomington, just a block from the trendy town square, opens officially serving a host of small plates and a wide variety of beers.

So I asked myself, what might differentiate Function from all of the other micro- and nano-breweries opening everywhere. Consider location, ambiance, experience, and taste.

What may 'sell' this place is the combination of location and decor! Don't get me wrong the beer will be solid, we will get to that. The menu looks astonishing. But there are few truly 'classy' local pubs with reasonable prices. Steve and Arlyn 'rescued' an old facility (with the help of the property owner) exposing brick, hand crafting their own table tops and bar, carefully applying color to the walls, and making this place a counterpoint to The Tap, which is currently the classiest beer bar for 50 miles (I think I've been to all in that radius) and it is on the opposite end of the Bloomington town square. Just the right touches makes the place comfortable and classy while still allowing kids in case friends can't get a babysitter.

Location, steps from the Bloomington square (1/2 block) and across from one of the city's many art galleries. This can be a great venue for those coming into town for a weekend as well as for locals looking for one more place with good beer and wine.

Local... local, hand-crafted beer. Steve Llewellyn is an early member of the local Hop Jockeys home brew club that have nearly science-based meetings (including talks by some I.U. based PhD folks on their subject). Okay, at times a bit nerdy for me but this has steeped Steve in sharing some of the best concepts in brewing. Steve will stay busy on a 2 bbl system but has the opportunity to change up beers frequently.

Ah, the beer.... I tasted a smoked porter that was delicious. This porter offered a light smoke with a nice smooth base beer and a decent amount of roastiness concocted of Magnum and Willamette hops and a variety of malt including some chocolate, Munich, and peated malt at 5.8%. Having a large number of taps (coolest tap handles in town, too) of fresh local beer is a big plus. For opening they plan 9 beers from a Falconer's flight single-hop pale to a Belgian pale, an IPA with five hops, a milk stout, a coffee milk stout and more. All are at a reasonable price, with opening prices at $4 per pint.

The small plates menu includes a cheese and charcuterie plate, a dip trio, a goat cheese and fig-onion jam on crostini, dips, salads, home-made soup, hot and cold sandwiches, and more all under $15. The menu asks vegans and vegetarians to discuss their needs with their server.



Grand Opening? Wednesday, January 29!

Hours: Wed. Thur. 3-10 PM; Fri. 3-midnight

Sat. 11 AM - midnight; Sun. 11 AM - 9 PM









Function, waiting in style
to get busy!


cheers to success!

Greg Kitz

Upland on April 6th brings to life famous Indiana Champagne Velvet beer

A beer brand that was once one of the more prominent brands in the United States will literally roll down the streets of its former hometown on April 6th, as a horse-drawn beer wagon delivers Upland's Champagne Velvet, the beer with the Million Dollar flavor, to 3 notable Terre Haute pubs as Upland Brewing starts the celebration of its 15th anniversary. Just fifteen years ago Upland Brewing came to life in a small brick building near downtown Bloomington, Indiana. Yet, 109 years before the establishment of Upland, the seed of one of the nation's great early beers was born as The Terre Haute Brewing company was formed in a brick building near downtown Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1900, before prohibition, Terre Haute Brewing was one of the largest breweries in the U.S. By 1901 to 1904 they had Champagne Velvet Brand which was eventually distributed in 48 states. (citing our own Bob Ostander, in the book "Hoosier Beer") Indeed, Champagne Velvet, or CV as it is known by old-timers, was Indiana's biggest and best known beer for years.

The accomplishments: Upland Brewing President, Doug Dayhoff, told us they wanted a major beer introduction for the brewery's 15th anniversary and they were quite pleased to add the Champagne Velvet label to Upland. “We’re heading into our 15th year of operation on the heels of a massive brewery expansion, and the next few years are going to be very exciting,” said Upland's Dayhoff. “We think the best way to celebrate the success that so many local breweries are having is by paying tribute to the most successful beer in Indiana’s history.” Quite a year it is for Upland with the revival of Champagne Velvet, a new Tap Room coming online in Carmel, IN, major expansion into Ohio and beyond, and continuing the other brewing tradition Upland has adopted as a major brewer of sours with Kiwi and Persimmon being released soon, yet this Spring.

The beer: I had a chance to taste test batches of Champagne Velvet in January and then sample a bit from the fermenter just recently. With a nod to its past at 30% corn grain the beer will be bright and modern and has been taste-tested with bartenders and consumers. This German-inspired lager uses traditional German yeast strains and Tettnang hops but will be light on the bitterness. There was a brief revival of the brand more than 10 years back by a Terre Haute entrepreneur who claims to have found a recipe from the assistant brewmaster from 1901, yet that recipe was not a complete brewing mashbill and ingredients have changed in over 100 years. The Upland Brewing Crew including Peter Batule, VP of Brewing operations, Patrick Lynch, Brewer and Matt Wisley, Asst. Brewer, went to work perfecting just the right brew to bring back the label but with an appeal to today's beer drinker.

The arrival: The horse-drawn beer wagon will first stop at Sonka Irish Pub,1366 Wabash Ave, in Terre Haute about 3:00 PM on April 6. The parade then continues to The Copper Bar, 810 Wabash Ave, which itself originates from 1895. After the tappings at these establishments the beer wagon rolls to Mogger's Restaurant, 908 Poplar St, which was a German immigrant's brewery from 1848-1868, the pub of a Mattias Mogger. The arrival of Upland's Champagne Velvet is set for about 6PM at Mogger's where evening festivities will continue. The new Upland Champagne Velvet will be available for some sampling as early at April 1, at limited locations but after April 6 will roll out to bars, restaurants and liquor stores in kegs and 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles.

Here's to a great run for the revival of the Champagne Velvet beer and Happy Anniversary to Upland Brewing!

GregKitz

thanks to Doug Dayhoff, Patrick Lynch, Matt Wisley, Jackson Heiss and Andrea Lutz, all of Upland

Bloomington quick note

Alley Bar (210 W. Kirkwood, Bloomington) continues the series of mini-keg tappings on Friday at 4:15 this Friday (1/27) with Widmer Falconer IPA from the Widmer winter rotator series. The Falconer name is in honor of a brewing legend and has Sorachi Ace, Simco, and Citra hops to give it citrus and lemon notes and weighs in at 7%. These are usually empty between 6 and 10 PM. No food, just a small European bar atmosphere with beer and wine.

Upland expands

Upland Brewering in Bloomington plans major expansion to take capacity from 11,000 barrels currently to 25,000 barrels within 3 years according to the Herald Times newspaper of Bloomington (HeraldTimesOnline.com, July 25, 2011). A new brewing facilty is planned several miles nearly due South of their current brewery and pub in the central district of Bloomington. It is reported that Upland will spend $1.5 million to purchase formerly used by the old RCA plant and warehouse and another $1.5 million over 3 years to renovate the facility.

Upland has gradually increased production and distributon under owner Doug Dayhoff and Head Brewer Caleb Staton with their reach extending South into Kentucky and North into Wisconsin. Upland's signature beer is the Upland Wheat which contributes the most volume but they may be best known as one of the few U.S. brewers to produce Lambic, for which they have received multiple awards including recent medals at the Brewer's Cup of the Indiana State Fair. Upland also sponsors an annual Upcup competiton for homebrewers with the winning brewer working with Caleb and Crew to brew the winning recipe for commercial consumption. Caleb never influences the winner which has yielded such excellent brews as a rauch beer, which few local or regional brewers attempt (and this blogger loved it and frequently showed up to help the consumption).

Upland's plans are being celebrated by the Mayor of Bloomington as blazing the trail for more local commercial development -- and while we thank the major we just love it for good beer!

Upland is hosting an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Wed. Aug. 3 at their new site of 301 West Grimes Lane, in Bloomington according to the Herald Times (see previous reference).

PR: Bloomington Craft Beer Fest – Cutters Brewing Co.

Reprinted press release:

BLOOMINGTON (May 19, 2011) – The newest microbrewery in Bloomington will be making it’s premiere at the inaugural Bloomington Craft Beer Fest on Saturday, June 4th, 2011. Cutters Brewing Co. Cutters Brewing Co. is owned and operated by long time friends and accomplished homebrewers Monte Speicher and Chris Inman as well as their spouses and business partners Amanda Speicher and Emma Inman.

They recently received government approval to brew at their brewery at 1927 S. Curry Pike. Their hand crafted and packaged beers will be available for purchase in and around Bloomington in late June. The public will be able to sample Cutters’ Monon Wheat, Empire Imperial Stout, and Half Court IPA at the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest.

Other Indiana breweries that will be offer beer samples includes: Bloomington’s Upland Brewing and Bloomington Brewing Company; Nashville’s Big Woods Brewing Company; New Albany’s New Albanian Brewing Company; Brazil’s Bee Creek Brewing Company; Evansville’s Turoni’s Main Street Brewery; Indianapolis’ Sun King Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (Downtown and College Park), Brugge Brasserie, Broad Ripple Brewpub, and Flat 12 Bierwerks; Plainfield’s Three Pints Brewpub; Noblesville’s Barley Island Brewing Company; Kokomo’s Half Moon Brewery and Restaurant; Lafayette’s People’s Brewing and Lafayette Brewing Company; Munster’s Three Floyds Brewing Company; Valparaiso’s Figure Eight Brewing Company; and Fort Wayne’s Mad Anthony Brewing Company.

The festival will be held on the property surrounding the Woolery Mill at 2200 West Tapp Road.

Tickets will be on sale at www.IndianaBeerFest.com. General admission tickets are $35 and include admission, a commemorative tasting glass, a tasting guide, and access to over 120 beers in 2 ounce pours. Parking at the festival will cost $10, but a free shuttle is being offered to and from the festival. The shuttle service will include stops at IU Stadium’s Purple Lot and downtown Bloomington on College Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets.

For those bringing a designated driver, admission for them is $10 but includes free parking and free soft drinks and bottled water.

A special “Bloomington Breweries Tour” tickets are being offered for $90. It includes lunch, tours and beer samples at Upland Brewing Company and Bloomington Brewing Company, admission into the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest, and bus transportation.

The Brewers of Indiana Guild, along with Best Beers, Bloomington Brewing Company, and Upland Brewing Company, are proud to present the first annual Bloomington Craft Beer Fest on Saturday, June 4^th, 2011 from 3pm to 7pm. The festival is also sponsored by Big Red Liquors, 92.3 WTTS, and VisitBloomington.com .

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Sycamore Land Trust.

David vs Goliath, Wilbur Brewing

Wilbur brewing likely could not have a more idyllic setting for current brewing operations, a former Girl Scout cabin beside a pond, with little but trees around! Maybe some of that peace transends into the beer! Wilbur is gently moving from a homebrewing operation to micro-brewer. Still it is likely one of the few who could claim "fire brewed" beer! Plus the beer is organic. The last time indianabeer.com caught up with founder Dan Hause, Wilbur Brewhause was in its infancy. Wilbur now has larger fermentation vessels and is brewing in larger quantities.

Throwing beer styles to the country wind, Wilbur's most popular offering is Country Mellow -- and it is smooth but weighs in at 8% alcohol. This beer is closest to a strong scotch ale, but there we go trying to categorize a beer that folks just plain seem to like rather than discuss. It is a deep brown mahogany beer with rich maltiness made with local artesian waters. Wilbur's second most popular is labeled Summer Ale, though the light spiciness in it made it a tasty Fall beer, too. Wilbur bottles other seasonals such as Oktoberfest, Biker Brown, and Midnight Coffee Stout with beans from B-townBeans.

Wilbur, named for the closest little 'village' of Wilbur, Indiana, between Martinsville and Monrovia, will likely move one of these days as Dan plans to expand. That may allow Wilbur to distribute more widely with more offerings. Currently Country Mellow is likely the beer you'll find in Bloomington on tap at Scotty's, Yogis, or maybe Max's and in 6-packs at Bloomingfoods, Sahara Mart, in Martinsville at Brownstone liquor or try a bottle at Olde Northside Bar & Grill, or pick some up at Parti-Pak on the Southside of Indy.

It's great to see expanding variety for Indiana. Little Wilbur Brewing is adding organic options in South Central Indiana. Check out the facebook page for Wilbur Brewing !

Misc News – Sept 30

Bloomington Brewing 14 taps and 2 handpulls are filled with goodies.

• The English Mild is lightish tan/brown with plenty of cars-something character and only 5 IBUs to balance. 4.7% ABV. It's on CO2 and the handpull. Yummy.
• The Homegrown Pale using fresh hops from Floyd's patch has a fresh pungency in a light brown/copper ale with 27 IBU. Right nice.
• Quarryman Pale is the threesome right now CO2, Nitro, and Handpull to get a good feel of the dispensing difference.

New Albanian beers to come:

• Saison d'Houbleon will be out any day now. Unfiltered 7% farmhouse with 40 IBU. The nose belies the underlying bitterness. Professional stuff.
• A 2nd batch of Yakima Rye IPA will dry hop for 14 days and another 6 days on a new batch of hops before being tapped.
• Four oak barrels of C2 Grand Cru – the second collaboration with Schafly and O'Fallon are aging in New Albany. 2 bourbon barrels, 2 port barrels. One of each will get smoked figs added. Eventually all four barrels will be served individually and blended to a fifth offering. Look for it at Winterfest in January.

Lafayette Brewing's Phoenix Strong Ale is on tap. 42 IBU. 7.6% ABV. "Brewed with pale, crystal and chocolate malts and hopped exclusively with English-grown Phoenix hops. Mahogany in color, this full bodied brew is malty yet retains an expressive hop character. Complex flavor profile highlights hints of toffee and tobacco. Stop by and have a pint or two of the Phoenix Strong Ale, this ale was last seen at the brewpub back in '07."

Eric Strader looks at The Livery in Benton Harbor, MI. and at Oktoberfest Beers.

This weekend's Anstich kegs at the New Albanian's Public House, to be tapped at 5pm and empty before 6pm – Thurs: Huppendorfer Vollbier. Fri: Günther-Bräu Lagerbier. Sat: Weissenohe Monk’s Fest.

38 year old Big Red Liquors gets ink in the Indiana Daily Student (as if any IU students don't know about Big Red).

Tickets are selling well for this weekend's Valparaiso Brewfest. article

Brewfest Valpo. Valparaiso. 1-5pm. $35/$40 VIP-$55.

Also this Saturday:

Louisville Craft Beer Week Volkfest. BBC Taproom, Main Street. 3pm - Midnight

Upland Oktoberfest, Bloomington. 11am - 1am.

Microbrew Festival for Giving Sum, Rathskeller, Indy. 2-5pm. $25/$30.

Weko Beach Brewers Festival, Bridgman, MI. 3-9pm. $20/$25.

Upland has a flyer out in the interstate rest stops. I don't think they'll mind if we reproduce it here. Click to biggify.

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Indiana Senator James Merritt (R-Indy) is starting to talk about canning the card-for-carryout law. "deluged with complaints". article 1  article 2

The groceries and convenience stores have been sending out press releases again about how the liquor stores' monopoly on cold sales is discrimination. The "Change it Indiana" petition is back up "51,000 people have signed" (which is the same as last winter – so there has not been a grass roots effort at all). We'll keep linking to articles so you can follow the fun. article

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If you can read and understand this article in the Journal of Proteome Research (The Proteome Content of Your Beer Mug) we really really want you to blog on IndianaBeer.com. Sentence chosen at random: "Protonated phthlates [dibutylphthlate (plasticizer), m/z 279.159086; bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, m/z 391.284286] and polydimethylcyclosiloxane ions [(Si(CH₃)₂O)₆ + H]⁺; m/z 445.120025] were used for real time internal mass calibration."

We're told 6 new breweries are upcoming in St. Louis.

Sam Adams will release an Oak Aged Double Red and a Wee Heavy real soon now. In fact the Wee Heavy is out in a few areas.

Rodenbach Vintage 2008 should hit the shelves in 750ml bottles in November.

Rick Lyke is planning a 10-day Belgian trip for 14 people in September, 2011. To be one of them, see Realbeer.com

Remember Malt Liquor? Here's the history.

Kitz's ramblings August 22

The past week started South with delicious beer at Moon River Brewing in Savannah, GA. If you get there you'll enjoy a great Fest Bier German style almost-Oktoberfest beer, or maybe a yummy Slo-vannah Pale ale with only 4% alcohol as a wonderful session beer on a hot Georgia day. We were lucky the seasonal Belgique was on tap as a tip-of-the hat to the great Chouffe brewery of southern Belgium.

Okay, not so far, you say! Traveled to Louisville to judge beer for the Kentucky State Fair with some great folks including our own Anita J of Great Fermentations and Sam C. one of the brewers at Bluegrass Brewing. Sam made some great contributions to what might have gone wrong with some of the homebrew we judged. But nothing was wrong when we stopped in at the downtown Louisville brewpub for BBC sampling their winning American Pale, a fairly hoppy American Pale at 55IBU (or just heavy hops for those who don't want the technical stuff. Also tried the seasonal "Unnamable Maibock" (hey, that's there name for it). A very tasty beer even if it is way past May. Had to finish the meal by sharing a Bourbon barrel Scotch Ale, one of my favorites, and Jerry and Sam have barrel aging down to a science!

On the Indiana side of Louisville Buckhead Mountain Grill had Nut Brown Ale on tap, a solid version of this style. Also had 3-Floyds Alpha King, Dogfishhead IPA, and Dogfish 60. Wow! So many choices right off of I-65!

Had to stop in downtown Indy this week and visit BWs at 7 E. Washington to see what was on tap. This week's hophead delight was Founders Red's Rye! Solid grapefruit notes at 77 IBU and done with four varieties of Belgian malts! Double-WOW. Also had Dogfish 90 on tap!

Bloomington's Crazy Horse (with 20+ on tap) is serving up Spaten Oktoberfest now! Yogi's Bloomington has (among the 20+ on tap there) Brooklyn Brewing's Sorachi Ace Brewmaster's Reserve. The beer made with one Japanese hop variety of this name comes out with a unique citrus/herbal flavor.

Firkin of Red Ale at the Alley in B-town

On Friday, July 17, the Alley Bar, Bloomington, will feature a firkin of Upland Red Ale.- Cask conditioned special red. Served at 6:00 or 6:30 PM until it's gone. The Alley (1/2 block west of the Square in Bloominigton, on Kirkwood) is one of the tiniest pubs in Indiana with a friendly barkeep, a rotating tap, Hoegaarden almost always on tap, and a host of specialty bottled beer!

Bloomington On Tap

In addition to craft brewed beer at Upland Brewery and Bloomington Brewing Company you can find great beer in Bloomington, IN, at several spots. As of early July, Crazy Horse on W. Kirkwood has Bell's Oberon and Two-Hearted, DogFishHead 60, Fat Tire from New Belgium, and Spaten Dunkel along with many usual suspects. On a hot summer day sipping Oberon is just the thing for me (hold the fruit, please!).

Yogi's on East 10th has Bell's 2-Hearted, Oberon plus Amber, 3Floyd's Alpha King, Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz spiced wheat ale - a Belgian style weighing in at 8.5% ABV. Really interesting combination of spices by famed Indian Chef Cardoz (hence the name, get it!). Sips like a Saison and really great on the palate.

I also had to try the New Belgium Skinny Dip, a light wheat beer. Refreshing and created as a summer beer you can have after a work out. Even a work out of lifting pint glasses! The tap list goes on and on at Yogi's to include Stone Arrogant Bastard & Levitation, two Brugge beers, Rogue Dead Guy, and coming in late July will be Brooklyn's Sorachi Ace, obviously featuring the hops of that name.

So if you are thirsty in South Central Indiana, fear not and beer up!