Congratulations to Chilly Water Brewing and Foam Blowers of Indiana Home Brew Club!

Each year brewers from around the country with a strong concentration from Indiana compete in the Indiana Brewers' Cup Competition: The Indiana State Fair Home Brew and Professional Brew Competition. This is one of nation’s largest beer competitions, having almost 1,300 total entries, with awards to both Professional Breweries as well as home brewers.

This year in the Pro Brewers awards Chilly Water Brewery of near downtown Indianapolis was awarded both Indiana Brewery of the Year and Grand Championship Brewery. They took the Best of Show brew award for professionals with a Scotch Ale. Chilly Water is the brain child of experienced local brewer Skip Duvall, who has worked at several other local breweries before opening this, his own trendy and hip music-based locale near Fountain Square just over one year ago (June 29, 1914). Dan Krzywicki is head brewer; Congrats to both Skip and Dan! Indianabeer.com caught up with Dan a couple of months ago and had a really interesting Saison as well as a Bird Song Belgian Ale that had nice character from Belgian yeast! Dan told me business was good and they've been quite pleased with the response to the beers! Chilly Water at 719 Virginia Ave #105, (Indianapolis) may be more packed once everyone learns of these awards! For our original story on the Chilly Water Opening CLICK HERE

By our count, looking only at GOLD Medals (first place in each category) Bier brewery had the most at 3 total. Considering TOTAL Medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) Chilly Water tied with Bier for top count at 6 each.

The Foam Blowers of Indiana Home Brew Club (full disclosure: two of us who blog here are members of the "FBI") came away with Homebrew Club of the Year Award (based on total points) due to so many active and winning home brewing members as well as the Bill Friday Club Award (most points/total entries of the club). Bill Friday was a legendary home brewer and home brew promoter who visited many early clubs and touched many of our lives!

Tim Palmer OF Fishers, IN, a Foam Blowers of Indiana member, won Homebrewer of the year and had the Best of Show for home brew: a Helles Lager.

Our list of Professional Gold Medal winners by category is at the bottom of this posting!

Remember: BEER FESTS

The "Grand-Daddy of all Indiana Beer Festivals" is July 18, with 102 Indiana and Guest breweries pouring! Below is a list and links for some upcoming events!

July 18: Indiana Microbrews Festival - by the Brewers of Indiana Guild, Military Park (new venue), Indianapolis, CLICK HERE FOR INFO

July 25: GNAWBrew, Gnaw Bone, near Nashville, IN, Great time and you can CAMP!! CLICK HERE FOR INFO

August 1: Brew Haven, New Haven, IN, CLICK HERE FOR INFO

August 8: Pints in the Park, Highland, IN, CLICK HERE FOR INFO

Brewers Cup Gold Medals: Professional Breweries

Category 1 Light Lager (10 Entries)
Wolf's Ridge Brewing Columbus Ohio Gold Standard

Category 2 Pilsner (16 Entries)
Sun King Brewery Indianapolis Indiana Popcorn Pilsner

Category 3 European Amber Lager (12 Entries)
Mad Anthony Brewing Company Fort Wayne Indiana Auburn Lager

Category 4 Dark Lager (8 Entries)
Chilly Water Brewing Company Indianapolis Indiana Dark Side of the Munich

Category 5 Bock (11 Entries)
Wolf's Ridge Brewing Columbus Ohio Sustinator

Category 6 Light Hybrid Beer (38 Entries)
Bier Brewery Indianapolis Indiana Special K

Category 7 Amber Hybrid Beer (7 Entries)
Flix Brewhouse - Carmel Carmel Indiana Generation Alt

Category 8 English Pale Ale (14 Entries)
Bier Brewery Indianapolis Indiana ESB

Category 9 Scottish and Irish Ale (17 Entries)
Chilly Water Brewing Company Indianapolis Indiana Dance to the Storm

Category 10 American Ale (46 Entries)
Quaff On Brewing Company Nashville Indiana Trigger Hoppy

Category 11 English Brown Ale (18 Entries)
Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Indianpolis Indiana Bull Dog Brown

Category 12 Porter (22 Entries)
Quaff On Brewing Company Nashville Indiana Busted Toe

Category 13 Stout (28 Entries)
Oaken Barrel Brewing Co. Greenwood Indiana U.S. Stout

Category 14 India Pale Ale (IPA) (55 Entries)
Mission Brewery San Diego California Shipwrecked Double IPA

Category 15 German Wheat and Rye Beer (18 Entries)
Fountain Square Brewery Indianapolis Indiana Hero Hefe Jr.

Category 16 Belgian and French Ale (30 Entries)
Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Indianpolis Indiana Agrarian Queen

Category 17 Sour Ale (17 Entries)
Upland Brewing Co. Bloomington Indiana Paw Paw

Category 18 Belgian Strong Ale (21 Entries)
St. Joseph Brewery and Public House Indianapolis Indiana Benevolent Belgian Blond

Category 19 Strong Ale (10 Entries)
Bier Brewery Indianapolis Indiana Barleywhine

Category 20 Fruit Beer (15 Entries)
Tin Man Brewing Company Evansville Indiana Wired White IPA

Category 21 Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer (24 Entries)
Latitude 42 Brewing co. Portage Michigan Island Fever

Category 22 Smoke-Flavored & Wood-Aged Beer (37 Entries)
Rhinegeist Brewery Cincinnati Ohio Pappy's Ink

Category 23 Specialty Beer (23 Entries)
Bell's Brewery Inc Galesburg Michigan Oarsman

Category Mead (5 Entries)
New Day Craft Mead & Cider Indianapolis Indiana Washington's Folly

Category Cider (6 Entries)
McClure's Orchard/Winery Peru Indiana jerry's cherries

Chilly Water - home of music, beer, good food....

We stopped by Chilly Water, 719 Virginia Av, Indy, just after the big lunch rush on opening day, Friday, June 27. This new brew pub scored a home-run on beer, food, and service as far as the two of us are concerned. That was true of the folks sitting next to us from Dallas, TX. also! The Texans just happened along, scored food they devoured, sampled beer and took a growler, and after asking how long CW had been open (counted almost in minutes as that point) said they hope they can make it back.

What may be unique for Chilly Water is the music! The 60 people who get in for the first show tonight (June 29) by 7:00 will hear David Gans, famous for hosting the Grateful Dead Hour (syndicated radio) and Tales from the Golden Road (Sirius Radio). Gans is a solid songwriter and guitarist from California who may have hung around with more bands as both musician and musical journalist than any other person. Owner and veteran brewer Skip DuVall loves music so much that bartender Phil may have been hired by wearing a Grateful Dead shirt and just ask Skip about the concerts he attends when you stop in. Skip plans for Chilly Water to be a relaxed local venue that includes occasional live music. cost for this first round is $20 at the door).

The beer: If I was forced to pick the beers I'd have on my next visit I'd pick the Built to Last Pilsner (5%) or the Sweet Revenge Pale (6.6%), but maybe on a nice summers day it would be... any of them. Seriously, we thought all were very good. The gal from Dallas gave an ultimate compliment without realizing it by saying the pale reminded her a lot of Sierra Nevada Pale; I agree; gold standard reached! Of course, it is a little different to show head brewer Dan Krzywicki's take on the style. A nice hop spice with malt balance. The Built to Last Pilsner is owner Skip DuVall's flagship from previous brewing experience but executed very well by Krzywicki. This pilsner fits between an American & German style as clean and crisp without the sweetness of any corn or rice and with just a very slight bitterness in the finish. The Harmonica Hefeweizen is a sessionable 4.8% alcohol delivering a citrus flavor with hints of clove; very refreshing for summer. The 5 String ESB (5.5%) is a delicious dark offering, maybe a little toasty for the style but sure to please a lot of palates looking for that dark grain flavor. On the hoppy end is a nice Space Circus IPA with, if memory serves me, Chinook, Cascade, and Columbus hops. Nicely balanced. This is a line up where we each got a sampler and each finished all of them gladly. Samplers are $7 for 4 4 oz. pours and pints are $5.25. Growler fills are $10, with the growler itself $4. Dan was brewing with Skip previously and now has about 3 years of brewing experience.

On the food side we tried the Ring of Fire panini sandwich with sliced salami, tasso ham, capicola, provolone, and pepperoncini (I had them hold the adobo aoli as I am not much of a fan). Terrific crunch of the fine bread, a river of flavor from the combination of meat and cheese with the final spice of the pepperoncini pepper. One was fine for two of us to share and every bite was truly enjoyed. Though the beer was terrific I'd consider going just for the food! The panini can come with home style kettle chips done just the way I like. Also on the menu are a cheese sandwich that almost lured me, a gourmet cuban, a chicken all dressed up with mozzarella, feta, and sun dried tomatoes, a cheese steak with provolone, some hummus, and a delight that I did not have the room or the guts to try called Skip's Balls - apparently a dessert concoction as 'flavor of the day.'

It was a pleasure to see veteran Anna (formerly at Rock Bottom) serving as well as Phil behind the bar, known at a couple of local watering holes. Friendly staff willing to make suggestions and who know their beer and food!

As I mentioned in my earlier blog (found here) Chilly Water will be an easy walk or bike ride from anywhere near downtown and has about 50 seats inside and some outside tables.

Hours are 11AM - 10PM T, W, Th, 11AM - midnight F, S, and normally Noon-6 Sunday except for music shows (like June 29).

For those into the specifics, the brewing system is 7 bbls. with 1 15 bbl. & 3 7 bbl. fermentors leading to plenty of beer flowing. They are serving out of 7 bbl. serving tanks and have capacity to run up to 8 beers on tap -- expect five to six regularly. The next beer up will be a MILD (think English mild), a sessionable, lighter alcohol but flavorful beer!

Find Chilly Water near Fountain Square in the Holy Cross/Fletcher Place area, just a ten minute walk from downtown. Bike parking available. Cars must park on the street, which has not been a problem even when we visited just as the rush calmed on Friday lunch hour.

Chilly Water to open near downtown, Speedway July Beer Fest, GPO beer contest, and more....

Chilly Water Brewing is the brainchild of veteran professional brewer Skip Duvall. It opens today (Friday, July 27) at 11:00AM, at 719 Virginia Avenue, about half-way between downtown and the heart of Fountain Square in what is officially the Holy Rosary Neighborhood but also identified as Fletcher Place by Indy Downtown, Inc. This is a great walk to or from a many places with a bike path and wide walk in front. The starting lineup of beers will be Built to Last Pilsner, Sweet Revenge Pale Ale, 5 String Hafe, Harmonica ESB, and Space Circus IPA.
This brewery has been months (and more) in the planning for Skip. Skip has experience from the old Alcatraz Brewing Company, one of the very early downtown Indy brewpubs. Skip took over for Omar Castrellon as Omar helped found Thr3e Wise Men (Omar this year returned to Little Rock after many years in Indy). Skip then moved to Fountain Square Brewing and eventually dreamed of his own place. The dream becomes a reality today with upscale panini sandwiches MENU HERE and five beers for now. I plan to be on hand today and plan to update on the beer and the food soon!

SUN KING's big SOLD OUT Fourth Anniversary party (which we have written about several times) is this Saturday afternoon and night with headliner entertainment, food trucks, and, um, beer. While popular Grapefruit Jungle will be available in pints and cans at the event, there are no growler sales until next week when it is released on Monday to bars and restaurants. For those with tickets, lawn chairs are allowed, and the event is rain or shine.

Sun King's TASTING ROOM is only open Noon - 3PM this Saturday (no loitering acceptable) due to their Anniversary Party! If you've not tasted Laverne and Shirley (I just love those names) these are best-friend beers brewed the same except different yeasts: Laverne is spicy as a Belgian blonde and Shirley is a crisp American lager. Great summer session beer at 4.1 & 4.6% respectively. Both in the tasting room and on tap at the party.

We know some people will be downtown Indy this evening (June 27) for Party on the Plaza 3:30-7 PM with beer flowing from Flat 12 Bierwerks, Fountain Square Brewing Company, Sun King Brewery, Bier Brewery, Triton Brewery, & Outlier Brewing Company as well as wine from Easley Winery. Don't have tickets yet? Party on the Plaza Tickets

Other beer news: we don't often catch personal news, but Scott Ellis, brewer at the RAM just had a baby! I think that is worthy of a MUG at the RAM.

LADIES: Name a Beer, For Girl's Pint Out Indy's FIFTH Anniversary! Deadline is fast approaching on Tuesday July 1 ENTER HERE: http://tinyurl.com/GPO5beer
and/or Name a Cocktail. Name the Cocktail here GPO will meet at Mass Ave Pub on Tuesday, July 16, at 6PM. click poster at right for more information

Scarlet Lane Brewing is already on tap at nearly FIFTY bars and restaurants around Indianapolis, and has a Tap Take Overs on Wednesday, July 2, at Fat Dan's Chicago Style Deli in Broad Ripple, and Friday July 11, 4:30PM - 10:30PM, at DC's Pub, 6537 Whitestown Parkway, Zionsville, IN.

A NEW beer festival has been announced by Daredevil Brewing, co-hosts. Hops & Flip Flops Festival will be held at the Dallara IndyCar Headquarters at 1201 E. Main Street, Speedway, where over 20 local, regional, and national breweries will provide samples of beer along with street vendors, music, food, and more from 5:30-10:00 PM. Proceeds benefit the Speedway Lions Club. Breweries such as Founders, Jolly Pumpkin, Against the Grain, Country Boy, Bells, Flat 12, Boulevard, Stone, Rheingeist, Oskar Blues, Triton, and, of course, Daredevil, are expected to bring some prized highly hopped plus not-so-hoppy beers to share! Special food, wine, and chocolate pairings are being considered! Tickets on sale July 2, HERE

And of course, the 19th Indiana Micro-Brewer's Festival is coming up on July 19 in Broad Ripple.

Chilly Water Brewing adds to the Indy Near-Downtown beer scene this Summer and other Indiana Beer News Mar.18

The Fletcher Place neighborhood in Indianapolis is getting a new brewery-brewpub in early-Summer at Virginia Avenue and McCarty Street. Chilly Water Brewing is being opened by veteran pro-brewer Skip DuVall with 8 taps of fresh local beer and a music themed atmosphere. I recently caught up with Skip to learn about the venture.

Skip has always liked music and the name of this brewery comes from a Wide Spread Panic Southern Rock band song of the same name "Chilly Water" (1987). Lyrics include: "As long as there's water, Chilly well water' Gimme some of that cool, cool water." Skip hopes to have some graphic art representing music on the walls and feature some small-venue local live music at times. Chilly Water has bicycle parking and plans to add more, encouraging patrons to ride or walk. The location is a 10 minute walk from central downtown and just a few minutes walk from nearby

Fountain Square. While there is no off-street parking, Chilly Water can be reached off I-70W using the Fletcher Avenue exit. This is in the heart of the historic Fletcher Place neighborhood. For a Fletcher Place walking tour and more information CLICK HERE

Chilly Water Brewing plans to have 8 taps to start and will feature an American Pale and a German Lager while rotating beers, all made on site to start. The brewpub will serve light food like paninis and hummus with a simple menu. The Asian fusion restaurant ROOK (corrected, earlier post misspelled) is next door and they may find a way to partner. The design will allow the brewing operation to be visible through glass and will have efficient seating for about 50 inside as well as outside space for another 30+ patrons. For those interested in the technical side, Skip will be using a 7 BBL system with extra fermentation capacity. Skip DuVall is a former brewer from Alcatraz brewing which is now gone and moved from there to nearby Fountain Square Brewery. Skip is so conscious of recycling he does not plan to sell bottled water -- so no recycled plastic. The construction will take a couple of additional months so Skip will only say "early Summer" but I look for a late-May to early June possible opening.

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Evil Czech Brewing is now Evil Czech of Mishawaka, IN, as previewed in our Fall story about them Read about Evil Czech HERE
They have opened a brewery and brew pub on the site of the former Mishawaka Brewing, but make no mistake says General Manager of Brewing Operations Shawn Erickson, the building looks totally different! While the community has respect for the legacy of a brewery (one of Indiana's earliest brew pubs) at 3703 N. Main St. in Mishawaka, the building was completely gutted, a new gastro-pub was built and entirely new brewing system that is four times larger than their Culver, IN site was opened.

While the Culver operation will remain open as a brew pub the former system may be used as a pilot but all beer will be brewed in Mishawaka. The family that owns Evil Czech already owns Corn Dance restaurant in the city where Evil Czech beer is served. The brewing operation started in 2012 and expanded to taps throughout portions of Indiana during 2013. Brewing capacity increase clearly allows further expansion of such beers as BobbleHead, Evil Czich, John the One Eye, Stalin's Dark Side, and many more. Stalin's Dark Side was released again this month and is a bold and toasty Russian Imperial Stout at 10% alcohol. The Bobblehead wheat is a flagship beer. The family group grows many of their own hops and raises bison for meat in the restaurant. Owner George Pesek is originally from the former Czechoslovakia and is a trained and noted chef.

The new restaurant had a soft opening this past week and is open 5-10PM during March with the bar open later. Evil Czech offers Mug Club memberships online; check out their Facebook site for details.

RAM Restaurant & Brewery will tap a Schwarzbeer they've named "Arnold SCHWARZenegger" using Pilsener and Munich malts with a touch of roast barley character, this German style beer is dark in color while being lighter bodied and smooth. Tapping is 6:00 PM, Thursday, March 20, at the Indy downtown location, 140 South Illinois St.

Sun King releases Lonesome Dove, a bourbon barrel aged Tripel at 10% alcohol on March 20, in the Tap Room, 135 N. College, Indy. Patrons are limited two 2-packs per person and it is $17.50 each 2-pack. beer profile click here

Get the Bloomington Beer Festival and Bloomington Craft Beer Week on your calendar. The BCBW festivities will begin at local pubs and restaurants Friday, April 4, with special tappings continuing through Friday, April 11. The festival is Saturday, April 12, in the Woolery Mill 2200 Tapp Road 4-7PM for $35 with early bird available one hour earlier. Hotel rooms at group rates are available at the Fourwinds Resort with shuttles to and from the event. Tix online HERE or at Big Red Liquors stores. A 4-way collaboration between: Upland Brewing, Bloomington Brewing Company, Quaff On! Brewing and Function Brewing produced a Black American Wheat to be available at this fest.

Tickets for the Upland Third Annual Sour + Wild + Funk Fest are available online at Eventbrite here The festival to be held at the historic Indianapolis City Market will be Saturday, May 17, 2-6 PM. A VIP Sour lecture and private tasting will be held from 12:30-1:30pm. VIP tickets can be purchased for $75, and will include VIP lecture, lanyard, commemorative T-shirt, swag bag and access to the VIP lounge.


Of course Dark Lord Day on April 26 is sold out but a few tickets can often be had from those who do not attend.

Reminding you that March 27th is the night Girls Pint Out and the Mentoring Women's Network hold a social/happy (hoppy) hour at Triton Brewery Tap Room, 5764 Wheeler Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216 . Triton's Pink Ribbon Saison will be on tap, and there will be a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery. Mentoring Women's Network is, "an organization for professional women. Our mission is a community of empowered women supporting one another personally and professionally through mentoring relationships and our vision is the largest and most effective mentoring organization for women in the nation." (mentoringwomensnetwork.com)