BIG week of Indiana Beer Days in Indianapolis! July 11-19

Today starts the first of more than one week of BIG days for Indiana. BIG can mean Brewers of Indiana Guild as they are heavily involved in many of the truly big events.

Brewer's Cup Competition: The premier beer competition in the Midwest is The Brewer's Cup, which has nearly 1300 entrees from both Professional brewers and home brewers. Approximately 120 trained beer judges will assemble at the Indiana State Fair Grounds for the weekend starting tonight (July 11) for the first round of judging. Judging continues all day Saturday. The big announcement of winners comes Saturday night at the closed reception for brewers and judges (6-8PM). We will have the unofficial (meaning we wrote them down from the announcements) list of top winners on this blog by Monday. This year two new awards have been added. The Bill Friday Homebrew Club award for the club with the best winning percentage and the Grand Champion Brewer award for the pro brewer that earns the most points in the competition.

Saturday July 12 is the 19 mile Tour De Biere starting at 67th and Cornell at 10:00 AM down the Monon Trail and beyond to Fountain Square brewery, Flat12 Bierworks, Triton's Tap, and for those who want to head north back beyond Broad Ripple, Union Brewing in Carmel. map here

Sunday July 13 is the Broad Ripple Brew Pub's 2014 Hoods and Hops antique, classic, and custom car show with $5 entry fee for cars but free for browsers. Noon to 5:00PM.

Tuesday July 15 is Indiana Girl's Pint Out's gathering at Mass Ave Pub, 745 Mass Ave, Indy, 6-9 PM with the unveiling of the top three beer cocktails recipes from the GPO contest with samples and available to purchase the drink! The Winning beer-tail will be featured at Mass Ave Pub for the rest of July!

Saturday July 19 is the largest beer festival held in Indiana as nearly 6000 converge on Broad Ripple's Optimist Park for the 19th Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival with over 350 craft beers from 80+ brewers, mostly Indiana. Tickets are likely still available at Big Red Liquors and online HERE. The main event is 3-7PM and sold out last year. A portion of ticket sales benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

And a shout out to bartenders and servers: HopCat Broad Ripple plans to open August 16, and is now hiring
for all positions with interviews until Aug. 1 (M-F 9-6). Those interested inquire at jobs@hopcat.com

We hope to see you out at one or more events!

Cheers! GregKitz

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)

American Craft Beer Week 2012 - The Beginning

First off, Happy American Craft Beer Week everyone!

I hope you are out supporting our local craft breweries or at least getting out and drinking some of the many great craft beers there are available to us in Indiana.

I personally kicked of this week on Monday by having a pint of New Belgium's Cocoa Mole at the Indy Beer Sellar. If you like chili beers, I suggest giving this one a shot. It leaves a nice little burn in the back of your throat. For more of what is available at the Beer Sellar - Check out their tap list! and make sure you stop in this Friday for their Tap Attack! starting at 7pm - Just to name a few to get you thirsty:

• Founders -  Breakfast Stout
• Three Floyds - Zombie Dust
• New Holland - Dragon's Milk Oak Barrel Ale 

Onto Tuesday - 

Went down to Irvington to visit Black Acre Brewing Co. for the first time and socialize with Girls Pint Out and Arts & Craft Beer Owner, Tara Maggert. 

Since Tuesdays, Black Acre is typically closed, the place was only filled with about 20-30 people at any given moment. Jordan, brewer - bartender - and more,  was quick to pour you a pint and the place was comfortable enough to just stay up at the bar and chat. 

My first pint was a house beer - Watermelon Wheat.  Wheat ales are not my typical choice, but I thought I would give it a try. If you like something sweet and cool, I would go with this beer. The other  house beer on tap was the Strong Ale.  Black Acre also offered selections from local favorites Sun King and Bier Brewery along with non local craft beer. 

I will completely admit that I had a snifter of  Monk's Cafe Sour Flemish Ale after the Watermelon Wheat.  It is another favorite of mine, rare to find in bottles, and the first time I've seen it on draft. Who could resist that!?

If I lived closer to Irvington, I'd be a more frequent visitor to Black Acre. I hoping next time to catch a taste of the Green Tea Pale Ale. 

And a tip:

For the ladies - Try to come out to a GPO event, you are not alone in loving craft beer :) 

For the crafty ladies - Check out the monthly events at Arts & Craft Beer. 

Now those recaps are done.. Time to get ready for tonight!

Greg K and I will be at Tomlinson Tap Room for Indianapolis Monthly's first Beer Fest - 15 breweries, $30.. 6pm-8:30pm - Tickets are still available - (By Clicking Here!)

See you readers tomorrow for the recap. 

- Kathleen