What makes you go to to a local craft brewery?

I've been rattling these thoughts in my brain for a while now, more so with the recent addition of more and more craft breweries filtrating and saturating Indianapolis and surrounding area.  First off, it is great that craft beer has taken on a success that so many people want to be apart of and share that passion. It is also great that there is still the market for craft beer, otherwise why would so many banks approve business loans for the making.

However, as a drinker, I'm beginning to wonder if all these breweries really are great news after all, especially if they are going to bring around the same styles, done up with different names and try to draw in a crowd to their brewery over pale ale or that stout.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good solid made stout. Nothing makes me linger and enjoy ever sip as a smooth, well malted and balanced stout goes down my throat on a cold day. The thing is, these days my time is short, so unless these  new breweries have created the best stout ever known to Indianapolis, chances are I probably won't visit. Unless I'm in the mood for a brewery tour or to network with new brewers or take my friends out around town.

My decision these days to go out to breweries for visits rests more on finding beers that aren't normally produced in Indianapolis. They are generally not the "norm". Flat 12 Bierwerks is famous for pushing the edge and going to different levels with their beers. Now, they have their house beers, but they also have their beers that draw the eye and pique the curiosity.

An example of me searching out the different beers, is going all the way down to Columbus simply for the chance to get a pint of Zwanzigz Ghost Pepper Infused Imperial Stout.  Or I'd travel all the way to Great Crescent to try their Coconut Porter on tap. Those are what drives me to breweries. Those are the bottles I buy at Kahns or Payless or Crown Liquors.

It may be hypocritical to say I'd still travel to New Holland, or Founders or to Dogfish Head to try their beers and yet maybe never try all the Indianapolis breweries beers, due to those breweries being more established. I may even be short changing myself by not making  it a point to go out to the new breweries more and more often.

I'm not saying I'll never get out to visit, take pictures and sample, but new breweries - What are you going to do to get people in the door? And fellow readers - What makes you go to a local craft brewery?

- Kathleen

Indiana Beer News - September 1

This weekend and beyond (includes next week because I'll be on the road in northern Indiana. Stop in at Mad Anthony's or Beer Geeks and say hi.

• Thurs, Sept 1 - Oktoberfest Tapping. Sun King. Indy 6-9pm
• Thurs, Sept 1 - Rhineland Kolsch tapping. Ram Fishers. 6:30. (also some 2009 Barrel-aged Buttface Amber)
• Fri, Sept 2 -  Opening of Triton Brewing. Lawrence. 3pm-10pm.
• Sat, Sept 3 - Kennywood Brewing Supply 2nd anniversary. Crown Point. 11:30am-7pm   
• Tues, Sept 6 - Book Signing for Hoosier Beer. 6:30 boring speech. 7:30 Pub Quiz. Mad Anthony, Ft. Wayne. No charge
• Wed, Sept 7 - Tapping of Harvest Ale. Rock Bottom, 86th St. Indy. 6pm
• Wed, Sept 7 - Book Signing for Hoosier Beer. 6:30 boring speech. 7:30 Pub Quiz. Beer Geeks Pub, Highland. No charge. 
• Thurs, Sept 8 -  Big Horn Oktoberfest tapping. Ram Downtown Indy. 6pm.
• Fri, Sept 9 -  Mad Anthony Octobeerfest Golf Outing. Ft. Wayne
• Sat, Sept 10 - Mad Anthony Octobeerfest. Ft. Wayne
• Sat, Sept 10 -  ZooBrew, South Bend. 7-10pm. $35
   Barley Island, Four Horsemen, Mad Anthony, Oaken Barrel, Three Floyds, Upland
• Sun, Sept 12 -  Sandkerwa begins at New Albanian's Public House, New Albany. All beers Bavarian (including Bamberg). Continues the rest of the month.

 

 

At the Taste of Kokomo, Half Moon and the Howard Co. Homebrew Club gave brewing lessons but Half Moon didn't win the ribs competition. article

Triton Brewing will open this Friday, Sept 2nd.

We found Snaps Steakhouse; 12 and Main in Jasper - worth a visit.Steaks, seafood, pasta, sandwiches and 8 taps including BBC, Bells, FFF, Schlafly, Stone. $2 pints on Tuesdays. They seem to have the largest mug club around - 3 walls are covered in engraved 25oz mugs and members get their filled for $1 more than a pint. The building is directly across the street from the the site of the Excelsior brewery (1849-1916) which osened it as the Queen City Saloon (below). Now it's owned by Kim Mitchell and Dave Englert - Zack Mitchell is the barman.

 

The Hoosier Beer book signing in Evansville had about 16 people and the OHVA crew won the pub quiz (below). In New Albany at a smaller, 6-person turnout Roger Baylor swept the quiz playing alone.

Roger reports Jesse Williams is now with Huber winery - as you remember, Jared Williamson is now with Schlafly. Don't get them confused.

Sara's Harmony Way is selling Harmonie Bier at her small antique shop / lunch place in New Harmony. It's Great Crescent's Replicale (Dark Lager). here are the details - The sign says "Indiana's 1st Beer".

The popular Upland tasting room in Indianapolis will be selling pints every day and has new hours: Sun-Thurs 4pm-10pm. Fri + Sat: Noon - Midnight

Re: last weekend's Midwest Brewers Festival in Plainfield, IL: " Overall, some 3,000 to 4,000 people braved the devastatingly perfect weather to walk along the river and try beer from nearly 60 brewers."

Guinness Black Lager to be launched nationally in September

Indiana Beer News – May 20

New Albanian has more specs and info about the Struise collaboration. B’Urban Trotter DIPA and Naughty Girl.

Great Crescent Brewery has label approval for Bourbon Barrel Stout in 16oz cans. ”This beer is a slightly bigger version of our regular stout that is aged in Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels. This stout is about 7.5% ABV and 65 IBU’s to blend perfectly with the delicious aroma and flavor imparted by the bourbon and oak from the barrels.”

JeffE tells us “Barley Island will tap its very first Barleywine on Thurs, May 26th 6:00 pm at both locations (Noblesville and Broad Ripple).  Bum Rush Barleywine is American style with 100 IBUs and a strong intense malt flavor to balance the bitterness.  9.2% abv, samples, goblets and growlers.”

The next batch of Bell's Wedding Ale is destined for 750ml bottles. “Ale brewed with honey, coriander and orange peel.”

Georgia gets Sunday carryout sales. Can you say “Local Option”. Now the bluenosing starts. article

See The Stonemason’s Story. A must read.

Beer for Space Tourists: More Taste, Fewer Wet Burps is less so.

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Beer Laws status:

• HB 1325: Enrolled but completely changed to something vehicular rather than ID repeal. Introduced. Enrolled. Fascinating how this happens.
• SB 46 / HB 1088: Rational ID checking companion bills. Got nowhere.
• SB 78: Enrolled. ID check if looks under 40. Other stuff.
• SB 197: Cold beer dealers permit. Sunday sales at liquor stores. Got nowhere.
• SB 112: Stalled in the Senate, but not before the guts were stripped out. Introduced to allow distributors to deal in beer, wine, and liquor – something a nationwide chain distributor wants to move into Indiana. Died after amendments made it a permission slip so distributors can work for each other.
• HB 1093: Wet State Fair. Died. Sob.

NanoCollaboration – Great Crescent & Power House

Jon Meyers and Dan Valas were busy Monday producing 3 bbls of 1074 OG wort for a Belgian Abbey Ale – a style new to both of their professional careers. The Great Power House Brew.

Dan and Lani have bought an old warehouse building originally owned by the Graf distillery. It's huge. 2 3 floors on one side and 4 on the other. It's also really really sturdy with 8x8 12x12 posts and beams.

A three ten-barrel steam fired system is ready to install and a1930s art-deco barfront locally sourced will provide a great setting for a tap room down the line.

2011 is going to be an interesting year for Great Crescent. Lots of work and sweat to get everything set up but in the end the brew days will be shorter and the output greater.

(Dan, thanks for the corrections)

Misc News – Apr 11

World Beer Cup had 3,330 entries from 642 breweries and 2,000 at the awards dinner. 7 winners from Indiana. Congratulations!

Crown Brewing Industrial Porter, Bronze, Brown Porter

Rock Bottom, Indy, Sub Zero, Old Ale

Sun King Dominator Dopplebock, Bronze, German-style Doppelbock or Eisbock

Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale, Silver, Golden or Blonde Ale

Three Floyds Behemoth, Gold, Imperial Red Ale

Upland Oktoberfest, Silver, Amercan-style Amber Lager

Upland Helios Pale Ale, Bronze, English-style Summer Ale

 

Others we can (probably) get in Indiana:

Miller Red Dog Pabst Old Style Pabst Lone Star Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen Unibroue Ephémère Dogfish Head Red & White A-B RedBridge Ommegang Biere de Mars Rogue Smoke Ale Sierra Nevada Pilsner Clipper City Heavy Seas Marzen Troegs Troegneator Pabst National Bohemian Coors Light Boulevard Pilsner Mickey's Malt Liquor Pabst Colt 45 Lakefront Riverwest Stein Full Sail Session Black A-B Landshark Asia Pacific Tiger Founders Dirty Bastard Schlafly Kolsch Widner ALT Baltika N°8 Wheat Odell Red Ale Founders Imperial Stout

Allagash White Ommegang Witte Leffe Blonde Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait Boon Oude Geuze Bruery Oude Tart Ommegang Abbey Dubbel Sam Adams New World Triple Weyerbacher Merry Monks Unibroue Fin du Monde Brooklyn Local 2 Summit Extra Pale Ale Michelob Pale Ale Clipper City Heavy Seas Pale Ale Goose Island India Pale Ale Widmer Drop Top Shepherd Neame Spitfire Redhook Mudslinger Founders Porter Russian River Porter Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout Sam Adams Irish Red Clipper City Heavy Seas Gold Ale Founders Centennial IPA BrewDog Hardcore IPA Goose Island Nut Brown Ale (See Below)

Great Crescent Brewery has officially moved to 315 Importing St., Aurora (SR 56). This is one block northeast at the corner of Importing and Mechanic. New accounts include Bourbon's and Whitey's in Lawrenceburg.

Dustin Boyer has been the bartender and guiding light at Spencer's Stadium Tavern in Indy since it opened five years ago. Friday, April 23rd will be his last day. "So, now as he leaves the tavern to join our brethren at Sun King Brewery, we hope you will join us and invite any and all of your friends who have ever patronized the tavern to join us throughout the day Friday, April 23rd, if not all day, in bellying up to the bar, ordering your favorite, tipping a glass to your faithful bartender and wishing him well as he heads toward a bright, sunny, busy, married future."

Goose Island is going to stop making Nut Brown Ale and Oatmeal Stout. At least in bottles. Still will be at the brewpubs. "In the competition for fermentation capacity, tap handles, and shelf space, Nut Brown and Oatmeal Stout have been disadvantaged by the increasing popularity of hoppy, wheat, sour, and barrel aged beer styles." The last batch of both is in stores now.

The TTB has put up guidance on Label Approval for personalized bottling – weddings, birthdays, etc.

Misc News – Jan 8

Great Crescent Brewery is moving to 315 Importing Street in Aurora this spring. That's at the corner of Mechanic and Importing Streets in a building built in the 1840s as the J. W. Gaff distillery. The new 9,000 sq ft space will offer beer by the glass, thus becoming a brewpub. An expansion of the brewery will follow.

Dan Valas explains, "Since opening the brewery in November, 2008 in downtown Aurora, we have experienced steady growth. Lani and I believe the opportunity to obtain this building and stay in the downtown area is a terrific benefit for us and the city of Aurora. There is something unique about having a brewery close to the customers. As we continue to develop a growing consumer base we really appreciate interacting with the customers and it continually rededicates us to provide the best experience possible. Our goal is to become a 'local favorite' and we will accomplish that by continuing to provide fresh, high quality, hand-crafted beer."

Going to be a busy week for tappings and tastings:

• Wed: Three Floyds night at Rocky's Sub Pub, Jeffersonville. 4-7pm. On draft: Gumballhead, Dreadnaught, Robert the Bruce, Pride and Joy, Alpha King, Alpha Klaus, Broo Doo, Moloko,Ham on Rye, Großer Kurfürst, and hopefully Alpha King on a beer engine. Bottles: Behemoth, Black Sun Stout, Gorch Foch, Dreadnaught, Pride and Joy, and Alpha King. Do they have any idea what those do to my spell-checker?
• Wed: A firkin of Bell's Expedition. Plus the Indiana release of Bell's Hopslam. Intrigued? It's at Barley Island, Broad Ripple, Jan 13. 6-9pm.
• Thurs: Tapping of Baltic Porter. Both Indy Rock Bottoms, 6pm
• Thurs: Sun King Amarillo the Princess Warrior IPA tapping at Binkley's Kitchen. 7:30pm
• Plus the regular liquor store tastings all over the state. Find them here.

Some tastes:

• Alcatraz Super Sledgehammer – A 7.4% earthy Imperial Saison. Or sort of. Not yet carbonated. Will go on tap next week.
• Brugge Dementia, A Farmhouse Tale – Dark Saison.
• Brugge Thunder Monkey – Spiced ale for the season. Doesn't get old. While the snow still falls.
• Sun King Crab Apple Wit – Made with fresh hand-pressed crab apple juice, and that ain't easy to do. 5.6%.

Sun King's Amber is replacing Warbird's at the Rathskeller in Indy. It's unveiled tonight at 7:30. Band at 8.

Watch a 120bbl tank being delivered to Three Floyds. Pictures

Drie Fonteinen to Stop Brewing, Keep Blending, Start Distilling.

Misc News – Sept 14

Things to do Tuesday:

• The Sunday sales committee is holding a public hearing at the Statehouse at 1pm in room 404. article
  
• Steve Berthel (brewmaster at The Livery) and Jared Williamson (brewer of record at NABC) are doing a Belgian IPA in New Albany on Tuesday. article  They will also be tapping Wet Knob Hop Harvest Ale at New Albanian.

Great Crescent Brewery's beers are available in Clarksville's Keg Liquors. Todd writes

"We are proud to announce that Great Crescent Brewery is now available for sale at Keg Liquors. Based in Aurora, Indiana, the Great Crescent Brewery uses all malt and fresh hops in all of the beers they create. Every beer is hand-crafted in small batches using traditional brewing methods.

Owner and brewer Dan Valas stopped in on Friday with a deliver of four of the freshly brewed offerings in growlers. The growlers are counter-pressure filled, so you are guaranteed the same freshness in the growler as you would from a bottle."

Three words. Old Rasputin Float. recipe 

A 2.8% ABV Guinness "Mid-Strength" has been tested in Ireland and "consumers responded positively". Now they are trying it out in Scotland where consumers may respond a bit differently. We'll know in 3 months. article 

"Beer Institute released figures yesterday indicating that imported beer shipments were down another 8.1% in July, bringing year-to-date import shipments down 9.3%, or a loss of about 160,000 case equivs a day." And Lew Bryson thinks he knows why – to make room for American craft beer.

Bud Light Golden Wheat will launch on October 5th. "Bud Light Golden Wheat is a premium light, unfiltered wheat beer brewed with wheat malt, coriander and citrus peels. A medium-bodied brew, Bud Light Golden Wheat is slightly sweet on first sip giving way to a refreshingly tart, citrus finish. Bud Light Golden Wheat has all the personality of Bud Light and appeals to light beer drinkers who seek a little more flavor from their beer." It will come in 12oz and 22oz bottles and probably say Bud Light Golden Wheat on the label. There, that may satisfy the Bud Light Golden Wheat mentions for a while.

Indiana Brewery News

"The Shoreline Brewery is proud to announce the release of its first barrel aged series. These beers were aged in bourbon and rye barrels for one year and have been aged further in our beer cellar since. The bourbon aged brews are: Lost Sailor (Imperial Stout), Big Bella (Heavy Scotch Ale), Discombobulation Celebration Ale (Barley Wine), Curse the Goat (Dopple Bock), Sum Nug (IPA), 3 Sum (Double IPA) and Smokestack (Porter). We also aged a quantity of Curse the Goat in a Rye barrel. Sales to the general public (first come, first served) will begin at 9 am Saturday, May 30th. The cost per 750 ml bottle is $20. Cash only please. Free Shoreline “Barrel Aged Series” T-shirt with purchase of a full case.
Hope to see you here!" - Sam and Dave

Great Crescent Brewery will hold an ACBW Open House noon-8pm, on Sat, May 16. They'll also be open on all week Noon-9pm. Normally the counter is open 6-9 on Thurs, and Noon-9 on Fri and Sat.

Barley Island's activities during American Craft Beer Week include $2.50 pints on Mon, May 11 and Tues, May 12. $3 pints of Flat Top Wheat on Wed, Dirty Helen Brown on Thurs,, BarFly on Fri, Blind Tiger Pale on Sat, and Sheet Metal Blonde on Sun. Growler refills all week are $6.50 ($3.50 for the glass).

"Last month an English Brown was brewed and is now on the beer engine. Most of the brew went into the oak bourbon barrels for aging.

The Beastie Barrel Porter has been a big hit. Be sure and come in for a taste before it's all gone. Other specialty beers on tap this month are the Franken Stout, 60 Shilling Scotch, and Sheet Metal Blonde.

Our next new beer is going to be a Belgian Pale Ale or sometimes called an Amber Ale. We have pilot batches being conducted this week with a potential brew date later this month.

We have stepped our brewing schedule this month in preparation for sending pallets of beer to our new Chicago distributor. Yes, you will be able to purchase Barley Island beer in Chicagoland by June 2009!"

Upland get's "ink" on NBC's Parks and Recreation which takes place in Pawnee, IN. What else to drink on-screen, besides Upland?

Bob get's ink in Chesterton Tribune, WTHR, MSNBC. It's all the same article from the Chicago Tribune. If you Google "Cathedral to football" you'll get 22 hits.