What Kathleen Has Been Drinking These Days.

The first thing that people say to me when I say that I'm a beer blogger is "You must drink a lot of beer".  Yes and no. I'm selective about the beer I drink. However, in some aspects, I do drink a lot of beer.

So, what have I been drinking lately? Let's see!

1. DigIN 

Chillin' with a pint of Pooka!

On August 26th, I was able to be an early morning volunteer at DigIN which is a great event that showcases all things Indiana from wine, food, artisans goods and of course Beer!

This year the following breweries were represented at DigIN:
Sun King
3 Floyds Brewing
New Albanian
Barley Island
Upland Brewing
Brugge Brasserie
Black Swan
Flat12 Bierwerks
Crown Brewing
Mad Anthony

Beer Highlights were Flat 12 debuting their pumpkin ale: Flat Jack which btw will be in bottles this fall. Also of course had Brugge's Pooka.  Black Swan had a Belgian Dark, Sun King came with Osiris and Sunlight and stopped by New Albanian to try their Black and Blue Grass saison which with having the black pepper spice and the blue agave, I'd rather have a more sweeter saison.

If you are wondering why I didn't have all - I blame all the delicious food at DigIN. I didn't make it past two tents before I was stuffed!

2. Thr3e Wise Men - Antonius 1742 Oktoberfest

I've said it many times, but I really do like hitting up Thr3e Wise Men for their tapping parties. It is well made, dependable beer. Even though this time of year I'd rather have a Pumpkin Ale than an Oktoberfest, I still appreciated this malt style and the clean drinkability of Thr3e Wise Men's Oktoberfest.  I also enjoyed a pint of their @Brewhouse Brown which appears to be a new house beer and is a 2nd place Brewer's Cup winner.

It is nice that the brewery has grown to produce more beer, if you didn't know Thr3e Wise Men select beer styles are available in Scotty's Brewhouse throughout town.  It makes it even better to go to Thr3e Wise Men and your only options are house beers. I like a good session beer, but I also like variety.  Currently they have 8 different beers available on their board.

3.  At home!

No Intros Needed

As if that last one is a surprise. I've had multiple visits recently to Kahn's and Payless Liquors doing random picks of bottles of beer. Also good to give a new try by just buying a bottle.  My most recent trip to Payless Liquors though was only for two of my favorite fall beers  -

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale and Founder's Breakfast Stout.
I learned last year especially with my pumpkin expeditions that Schlafly was amazing. I need to still try some pumpkin ales - like Southern Tier's PumKing!

Speaking of pumpkin - I never really did a blog on the beer blogger's conference (Ironic, I know), but there was some delicious beer there! (of course)  Samuel Adams is currently doing a "Small Batch Series" of beer. This gives the Boston Beer company a chance to bring out some specialty beers such as Fat Jack, which I would say rivals Schlafly in their pumpkin spice.  As a side-note - Also try Samuel Adams - Thirteenth Hour. I think Nathan & Greg would agree this one is worth it. (It is a dark Belgian stout with a multitude of flavors such as coffee, chocolate, rum, dark fruits all from its 7 different malts... I could go on and on but this is a different topic :) )

Fancy Glass - Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

So back to topic, this has been what I've been drinking lately.  I'm looking forward to more pumpkin, porters and stouts this time of year.

Also tonight I'll be at The Sinking Ship for the Bell's Brewery Tap Takeover - Going to try Kalamazoo Hopsoulution Ale

In a few weeks, off to Beer Sellar in Castleton for Schlafly Night with Tom Schlafly! - and of course pumpkin ale.


Hope to see you out and about! I've been running into a few readers here and there. Of course you can follow my beer escapades at twitter.com/@KJLSlauzis

Until next time!
- Kathleen

Beers, Cheers, and Sneers – July 26

There are a few Indiana events this weekend with tonight’s WTTS 20 Year Anniversary Party at Sun King and Brew on the Bridge at Wolf Park in Lafayette, along with the Hoppy Birthday tasting at Kahn's North Willow on Saturday. I’m hitting the road for the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti. But generally this has shaped up to be kind of a slow news week, so I’ll hit a few things and then try to expand on a few subjects that have been mentioned here in the past week.

Story Brewhouse is looking for creative writers who would like to submit short stories that feature beer to their Six Pack of Stories project. The story can be of any genre or length (under 10,000 words) with entries accepted through October 26th. The final product will be a collection of stories with a selected beer that can be paired with each story to enhance the reading experience. Check out the Six Pack of Stories website for more details.

Next is the beer karma story of the week that makes me smile. We previously mentioned the story of Coronado Brewing filing what appeared to be an unnecessarily mean-spirited lawsuit against Elysian Brewing for allegedly infringing on their “idiot” trademark. Elysian relented and renamed their Idiot Sauvin IPA, but this victory was quickly followed up by news that the trademark infringement game has caught up with Coronado. Their Stoopid Stout, which has been marketed for years, has suddenly been renamed Stupid Stout (apparently they’re big fans of turning insults into beer names) due to another brewery’s trademark. While it has yet to see distribution in Indiana, I know some of you are familiar with the Lagunitas Hop Stoopid product and have already connected the dots here.

So I was kidding about taking notes on the beer selection at Deer Creek Verizon Wireless Klipsch Music Center, but it turns out there is evil afoot that warrants a mention. As we passed through the concession area between acts last Thursday, the short line at a Blue Moon hut looked inviting. Apparently these geniuses are pre-mixing Blue Moon with some type of artificial orange flavoring. Because, you know, it’s fair to assume that everyone wants an orange in their beer and this method probably saves precious profit margin on an $11 dollar beer. It was nearly intolerable (though I’ll be damned if I’m dumping an $11 dollar glass of anything), so I recommend avoiding the Blue Moon hut if you’re out at a concert this summer!

I wanted to dig up a little more perspective on the growth of Indiana’s brewing scene and how it compares with the rest of the country. According to the Brewers of Indiana Guild, there are now 49 breweries operating in the state with another 12 in the works. Capita per brewery statistics released by the Brewers Association in 2010 ranked Indiana, with 35 breweries at the time, 25th in the list of U.S. states. This ranking placed us ahead of neighboring states Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio, but well behind Michigan. Now, I’m not suggesting we all throw a party to celebrate how average we are or that Indiana should be recognized as a pioneer in the craft brewing revolution. But we do have a pretty nice scene working here and I don’t think it’s credible to insinuate we’re just starting to emerge from the Stone Age.

And what exactly is this “craft beer” thing that we’re always kicking around on this site? Greg started the discussion earlier in the week and I think it’s an interesting topic. Who defines what qualifies as “craft”? Well, the ranking authority appears to be the Brewers Association, which asserts that a brewery producing less than 6 million barrels a year can qualify as a regional craft brewery. That production limit isn’t exactly set in stone as the Brewers Association raised the cap from 2 million barrels to 6 million in 2011 essentially to protect Boston Beer Co’s (Sam Adams) preferred designation of “craft brewery”. And where do you place a brewery like Goose Island that is now owned by InBev?

I’m inclined to give the Brewers Association a pass on their production limit stunt, in part because I respect some of the innovative products that Sam Adams continues to produce, their support for the craft and homebrewing communities, and consideration that the idea of a craft brewery growing this large probably seemed ridiculous when the initial standard was adopted. I also still think of Goose Island as “craft” based on their apparent operational independence and the type of products they produce. But it’s certainly debatable.

Even trickier is trying to sort out that ‘X’ beer is craft but ‘Y’ beer from the same brewery is not craft. I just don’t see how you can do that, the categorization criteria becomes too focused on personal taste. For example, I have a difficult time fitting the growing number of “craft” Cream Ales into my spectrum of craft brewing, but they obviously appeal to others. A recent session studying that style included tastings of several craft examples and Little Kings. Little Kings was easily my favorite. Guess I should have appreciated it more in high school.

What do you think? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Cheers, Nathan

Beerocracy II - The Wrath of Kahns

Kahn's Fine Wines and Spirits brought it back.. with vengeance!  Beerocracy II is a beer lover's dream. For two hours, there are FREE tastings of 40+ beers with the chance that Kyle (@Beer_at_Kahns) may open up a rare bottle for a taster's delight!  And a bonus! - if you are a K Klub member, you can participate in a raffle to purchase those limited edition beers that for regular consumers, you either have to be great friends with your liquor store or be willing to camp out for the chance to buy a bottle. What kind of rare beers -- How about Founders KBS, or Upland Gilgamesh or even 3 Floyds/Mikkeller collab - BooGoop for example. 

Back to the event... 

Beerocracy II delivered the goods big time with seven tables - 5 brewery specific tables and two from local distributors.   To give you readers the full scale of deliciousness available at Beerocracy events, I'm going to list everything that was available because I really feel that this event helps benefit those curious about craft beer. It also helps if you want to try a lot of beers not available at beer festivals without having to buy random bottles. (which is fun, I've done random beer tastings before many times) 

Without further ado.. to the List!

(Sidenote - number on the left is the order I tasted the beer in, comments will be underneath) 

Table 1: New Holland Hatter Day Celebration

- New Holland Mad Hatter IPA

3 New Holland White Mad Hatter

1 New Holland Rye Mad Hatter

Not overly rye flavored, smooth but complex

2 New Holland Farmhouse Hatter

6 New Holland Black Mad Hatter

delicious roasted flavor at the end 

4 New Holland Oak Aged Mad Hatter

5 New Holland Imperial Hatter

Table 2: Samuel Adams

- Sam Adams Summer Ale

20 - Sam Adams Norse Legend - Sahti  (Single Batch Series) 

not on the original line up - but was a special opened ale by rep

24 - Sam Adams Angry Orchard Traditional Dry Cider

25 - Sam Adams Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider

if you like a puckery sweet cider, this one is for you. 

26 -Sam Adams Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Cider

Table 3: Ciders

28 - Crispin Brut

30 - Crispin Browns Lane 

(was not a fan of this one, was a little bland)

29 - Crispin Honey Crisp

31 - Crispin the Saint (above) 

started out sweet and aftertaste of light maple syrup

Around the time I got to the Cider table ( since I didn't go in order, Kyle decided to share this goodie with the rest of the class

**  27 -The Bruery - Fruet  **

the Fruet is a 100% bourbon barrel aged old ale.

Smooth oak and vanilla goodness

Table 4: Cavalier & Kristalweizen Machtprobe! (showdown) 

I believe @CavalierBeerIN  was the pouring host 

17 - Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbeir

16 - Sixpoint Apollo 

I could see this as sitting on the deck, drinking many cans of this beer.  It was crisp and sweet. 

20 - Sixpoint the Crisp (Pilsner) 

15 - Sixpoint Sweet Action

22 - Breckenridge Summerbright

23 - Two Brothers Dog Days

18 - Founders Cerise

My love of Cerise is huge!  and I'm happy that the 2012 version is back to the original red pigment ale. 

19 - Williams Sir Perry

This table surprised me the most. It had a variety of beers that I typically don't gravitate to such as a Pilsner and the hefeweizens but everything here was something I could drink over and over again. 

Table 5: Sun King

Sun King Popcorn Pilsner

Sun King Sunlight

Sun King Osiris

Sun King Wee Mac

Sun King Sky Cake Aleger

Sun King Chaka

the only reason I didn't try any of these is because I've had them all already, and when I got to this table, I thought it best to not have more beer when I already tasted about 30+ 

Table 6: World Class

served by @mattworldclass 

14  - Bell's Third Coast Beer

9 - Kasteel Cuvee de Chateau 

not on the original line up, but added last minute as a replacement to the Brooklyn Summer Ale

Bell's Oberon

12 - Boulevard Zon

nice blend of the coriander with the pinch of orange citrus

Brooklyn Summer Ale 

was on original line up but didn't come out to play

Triton Fieldhouse Wheat

Triton Magnificent Amber

13 - Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

10 - Van Steenberge Gulden Draak 9000

I think it is unfair that something so creamy and delicious would have to be over 10% ABV, but that's a Belgian quad for you.

11 - Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

This IPA with a  140 IBU count had a nice grapefruit, slightly bitter overtone

last by not least

Table 7: Upland Brewing

served by @UplandCari

Upland Wheat

Upland Helios

7 -  Upland Maibock

I had this on draft at the Indianapolis Monthly Beerfest, to me it had a caramel coating mouth feel

8 - Upland Nut Hugger

In addition not on the lineup:

Upland Winter Warmer - BarleyWine 

Upland Infinite Wisdom - Tripel

And that was it!  I'm a little overwhelmed as I recap the beers available. See what you missed if you weren't there! Hopefully Kahn's will keep Beerocracy going and I'm looking forward to what they bring out in Beerocracy III.   I'm also hoping to see more ladies out to these events.  Out of 80 people who showed up about 10%, if that, were women.  Beer isn't just for men! :) 

Great job Kahn's! and readers if you need help in choosing some craft beer, please visit Kahn's  either downtown, on Keystone or up at North Willow. They are a great place to get started in trying new beer. 

- Kathleen

Beerocracy I

For those beer lovers near or in Indianapolis, 

Kahn's Fine Wines and Spirits has started a little event called:

 

Beerocracy I took place at Kahn's North Willow store from 6pm-8pm. 

5 tables set up with variety of beer styles and snacks. 

First off: What was available!

(What I tried in Bold)

Yum!

Table 1:

Victory Prima Pils

Victory Headwater Pale Ale

Victory Moonglow

Victory Golden Monkey – Belgian – Style Golden Ale (ABV 9.5% / IBU 25)

nice touch of spice, sour ale

Hoppin’ Frog Hoppin’ To Heaven IPA

Hoppin’ Frog Black & Tan - Hoppin' To Heaven blended w/ BORIS the Crusher stout (ABV 7.6% / IBU 65)

Hoppin’ Frog Silk Porter - English Style Robust Porter (ABV 6.3% / IBU 26 ) 

** Sun King Isis IPA

special bullet delivery by Sun King

*Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Parabola – Russian Imperial Stout

brought in from staff's private collection.

Oh My Goodness -- Smooth, stout, deliciousness

Table 2:

All Upland:

Rad Red Amber Ale

Dragonfly

Bad Elmer’s Porter  - American Robust Porter (ABV 5%  / IBU 19.6)

Schwarz - German-style Lager (ABV 5.3%/IBU 25.3) 

seemed to be missing something - felt flat. 

Table 3:

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

Goose Island Honkers Ale - English-Style Bitter (ABV 4.2% / IBU 30)

Goose Island Matilda - Belgian-style Pale Ale (ABV 7% / IBU 32)

there was a little sweetness to this beer

** Sun King Dominator Dopplebock

My love - Saison!

at the event is was nice, but off the tap at Sun King - This has a nice smooth spicy too it

Table 4:

Coney Island Lager - Vienna Lager Dry Hopped w/ Cascade Hops (ABV 5.5% / IBU 28)

Hebrew Gensis Ale

Founder’s Pale Ale

Founder’s Centennial IPA

Founder’s Porter

have had this before -- well made porter!

Hebrew Lenny’s Bittersweet RIPA

The Bruery Mischief - Belgian - Style Golden Ale Dry -hopped with American Hops (ABV 8.5% / IBU 35)

This was a greater starter to my new love affair with The Bruery

The Bruery Saison Rue  - Belgian Style - Farmhouse ale (ABV 8.5% / IBU 30)

This and Victory - Golden Monkey were my A+ beers of the night.. nice compliments of sour in each

Table 5:

Yeastie Boys Digital IPA - American - Style IPA (ABV 7% / IBU 77) 

very strong nose, but for a high IBU still smooth

TO OL Final Frontier DIPA

Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black - American - Style Porter (ABV 6% / IBU 50) 

not my style of porter, too hoppy 

Mikkeller Beer Hop Breakfast - Aggressively Dry Hopped American - Style Oatmeal Coffee Stout 

(ABV 7.5% / IBU LOTS )

It is one seriously hopped stout - it is deceiving. I think the hops over powers all and you don't get any of the oatmeal or the coffee flavors

*Anchorage Brewing Company Bitter Monk  - Belgium Double IPA 

from Kyle's at Kahn's private stash

Beer aged in French Chardonney barrels - Very well done

Call all y'all it's the Yeastie boys!

Add some Hops, much?

So now you know what was offered.. and I know it looks like I didn't drink that much, but seriously there was a lot of beer to be had! All the staff was great.  The Upland station was from the brewery. Table 4 had someone from Cavalier Distributing, whom I remember from Winterfest - (wearing a Founder's flag as a cap and working at Founder's table). Table 5 - was Kyle  part of the Twitter handle @Beer_at_Kahns. 

It was a great time to taste a lot of beers not normally available in Indiana for tasting. Ran into a IndianaBeer.com reader (Hi Kevin!  aka @myers41) When Beerocracy II comes, I highly suggest checking it out! 

The best part though was at 7:30 - the raffle for Kahnoisseur Klub members started:

**If you are a Kahnoisseur Klub member(which by the way is only $10), you got the option to take part at a raffle at the end of the night to win the chance to buy some limited released beers! **

Raffle Prizes available for winning a chance to buy



I won the chance to buy : 

Which is now in my pantry "aging" :) 

What else can I say? Free tastings - Great Location - Friendly beer lovers all around? Oh, yeah - Go to Beerocracy II!

Until then: Check out what is coming up next week at Kahn's Fine Wines and Spirits:

Battle of Belgium 2342 W. 86th Street
March 7-10
6-8 pm

Brackets available online or at all Kahn's locations!

more info call or tweet to @Beer_At_Kahns

All is fun in ale and lagers! 

Cheers - 

Kathleen

Misc News – Sept 16

• Alcatraz India Brown Lager – Smooth porter. Drink it, you'll like it.
• Ram Golden Dome Irish Stout – An unexpected bur pleasing brightness overrules the roasty background notes. Seems like the session beer Guinness claims to be.

Skip Duvall (left at right) is the new assistant brewer at Alcatraz. He's from a homebrewer and hop head from Griffith taking the Siebel course online.

During the football season, Ram is enticing patrons to watch on their Color TVs with $3 24oz mug of their base line of beers.

New Holland and Southern Tier are brought into Indiana by North Coast distributors in Valpo. These beers can be found only in the northern reaches of the state. Up until now that is. Joe Quinn of Kahn's in Indy is going to get both of these breweries' beers on an occasional basis. ST's Pumpkin, Big Red IPA, and Unearthly Imperial IPA, for instance, will be among the first to make the trip south.

Avalanche Amber in cans. It's in Indiana now.

Boulder Beer is 30. Yep, started in a goat shed in 1979. article

Flying Dog's 20th Anniversary beer won't be out until Oct or Nov. Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA.

"In an ideal world, beer prices at the ballpark would be based solely on the quality of the team", Wall Street Journal

The Great British Beer Festival had 64,000 attendees over the 5 days; up from 59,500 last year. There were 55 Cask Conditioned beers from America. There was a separate prize for them won by Cambridge Brewing Co.'s YouEnjoyMyStout aged in bourbon barrels for two years. 2nd was Brooklyn's East Indian Pale Ale. 3rd went to Stone Levitation. article