IndianaBeer: Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

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Bloomington Craft Beer Fest April 9 - Update!

Combine a beautiful, historic venue and allow Indiana craft beer to flow for a few hours and you get one super beer festival! This coming Saturday, April 9, the Woolery Mill in Bloomington hosts the Brewers of Indiana Guild annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival with general admission from 2-6. The event has sold out for the last several years so check to see if tickets are still available at bloomingtonbeerfest.com.

Nearly 60 Craft breweries from all over Indiana will pour samples; many with their regular beers but many with very special beer! Here are just a few we would put on our list to check out!

First we have to give a big shout out to the "Locals:"
Bloomington Brewing always brings the regulars and some of their special beers this year include a bourbon barrel pale, vanilla Belgian dark strong beer, and rhubarb (think local!) IPA
Function Brewing has TWENTY SEVEN beers on their list; to include Mayan chocolate stout, orange IPA, Sour cherry, Chai brown, experimental yeast beers, a cascade single-hop, a brand new bitter, more + look for a cask of Hefe with pineapple and toasted Coconut. Brewer Steve says he is ahead this year but will have very fresh and tasty beer!
The Tap Beer Company has already announced plans to bring a Beatbox Samurai and an American Brett Ale along with others.
Upland not only brings their regulars and Oak Aged Belgian Quad, Oak Aged TBK, a Coffee Blond, Coffee brown and more!
And let's include Salt Creek located about 20 minutes down the road who brought a powerful double IPA last year.
Finally, Quaff On has a restaurant and brew pub locally and has really been delivering delicious beers. They will have their regulars plus a strawberry blonde

Then let's mention some of the newer brewers that are in this year:
Big Lug from Nora has a very nice session brown that let's us drink more beer.
Brew Link from Plainfield may be bringing their Belgian Wit (we hope).
Deer Creek has opened in Noblesville as a sister to long-running Barley Island and features a few different variations we want to try.
Hoosier Brewing has been around nearly two years and is moving to Franklin. We love their Indiana focus and ingredients! they've added a pina colada stout to their mix
Metazoa of Indy loves animals (donates a %) but loves been more. They opened in 2015 and will bring a honey weiss, dark mild, cream ale, their dubbel, an Irish red, a (wait for this name...) FrangIPAna Midwest IPA, and an American Red
Saint Joseph has been around awhile now with a very seasoned brewer and anything they bring will be a delight while their Belgian Blonde or Black Lager will be a particular delight.
Schnitz of Seymour has a session hefe that brings flavor with low %.

Of course, we often also gravitate to Zwanzigz of Columbus because it might not be complete without a ghost chili pepper stout but they will offer a Rauchbier we've tried that is truly made the traditional way!
AND Daredevil is ALSO pouring Rauchbier (5.2% ABV) but for the VIP session -- inspired by the Bamberg style that uses a Märzen base recipe with the traditional smoked malts sourced from Germany.

Union Brewing Company's "Are You A Cop?" - well, no it is actually a Porter but gets good ratings! They also will bring a Belgian Strong Ale and a Raspberry Jelly Donut Porter! along with others.

Two Yard has a LOOONG list including tapping a Black Japanese Malt Liquor at 4PM. They also offer a double pale (7.7%), Imperial Oatmeal stout (8%), and Imperial Red (11%!) plus more

Look for the Cask Section at the South End of the Building on 'high ground' where we'll find such beers as Triton's Belgian Blonde Ale with hibiscus and chamomile while Tin Man Brewing offers a Prickly Pear Alloy Firkin! Must be a trend because Two Yard (Indy) will have a cask of Belgian blonde with hibiscus & chamomile. Triton brings a pin of O'rye Galaxy w/cara oranges (hey, that's what THEY wrote).

Oh, and Broad Ripple Brewpub announced they willl have a Barrel Aged Red Bird Mild!

And, yes, Wabash returns with BaconFace Brown ALd (named after a dog.... I've just GOT to get that dog story!!)

Here was our highlights from 2015 CLICK HERE TO READwhich points out some excellent beers we tried!

And here is a look back at a piece written here two years ago that will likely whet your palate for some good brews this year! CLICK HERE TO READ

Bloomington Craft Beer Fest 2015: great beer, great day; list of Spring Summer Fests included

Neither weather, beer, nor people could have been better for the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest 2015. Sunny, nearly 70 degree weather made this historic venue one of the best places in Indiana to meet brewers, sample craft beer, and generally enjoy the day. The beer samples were too numerous to count! However, one brewery, Function Brewing of Bloomington had TWENTY SEVEN different beers on tap with the most popular being a sour cherry milk stout followed by a ginger lemon golden ale.

Here are some of the ones our crew was able to try:

Ross says: This year I decided to volunteer at the festival and worked as a part of the brewer services team. I met a lot of great people, and because the festival was so busy my time to sample was limited. Whether you volunteer or attend, it’s a worthwhile experience and I would highly recommend it. Because I was tight on time, I made sure to visit the cask tent. Unsurprisingly, there were some tasty and creative offerings. Here’s my rundown of a few I really enjoyed:

Black Acre’s Mandarina Pale Ale with Fresh Blood Orange Zest and Citra. Right off the bat I was hit by a wave of juicy, citrus aromas. It tasted much like it smelled (and that’s a good thing.) The lower bitterness made this a real easy drinking beer and complimented the warmer afternoon weather perfectly.

Bloomington Brewing’s 10-Speed infused with Blueberries. Whether it’s bottled or on draft, BBC’s seasonal release is one of my favorites, and I could not pass on an opportunity try it from a cask. The fruit character paired nicely with the Mosaic hops to create a flavorful and refreshing wheat ale. The gentle carbonation typical of cask ales worked perfectly with this beer and I really enjoyed its smooth mouthfeel.

Upland’s Vinyl Tap Rye Pale Ale, Dry Hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo. This beer is not available year-round so I always try to seek it out. I was pretty excited my first opportunity to drink it this year was from a cask. A nicely balanced pale ale with some subtle spiciness from the rye and the dry hopping really upped the ante on those citrusy notes in the aroma.

Gary Cooper, our guest blogger, says: I’ve been drinking craft beers for the past 6 years when I discovered all beers were not created equal. I have been all-grain home brewing for the past 3 years and a favorite gift I received, is a set of Spiegelau beer glasses from my wife. Here are a few of beers I really enjoyed at the 5th annual Bloomington beer fest.

Bier Brewery, Indianapolis, Kolsch-A very good, refreshing beer that was not too bitter; had a nice dryness.

Brugge Brasserie, Indianapolis, Tripel de Ripple This is my go-to for Indiana “Tripels.” This spicy beer had a great mouth feel and a fruity-sweet taste, without being boozy.

Function Brewing, Bloomington, Cayenne Pepper Stout This stout had all the flavor of Cayenne peppers without the heat.

Noble Order Brewing company, Richmond, Blood Orange Mead This was really flavorful, the orange came through nicely, and it had just the right amount of sweetness.

Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, Belgian Cherry Dubbel Nice and malty, had a hint of cherry with a clean finish.

Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, Berliner Weisse Very true to style and not hopped out. I went back for seconds.

Wabash Brewing, Indianapolis, Bacon Face Brown-I'm not usually a brown fan, but this is on my list of top Indiana browns. It is an easy drinker with a hint of honey.

Zwanzigz Brewing, Columbus, Imperial Stout-This stout was packed with lots of roasty flavors that nailed it at not being too sweet or too bitter.

Greg Kitz adds: I love this festival as it is a beautiful, well-organized venue. We could only wish there was a way to sample from all 55 breweries on site; yet my notes tend to trail off as I talk and sample. Here are just a few highlights.

Basket Case Brewing, Jasper, the Oaked Revolution is their English Pale Ale aged with oak chips; I got vanilla from the oak with interesting American & English hop notes. This stands out as this is a restaurant with a small nano-brewery still producing interesting, fun beer.

Bloomington Brewing, had not only the Hoppy 10-speed with mosaic hops but running through a randall that had too many ingredients to note; all I can say is this created a very pleasant explosion in the mouth of hops and fruit.

Black Acre, Indianapolis, IPA w mandarin oranges was one that several beer lovers we know recommended and it did not disappoint. We know Black Acre produces solid, popular beer and the balance in this beer was really nice.

Chapman's, Ft. Wayne, Kolsch style - this crisp clean ale with a very slight bite at the end would be one I would go back for.

Function, Bloomington, must mention the sour cherry milk stout as a delicious combination of the lactic sourness, the roastiness of the stout, and overlay of cherry.

Grand Junction, Westfield, is another newer brewery (1 year) that offered a very clean hefeweizen with nice lemon flavor

Two Deep, Indianapolis, served their popular Maibock -- just right for the weather

Salt Creek, Bedford/Bloomington had the Out-of-Order Double IPA that reminded me of "Sierra pale on steroids" delivering a lot of traditional American hop flavor

Taxman, Bargersville, poured a beer that went down smoothly but was 10% plus, a heavy beer (originally their TaxHoliday) with charred jalapenos, habaneros & red chile peppers.

Wabash Brewing, Indianapolis, I repeat the Bacon Face Brown not only because it is a very good brown but the beer is named in memory of a favorite bulldog who had the name "Bacon Face." You just gotta love that story and the beer.

Zwanzigz, Columbus, I always look for Mike and this year in addition to regular offerings including ghost chili pepper stout, there were 2 most unusual beers. A bacon beer was a golden ales base with 5 pounds of bacon steeped in the keg (just like dry hopped, but with bacon); Mike also took his Russian Imperial Stout base and before our eyes added drops of pepper infusion from the Carolyna Reaper pepper currently rated as the world's hottest pepper. With just the right amount I got a nice flavor and a nice but tolerable burn on top of that wonderful RIS base.

Of course, there were many more that would deserve mention if we could just get to all breweries. There are many opportunities to try more beers at some upcoming festivals.

A short list of some upcoming SPRING/SUMMER Indiana Beer Festivals are:

May 9: Indiana Michigan Craft Beer Mayfest, Granger, IN INFO CLICK HERE

May 16: Crown Beer Fest, Crown Point, IN INFO CLICK HERE

May 16: Midwest Sour + Wild + Funk Fest, Indianapolis, IN INFO CLICK HERE

May 30: Fest of Ale by Keg Liquors, Clarksville, IN (Charity for Louisville/Southern In Crusade for Children) INFO CLICK HERE

May 30: American On Tap, Indianapolis, CLICK HERE FOR INFO

July 18: Indiana Microbrews Festival - The BIG Grand-daddy of Indiana Beer Fests!, Military Park (new venue), Indianapolis, CLICK HERE FOR INFO

July 25: GNAWBrew, Gnaw Bone, near Nashville, IN, 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

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Contributing to this piece were: Gary Cooper, Ross Hughes, and Greg Kitzmiller

Bloomington Craft Beer Fest! perspective of an organizer

This is going to be a good one.

In only five years Bloomington Craft Beer Fest (BCBF) has become one of the marquee events in South Central Indiana. In it's third year, 2013, BCBF was named Bloomington's Best Festival by VisitBloomington.com. The fest had its first sell out crowd in 2014. Those of us who were involved in organizing BCBF couldn't be more proud of the party we threw for 3,200 of our friends.

Every year we adjust to our guest's feedback. In the past few years we've improved the checkin process, doubled the number of port-a-potties, and worked on maximizing the flow within the fest site. This year will be no different and we are all very excited about all of the ways we will be improving the BCBF experience.

First up, we have partnered with the Monroe County Community Kitchen to manage parking at the site. This means we'll have a dedicated team of volunteers making sure that those who choose to drive to the fest have a much smoother time finding a parking spot. There will be $5 parking charge this year, but we think it'll be worth having a more streamlined experience. It goes without saying that we encourage guests to take advantage of our $10 Designated Driver tickets and to be responsible in their pre and post fest transportation choices.

We are also expanding the check-in space and waiting area. Those who have attended BCBF in the past have seen our check-in process evolve to include multiple steps and a waiting area that maximized fest time. This year we have allocated more space to check-ins which should keep people flowing into The Woolery Mill as soon as the gates open.

My personal favorite change this year is all about location, location, location. Our 50+ guest breweries will be more spread out over the site this year than they have in the past. We are taking advantage of more of the space available on site. We will have at least three distinct areas where guests will find some of their favorite brews. We will have more food vendors as well, which we expect will keep things moving.

At last we get to the dirty business. Along with the new layout, guests will have more options for where they recycle their "used beer" (I'm talking about port-a-potties). Not much to say about this other than you've all been heard.

While this event now sells out, check here for availability of tickets http://www.bloomingtonbeerfest.com/

Not only is this the fifth annual BCBF, 2015 marks the third annual Bloomington Craft Beer Week. BCBW includes all of your favorite established and up-and-coming Bloomington breweries as well as highlights from breweries around the state. BCBW runs through 4/11 and is featuring multiple venues who are participating for the first time. Be sure to ask about BCBW specials while you dine out this week! Read our story and find the schedule HERE

Also don't forget to check out the Bloomington Ale Trail (http://www.bloomingtonaletrail.com/) which kicked off on Saturday 4/4. Once you start you have six months to collect stamps from the six participating breweries and get entered into a drawing for a behind the scenes tour.

By Terry Durkin: Terry has been co-chair of the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest, ambassador during Bloomington Craft Beer Week, and general beer lover!

Bloomington Craft Beer Week starts NOW

Bloomington Craft Beer Week has begun! We were already able to drink a Hop Strike India Pale Lager collaboration beer which delivers tropical and deep fruit flavors and a nice clean finish. Hop Strike is a collaboration by Bloomington Brewing Co., Function Brewing, Quaff On Brewing, The Tap Beer Co., & Upland Brewing. Eight different hops were used along with lager yeast and, perhaps for fun, some hops were added using a drone! This beer is on tap at cooperating breweries while it lasts. #BCBW is on!

Events start today, Saturday April 4, including a release party of 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat on tap & in a firkin at Bloomington Brewing's Lennie's pub, at 4:00 with prizes at 5:00. There is a bicycle tune-up station outside starting a 3:00. 10-Speed has Mosaic hops for that citrus, pineapple flavor.

Earn a free glass and chance to win a VIP brewery event on the Bloomington Ale Trail. Visit all six of these locations (over time) and get your passport stamped for drinking a pint at each: BBC (Lennie's), Function, Quaff On B'ton, Salt Creek @the Depot, Scotty's B'ton, & Upland.

All events lead up to The Bloomington Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, April 11, 1:00pm (early bird) or 2:00pm (Gen'l) to 6pm. A FEW TIX MAY BE STILL AVAILABLE HERE

Here are some other events (always check with the location for confirmation or changes):
Sunday, April 5: 7 IN Beers on tap at The Trojan Horse including BBC, Sun King, Upland

Monday, April 6: Bears Place: Sun King Tap Takeover; Quaff On B'ton Meet the Brewer moved to Thursday at 5pm; Brewers 5-Course Beer Dinner $40 at The Tap Beer Bar & Beer Co. 7PM Details HERE; IN Beers featured at Malibu Grill featuring BBC, Tow Yard, Upland

Tuesday, April 7: C3 Restaurant (1505 S Piazza Drive) Switchyard Brewing (opening 2015) tasting event 5-7PM;
Bears Place Upland tap takeover

Wednesday, April 8: The Tap Beer Bar, Taxman Brewing Mini-tap-takeover; Finch's Taxman Takeover; Function Girl's Pint Out beer & Chocolate pairing

Thursday, April 9: Function Mayan Chocolate Stout tapping; Nick's English Hut Upland Tap Takeover 7pm; Bear's Place Triton Tap Takeover; Big Red Liquors Bloomington Brewing Co. tasting event; NO Coast Reserve Raw Bar Food & Beer Pairing dinner $75, with 18th Street Brewing (Gary, IN) details HERE ; Quaff On Meet the Brewer at 5:00PM

Friday, April 10: Bear's Place Quaff On Tap Takeover; Function Jalapeno Infused American IPA tapping; The Tap Beer Bar Upland mini-tap takeover; Nick's English Hut Bloomington Brewing Co. tap-takeover; Upland will tap Vinyl Tap Rye Pale Ale at all Upland locations

Saturday, April 11: BCB Fest! Woolery Mill -- always a wonderful event with 65 degree sunny weather, great beer, good times forecast
+ Quaff On B'ton party in their parking lot
+ The Tap Beer Bar Sun King Tap takeover

in other INDIANA BEER NEWS:

Saturday, April 11 is also a day for a 5pm tailgate in the IUPUI parking lot Indianapolis with food, music and Flat 12 beer supporting the Indy 11 pro soccer team.

Upland Brewing opens its lottery for three sour beers (peach, persimmon, Pawpaw) on April 23 at EVENTBRITE HERE

Upland also announced it will launch collaborations with Yazoo Brewing of Nashville, TN, and Great Raft Brewing of Shreveport, LA with details in the future.

5 Indiana Beers for Warm Weather Drinking

Last week was the first official week of spring. With the warmer weather on the horizon, many beer drinkers’ preferences will shift with the change in seasons.

Here are some fantastic Indiana beers to compliment the warmer weather. Since Indiana has so many tasty beers to choose from, I had to narrow down the contenders. I limited my choices to beers available in bottles or cans, beers with low ABV, and beers packed full of flavor. It’s by no means an exhaustive list but hopefully a starting point for the next time you are at your local beer purveyor.

Champagne Velvet, Upland Brewing Co.

CV- Upland’s take on a classic American Pilsner- provides the smooth, clean and crisp flavors you’d expect from a light lager. This beer finishes nice and dry and keeps you coming back for more- a great choice for those dog days of summer.

As a bonus CV is also available in 16oz cans if prefer a travel friendly format.

Ruby Bloom, Bloomington Brewing Co.

One of the more of the malt forward, sweeter options on this list, Ruby Bloom is an amber ale ideal for anyone who is a little hop-shy. Caramel malts help give this beer its signature color, as well as smooth drinkability.

Indians Lager, Sun King Brewing

Sun King’s seasonal offering is well suited for the ballpark- as the name suggests. The clean and crisp characteristics you’d expect from a lager but with a touch of sweetness in the finish. A really versatile food-pairing beer, Indians Lager will go well with a variety of summer food- and my favorite in particular-grilled meats.

Yum Yum, 3 Floyds Brewing Co.

3 Floyds has built a solid portfolio of hoppy, higher alcohol Double IPAs— and Yum Yum stays within that hoppy wheelhouse. It possesses those quintessential citrusy characteristics found in many American IPAs but in a low-alcohol package. This beer allows you to get your hop fix whilst being able to enjoying multiple in the same sitting.

Damascene, Tin Man Brewing Co.

The realm of sour ales is often perceived as the domain of beer nerds and collectors. Damascene is approachable, refreshing and most importantly- delicious. The apricot fruitiness provides a nice balance to the sour tart character that defines this style. This is a great gateway beer into the world of sour ales.

There are so many great Indiana beers available for spring and summer drinking. I’d love to hear what your go-to-beers are. Share what you like to drink and where to find it in the comments below.

Spring also signals time for the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest! A chance to try beers like these and many more in an open but covered venue just off Highway 37 and perfect for Spring weather! Tickets are go fast but details can be found here

By Ross Hughes;
Ross Hughes is a home brewer, a Cicerone certified beer server, aspiring Certified Cicerone and all-around beer nerd. An English expat based in Bloomington, IN, his passion for American craft beer started after his desire to find a local pub took him to Upland Brewpub and Bloomington Brewing Co. Whether he’s drinking cask ales reminiscent of his native country, or trying the latest experimental hopped IPA, Ross enjoys a variety of beer styles and is always looking to train his palette with another tasty ale.

Indiana Brewers Gather, Share, Learn + Local Beer Fests tix on sale

There was excitement all around as the Brewers of Indiana Guild web page here (nearly all professional breweries in Indiana) met for the annual business meeting and held their first ever Craft Brewers Conference with over 200 in attendance this past weekend. There are over 100 breweries in Indiana, and more plan to open in the next few months! While the same strategies may not prevail whether in largest breweries in the state (from Three Floyds, to Sun King, to Upland, or Flat 12) down to the nano-brewery, the same overall trends affect all. Craft beer, which is best identified as from smaller breweries (less like beer factories) in small batches with much flavor, variety, and is likely local, is booming of course.

Mega-brands like Bud, Bud Light, and Miller Lite are declining, while still mega with huge volume. The mega-brewers (Belgian owned ABInbev and SABMiller with the SA standing for South African Brewing) meanwhile buy up local brands like Oregon based 10 Barrel Brewing, Seattle's Elysian (once known for a tag line 'corporate beer still sucks') and New York based Blue Point Brewing -- all 3 now ABInbev purchases. This has not affected Indiana's brewers (should we add, "Yet?"). Knowing the major local brewers in this state they are not about to allow their beer to become part of mega.

It was an honor to be a presenter or "Faculty Member" along with such known authors as Jim Palmer (How To Brew; Water: a comprehensive guide) and Stan Hieronymus (Brewing with Wheat; Brew like a Monk), as well as Ron Smith of BeerMBA, and many others. Brewers at the Conference had confirmation from Stan that, IPA is the style that is growing the fastest. In fact, in answer to an oft heard question, 'what is the next IPA?', Stan suggests, "IPA is the next IPA." Data showing sales of packaged goods through supermarkets, drug stores, and other big outlets shows IPA is the biggest single craft beer style and had the most growth in the past year. This trend is boosted by introduction of a number of new IPA products from major breweries (example Rebel IPA from Sam Adams), not just local craft. The IPA style represents nearly 1/4 of all craft beer according to research firm IRI, and grew at about 50% last year.

Indiana's breweries heard sessions on history, hops, yeast, water, beer quality, safety, and business topics such as hiring, managing a restaurant, trademarks, legal issues, and marketing. Greg Emig, owner of Lafayette Brewing Company as President of the Brewers Guild of Indiana welcomed all to the conference - and also served up a wonderful Belgian stout with Madagascar vanilla and star anise which delivered a bold and spicy flavor after hours.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of a state-wide brewers conference was having so many people from so many breweries gather and talk business, share experiences, and learn from each other. Big, medium, or small breweries truly did not matter as they came together as 'family' in the interest of providing us all with solid, local product to grow solid local firms. Indiana's own Master Excise Officer was supportive and making every attempt to help wade through old regulations that can have differing interpretations. Many positive comments were heard by attendees about how helpful this event was.

The following board members were up for re-election, and all were voted onto the board again: Roger Baylor (New Albanian Brewing Company), Nick Davidson (Tin Man Brewing Company), Jeff Eaton (Barley Island Brewing Company), Greg Emig (Lafayette Brewing Company), Jon Lang (Triton Brewing Company), DJ McCallister (Black Swan Brewpub), Justin Miller (Black Acre Brewery), Clay Robinson (Sun King Brewing Company), and Blaine Stuckey (Mad Anthony Brewing Company). New to the board are Shane Pearson (Daredevil Brewing Co) and Steve Llewellyn (Function Brewing). President Emeritus Ted Miller (Outliers Brewing, Brugge Brasserie) was also voted onto the board.

Brewers of Indiana Guild sponsors the upcoming 5th Annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival on April 11, with early bird tickets nearly half gone already. Details and Tickets here.

Upland sponsors the Sour+Wild+Funk Fest on May 16, 2-6 at City Market. Tickets went on sale at noon, today, March 9 Details and Tickets here

Festival time: Indiana Winterfest, KY TailSpin Ale fest, & More.

Tis the season for Winter Beer Fests! Winterfest from the Brewers of Indiana Guild will be held this coming Saturday, January 31, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion. More information and ticket purchases (3-7 PM) can be found here . We have talked to several brewers and while we don't want to spoil surprises you can clearly guess that you will find plenty of Bourbon Barrel Aged but also Rum barrel aged and specialty heavy beers! THere will be over 102 breweries represented! To build your anticipation you may want to look over our review of the 2014 event Winterfest 14 In addition, Nathan wrote a blog nearly a year ago on Maximizing your Winterfest Experience. The advice still holds! Check that Advice HERE

Lafayette Brewing Company's Winter Warmer event is already sold out but you might snag some tickets from friends as this event is held Feb. 7 (5-9PM).

Shelfice Brew Fest is happening Feb. 7 and appears to NOT be sold out yet, with over 20 Indiana Breweries from all ends of the state + more. Venture up north to Michigan City where you might get some beers you have not had from Burning Bush, Ironwood, Four Fathers, Burn 'Em, and many more. Tix are only $35 for the 1-5 event. There is even a but to and from the local Casino and Outlet mall! More info HERE

Louisville, Kentucky's second annual Tailspin Ale Festival will be held February 20 & 21. Indiana's own Flat12 which recently opened their second brewpub in Jeffersonville, IN (Our Story HERE) , just across the bridge from Louisville, will be a featured brewery.

Just a bit more than an hour and half South of Greenwood, Indiana, on Interstate 65 is Louisville, which continues to expand their beer scene. If you missed last year, the following was part of our attendance at that event: The first ever Louisville Tailspin Ale fest was held on a Sunny Saturday featuring an even dozen Kentucky breweries, nearly 30 other breweries including 3 from Indiana, with approximately 150 beers served.

Louisville beer festivals are showcasing craft beer, welcoming all to sample both new and old brews. This year, expect over 150 beers, over 40 breweries - many from Indiana and Kentucky, as well as food trucks. On Friday night the Tailspin features their exclusive "Barrel Role" with limited edition, barrel-aged beers and VIP tickets for $85. All details are found HERE: Tailspin Festival

Gear up for the FIFTH Annual BLOOMINGTON Beer Festival, on April 11.

And the big "kahuna" will be the TWENTIETH Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival on July 18 in a NEW VENUE of Military Park in downtown Indianapolis. Check back here future news!

The 4th Annual Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

A while ago I had written a story about what drives me to go out and try the new beer from all these new breweries popping up left and right in Indiana. In my blog I mentioned how at this point I was more likely to go out to a brewery boasting something different, generally a twist on an already solid beer instead of just going for the same styles over and over again.

What is the relevance to Bloomington Craft Beer Festival? A lot and at the same time not much. Festival time though is generally the time where breweries who usually play it same crank it up a notch. Some breweries do special beer tappings (which in bigger festivals generally make some beer drinkers upset if they can't cut through the crowd to try a special beer). Some breweries pick a theme for their beer offerings (I'm looking at you Flat 12 Bierwerks). Some breweries have some of their house beers but also bring some twists or outrageous beers. I was pleasantly surprised and delightfully happy that this year's Bloomington Craft Beer Festival offerings were exactly what I was looking for.

First off..having a festival in Bloomington in April is amazing. The weather is perfect, the location is awesome. (Who can argue with an old mill as the festival backdrop), and the festival is smaller, more quaint and also gives attendees the ability to try more beer and get more bang for the buck. However, I think it has already started to get a little snug in the Woolery Mill this year with a sold out crowd of 3,000. Unless you are good at snaking through crowds, being a little tough to get to your next beer, or don't mind being pushed around then by all means come back for the 5th annual BCBF. This year did offer a little more as far as a grander musical stage, more accommodations and a "dining hall" up the hill for beer drinkers to rest and enjoy local food fair.

But enough about the layout and crowds.. I mentioned how the offerings were what I was looking for, so let me get to the important part of this piece - the beer.

Right out of the gate, I bee lined to Zwanzigs Scorpion Pepper Imperial Stout.

Taking a step away from the Ghost Pepper Infused Imperial Stout that Zwanzigs used to offer, this beer was still exactly what I was looking for. A chocolate, robust start and a slow tickle in the back of my throat burn. The first offering was just a little to see if I actually would like it, but after quickly swallowing it down I asked for more, plus they had a small batch of it set aside to "kick it up" a notch. I, of course, had that added. I was almost scared that it would cause a flame to shoot out my mouth, but was back to just having a pleasant burn, a bit more noticeable than the first time, but still just a nice pleasant beer.

From there I stepped down the row, my eyes in search of unique beers and Broadripple Brewpub did not disappoint. Their Cinnamon Roll Porter, could have been a great breakfast beer, if I drank beer at 8am. The cinnamon flavor was just a slight, but there was definitely a creaminess that gave the drinker a mind set of licking icing off a Cinnabon roll.

Before my next crazy beer I did have a few interesting solid beers. 18th Street Brewery's Bitch Hands Pale Ale was a strong beer, that I would definitely drink more off, not just to say I was drinking Bitch Hands either (which brings up another thought I had during the festival off how crazy beer names are getting). Choss - A triple IPA from Figure 8 was another solid good beer, that actually gave me a pop of taste as it hit the back of my tongue. It wasn't something that made my head turn like the beer was made unusually, the pop seemed to come naturally from the basic ingredients used for this beer .

Back to the crazy, (again looking at you Flat 12). Sidetrack - Flat 12 never disappoints me. Honestly, even if I may not like some of their crazy beers, <cough> Cucumber Kolsch, </cough>, they take the risk, they combine, they go crazy and almost all the time they hit their mark. CC3, aka a Cotton Candy flavored Belgian Style Trippel was really great. It smelled like Cotton Candy, it tasted like Cotton Candy, I almost wish it was pink like Cotton Candy. I tried a sip of my friends Caramel Corn flavored beer for their table as well, it was sweet like caramel with that corn twinge. If I wasn't on a mission to cover as many tables as I could for IB.com I would've tried all the beers at Flat 12. I'm hoping CC3 makes a comeback in the taproom. I know it won't be at another festival. Flat 12 keeps up with a theme per festival and so far hasn't repeated many of their festival beers at other festivals I've been able to attend.

My last special call out of beers has to be Crown Brewing's The Dude White Russian Java Porter. The Dude definitely abides with this beer. I could almost hear the ice clink in the glass drinking cream, Kahlua and vodka with each sip of this beer.

Besides being happy with finding these special diamonds in the beer festival rough, I was also happy to find good solid beers. Makes me rethink my intro of only popping into breweries that are pulling beer stunts. Lafayette Brewing gets a shout out for their Star City Bock. I was definitely fan of this clean,slightly caramelized beer. Salt Creek also deserves some love for the cream ale. The biggest applause however goes to the homebrewing club, the Bloomington Hop Jockeys. I love their Berliner Weisse, the sour blonde and I did make it over the tapping of the sour stout. Their Berliner Weisse opened my eyes to a new style of beer that may rise above regular sours as my favorite. the BHJ Berliner Weisse and later Desthil Brewing's Berliner Weisse were my ideal summer kind of beers. Tart, sour and shocking.

All this love for beers.. I bet you are wondering, did I love them all? No, of course not. There were some beers that just didn't cut it for me. One sip and the rest ended in beer blasphemy by hitting the rocks of the "floor" of the Woolery Mill. I'm not one for knocking a brewery's beer down cause it could be an amazing beer for someone else, but I will say there was a new brewery's IPA that I was just not a fan of at all, it was flat and flavorless. Another brewery's wheat ale was just about the same. It could have been the location or the beer travel. I had a sample of a black ale that I had tried in the pub recently and it didn't taste nearly the same chocolately, slight tilt of sour that it did when I a pint of it a few weeks back.

Overall, the BCBF was a lovely festival. I hope that the 5th year sees an expansion of the layout so people can walk around easily without almost crowd surfing for beer. I also hope more breweries from the north come back down. I missed seeing Iechyd Da Brewing and Bare Hands Brewery. I hope they either come down and join the southern fun or that centralized northern festival is in the works. Until then, I look forward to the Microbrewer's Festival in July and other great times come forward as the great weather festival events start off.

Hope to see you around!

Cheers,
Kathleen

Breweries Converge on Bloomington for Bloomington Craft Beer Week and Festival!

Bloomington, IN, has been abuzz with beer this week as the festivities continue right up the to Bloomington Craft Beer Festival, Saturday (April 12). Tickets are on sale online and at Big Red Liquor stores with the plan being NOT to sell tickets at the door.

This is a recap of some of the activities this week with pictures!

The week started with Indiana Craft Beer on tap and in bottles at most local venues Friday and then the release of Bloomington Brewing Company gold-medal winning Rooftop IPA in 22 oz. bottles at the main Big Red Liquor store in Bloomington.

Brewers Floyd Rosenbaum and Nick Banks, owners Jeff Mease and Lennie Dare, Business Manager Mark Cady, and staff were on hand to sign bottles and posters as the first batch is available. The bottles will roll out within weeks to other locations in Central Indiana. BBC reminds all that this 22 oz Rooftop will be followed by Ten Speed Hoppy Wheat, and eventually by Ruby Bloom Amber in 22oz "bombers." BBC has been flowing around Bloomington and has eleven beers on tap at their Tap Room in Lennie's including a big, bold Imperial Ruby Bloom amber, the Biere de Mars, and the collaboration with New Albanian 80 Shilling session Scottish ale.

Upland Brewing of Bloomington chose this week to reveal their new logo! The former more abstract logo turned into an upbeat tighter view that may suggest the rolling hills around Bloomington of the freshness of craft beer! Upland will be using logo on future bottling and other signage for their beer. They also were on hand at Yogi's on Monday for samples of their delicious Upland Haystack wheat, a crisp clean American wheat that is extremely drinkable and an interesting contrast with the Belgian-style Upland Wheat they've been known for.

Upland and New Belgium Brewing collaborated on two wonderful tart brews "Light Synth" and "Dark Synth" The Light Synth is 50% New Belgian Felix aged in wine barrels with 40% Upland Sour Reserve oak aged plus 10% oak aged cherry lambic with cherries. Dark Synth is 50% NB Oskar aged in wine barrels with 40% Upland Dantilion with spices and 10% oaked Rasperry Lambic with raspberries. With tastings at Yogi's Grill and Bar on Monday night patrons were deciding which they liked best which depends on preference. We thought both were delicious!

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK:

Jamie from Flat 12 and Mike Collins from World Class were on hand both Saturday and Sunday with the first event being a tapping at Nick's English Pub. They had five beers on tap and provided many stickers and beer coasters to those who stopped by. Nick's was full and Saturday night revelers were drinking up the Flat 12 beer and enjoying!

Flat 12 also stopped by Yogi's on Sunday for a tapping including Nunmoere Black, delicious black IPA with wonderful balanced character.

Tuesday night there was a beer dinner at The Farm restaurant Root Cellar. We hope next year a dinner might be arranged closer to the weekend and more out-of-towners might come in early for the event and stay for the Beer Fest!

Tin Man Brewing of Evansville is Kegging beer now so there beer will be more available on draught. Fred Hillendbrand did a great job of leading "Beer School" with samples at Yogi's. The Rosenweiss weizen with rose is a far cry from the first Tin Man brews and packs a nice combination of the rose and the banana spice notes.

Overlord Imperial IPA is a balanced big bold tasty IPA. The sleeper is Csar Russian Imperial Stout at 12% with as many IBU for bitterness as Overlord but well hidden behind fabulous roast and hints of licorice. Tin Man will be distributed now throughout Central Indiana!

The shot at right are loyal Yogi's fans enjoying their Tin Man brews!

Get your craft beer on and get to Bloomington.

Below are more events scheduled this week!

April 9:
Cutter’s & Bloomington Brewing Tapping at The Tap Beer Bar, BBC: Amarillo Pale, Biere de Mars, Rooftop IPA and Ruby Bloom; Cutters: Nitro Peanut Empire Stout

Sun King Tap Takeover at Yogi’s Grill and Bar: Barrel Aged Ring of Dingle stout, Dominator Dopplebock, Naptown Brown IPA, & Indians Lager

Function Brewing, Bloomington Brewpub taps a test batch of single-hopped pale with Falconer’s Flight hops plus a version adding Mosaic and Citra Hops.

April 10:
Cutters at Nick’s English Hut with Knobstone, Bank Robber Belgian Brown, Rye on the Scarecrow Double Rye IPA, and Monon Wheat

Upland and Oskar Blues at The Tap Beer Bar, 7 PM, with Wheat, Champagne Velvet, and Campside. Oskar Blues beers: White Buffalo West Coast IPA, Dales Pale Ale T45 - dry hopped Dale's Pale, Dales Pale Ale T90 -- another dry hopped Dale's Pale - each beer has a different hop kettle additions.

Bloomington Brewing Company at Yogi’s 6 PM with BBC Biere de Mars, Ruby Bloom Amber, Kirkwood Cream Ale, Rooftop IPA, and BBC/New Albanian collaboration FeastMaster 80 Shilling (delicious session beer with plenty of deep roast flavor)

Function Brew Pub holds a tribute to home brewing with a Robust Porter, Mayan Chocolate Stout, and English Mild

April 11:
Upland holds their beer & music focused Vinyl Release Party at their main Bloomington Brewpub (banquet hall) 5-8PM featuring Vinyl Tap Rye Pale Ale with part of the proceeds from the beer sale going to local community music. All Upland locations start revealing the new Upland logo and look starting April 9.

Bloomington Brewing and New Albanian tap take-over at Nick’s English Hut 7-10 PM featuring: BBC Quarrymen Pale Ale, BBC Ruby Bloom Amber, BBC Vanilla Floyd, BBC Imperial Ruby Bloom Amber, NABC Hoosier Daddy, NABC Oaktimus, NABC/BBC Collab FeastMaster 80 Shilling, + Sampling of BBC Rooftop IPA Bottles

Cutters Knobstone Pale Ale will be the featured Friday beer along with Upland Wheat on tap at the Alley Bar on Kirkwood.

Atlas Ballroom Bar on South College will pour offerings from Cutters, Mad Anthony, and New Albanian.

Player’s Pub on South Walnut will feature Tin Man (Evansville) beers.

April 12: THE BIG DAY

Bloomington Craft Beer Fest is Saturday, April 12, at 2200 Tapp Road 4-7PM for $35. Sponsor The Fourwinds Resort will shuttle you to & from the event from your room with special rates of $89. There will be live music, local food, hundreds of beers from not only most Indiana breweries but many regional and national craft brewers. We participated in a discussion of porta-potties and organizers have considered signage and locations of units to reduce lines. The current weather forecast may prove God and Mother Nature love beer as the sun should shine and forecasts predict temperatures of 71 degrees! If you’ve not been to the historic Woolery limestone mill venue expect a nice canopy of shade with plenty of filtered light and great breezes. Tickets are available at most Big Red Liquors locations (esp. Bloomington – call ahead) and online HERE
Further Fest details here

Then get ready to PARTY at many local venues AND save your wristband for a special deal on Sunday!

Sun King tap takeover and after party at The Tap Beer Bar on the square with Timmie RIS, Batch 666: Sympathy for the Devil (Belgian-Style Black Ale loaded with chocolate, roasted walnut, and banana flavors), Batch 777: Touched by an Angel ( Belgian-Style Tripel), Big Iron Barleywine, Moonlight Serenade toasted oatmeal stout, and Fistful of Hops.

while many BBC and New Albanian beers should remain on tap from Friday, there is no official party at Nick's on Saturday

Upland Beer Fest after party at The Bishop Bar

Max’s bar on the square will have a kill the keg party with BBC Rooftop IPA and Kirkwood Cream Ale where the person to get the last pint gets a Max’s gift card.

AND….
The premier craft beer bars in Bloomington will feature Indiana Craft Beer all week at The Tap Beer Bar and Yogi’s Grill & Bar. As well Scotty’s Brewhouse will feature their own Thr3e Wise Men Indiana beer

Local restaurants
Finch’s Brasserie will feature Indiana beer including Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught, War Mullet, Fountain Square Count Nibula Chocolate Stout, Evil Czech Gypsy American Wheat, Tin Man Rosenweiss German krystallweizen with rose
The Trojan Horse will feature beers from BBC, Quaff On!, Cutters, and Upland

April 13:
Fest Wrist Band Day at Lennie’s Restaurant and Brew Pub 10% off Sunday Brunch at Lennies - Beer Fest attendees get 10% off their meal with their Beer Fest wristbands.

Bloomington Craft Beer Week... beer events worth visiting Bloomington for!

Bloomington Craft Beer Week starts Saturday, April 5 continuing through and after the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest on April 12. It is #drinkindiana week! Many local places will have Indiana beer on tap starting April 4! So maybe you went to school in Bloomington or maybe you've driven to Bloomington on a scenic trip to Brown County, Indiana. You fondly recall the quaint town square, maybe a pound of beer (their word for pint) at historic Nick's English Hut, the beautiful limestone buildings, and a warm Spring Day. COME ON DOWN and have a pint of beer or two sometime this week. Revisit, refresh, and reacquaint with a town and its love of quality craft beer!

Note: all beers, bar events, and tappings were checked with reps and organizers but remain subject to change. Get the Bloomington Craft Beer Week APP! for updates

April 5:
Bloomington Brewing Company, the 20-year-old that was the first craft brewery in Southern Indiana has been a draft-only brewery but kicks BCBW off Saturday with the release of beer in bottles by offering 22 oz. "bombers" of gold-medal-award winning Rooftop IPA at the Big Red Liquors big store at 8th and College Ave, Bloomington, with brewer appearances from Noon to 2:00 PM April 5! Rooftop took gold in the IPA category of the most recent Brewer’s Cup Competition, Indiana State Fair, which receives commercial entries from multiple states as one of the largest competitions in the nation. BBC brewers and staff will be at Big Red Saturday and would be glad to sign a bottle or chat about beer. Rooftop bottles start selling at Big Red and will eventually expand throughout central Indiana. This brew delivers the hop forward and balanced IPA that offers both citrus and pine notes with a bitter finish while still balanced with malt. Rooftop will be the first commercially available ‘bombers’ in a series that will eventually (think Summer) include Ten Speed Hoppy Wheat and Ruby Bloom Amber. Get B’ton Craft Beer Week started off right by celebrating this historic moment! Get one of the first bottles ever produced!

What: Bottle Release Party: 22 oz. Bloomington Brewing Co. Rooftop IPA
When: Saturday, April 5
Noon to 2:00
Where: Big Red Liquors, 418 North College Avenue, Bloomington

Indiana brewery Flat 12 pours beers, passes on information, and provides ‘swag’ at legendary I.U. pub Nick’s English Hut Saturday night at 7PM offering limited edition Pogues Run Vanilla Porter, a flagship Flat12 beer with vanilla beans that opens with big vanilla notes backed by the solid hearty roast of this favored porter. Flat 12 beers on tap also include Half Cycle IPA, Walkabout Pale, and Hinchtown Hamer Down Golden Ale.

Bicycle tour to 3 breweries starting at Function Brewpub on 6th starting at 10:30 AM continuing to BBC, and Upland.

April 6:
Flat 12 brings Nunmoere Black American Black Ale along with Half Cycle, Hinchtown, and Pogues Run Porter along with information to Yogi’s, Bloomington at 3:30 PM for “Sunday Funday.”

April 7:
Upland rolls out their collaboration with New Belgian Brewery sampling “Light Synth” and “Dark Synth” at 6:00 PM. Dark Synth to be on tap along with Upland’s new Haystack Lightning American Wheat (the 2nd beer in the new Side Trail Series), Campside, and Wheat plus New Belgian La Folie, Le Terroir, and Snapshot Wheat.

April 8:
Bloomington Brewing, Cutters Brewing, Quaff On!, and Upland will pair beers and food for a candlelight brewery dinner at The Root Cellar inside The Farm Restaurant, at 6:00 PM. A four course meal will pair with Cutter’s Knobstone Pale, BBC Rooftop, Quaff On! Java the Red, and Upland Wheat. $49 per guest. Phone (812) 323-0002 for details as space is limited.

Tin Man Brewing Co. “Beer School” at Yogi's Grill and Bar. Featuring: Czar Russian Imperial Stout, Overlord Imperial IPA, Circuit Bohemian Pilsner, Rivet Irish Red Ale

April 9:
Cutter’s & Bloomington Brewing Tapping at The Tap Beer Bar, BBC: Amarillo Pale, Biere de Mars, Rooftop IPA and Ruby Bloom; Cutters: Nitro Peanut Empire Stout

Sun King Tap Takeover at Yogi’s Grill and Bar: Barrel Aged Ring of Dingle stout, Dominator Dopplebock, Naptown Brown IPA, & Indians Lager

Function Brewing, Bloomington Brewpub taps a test batch of single-hopped pale with Falconer’s Flight hops plus a version adding Mosaic and Citra Hops.

April 10:
Cutters at Nick’s English Hut with Knobstone, Bank Robber Belgian Brown, Rye on the Scarecrow Double Rye IPA, and Monon Wheat

Upland and Oskar Blues at The Tap Beer Bar, 7 PM, with Wheat, Champagne Velvet, and Campside. Oskar Blues beers: White Buffalo West Coast IPA, Dales Pale Ale T45 - dry hopped Dale's Pale, Dales Pale Ale T90 -- another dry hopped Dale's Pale - each beer has a different hop kettle additions.

Bloomington Brewing Company at Yogi’s 6 PM with BBC Biere de Mars, Ruby Bloom Amber, Kirkwood Cream Ale, Rooftop IPA, and BBC/New Albanian collaboration FeastMaster 80 Shilling (delicious session beer with plenty of deep roast flavor)

Function Brew Pub holds a tribute to home brewing with a Robust Porter, Mayan Chocolate Stout, and English Mild

April 11:
Upland holds their beer & music focused Vinyl Release Party at their main Bloomington Brewpub (banquet hall) 5-8PM featuring Vinyl Tap Rye Pale Ale with part of the proceeds from the beer sale going to local community music. All Upland locations start revealing the new Upland logo and look starting April 9.

Bloomington Brewing and New Albanian tap take-over at Nick’s English Hut 7-10 PM featuring: BBC Quarrymen Pale Ale, BBC Ruby Bloom Amber, BBC Vanilla Floyd, BBC Imperial Ruby Bloom Amber, NABC Hoosier Daddy, NABC Oaktimus, NABC/BBC Collab FeastMaster 80 Shilling, + Sampling of BBC Rooftop IPA Bottles

Cutters Knobstone Pale Ale will be the featured Friday beer along with Upland Wheat on tap at the Alley Bar on Kirkwood.

Atlas Ballroom Bar on South College will pour offerings from Cutters, Mad Anthony, and New Albanian.

Player’s Pub on South Walnut will feature Tin Man (Evansville) beers.

April 12: THE BIG DAY

Beers leading to Bloomington Craft Beer week and more.... Indiana Beer News March. 27

Spring is an extraordinary time to be a craft beer lover and as we focus on the upcoming Bloomington Craft Beer Week we become aware of so many events and tappings. While we normally leave the "tapping here" announcements to Facebook and Twitter, take today as an example of special items!

FIVE Barrel Aged beers from FIVE Indiana Breweries, tonight at Tomlinson Tap at City Market web site here, Indianapolis. Sun King, Flat12, Bloomington Brewing, Barley Island and Black Acre each provided a BBL aged replicale strong ale were just tapped. This ties to the Bloomington Craft Beer Week because information and tickets for the April 12 Beer Fest will be available tonight at TomTap!

Also in Bloomington, today Bloomington Brewing taps Biere de Mars, an offshoot of the biere de garde style medium body, boldly malted beer with spice notes available in their Tap Room.
And let's not forget that Triton Brewing at Ft. Harrison put on Pink Ribbon saison for tonight's Girl's Pint Out Event Facebook details HERE with the Mentoring Women's Network.

All of this leads us to preview the Bloomington Craft Beer Week from April 4-11 preceding the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival on April 12 Details here where special events will unfold nearly daily starting on Friday April 4. Bloomington based Upland brewing announced new Haystack Lightning American Wheat, the 2nd in their new Side Trail Series tapping at all Upland locations (Indy area + B'ton) on April 4. This new wheat is filtered for clarity and delivers mote hop (including Amarillo whole leaf hops) and a more grain flavor as an American style.

On Saturday, April 5, Bloomington Brewing release their first ever beer in bottles! Rooftop IPA, a gold medal winner at the Brewer's Cup '13, will be available at Big Red Liquors Bloomington main store. Flat12 arrives at famous Nick's English Hut in Bloomington that Saturday with Half Cycle IPA, Walkabout Pale, Van Pogue Porter, and their Hinchtown Hamerdown Pilsner plus 'give-aways.'

Other examples of events that week include

- Flat12 tapping and info at Yogi's Bar and Grill April 6 (3:30PM+)
- BCBW Beer Dinner at The Farm Restaurant's Root Cellar on April 8 (6pm)
- Tap Takeovers such as Cutters and BBC at The Tap Beer Bar on the square in B'town April 9 (6pm+)
- Tap Takeover of New Albanian and BBC at Nick's on April 11 (7PM)
- Special keg of Quaf On Brewing at The Alley Bar April 11 (4PM+)

and obviously more.... we will keep you posted.

And of course, this leads up to the Main Event of the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest on Saturday, April 12 DETAILS HERE

Let's say you already had the urge to go to one of the Midwest's premier fireworks extravaganzas in Louisville called Thunder Over Louisville on April 12 (or let's say you are SO adventurous that you will attend BCBF in Bloomington & still drive down to Lou'vall for the Thunder event! Well, there is Craft Beer at Thunder - and in Indiana! Buckhead Mountain Grill and Rocky’s Sub Pub will host their 7th Annual Craft Beer Festival for Thunder, which will showcase local craft beer favorites like Bluegrass Brewing Company, Falls City, Kentucky Ale, Daredevil Brewing, Sun King, Upland and national top breweries such as New Belgium, Stone Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, Bell’s, Founders and many more! The craft beer event includes a buffet, great view, and a ticket for a sample from each brewery present (as well as sodas and wine available). More information CLICK HERE or call 812-2842919.

And... twitter land was abuzz this week with late news that the FDA is considering controlling animal feed which could regulate or even eliminate the use of brewery spent grains now given free to many farmers.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing regulations for domestic and foreign facilities that are required to register under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) to establish requirements for current good manufacturing practice in manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of animal food. FDA also is proposing regulations to require that certain facilities establish and implement hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for food for animals. If you are a regulatory lawyer you can read more HERE OR read one take on it HERE Yet, my experience is that by the time all of the comments get in by March 31, the regulation will change significantly.

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)

Beer at Farmers' Markets; Daredevil to Speedway; & more Indiana Beer News for March 3!

Hoosiers might be able to buy cold, local beer at Indiana Farmer's markets after July, although this beer may need local support. Senate Bill 0016 allows an Indiana micro-brewer to sell the brewer's beer to consumers for carryout at a farmers' market that is operated on a nonprofit basis, in a quantity of not more than 576 ounces per consumer at any one time (according to Ind. Gen'l Assembly, in.gov).

Clay Robinson of SunKing Brewery is President of the Brewers Guild of Indiana and told IndianaBeer, "The farmers market initiative is about parody with Indiana's wineries, but it is also about allowing Indiana's small brewers greater access to consumers. The majority of our members are fairly small and don't even package their beer except in growlers. Allowing them to showcase their businesses and vend their products alongside other Indiana growers and producers will offer them increased exposure to a segment of the population that has demonstrated their desire to support local, buy fresh and in most cases pay a premium to do so."

The Executive Director of BIG, Lee Smith, says many Hoosier, "May not know there is local beer where they live…." This would be a great way for Hoosiers to support other Hoosiers. Smith added, "a lot of tiny brewers, have fewer employees, some have only 2 employees and this is a way for small breweries to market their product locally.” Clay Robinson added, " ...all of the profits from the production, distribution and sale of that beer benefits our economy. In the case of Indiana Brewers, the profits, taxes and economic development implications are HUGE. Every time someone purchases a locally produced Craft Beer, they are helping to create jobs and investment in their community and economy. Craft Brewers have a tradition of giving back and participating with community and charitable organizations in order to benefit their communities and help make them better places to live and work."

The BIG sees exposure at Farmer's Markets a natural extension of local product sales. Jeff Mease, BIG board member and owner of Bloomington Brewing recently commented to us on SB 0016, "I don't see anything to be against...it is a local agricultural product." Beer is made from grain, water, and hops. The only concern voiced at an Indiana Senate hearing was from a major liquor store chain opposing the sale of chilled beer outside of liquor stores. Chilled beer is currently also available at brewery tap rooms, although some local breweries do not operate retail establishments. That retailer did not return our phone calls. Indiana legislators are open to comment from their public.

Daredevil Brewing to build a Brewery Complex in Speedway, IN! “A craft brewery on Main Street provides a new type of destination location that complements and adds to the growing diversity of local businesses and restaurants in Speedway,” said Vince Noblet, President of the Speedway Redevelopment Commission. “We are excited to welcome Daredevil Brewing Co. to Main Street and our Speedway community.”

Daredevil Brewing Co. is currently located in Shelbyville, IN. The Main Street, Speedway, location is an expansion of their growing craft beer business and will be Daredevil Brewing Co.’s first public taproom. Initial development will also include a 10,000-square-foot production brewery with additional expansion possible in the future.

Indiana City Beer released a new specialty 750 ml bottling of Mimi’s Tabernacle Bourbon Barrel Breakfast Stout with pure maple syrup, chocolate and oats infused with locally roasted coffee beans and aged in a Kentucky bourbon barrel. Available this week. They also offer Crimson Bombshell bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Amber Ale and Cratchit's Ale Winter Olde Ale both in 750ml. Indiana City is at 24 Shelby Street, Indy, just East of Downtown.

Bloomington Craft Beer Fest is Saturday, April 12, at 2200 Tapp Road 4-7PM for $35 with early bird available one hour earlier. This year you can be shuttled to the event from your room at the Fourwinds Resort with special rates of $89. Details HERE ; Bloomington Craft Beer Week will kick off the week before and we will keep you appraised of local events!

Flat12 Bierwerks celebrates Flat Tuesday with Doors open at 4pm on March 4th. There will be crawfish races, King Cake, Beads, Beads and more Beads. Plus, four wacky beer concoctions that are crawling with flavor. Beer List Here

Thursday, March 13th is the Naptown Brown Tapping Party at Sun King from 7pm to 10pm. The Naptown Roller Girls will be onsite as well as A Squared Djs, food truck, and pints will be available for $5 each.

Bloomington Brewing releases "Bomber" bottles of Rooftop IPA, the well balanced First Place winning slightly orange in color hop-forward beer with Cascade and Falconer’s flight hops in early April! Also, their Ten Speed Hoppy Wheat release this year is Bicycle Day, April 19.

Remember the Upland third annual Sour + Wild + Funk Fest will be on sale at on Eventbrite on March 10. The event is Saturday, May 17th from 2pm-6pm at the historic Indianapolis City Market, preceded by a VIP Sour lecture and private tasting 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 including food and private bathrooms. General Admission tickets are $45 and include light snacks, with the City Market's artisans open to sell heavier fare throughout the festival. An Upland Secret Barrel Society members-only party will follow from 7pm-9pm.

Dark Lord Day has been announced by 3Floyds as April 26. Check their website for release details

Indiana Beer News: Dec. 21

Evil Czech Brewery of Culver, IN, paid a visit and brought a sample of their new Czech Pilsner - to be introduced on New Year's Eve at the brew pub. As the brewery's Manager of Sales & Operations, Shawn Erickson, relates to us with a Master Brewer and Owner from the Czech Republic they were not about to release this beer until they felt they have it just right. This is a medium body, complex beer that starts with maltiness with a rounded bitterness and spiciness from Saaz hops. The sample we received tasted very nice!

Evil Czech continues to expand! Later this Spring they will open a new brewery in Mishawaka, IN, which adds to the presence of their Corndance Restaurant in the area which currently serves their beer. They also are expanding with a new MUG CLUB! Click on their restaurant site for details about the mug, growler, discounts, swag, and party(ies) available and the mug club is being offered at a discount with a special party this Saturday afternoon (Dec. 21) Noon - 4 at Corndance Mishawaka.

Planetary Brewing in Greenwood is expanding! The Brewery, located on Polk Place in an industrial park, is adding an expanded tasting room to be open in a couple of months.

Brewer/Owner Andy was proud to offer six beers for growler fills when we stopped by for his nine-month anniversary. One of those beers is a wonderfully balanced big hoppy and malty beer dedicated to a man we lost last year who was an acquaintance of mine and a life-long friend of Andy's. The JSS 550 is over 8% abv and 94 ibu but seems smooth and bold. The new tasting room will allow for pint sales and will allow for a lot more brew room. Planetary beer is also on tap at Shallo's in Greenwood and is slowly and selectively adding taps on the South Side. Andy says they are right on plan as he realizes his dream with this brewery.

Look for beer in cans to explode in 2014. From Tin Man Evansville, to Daredevil Shelbyville, now even Flat12 is adding select products in cans. Cans are portable and can be taken to sporting events and outdoor venues where glass is not allowed. For a brewery the issue is carrying the inventory of printed cans which take much more room than beer labels.

Winter Beers are here as we've profiled in a couple of blogs. Bloomington Brewing just released their Winter Ale with Saigon cinnamon, vanilla, orange peel, and chocolate coming in at about 6%, and only 10 IBU. BBC Winter Ale will be available at Lennie's in Bloomington and at select tap handles in central Indiana.

While we anticipate Winterfest on Feb 1, mark your calendars for the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival on April 12! Bloomington Craft Beer Week will run April 5-12.