20th Annual Indiana Microbrewer's Festival

The sun was shining, the temperatures were rising, and it was time to drink some great beer at the 20th Annual Indiana Microbrewer’s Festival.

I haven’t been to the festival as a sampler for a while, usually my roll is behind the scenes, volunteering, but since this year it landed on a concert date I went to have some pre-concert beer and to take pictures and chat with fellow beer lovers.

This year was the first year that the festival moved from it’s quaint space in Opti Park by the Indianapolis Art Center to all the way downtown to Military Park. I know there were a lot of objects to this move, however I felt that it was actually a really great idea. With the growth that Indiana is having with all the breweries plus the growth of nearby states and out craft buddies wanting to join us in this big beer celebration, the festival needed a new venue.

I thought Military Park was spacious. The tents didn’t overcrowd each other, the lines moved fast. Granted I was in Early Bird beer drinker, but even when the floodgates opened it still went by quickly.  With an admission amount 8,000 beer drinkers, the venue held its own. Only downfall is due overuse of the venue there were worn  grassy areas turned to mud, and the rainy weather we have experience, many places had boards and cardboard to help.

But that isn’t beer related.

We talk about about beer here.

And sometimes food. Which speaking of - Kudos to the Brewer’s Guild for a really good mixed selection of food trucks and having some great merchandise vendors

On to the beer!

I had to be smart with my beer choices. Because there were at least a thousand different beers that I could try.  I actually used a little bit of Greg’s pre festival advice when it came to trying beers at the festival.

1. Go for the firkin tent
2. Try new breweries you can’t travel to
3. Go to your favorites
4. Don’t drink house beers you can get anytime

That was my strategy.  I knew going on though, that I would be stopping by for sure at the Bare Hands Brewery table. They have slowly become a favorite for mine and not surprising a favorite for a lot of others.  Since I am already talking about them I will start with what I had there. I actually only had two of the impressive list on tap. On a flashback note, I was happy that they brought so many different beer choices just like they did at Winterfest.

As I was waiting for Bare Hands, an enthusiastic drinker next to me suggested the Thai Peanut. The notes under the description made it sounds like a liquid alcoholic Pad Thai and when I took that first scent under my nose  - smelling that delicious light peanut aroma waft up, and then that drink which was lightly peanuty that melted away into a tender spice i had to agree that it was light a beer version of Pad Thai.  After Thai Peanut I tried their beer called Corn Dog. - A mix of corn, smoky pecan malts, ghost pepper, scorpion peppers and chipotle peppers.  It was a slow build of heat but it hit you. The smoke flavor was first but that fire came through and it was really well balanced. I absolutely loved Corn Dog.

Bare Hands wasn’t the only brewery out there and certainly wasn’t the first to incorporate insanely hot peppers in their brews. I’m happy that there was a significant increase this year of beers with peppers.  Would it be hipster to say I liked spicy beer before it became cool? Yeah, I went there.

Let’s continue down the spicy route.  I popped by Burn ‘Em Brewing. I remembered their crazy ways at Winterfest with their very yummy Red Velvet Stout.  I had at their booth the Hail Saison. A black saison with a little zing of spice. Compared to Corn Dog, nothing else was significantly as spicy, but it was still great to drink.  The firkin tent had a few spicy beers. Bloomington Brewing Co tried a hand with their Jalapeno Lemon Kolsch, but where the spice was in the nose, it did not follow through at the taste.   My second favorite though came out of that tent with Iechyd Da’s Revolution IPA with lime and habaneros. The lime hit you right up front and then the habanero heat happily danced behind. It was a very significant taste change which was replicated every taste. I thought that was so brilliantly brewed.  I rounded up my spicy taste with my retired favorite of Zwanzigs Ghost Pepper Infused Imperial Stout.. Still good, but Zwanzigs will have to ramp it up to compare to this new generation of spicy beers.

Now comes the new guys -  I tried Central Brewing Co’s - House Noyau, which was delicious.  I’m glad to see Josh Hambright coming out and brewing for himself.  St. Joesph had a solid kolsch.  After having a lot of crazy beers, I’ve gone back to appreciating a simple, solid good beer.

Headed over to Function Brewing and tried Divergent because it was suppose to have lemon and ginger in which is close to a saison I am hoping to brew. I wish it had a little bit of more ginger in the taste.  I hit up a few more newbies, but couldn’t recall anything special about them but was glad to give them a shot and hope to see more of what they can bring to future festivals.

Another highlight was the HopCat tent. Sampled “ Smell’s Like Grahamma’s Tarts”, which was really neat having it randalized through sour lemon heads. I also tried my first radler at that tent. A collaboration with Oaken Barrell and Chilly Water. It was like alcohol Sprite but I loved it as a great light summer beer.

So much positive writing about so much creativity in beer, but I feel like I should comment that sometimes too much in a beer really is too much. I tried one beer, and I’m not going to call out the brewery but I will say some of the ingredients. Sea Salt. Chamomile. Raspberries???? I took one sip and actually did not swallow it. I’ve never done that with a beer. I’ve pour out beers after a sip but never spit it out.  I think it was just a case of too much, is really too much.

Overall, great time. Great event. Wish the Brewer’s Guild could control the weather and cool it down a bit.  I look forward to the 21st festival and in the mean time to fulfill any festival desires, I could always pop down to Gnawbrew this Saturday!

Hope you all had a great time at the festival. Shout out your favorite beers! Share you pictures to our page.

We want to know how you enjoyed the 20th annual festival.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Kathleen

Indy Winterfest 2015, truly enjoyable -- reviews and comments

Indy Winterfest 2015 is behind us, but is a very pleasant memory! Over 3000 distinct users checked in to the Untapped app alone and by our count 105 breweries shared beer. Spanning two buildings made plenty of room though lines at some breweries later in the afternoon were longer but moved well.

Kathleen comments
What a way to start out the new beer year with a twice as big Winterfest! I was impressed last year as a volunteer seeing Winterfest move from the Agriculture building in to the Champions Pavilion but now with the addition of the Blue Ribbon, giving the event I believe twice as many people and 30+ more breweries it was amazing. I was, of course, one of the many volunteers working the gates like usual. I love going to festivals more as a volunteer even if it doesn’t give me a lot of time to drink beer, or get all the beers I want to try, it still is the best way to go. For starters, you get to check out everything before anyone is even there!

Anyways, I am rambling; let’s go on with the beer. As breweries got set up I noticed a common theme amongst a lot of breweries, it seemed the big thing was bacon, bacon, bacon. Crown Brewing had a nice Bacon Coffee Stout. Wabash Brewing had their Bacon Face Brown. For a minute there I thought I was actually at Bacon Fest instead of Winterfest (Which btw, was an actual event going on the same day).

I also noticed that I’ve been out of the brew scene for a while cause there were so many newer Indiana breweries that I had no idea about. Basket Case Brewing, Burn ‘Em Brewing, and Wabash Brewing were just a few that were new to me. I didn’t get a chance to find Basket Case, but Burn ‘Em Brewing’s Red Dead ReVelvet was a nice red stout (I didn’t even know you could have a red stout). If only I had a Red Velvet Elvis Flying Cupcake at the same time, I probably would’ve been on cloud 9.

Before I get into some of my other favorites – I need to give a bow to Bare Hands Brewing Co. I believe they had a least 20+ beers.. at least it seems like it was that much. They delivered variety, great flavors and hands down the experience that I so love at a festival. They got me hooked with their PB Stout three Winterfests ago, and I love that they keep it coming. I loved the Coconut Chocolate Mail Order Bride RIS.

What else got me going at Winterfest? –
Here is just a quick list of a few that I remember. (So many beers, so little memory)
• TinMan Brewing – Apricot Sour
• Upland Brewing – Barrel Aged Vanilla Porter
• Upland Brewing – Sweet Myrtle
• Black Acre – Beard Tax RIS

• Destihl Brewing – Here Gose Nothing
• Flat 12 Bierwerks – Hinchtown Hammer Ale with Black Currant
• Wabash Brewing – Smash Cherry
• FBI’s - Saison
• Zwanzigs – Ghost Pepper RIS (ok, that was a cheat cause I’ve loved that one and track it down every festival)
Big thanks to the guild, the brewers, and my fellow volunteers. It was an awesome event and can’t wait until the summer.

Andrew Korty is our featured guest blogger who is a BJCP National judge whose homebrew has won awards at the regional and national levels.

Winterfest stands apart from other beer festivals in the region, partly because is it so well organized, but mostly due to the diverse selection of beers. Breweries know that Winterfest attendees, rather than perfunctorily seeking anything with “IPA” in the name, favor the unique, the interesting, and the beer-geeky. Still, beers at this festival don’t make it on quirkiness alone. Quality is a requirement.

Straight away, Shoreline treated us to a wonderfully complex, twelve-year-old barleywine whose nutty, sherry-like tones were the perfect antidote to the blustery cold outside. On the crisper side, their Bavarian Bombshell schwarzbier offered a clean Pilsner malt base with just a hint of dark malt.

Apparently aiming for full-on zany, Evil Czech delivered an expertly balanced rye IPA with kale, jalapeño, and citrus zest, a combination I couldn’t have conjured up without several twirls of the culinary spinning wheel. They were also tipping cans of their General George Patton Pilsner, which brims with Czech hop character over a crackery malt canvas.

Function had a solid lineup, including Kinetic, whose chili pepper aroma and flavor blend harmoniously with the malt and won’t scorch your palate. Their sessionable bitter was pleasantly British, evoking the expected hop, malt, and yeast notes. And over in the firkin tent was their milk stout, accompanied by just enough java to compliment but not overpower the malt flavors.

The Dude from Crown Brewing is a porter brewed with a White Russian flavored coffee that really ties the whole beer together, man. I wish my special lady would have been there to enjoy it. I chased it with the deliciously bacony Hatchetation smoked strong stout.

Venerable Upland continues to pleasantly surprise, this time with their Side Trail, a skillful blend of a roasty stout and a currant-infused Belgian ale. I also tasted their latest Blueberry Lambic, whose fruity, lactic backbone is sharpened up with just the right amount of acetic sourness.

Grand Junction has been wasting no time building a new, hard-hitting lineup. Their Dark Road Porter is the best of the bunch and, to my taste, the best American-style porter in the region.

The most impressive beer of the night was Daredevil’s JWP stout aged in a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel. I tend to be pretty harsh on this style, as the booziness in most examples masks the complexity of the base beer. Not in this case—Daredevil clearly allowed only a passing acquaintance between bourbon and beer, allowing the nuances of the stout to play off the whiskey notes delightfully.

Every Winterfest I shed a tear for the breweries I missed, usually due to line length or poor planning on my part. This year was no exception, and I returned home without a taste of the offerings from 18th Street, MashCraft, and several other of my favorite breweries. I console myself by reflecting on the highlights above, a list that seems to get longer every year.


Greg Kitz Adds
One of the best and most unusual beers for me was was from Bare Hands Brewery of Mishawaka, IN: Mole Mail Order Bride - a Russian Imperial Stout with deep dark malt that was aged on Mexican cinnamon with cocoa nibs and multiple Mexican style peppers. Bare Hands is well known for its Thai PA (IPA with Thai ). It also became well known in 2014 for the serious injury owner/brewer Chris Gerard suffered in the brewery. We are very glad to see Chris doing well and working hard again.

With a focus on newer breweries, I finally caught up with Drew Fox who opened 18th Street Brewery in Gary in 2013. The 18th Street Vanilla Hunter is the sweet stout plus Mexican vanilla beans and really delivers the wonderful base of the stout and just enough great vanilla without overpowering. Drew's concept, partly conceived when living on 18th Street in the Pilsen area of Chicago, is to brew a variety of beers. While Hunter Sweet Stout is close to a flagship beer, Drew has been bringing out varieties of Hunter from Vanilla Hunter, to Cherry Hunter, to Coconut Hunter. BBL aged Hunter will be out in April 2015.

Taxman Brewing of Bargersville has been brewing in house since November, 2014, and Taxman Tax Holiday delivers an amber ale close to their quad with notes of molasses and nice spice. Their Winter Wit was a very nice lemon forward version.

Mashcraft, Greenwood, featured a very special Mashcraft Ancho Annie pepper infused Amber. This provided tremendous flavor with a slight burn. No hops.

Four Fathers Brewing of Valparaiso had a Fathers Beer, Belgian Pale (5.3%) that was very nice. Their collaboration with Burn 'Em Brewing is Smoke That Shizz, and it is a complex Imperial Smoked Blonde Ale fermented with Honey. Really unique.

Burn 'Em Brewing opened in Michigan City in Feb. 2013, and their Long John's On winter warmer really delivered a lot of flavor and warmth. Their Fallen Swine Smoked Pork Chop porter seemed to be a popular beer attendees were talking about.

The Devils Trumpet Brewing Company of Merrillville, offered me Pandemonium in Purgatory Belgian Style Tripel (9.6%) that had nice flavor.

Trying to visit breweries I do not normally get to I found:

New Boswell Brewing (Richmond) not only offered a deep roasty Skye Island Stout with coffee, but a thirst quenching Root beer balancing sarsparilla, sassafras, vanilla and spices.

Basket Case Brewing operates within the Mill House Restaurant gave me Sgt. Pepper blond with scorpion peppers that had a great level of spice.


Chapmans Brewing of Angola, had RIOS, aptly named as Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout coming in at 9.5% alc but very smooth and creamy while being dark and delivering that deep dark malt flavor.

Zwanzigz of Columbus brewer Mike Rybinski had promised me a few weeks ago he'd have some 'good stuff.' As always Mike delivers. Mike is already on the radar screen for the ghost chilli stout which we sampled before he brought to Winterfest about 3 years ago. In addition, this year Nullius in Verba (See for yourself in Latin) used 13 types of grain, 3 types of sugar, and multiple hops is a barleywine that defies explanation other than complexity of spices with so many dimensions of fruitiness, nuttiness, and just deliciousness. The barrel aged version did all of that with the vanilla and oak added.

And of course there are some of our brewer friends that just knock flavor to the next county:

Daredevil (Shelbyville but soon to be Speedway) had hinted we'd get BBL aged Muse, and since I am hooked up with a major consumer of Muse we had to get our sample of this wonderful golden ale that adds the depth of the oak. I just had to get a sip of Daredevil JWP while stopping - the rich complex stout.

Upland served me the Barrel Chested Barleywine adding the caramel, toffee, dark fruit flavor of the base beer with toasted oak vanilla from the barrel. Head Brewer Caleb also poured us some Dragonfruit sour - a highly carbonated, nicely tart beer that delivered citrus and green pepper and was almost like a delicious bubbly wine.

Sun King Indy had Hot Rod Lincoln, the Barrel Aged Timmie imperial stout with cherries and chocolate.

Flat 12 used a music and art theme while experimenting with their top notch Pogues Run Porter with different yeasts. At first I was enthralled with the Belgian yeast version but the Indiana wild yeast provided such an interesting tartness to the porter to sway me.

Bloomington Brewing hooked me back with Ol Floyd's Belgian Dark Strong delivering fig, plu, some spice while smooth for a 9% beer featuring a unique yeast blend this year.

I want to give a shout out to three out-of-state breweries. Against The Grain Louisville has built from a small takeover in the L'ville Cardinals stadium, to serving nearly 20 countries in Europe, major metro areas in the U.S. and all with fun, sometimes funky, often BBL aged beers that we can love. Look for our brewer/owner buddy Sam to be featured on Brew Dogs TV in April. Sam Cruz is originally from and still lives in Indiana.
Rhinegiest Cincinnati has Indiana roots in brewer/owner buddy Jim Matt who was QA at SunKing and moved around before settling in to one of the breweries that my craft beer friends always talk about in the Ohio Valley.
Country Boy Lexington (KY) brought their beer to IN way before there was any hope of distribution here just because they are great guys and they want to share the beer love. Brewer/owner Evan Coppage was on hand at Winterfest and chatting it up with our man Josh H who will have a new brewery open in 2015, just because brewers tend to stick together and share. CB partner DG was MIA and I mention not only because they brew great beer but because they are extremely nice people - who, by the way, can host one helluva party as I can well attest.

All three of these breweries (and many more) are part of the wonderful family of local craft brewers who love beer, love the people and are most anxious to just share.

Winterfest is a wonderful event -- we only wish it somehow could be held on at least 3 consecutive days because it is impossible to try everything we want, or to just settle in and drink a couple of our favorites that we cannot get often. To all of our brewery friends who we talked with, took pictures of, shared stories with - THANKS for being part of one of the best and most open enterprises as a heart of America. We can't write about all of the wonderful people and post all 100+ pics we have of this year's Indy Winterfest. But Brewers of Indiana Guild, and all of the volunteers, police agencies, and many involved should feel very, very good about this year's event! Thanks to all, and we will see many of you soon.

This year's venue seemed to provide more restrooms, more space, and a really fun atmosphere!

Remember, there are MORE festivals coming up! Now that Winterfest is behind us, here was our post of what is coming just in the next weeks, and some beyond.

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

Winterfest '14, Brewers of Indiana Guild, Feb. 1.... some beer highlights

Winterfest for the Indiana Brewers Guild is just around the corner (Feb. 1, Champions Pavilion, Indiana State Fairgrounds -- see below for HOTEL info) and we’ve been asking brewers and reps what they will be sharing. Here are some of the answers:

Head Brewer Rob of Flat12 Bierwerks, Indy, got his brewing staff into a Mexican theme to bring at least 16 different beers with a Mexican concept. Earlier this month Rob showed me his “Whorechata” (a take-off of Mexican rice milk called “Horchata”) fermenting away with rice, almond flour, lactose, vanilla, and cinnamon. He had already shared they would be bringing last Summer’s French Saison aged 6 months in Anejo tequila barrels (8%). Here are a few of the other Flat12 offerings:
Centeno Grande Imperial Rye spin of Pogue’s Run Porter with Mexican Pilocillo sugar (8%) and a version with toasted coconut and cocoa nibs. Pedro Gordo Replicale Owd Gordo old ale infused with Ancho and Guajillo chilis. (9.8%). Tepachedor IPA, a tropical IPA with coconut and pineapple.

And for the more traditional drinker there is BIG Owd Gordo, which Rob gave me a taste of earlier this month. A smooth and spicy old ale aged in top-shelf Blanton’s bourbon barrels (10.5%) . And for hop heads the 1024 Winter Replicale becomes Massive Retaliation American stout with Galena, Calypso, & Chinook then dry-hopped with Simcoe and Citra. Rob was keeping this a secret when we connected 2 weeks ago but today they published the list click here to read the list

We know Black Acre Brewing, Indianapolis, will also have a theme but they are keeping it under wraps for now!

Bloomington Brewing Co. brings eleven beers including their delicious Winter Ale, the recent Ol’ Floyd’s Belgian Dark Strong with complexity and a raisin sweetness, the smooth and balanced with spiciness Rye Barrel Roggenbier collaboration with Black Acre, a Bourbon Stout which is also smooth with wonderful vanilla notes, Krampus Dark Strong Ale which has local hop lovers talking with a piney hop scent and citrus notes ending in a smooth finish, a Bourbon Replicale ’13, plus regular pours: Ruby Bloom, Quarrymen Pale, award winning Rooftop IPA, Java Porter, and RyePA.

Upland offers at least 10 beers including two new ones and some special pours of sours. Coast Buster Imperial IPA is part of the new Upland Side Trail Series to be released in February and is obviously a big hoppy beer with Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus and Cascade hops shining through with tropical and fruity flavors and dry finish. This will also be offered in a pin with Citra hops. Their recent tart Berliner Weisse, Wolf Eye, will be poured and truly offers wonderful tartness and lots of flavor. Also new is the Spicy Nuts, a version of NutHugger brown ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove for a really complex flavor. For barrel aged beers Upland will tap the BBL Teddy Bear Kisses Russian Imperial stout which I love on the barrel and a Bourbon Barrel warmer. In addition they will pour Dragonfly, Wheat, Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA, and Champagne Velvet.

Daredevil will build on its portfolio as last year they were new enough just to pour Lift Off IPA while this year we expect Rip Cord Double IPA in a cask as well as regular, Muse Belgian Golden, Carnival Saison, and JWP American Stout – a rich, delightful just-short-of chewy chocolate pudding kind of a stout.

Carson’s of Evansville has opened since last year and should bring their flagship Brown Cow, biscuit nutty brown ale, their Eville (get it) American wheat, RIPA Red IPA with Pacific Northwest hop flavors, and they just tapped a Saint Carson’s “Tripel Quad” (brewed with barley, wheat, oats, and rye with candy sugar added for 11.5%) which was bubbling when I visited them recently so hope it makes it to Winterfest!

At Figure 8 Brewing, Valpo, brewer Mike Lahti will be doing the first ever release of Intergalactic IPA with Galaxy and Mosaic hops. In addition, he promises to bring Dogma Dubbel which mixes German with Belgian styles, which will pour with Snake Pro Double IPA and Pirates Pils (Czech and German hops). Figure 8 will also pour Raven Tor Oatmeal stout carrying a blend of six grains, and Ro Shampo Imperial Red – one Lahti’s known for at 89 IBU and 7.5%. In addition, he’ll have a pin of Black Corridor Choc Imperial Stout.

Zwanzigz of Columbus, IN, will, of course, pour the Ghost Pepper Imperial Stout that made its debut at Winterfest ’13, along with their flagship Chocolate and Blueberry beers. In addition, brewer Mike has Barrel aged some of the chocolate beer so expect a treat, and remember this chocolate ale is a translucent ale, not a stout. In addition, Mike made a German style Eisbock from a lager. Zwanzigz will also bring a barrel aged old ale replicale for the specialty tent.

Bell’s will have some specialty beers this year! Bells will pour Wheat Love, a 7.7% wheat wine which has not been seen since 2005. Those who have tasted this report it is somewhat akin to a German Weizen but clearly ‘bigger.’ Bell’s will also offer Smitten golden rye a newer seasonal take on an American Pale ale, Hopslam, and Harvest Ale, and we hope some Expedition Stout makes it to counteract the cold weather.

Over 80 breweries + distributor World Class Beer's Malt Shop of unusual beers will make this an event to remember. A host of new breweries include Indianapolis' Planetary and Outliers.

Here is the complete Brewery List

Winterfest is sold out online, but some tickets may be available at Big Red Liquor stores or by trade using twitter #winterfest

Early birds will get in at 2:00 and general public at 3:00. The event runs until 7PM

Beer Fans, there are still hotel rooms available at Sheraton City Centre, official Winterfest hotel. Stay where the brewers stay! Great discount and located in the heart of Indy. Here's your reservation link: Click here for reservations Click RESERVE for your BIG rate.


Cheers and hope to see you there!

GregKitz

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

IndianaBeer Best of 2013

Welcome to the first (annual?) edition of IndianaBeer’s staff picks of our favorite, and least favorite, things in the past year of craft beer! Sure…..we’re a little late to this party, but trying to come up with an authoritative list like this is challenging because we don’t individually visit every Indiana brewery, try every beer on the market, or attend every event. We’d love to make that sacrifice for you, but our resulting condition would become a pretty big drain on your tax dollars. Still, we do make our rounds in the craft beer world, and 2013 produced some wonderful memories and standout beers, events, and trends that deserve a mention here.

Our sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who visited our site in 2013. We’re looking forward to a great 2014 and making plans for some exciting new content and events. Cheers!

From Greg…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: RAM St. Olaf Barrel Aged Bock

This deep bock beer delivered excellently the flavors of the bock beer with rich, malt sweetness with a finish that still lingers slightly sweet accentuated by light hop bittering. Yet, this beer, to become a Saint, spent 9 months aging in a Harrison Hill (Indiana produced) bourbon barrel! This provided the vanilla notes with the flavor of the bourbon! Perhaps my choice is influenced by my affinity for bourbon barrel aged beer, perhaps because it is Indiana+Indiana, and perhaps because it was a ‘swan song’ beer for both Andrew Castner and Chris Knott as I knew at that tasting that both were leaving the RAM. However, I truly believe, after tasting hundreds of Indiana beers this year that this one shines on flavor alone and stands proudly as my choice for a local favorite in 2013.

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers

With so many great beers I usually refuse to name a ‘best’ or ‘favorite.’ Yet, I have one! Well, two. Three Philosophers is a Belgian-style quadruple from Brewery Ommegang, (Cooperstown, NY) that is enhanced with 2%, yep just 2%, Kriek from Liefman’s of Belgium. Ommegang is part of Duvel Moortgat of Belgium providing wonderful opportunities for even more enhancement of the Belgian style beers. Three Philosophers is a limited release strong dark ale (9.8%) with notes of dark roast, raisins, dark sugars, and when fresh the cherry/kriek comes shining through. Background has banana esters with solid malt sweetness from 5 malts with a deep fruit characteristic going from raisins to molasses to a hint of chocolate, and the background of Spalt Select and Styrian Golden hops. This is a wonderful sipping beer. The brewery suggests it is a beer for contemplation. It is also a beer that can be aged although I drank some fresh on tap and then compared that to a bottle of the 2011 release which I found interesting but delivered more dark fruit with the cherry completely hidden, or just gone. Yet, I would be happy to contemplate on this beer many times and I look forward to next year’s release!

Best Beer Event: Bloomington Craft Beer Week and Festival

Sure there were many great events and some had more offerings, but even so how many beers can I conscionably taste in a few hours? While the Bloomington Festival is my ‘local’ so you may be crying ‘foul’ my defense and designation is based on three factors: 1) the venue, 2) the full week of local events including a brewers panel, and 3) the organization that included our own Nathan Compton heading up a giant recycle environmental effort! Most Indiana breweries and many out-of-state and national breweries made it to Bloomington where fresh air freely circulated through the quaint cover of the historic quarry building, which also makes this event a multi-level and architecturally interesting venue! Participation of attendees was fabulous with never a crushing crowd and usually an opportunity to chat with brewers. This is a perfect Spring event where the weather cooperated fully in 2013, parking if plentiful, and the only possible drawback might be the need for a few more restrooms and bus service. The concept of a week with local beer on tap all over Bloomington, special tappings with Indiana Breweries and their brewers, and a panel with brewers from Central Indiana which was very well attended, quite informative, and perhaps even raised a slight controversy or two without contention. The capstone for me to name this the best was our man Nathan working his @ss off before, during, and after the event to make sure this provided the lowest environmental impact possible.

Best Craft Beer Trend: Increasing Number of Local Beer Taps

While many chain restaurants are hanging on to 3 taps of Light, many have at least a few taps of fresh local beer. The trend of some bars not to even carry national beers gives us reason to cheer! This year shows even bigger declines for former big national yellow fizzy beers and increased growth of craft – and much of that is driven by the local restaurants and bars that are giving many customers what they are asking for which is good, fresh, interesting and flavorful craft beer!

Worst Beer Event: Dark Lord Day

Well it is not fair to rip on an event that I don’t attend, is it? And I am certain others enjoy this event making it worthwhile. But the concept of a beer being so rare that one must go on one day, get a ticket and realize that in the early days there might be a possibility you did not achieve your goal of coming back with the beer made Dark Lord Day a non-starter for me. Yes, I realize the rules changed and you should get 3-4 bottles as long as you stand in line but even last year 3F suggested if you were not Group A you might not get Vanilla. YES, I know it is mostly about sharing rare beers. Yes, I know Three Floyds has made great efforts at customer service. Yes, I believe the Floyd family are wonderful folks with a great brewery and I like their beer. So… this is not really a bad event. But it is an event that I’ve not been able to justify what, for me, would be the outlay of a few hundred dollars for two nights in a local hotel, food, beverage, tickets, beer to share, etc. So… at the bottom of my choices.

 

From Jake…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Daredevil Brewing Lift Off IPA

In my opinion Lift Off IPA from the guys in Shelbyville has been one of the best and most consistent beers out of Indiana this year. Releasing the 4-pack of cans at an extremely competitive price only solidified them as the best beer available in Indiana.

Honorable Mentions

Upland Wolf Eye: Wolf Eye is a slightly tart berliner weiss style beer recently released by Upland. It is pretty well available around Indy, and is one of the few beers I'll order multiple, berliner weiss is probably my favorite style.

Sun King Pappy Fog: This special release of Velvet Fog was aged in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels. I was able to try it at the VIP tent at Microbrewers Festival in Broadripple, and it was easily the best beer available at the festival.

McClure’s Orchard Jalapeno Cider: McClure's Orchard has really broadened my view of how interesting ciders can be. Usually coming in between 6-7% ABV this spicy cider inspired me to make a few batches of my own Jalapeño Cider using apple cider from McClure's. I've only ever found their bottles at Kahn's Fine Wine and Spirits and at the orchard in Peru itself (which by the way sells cider and a multitude of other apple products even when they are out of season.) Parts of the orchard shut down between Christmas and April, but I believe the restaurant/tasting bar is still open during the winter months.

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

I'm generally a big supporter of using proper glassware, that is never frozen, especially with hoppy beers, but there is just something about sipping this easy drinking flavorful pale ale out of the can it comes in. I'm loving having this and Oskar's Imperial Stout, Ten Fidy, regularly available thanks to Oskar Blues joining the growing list of great breweries distributing in Indiana.

Honorable Mentions

Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine: Coffee BCS is a very close second only missing out to Barleywine because the Barleywine is brand new this year! The whole line up this year was spectacular including the Backyard Rye which is relatively hard to find in Indiana.

Local Option Morning Wood: While I love the Morning Wood, an oak aged coffee amber, really all of Local Option's beers have impressed me. Based in Chicago, IL but brewed on contract in Maryland and Michigan, the original location is a "Beer-cade". A "Beer-cade", for those of you who don't know, is a glorious place that blends an awesome craft beer draft and bottle list with an arcade. Sometimes the games are free. Why Indy doesn't have a Beer-cade is beyond me, but I fully support anyone who wants to give it a go.

Best Brewery: Daredevil Brewing (Shelbyville)

Daredevil's first year was an outstanding success in my opinion. While the number of different beers they released this year may have been low compared to other breweries, all of them were outstanding. In addition to the social media presence, the overwhelming detail put into letting their customers know where to find their beer was done extremely well. I'm also very much looking forward to the Rare Devil series from these guys.

Honorable Mentions

Three Floyds Brewing Co: Always. Great.

Sun King Brewing Co: The brewery that really started everything happening in Indy right now is still simply put one of the best breweries in the state. They have a few beers that miss the mark every once in a while, but overall they are absolutely one of the best breweries in the state and no one can argue that.

Best Brewpub: Twenty Tap (Indianapolis)

Twenty Tap just fits into this category because Kevin Matalucci finally started brewing in the basement a month or two ago. Between the seasonal menu, the 38 craft beers on tap, and the outstanding bottle selection no beer bar or brewpub comes close in my opinion. Chef Rob Coate, who is also in charge of the beer list, does an outstanding job here. Living so close makes it easy to get to Twenty Tap anywhere between 2-6 times a week for me. You'd think with all those visits the beer list would get repetitive, and how wrong you'd be. I have never looked at the incredible 38 beer draft list and have tried all 38. If you like trying new things get to Twenty Tap, and try the outstanding food too!  I'm probably headed there right now.

Honorable Mentions

Black Acre Brewpub: This little brewpub on the east side of Indy offers another spectacular menu by Chef Mike Dike. I especially like the brunch served on Sundays from 11-3. After a rocky start in 2012 the brewers have really picked up their game and have an average of 10-12 of their own brews on at any given time. This place is absolutely worth the trip.

Broad Ripple Brewpub: With a change of head brewer comes a fresh look at the classic English brewpub in Indianapolis. The former Oaken Barrel brewer who has taken over is starting to stamp his own style on a few of the beers at the brewpub. When you make it in, I suggest trying the Dark Hero, a strongly flavored coffee oatmeal stout that I thoroughly enjoy.

Best Beer Event: Upland Sour Wild Funk Fest

In the second year of this festival, the people at Upland improved on what was already my favorite festival of the year. This year having the pairings of fruits and cheeses at the pouring tables and the inclusion of the VIP presentation by Caleb only made it better. To say I'm excited to see what they do in 2014 is an understatement, especially now that I live walking distance from the festival.

Honorable Mentions

Brewers of Indiana Guild Microbrewers Festival: Perhaps the VIP experience wasn't quite as thought out as it could have been, but all in all I enjoyed the Microbrewers Festival this year, as I do every year. With some tweaks and maybe a slight price drop the VIP experience will be worth it and I know the good people at the Brewers Guild are doing everything they can to make the 2014's Microbrewers Festival even better.

Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup: This was my first time participating in any fashion at the Brewer's Cup. I judged 3 flights and a mini-best of show and I had a great time. The quality of the beer was outstanding; even though I did try the worst beer I've ever tasted, which was disqualified. All the stewards were great and the whole list of volunteers who helped out did an superb job. If you are involved with craft beer in any way in the state of Indiana you should be volunteering at the Brewer's Cup; it's really a great time.

Best Craft Beer Trend: Canning

The push towards craft brewers canning instead of bottling is something I fully support. Some local Indy area brewers are even taking advantage of a business who has a mobile canning line to can their beer for distribution. Cans are simply a superior vessel and craft beer drinkers in Indiana are already used to cans, thanks to Sun King, making the introduction of cans from Daredevil, Oskar Blues, Flat 12 and others easier. I am ready to see some more specialty and dark beers from the local breweries going into cans. We all love IPAs but its time to see some stouts and weird/funky brews in cans on shelves.

Honorable Mention

Actually Opening: I'm looking at you Outliers! Seriously though, with approximately 70 operating brewers permits in the state we are looking to add another 35 or so in 2014. Realistically we could see 100 operating breweries in Indiana by the end of 2014. CHEERS TO 100!!!

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Craft Beer Hipsters

If you hate people who drink craft beer, and hate people who buy rare/specialty beers but still go to festivals and drive long distances to get rare/specialty beers you might be a hipster. These people can be a bit annoying, but generally they aren't hurting anyone so who cares.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Session Beers: I had quite a few discussions with people about session beers back in the spring/summer. Oddly enough nobody is talking about session beers when its 10 degrees outside. I'm guessing when March rolls around they'll be back. Drink them if you like them, but I'll stick to interesting and flavorful beers, more often than not that means beers above 5% ABV.

Stubborn Beer Managers: I’m lucky to live in Indy, very close to Twenty Tap, however a lot of bars around Indy, especially the suburbs, and other areas of Indiana are slow to accept craft beer. Recently Clay, President of the Brewer's Guild, said that 60% of craft beer sold in Indiana is sold within Indianapolis. If all the new breweries are going to make it they are going to need to start converting taps in areas other than Broadripple and Mass Ave. Craft beer needs to break out of its comfort zone and challenge what people are drinking at chains restaurants and bars. This is going to take support from all 3 tiers, especially distributors, to get this done.

 

From Jason C…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Three Floyds Zombie Dust

I know, I know…this would probably be near the top of the list for a good number of people. I’ve always maintained that I’m a craft beer geek for the common person so here is my boring, mainstream selection. Look, I’m still a hop-head at heart, I dig the Citra hops, and it’s friggin’ delicious so it’s my #1 choice.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Thai.p.a., Iechyd Da Gumption Double Amber, New Albanian Mt. Lee California Common, People’s Notorious BIP, and anything that Crown Brewing does with their java porter (especially the Coconut Java Porter)

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Founders KBS

I realize that this is a tough beer to get your hands on but once you do, I promise you, your taste buds will jump back and wanna kiss themselves. This bourbon barrel stout comes in at 11.2% but somehow manages to just melt over your tongue with smooth coffee, bourbon, & chocolate flavors. When I get one I tend to hug it and pet it and squeeze it and call it George.

Honorable Mentions

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Bell’s Two Hearted (oldie but goodie), Founder’s Backwoods Bastard, Green Flash Hop Head Red, Southern Tier Pumking, Stone Ruination

Best Brewery: Three Floyds (Munster)

I had to re-write this once I knew that this was also Nathan’s selection since he pretty much said it all. With Zombie Dust on the top of my list plus the murderer’s row of ridiculously great beers, Three Floyds is still the undisputed heavyweight champ of Indiana breweries.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery, Crown Brewing, Flat 12 Brewing, Iechyd Da Brewing, ZwanzigZ Brewing

Best Brewpub: Iechyd Da (Elkhart)

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why my vote for best brewpub goes to Iechyd Da. My one and only visit (in case you missed the review click here) occurred shortly after they opened for business on a Sunday so the patrons were fairly sparse. However, something about the overall ambience of the place just struck me as welcoming and comfortable. The food menu consisted of artisanal pizzas and sandwiches along with a handful of nice munchies. Then, of course, there are the beers. I’ve already sung my praises with mentions in the best Indiana beer and best Indiana brewery categories. Put it all together and I’d strongly suggest making Elkhart a destination for your next brewery visit.

Honorable Mentions

Lafayette Brewing Company, Shoreline Brewing

Best Beer Event: Winter Warmer @ the Lafayette Brewing Company

I set a new personal record, eight, for festivals in 2013 but my choice for best event was the easiest decision I had among all of the categories. There are many reasons that this long-running strong ale and barleywine event sold out just 40 minutes after ticket sales opened to the general public. First is because there are more high-octane brews in a relatively small area than what should be allowed by law. Next is that it’s held in the cozy confines of the LBC’s second floor venue with an occupancy limit of about 300 (and that includes the brewery representatives). Oh and what’s this? Some fantastic BBQ, plenty of tables and seating, tons of great raffle prizes, big hitting homebrews from the Tippecanoe Homebrewers Circle, and some pretty fantastic people. Huge beer festivals are overrated!

Honorable Mentions

Bloomington’s Craft Beer Festival (nice for a big event), Lafayette’s Beers Across the Wabash

Best Craft Beer Trend: Cans

So sure, once opened I will most likely pour my beer into a glass or cup so why should it's vessel matter? I suppose I just like the added convenience that a lighter weight, less breakable beverage container has to offer. As long as I can get the same great flavor out of a can then sign me up! Added bonus, it’ll help me get past those pesky yellow shirts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every May.

Honorable Mention

New breweries opening up everywhere!

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Food Pairing

Fairly certain that I'm in the minority on this one and I'd surmise that beer and food pairing is really just starting to gain momentum. That said, my approach is simple. I’m drinking the beer I’m drinking because it has the flavor and characteristics that I want to experience in that particular beer. I’m eating the food that I’m eating because it has the flavor and characteristics that I want to experience for that particular meal. I really just don’t give a rip if a particular beer style would complement or enhance the flavor of blah blah blah…  If I wanted to worry about this sort of crap I’d be drinking wine.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Fake mustaches @ beer festivals, sours

From Kathleen…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Zwanzigz Ghost Pepper Infused Imperial Stout

This beer I’ve tracked to every festival since first trying it on Winterfest 2013. I think it is amazing. It first hits you with the malt and chocolate tones and then the burn creeps up in the back of your throat. It isn’t over powering, but it is just damn good.

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery - Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout, Black Swan Brew Pub– Sour Cherry, Brugge Brasserie – Getting’ Figgy with it Porter

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager

This was a new one for me this year. I first found Lakefront up in Chicago during Labor Day weekend and was excited to see the Wisconsin brewery had distributed down here Indiana as well. (I’m looking at your New Glarus, it can be done!) I love the spiciness, the warm flavor, the consistency of ever sip. I love that this beer is good cold, but gets better and better as it warms in your hand. A true winter warmer.

Honorable Mentions

Southern Tier – Crème Brulee, Founders Brewing – Rubeaus

Best Brewery: Bier Brewery

I have to give it to my neighborhood brewery. That little nanobrewery is kicking it up more and more and still makes excellent quality beer. I also like that after three years they are still keeping it going with a new mix up every week with some “classics” and some amazing seasonals. Plus Jerry, Corbin, Darren and all the rest are great people.

Honorable Mentions

Zwanzigz, Cutters Brewing, Iechyd Da

Best Brewpub: Black Swan Brewpub

If I didn’t live all the way over on the northeast side I’d eat and drink so much at Black Swan I’d be a regular. Their food is always wonderful, fresh, and kept new with changing their menu. The house brews are high quality for a great price. I love their cream stout, maple oat ale, and their sour cherry.

Honorable Mention

Zwanzigz

Best Beer Event: Brew Bracket Oktoberfest

The Tomlinson Tap Room is a great place to host Brew Bracket, you get to sit, eat, chat, drink and vote and it benefits a good cause. The only downside to this Brew Bracket is it is only 8 breweries instead of the usual 16.

Honorable Mentions

History on Tap, Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

Best Craft Beer Trend: Holiday Seasonals

I love pumpkin ales, I love Christmas ales. I love that more and more breweries are getting with these seasonals and producing their own little twists or some improving on the basic concept. This year I tasted double digit amounts of both of these beers and it made me extremely happy. I hope this is a continuing trend.

Honorable Mentions

Local Craft Beer on Tap, Local breweries getting into canning / bottling

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Special Release Events

Now, I understand the hype of getting a special released beer, but some events are packed full of people, for an extremely overpriced bottle of beer.

(Dis)Honorable Mention

Recipes with Beer

From Nathan…..

Best Indiana Craft Beer: Bare Hands Brewery Thai.p.a.

First off, I love IPAs. But the craft market has become so saturated with the style, many examples I try these days just kind of run together. So when a brewery does something truly unique with the style, and pulls it off beautifully, it tends to get my attention. Bare Hands Thai.p.a. infuses an IPA base with spices including ginger and lemongrass to pull off a beer that is remarkably flavorful and still well-balanced. Cheers to one of the best up-and-coming breweries in the state for breathing new life into one of my favorite styles.

Honorable Mentions

Barley Island Black Mystic Java Stout, Black Swan French Country Ale, Flat 12 Walkabout Pale, Sun King Grapefruit Jungle, Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Best non-Indiana Craft Beer: North Coast Old Rasputin

This pick was unavoidable following our group tasting of Russian Imperial Stouts. North Coast’s Old Rasputin is Exhibit 1a on the trappings of taking a wonderful beer for granted in the quest to try new beers in a growing craft market (Bell’s Two Hearted might be 1b…but I digress). Filled with complex flavor while maintaining an easy drinkability, Old Rasputin also offers a value that is difficult to beat. In an era of increasingly overpriced specialty beers, it’s nice to see the best Russian Imperial Stout on the market still available for a reasonable price.

Honorable Mentions

Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale, Green Flash West Coast IPA (when reasonably fresh, check the bottling date before laying down your cash!), Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont, Troegs Nugget Nectar, Two Brothers Domaine DuPage

Best Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing (Munster)

Hype and trends provoke different reactions from different people, and they tend to elicit a negative knee-jerk type of backlash from me. But as much as I’m inclined to slot another brewery here, you have to set that aside and consider the full body of work: Alpha King, Gumballhead, Zombie Dust, Arctic Panzer Wolf, Alpha Klaus, Broo Doo, Moloko, etc, etc. I can’t objectively say that any other brewery can top that lineup. Do their beers always live up to the hype? Nope. Are they still the biggest bad ass on the block? Absolutely.

On a side note…….I may live in Indianapolis, but it seems northern Indiana is giving our scene a pretty good run for its money these days. What gives? The Michigan influence?

Honorable Mentions

Bare Hands Brewery, Bier Brewery, Crown Brewing, Iechyd Da Brewing Company, Oaken Barrel Brewing

Best Brewpub: Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery (Kokomo)

While I can’t say enough about the exceptional beer quality at Rock Bottom College Park, Half Moon gets the nod here for overall experience. The Kokomo brewpub combines a high quality and diverse selection of beers with tasty smokehouse barbeque and a wide range of additional brewpub fare. And their beer sampler is done right: a solid sample of every beer on tap. Half Moon seems a bit underrated outside of Kokomo, but the packed house we’ve encountered on some visits suggests the locals recognize this gem in their backyard. Skip the bypass on your next trip through Kokomo, and treat yourself to a Half Moon visit instead!

Honorable Mentions

Black Swan Brewpub, Figure 8 Brewing, Rock Bottom College Park (Indy), Rock Bottom Downtown (Indy), Zwanzigz Pizza and Brewing

Best Beer Event: Lafayette Brewing Company Winter Warmer

It’s a rare thing these days to find a beer event that doesn’t grow for the sake of growing, let alone one that has been around since 1995. LBC’s Winter Warmer started that year as a barleywine and strong ale tasting event for their Brew Crew program. While the event quickly grew to include a takeover of LBC’s second floor, additional breweries, and public ticket sales by 2002; it has never ventured beyond the walls of LBC’s downtown facility. While tickets are difficult to obtain these days unless you know a local Mug Club member (thanks Jason!), this unique event more than justifies the $45 ticket price. Consider the ratio of about 250 patrons and 19 participating breweries (an event where you actually can sample beers from every brewery without long lines), the free Beer-B-Que buffet, and free taxi rides home; and you get a uniquely intimate event with great breweries and high gravity beers for a chilly February weekend. An easy call for best event of the year.

Honorable Mention

Brew Bracket Pale Ales

Best Craft Beer Trend: Local Craft Beer at Bars and Restaurants

There were numerous occasions in 2013 where I was pleasantly surprised to find great local craft beer on tap when visiting a bar or restaurant. I’m not talking about businesses who have historically (or even recently) marketed themselves as craft beer destinations, I’m talking about your average establishment around the city that caters to patrons who couldn’t care less what IBU, SRM, Starting Gravity, or Final Gravity mean. It’s great to head out for a family dinner and find offerings from Bier, Daredevil, Flat 12, Fountain Square, Sun King, or Triton available to complement your meal. There is still plenty of room for improvement in this area, but it’s a real sign of progress when the average restaurant understands there is more to a good meal than offering BudMillerCoors for refreshment.

Honorable Mention

Increased Diversity and Availability of Canned Craft Beer

Worst Craft Beer Trend: Barrel Aged Beer Pricing

This is a touchy category because it tends to involve the ugly monetary aspects that have become a byproduct of craft beer’s commercial success. And yes, it’s hard to fault a business for charging whatever somebody out there is willing to pay. But as a consumer, I have to take issue with the pricing trends in barrel aged beers. Barrel aging is a valuable tool in continuing to push the boundaries of flavor in craft beer, and I respect the time and resources required of such an endeavor. But your beer probably didn’t become 5 times better just because you stuck it in a barrel. So forgive me if I pass on the opportunity to pay 5 times as much for the result.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions

Beer Cocktails, Paid memberships just for the right to spend more money on beer (ie. Secret Barrel Programs)

Best Trend I Want to Start in 2014: Combining Craft Beer and Burlesque

Who’s with me???