29 May 2009

Random Beer Roundup - My eyes! My eyes! edition



Yes, the image above looks like crap. Yes, I did it on purpose. Yes, I'm hoping to destroy Mike's eyesight.

For those of you in on the joke, this is hilarious. For those of you who aren't, I'm sorry. But its over now. And the latest in the craft beer world is coming your way.

Remember, if you have anything you want to share with HBG, drop us an email at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Focus people! It's time for Random Beer Roundup!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, May 29th, 4:30-6:30pm at Parti Pak Liquors in Indianapolis:
Free Beer Tasting featuring Boulder, Founders, Mendocino & Two Brothers Brewing Co.

Saturday, May 30th, 9:30am at Brugge Brasserie in Indianapolis:
The end of the English Club Football season is upon us with the most important trophy to be decided this week. And the best place in town to watch is upstairs at Brugge.

FA Cup Final
Saturday, May 30 @ 10:00AM
From Wembley Chelsea v. Everton

A special Steak, Egg, and Frites breakfast will be available for $12.95.
Doors open at 09:30. No reservations.


Wednesday, June 3rd:
Mystery Roundtable Event *SOLD OUT*. Stay tuned to our Twitters for future Mystery Roundtable Events!

Monday, June 1, 5-7p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Berghoff

Wedensday, June 3rd, 5-7pm at Mad Anthony's in Ft. Wayne:
Summer Daze wheat tapping w/ complimentary food

Thursday, June 4th, 6-8pm, at Big Red Liquors in downtown Bloomington:
Free Beer Tasting

Thursday, June 4th, 6pm, at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Indianapolis:
Bottom’s Up Kolsch tapping

Saturday, June 6th, 3-7pm at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
4th Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale, 30 + breweries, 3 craft beer distributors, 2 wine distributors and over 100 different craft and import beers to sample. http://www.kegliquors.com/festofale.htm for more details.

Monday, June 8, 5-7p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Sierra Nevada, featuring Kellerweis, Southern Hemisphere and Summerfest Lager

Saturday, June 13th, 5-10pm at Upland Brewing in Bloomington:
Radfest beer festival, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets are now being sold online here. See details under "What's Brewing" below.

Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:
Summerfest: Live Music, food, bean bag tourney, bounce/jump houses and "some of the best beer money can buy."

Monday, June 22nd at Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
Big Bell's Brewing tapping, a record breaking 30 different Bell's beers on tap at once.

Saturday, June 27th on Mass Ave in Indianapolis:
Indy Brew Ha-Ha

Friday, July 17th at Optimist Park in Indianapolis:
Brewers of Indiana Guild VIP Dinner

Saturday, July 18th at Optimist Park in Indianaplis:
14th Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival

Saturday, August 22nd:
A beer event to be announced soon. Stay tuned!

Saturday, September 12th, from 7-10pm at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend:
Zoo Brew, beer tasting event, tickets on sale August 1, $30 in advance; more info here.

What's Brewing
Price and availability are subject to change

From Jerry at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Indianapolis:
Bottom’s Up Kolsch tapping on Thursday the 4th at 6 pm. It’s slightly malty sweet with a great bone dry finish!

Other beers:
Seasonal Wheat
Hefeweizen
South German Wheat Ale.
Banana aroma, citrus and clove flavors
Hops: Mt. Hood Malts: Canadian Pale, Winter Wheat
ABV. 5.3% O.G. 12°

Hoosier Ma Stout
Milk Stout
sweet and creamy. Udderly delicious!
Hops: Golding Malts: English Pale, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Rolled Oats
ABV. 4.6% O.G. 13.8°

Maibock
Sweet and bready malt flavor with a spicy hop finish. It’s Lagericious!
Hops: German Noble Malts: English Pale, Munich malts
ABV. 7.6% O.G. 16.6°

Naughty Pappy
Strong Scotch Ale
aged 1 year in a 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrel.
Hops: Willamette Malts: English Pale, Crystal, Chocolate
ABV. 9.5% O.G. 20.2°

Schwarzhacker
German Black Lager
Roasty and smooth.
Hops: Mt. Hood Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Carafa
ABV. 5.4% O.G. 12.7°

Cezanne
Saison
Belgian Farmhouse Ale with a tart, refreshing taste and fruity aroma.
Hops: Golding Malts: English Pale, Summer Wheat, Munich
ABV. 6.2% O.G. 14°


At the Bar
Price and availability are subject to change

From Dean at Deano's Vino in Indianapolis:
Nick's Beer Chalkboard:

On Draft at Press Time: Kronenbourg 1664 Lager, Bell's Oberon Summer Wheat, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.

OTHER BOTTLES NOT ON THE BEER LIST:
Harpoon Leviathan
Victory HopDevil
Spaten Dunkel
Pyramid Apricot Ale
Fat Tire Belgium
Three Floyd's Brian Boru
Three Floyd's Gumballhead
Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus

(Don't forget the $3.50 drafts & $13 pitchers every Monday & Thursday!)


Carry Out
Price and availability are subject to change

From Kirk at Mr. G's Liquors in Noblesville:
New this week

Mendocino Summer White Ale $8.99/6pk
Mendocino White Hawk IPA $8.99/6pk
Sergeants American Ale $8.99/6pk
Boulder Flashback Anniversary $10.99/6pk
From Cari at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
New/Back In This Week:
Brooklyn Local 1 & 2
Rochefort 8
Green's Amber, Dubbel and Tripel - Belgian Gluten-Free Beers
BFM Bon Chien Trousseau #5
Stiegl Radler - 50% Austrian Lager, 50% Lemon Soda
Boulder Flashback Anniversary Ale - Brown IPA
Left Hand St. Vrain Tripel - Now in new packaging
Mendocino Summer White Belgian Wit Style
Chang Thai Lager


News, Reviews, and Gossip
From Greg at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:
Boulder Brewing Company is celebrating is 30th Anniversary with a special 30th Annivesary brew!! The Boulder Looking Glass Flashback Anniversary Ale is being released this week and will be in stores and bars around the state before long. The Flashback is a Brown IPA and has the malt backbone of a Brown Ale with the strong hop presence of an IPA. It's already selling like wildfire, so get yours asap.

Left Hand St. Vrain Belgian Style Tripel is being released to select accounts throughout the state. St. Vrain is truly a masterpiece and a wonderful Tripel exhibiting huge depth of flavor and wonderful balance. It's part of Left Hand's Big Mo series and is only released every other year. Make sure to pick up some 2009 St. Vrain at your local supporters of Left Hand Brewing Company!
From Mat at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:
Information about the upcoming Stone's 13th Anniversary Ale.
A quick reminder, we are still looking for volunteers for the Indiana Microbrewers Festival on July 18th. Details here. We have forty-four volunteers so far; we have room for more.

New Albanian Brewing Company's Roger Baylor writes about beer and baseball for LEO Weekly.

From Rick at Pints for Prostates:
Pints for Prostates, a campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health, is expanding its presence in 2009. The grassroots effort will appear at more than 20 events during the year and is increasing its pro bono advertising blitz to reach more people.

“Pints for Prostates is just a year old, but the campaign is starting to gain traction. We’re being contacted by people who want to help out by hosting events, donating ad space and getting involved in other ways,” said Rick Lyke, a 48-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. “The fact is that nearly 4,000 men a week in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these guys is detecting the disease in its early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful. That’s what Pints for Prostates is all about.”

In its first year Pints for Prostates reached approximately 25 million people through a combination of donated advertising, news articles, appearances at beer festivals, and coverage on websites and blogs. The campaign’s goal is generating awareness for PSA testing and regular checkups so that men can detect the illness before it has progressed.

All funds generated by Pints for Prostates benefit the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. Us TOO was founded in 1990 and has a network of more than 300 local chapter support groups that help men dealing with the disease.

So far in 2009, Pints for Prostates has already held two events each in North Carolina and South Carolina, and one event each in California and Illinois. In the coming months the group has confirmed participation in the following events:

June7th: The Great Flanagan’s Beer Festival, Louisville, Kentucky.
June 20th: Green Dragon Bistro Brewpub, 928 SE 9th Ave., Portland, Ore.
June 20th: Rogue Ales Public House, 748 SW Bay Blvd., Newport, Ore.
June 20th: Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene, Ore.
June 20th: Issaquah Brewhouse, 35 W. Sunset Way, Issaquah, Wash.
June 20th: Rogue Ales Public House, 637 Union St., San Francisco, Calif.
June 20th: Hub City Brewing Co., 11352 40th St., Stanley, Iowa
June 21st: Falls Tap Room, 5009 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, N.C.
June 25th: Thirsty Thursday, Visalia Rawhide, Recreation Park, Visalia, Calif.
July 2nd: Rogue Ales Public House, 100 39th St. (Pier 39), Astoria, Ore.
July 23rd-26th: Oregon Brewers Festival, Tom McCall Park, Portland, Ore.
July 24th: Rogue Distillery & Public House, 1339 NW Flanders, Portland, Ore.
Sept. 17th: The Pub at Polaris Fashion Place, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 24th-26th: Great American Beer Festival, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo.
Oct 2nd: World Beer Festival, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.

Additional events are being booked and information will be listed shortly at www.ustoo.org/pints. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

“The growth of Pints for Prostates has been encouraging to watch,” said Thomas Kirk, President and CEO of Us TOO International, which is based in Downers Grove, Ill. “Our mission and program goal is to educate and empower men and their family members so men and their loved ones can take an active role in their health care. We are able to reach a whole new group of men with a critical health message. The more men we reach, the more lives will be saved.”
From Mat at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:
From George at Phoenix Brands about Thomas Hardy Ale:
A rumor about Thomas Hardy's Ale being discontinued is beginning to
spread so we want to set the record straight. O'Hanlon's Brewing Co.
Ltd. has informed us that they will no longer brew Hardy's effective
immediately, even though we had an order pending with them. This is a
breach of our license agreement with them, and consequently we are
terminating that agreement.

We are in the process of interviewing other brewers to brew Hardy's and
Royal Oak Pale Ale but, given the time involved in that process and in
brewing Hardy's, it's quite likely that there will not be a 2009
vintage. And, obviously, no more 2008.

We will update you on the status of both brands at the earliest opportunity.
From Ralph at Hop Union:
Did get a few good links that you can follow to see the hail damage in the hop fields around the Hallertauer. Some were completely destroyed, but others only partial and of course others escaped any damage. Pretty crazy pictures, but this kind of thing happens in the hop world. At this time, I am not very worried about availability, but more news to come. My preliminary report was 4,000 hectares affected with 2,000 destroyed. Have seen hail damage here in Yakima on occasion. Does a pretty good job of making a mess out of what it falls on.

Read more here and here.

28 May 2009

You May Have Noticed... corrected

UPDATE: THE EVENT IS CURRENTLY FULL. IF YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED, PLEASE ASK TO BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST.

If you regularly look at the Hoosier Beer Geek website (we have many RSS and email readers), you may have noticed that there's an event poster that looks like this:


What's that about? It's something new that we're trying - a mystery beer event. And here are a few more details:

Join Hoosier Beer Geek's Knights of the Beer Roundtable and help us review something new on Wednesday, June 3rd from 6-8pm at a mystery location in Broad Ripple. This is an RSVP only event, so if you're interested you've got two ways to let us know.

1) Send an email to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

Or...

2) Send an @message towards the HBG twitter - http://www.twitter.com/hbgeek.

We actually started this campaign yesterday via our twitter and facebook page, and the response has been pretty strong - there are currently about 20 spots left. So if you're interested, don't hesitate! And hopefully we'll see you in Broad Ripple.

UPDATE: THE EVENT IS CURRENTLY FULL. IF YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED, PLEASE ASK TO BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST.

23 May 2009

36 hours in Chicago

You may have noticed that we collaborated with STL Hops and Madison Beer Review to create 36 hour guides for visiting St. Louis, Madison WI, and Indianapolis.

Well, Noah at Draft Magazine and Beer Mapping noticed our work and was inspired to do one of his own: 36 Hours in Chicago.

22 May 2009

Random Beer Round - The Beer Geek's Edge Edition



Welcome to Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start to summer. And what Memorial Day Weekend would be complete without the Indianapolis 500?

Anyone who may have stumbled across Hoosier Beer Geek because they are heading to the race, you need to remember these things: wear plenty of sunscreen, don't bring glass bottles to the race because you can't bring them in, and Indiana laws prohibit carry out sales on Sunday, so stock up on Saturday!

Remember, if you have anything you want to share with HBG for the checkered flag winning RBR, drop us an email at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Ladies and gentlemen, start your Random Beer Roundup!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Saturday, May 23, 1p-3p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Beer tasting, Sam Adams

Monday, May 25, 5-7p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Beer tasting, Great craft beers for the weekend cookouts and parties

Thursday, May 28th, 6-8pm, at Big Red Liquors in downtown Bloomington:
Free Beer Tasting

Wednesday, June 3rd:
A beer event to be announced soon. Stay tuned to our Twitters for details!

Wedensday, June 3rd, 5-7pm at Mad Anthony's in Ft. Wayne:
Summer Daze wheat tapping w/ complimentary food

Saturday, June 6th, 3-7pm at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
4th Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale, 30 + breweries, 3 craft beer distributors, 2 wine distributors and over 100 different craft and import beers to sample. http://www.kegliquors.com/festofale.htm for more details.

Saturday, June 13th, 5-10pm at Upland Brewing in Bloomington:
Radfest beer festival, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets are now being sold online here. See details under "What's Brewing" below.

Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:
Summerfest: Live Music, food, bean bag tourney, bounce/jump houses and "some of the best beer money can buy."

Monday, June 22nd at Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
Big Bell's Brewing tapping, a record breaking 30 different Bell's beers on tap at once.

Saturday, June 27th on Mass Ave in Indianapolis:
Indy Brew Ha-Ha

Friday, July 17th at Optimist Park in Indianapolis:
Brewers of Indiana Guild VIP Dinner

Saturday, July 18th at Optimist Park in Indianaplis:
14th Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival

Saturday, August 22nd:
A beer event to be announced soon. Stay tuned!

Saturday, September 12th, from 7-10pm at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend:
Zoo Brew, beer tasting event, tickets on sale August 1, $30 in advance; more info here.

What's Brewing
Price and availability are subject to change

From Blaine at Mad Anthony Brewing in Elkhart:
Stop by the newest Mad Anthony location in Elkhart IN and check out their newly opened Beer Garden. This is a great spot to enjoy a hand crafted beer while enjoying great atmosphere, sunshine, and great food.
From Adam at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:
The "Cap and Trade that Works" Special = Bring in and refill your Growlers through Memorial Day for only $8 - New Growlers only $12.

On tap:
"Special Force (IPA) - Hopped 7 times this deep gold brew has intense bitterness and a full body flavor.

"Crown Brown Ale" - This ale is malty and sweet on the palette and will prove to be one of our best yet!

"Celtic Pride" - Move over Guinness, this 12 malt Irish Stout is to die for.

"Smokestack Amber Ale" ~ This exceptionally balanced beer offers a perfect combination of malts and hops.
From Scott at Upland Brewing in Bloomington:
An update on Rad Fest: Upland Brewing Co. is hosting their very own beer festival to honor the release of our new everyday brew – Rad Red Amber Ale.

The event is on Saturday June 13th from 5-10 pm. We’ll have over 40 different craft brews – all from more than a dozen Indiana breweries. 50% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

Not only will people be allowed to sample all these local beers, but 7 different Indiana bands will be performing as well!

Upland Rad Fest Tickets are now being sold online HERE.

Update on attending breweries:
Alcatraz, Barley Island, Bloomington Brewing Co., Brugge, Mad Anthony, Shoreline, Sun King, Upland
From Jerry at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Indianapolis:
Seasonal Wheat

Hefeweizen
South German Wheat Ale.
Banana aroma, citrus and clove flavors
Hops: Mt. Hood Malts: Canadian Pale, Winter Wheat
ABV. 5.3% O.G. 12°

Hoosier Ma Stout
Milk Stout
sweet and creamy. Udderly delicious!
Hops: Golding Malts: English Pale, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Rolled Oats
ABV. 4.6% O.G. 13.8°

Maibock
Sweet and bready malt flavor with a spicy hop finish. It’s Lagericious!
Hops: German Noble Malts: English Pale, Munich malts
ABV. 7.6% O.G. 16.6°

Naughty Pappy
Strong Scotch Ale
aged 1 year in a 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrel.
Hops: Willamette Malts: English Pale, Crystal, Chocolate
ABV. 9.5% O.G. 20.2°

Schwarzhacker
German Black Lager
Roasty and smooth.
Hops: Mt. Hood Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Carafa
ABV. 5.4% O.G. 12.7°

Cezanne
Saison
Belgian Farmhouse Ale with a tart, refreshing taste and fruity aroma.
Hops: Golding Malts: English Pale, Summer Wheat, Munich
ABV. 6.2% O.G. 14°
From Tom at Mishawaka Brewing Company in Mishawaka:
Mishawaka Brewing Company has brewed another batch of Loopy Lupilin Imperial IPA with an IBU of 110+ using five different hop varieties. It will be available in kegs in early June and will be bottled in bombers as soon as we can satisfy the TTB with the label. We have now submitted for the 5th time.
From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:
Look for an upcoming version of World Class Beverages' Indiana Craft Beer Sampler to include Lafayette Brewing's Tippecanoe Common Ale. LBC recently dedicated a bottling run to provide WCB with product for their next run of the sampler.

Currently on tap at LBC: Prophet's Rock Pale Ale, East Side Bitter, Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale, Tippecanoe Common Ale, Black Angus Oatmeal Stout, Eighty-Five and Maifest. We're also serving cask-conditioned versions of our Weeping Hog IPA and Digby's Irish Stout.


At the Bar
Price and availability are subject to change

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
We tapped a keg of Shmaltz Brewing "Sword Swallower" A Steel Hop Lager, and it's almost gone....drat!

Stone Brewing Levitation Ale went on tap May 20th.

Founders Double Trouble Dbl IPA is going fast.


Carry Out
Price and availability are subject to change

From Todd at Kegs Liquors in Clarksville:
Update:
# Great Divide Belgica IPA
# He’Brew Rejewvenator
# Corsendonk Gift Sets - Contains a 750ml of Corsendonk Abbey Ale, and a 750ml of Corsendonk Brown Ale, and two Corsendonk glasses.
# Scaldis Refermentee
# De Dolle Dulle Teve - The Mad Bitch is back!
# Brooklyn Local 2
# Fischer Amber
# Harpoon Leviathan Double IPA
# Samuel Smith Organic Strawberry Ale
# Rogue Brewers Ale
From Kirk at Mr. G's Liquors in Noblesville:
New this week

Two Brothers Variety Pack 12nr $18.99
Great Divide Belgica 6nr $11.99
From Cari at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
New/Back In This Week:
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale
Samuel Adams Imperial Wit
Samuel Adams Imperial Stout
Samuel Adams Double Bock
Abita Strawberry Harvest
Harpoon Leviathan Double IPA
Rogue Chipotle Ale
St. Petere's Sorghum Ale
Three Floyds Black Heart English-Style IPA
Victory Helios Belgian-Style Farmhouse Ale
Victory Whirlwind Wit
Victory Hop Wallop
BFM Trosseau #3
Coopers Vintage Strong Ale
From Greg at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:
Mendocino Summer White Ale and Blue Heron Pale Ale are new beers to the Indiana market hitting store shelves this week. Mendocino Summer White is a Belgian style White Ale brewed with spices, very flavorful, clean and perfect for the summer. The Blue Heron is a wonderfully balanced Pale Ale with a nice hop profile and clean finish.

Chang Beer from Thailand is making it's way out to stores and restaurants starting this week. Chang is Thailand's #1 Beer and is a crisp, flavorful beer perfect for Thai food or on its own.

Craft Beer in a Can for the 500!! Make sure to pick up some Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale if you feel like drinking some hops during the race!! You can find it at your local retailers that support craft beer. It's a great Pale Ale and the only hoppy craft beer in a can available in Indiana! It comes in 4pk 16oz cans.


News, Reviews, and Gossip

You may have noticed that we collaborated with STL Hops and Madison Beer Review to create 36 hour guides for visiting St. Louis, Madison WI, and Indianapolis. Well, Noah at Draft Magazine and Beer Mapping noticed our work and was inspired to do one of his own: 36 Hours in Chicago. Who else can we get to do 36 hour guides?

A quick reminder, we are still looking for volunteers for the Indiana Microbrewers Festival on July 18th. Details here. We have forty-four volunteers so far; we have room for more.

Be sure to check out The Potable Curmudgeon for grumblings about the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival.

From Mat at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:
Check out the video of the Keynote address of the Craft Brewers Conference (Go out all the way out to the right and click on the 2009 keynote).

The link above is a bit long (about 40 minutes) but completely worth watching! The 1st 4 min. of the key note is the I am a Craft Brewer clip.

I still consider myself very lucky to witness this keynote address as it happened for the 1st time. The speech truly sums up what craft is or should be all about and is a must view for all serious about craft beer.

36 hours in Indianapolis

Hoosier Beer Geek has been fortunate to establish relationships with people who are just as geeked about craft beer as we are. These other geeks come from both within and outside of Indiana. Two of those non-Hoosier beer geeks are Mike from STLHops and Jeffrey from Madison Beer Review.

The three cities are in relatively close proximity and can easily serve as weekend getaways for the craft beer geek. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and it being one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, it was decided that each of us would write a guide on what to do if you have 36 hours in their city.

Wednesday, we had a guide for 36 hours in St. Louis, MO. Yesterday, we had a guide for 36 hours in Madison, WI. Today, we have a guide for 36 hours in Indianapolis, created by HBG's Mike...


Friday

5 p.m.
Meet the Hoosier Beer Geeks' Favorite Bartender



Deano's Vino, Fountain Square, Indianapolis

Deano's Vino/Naptown Wine Bar has closed.

Dead center in the Fountain Square neighborhood lies Deano's Vino (1112 Shelby St., (317) 423-3154), a bar/restaurant better known to locals as one of the city's more relaxed wine drinking establishments. Don't let that scare you off. Deano's has (just) three taps, all stocking craft beer--usually a Bell's product, something from Crooked Tree, and a wildcard. In addition, there's a craft-heavy bottled beer list that's 30+ deep. Sit at the bar (try to get one of the much more comfortable larger stools - shouldn't be a problem this early) and watch and listen as bartender Nick repeatedly lays into the clientele. Do not expect fast service at Deano's; it's not going to happen. Instead, be patient, enjoy your beer, and have a conversation with the folks around you. You'll soon realize that everyone at Deano's is a regular.

Deano's Vino/Naptown Wine Bar has closed.

8 p.m.
A Table With A View


You won't have to go far from Deano's (just across the street, actually) to check out ShelBi Street Cafe and Bistro's Rooftop Garden (1105 Shelby St., (317) 687-4857). Choose from the cafe's extensive seasonable menu, add an outdoor rooftop view of the city, and you're sure to have a winner. ShelBi Street also features a nice little beer menu, and the bread pudding dessert is a nice way to top off a stomach filled with beer.

10 p.m.
No Ducks Will Be Harmed


Don't leave the building! Hopefully you've made reservations early, because Duckpin Bowling is a popular weekend activity in Fountain Square. Duckpin bowling is a ten-pin game, but you use a softball-sized ball. It's a very '50's sort of thing, and the 11 p.m. closing time means you'll be back to the hotel and get enough sleep in for tomorrow's marathon drinking session.

Saturday

8 a.m.

Fish or Pancakes?

Be late and expect a wait when trying to eat at the cozy City Cafe (443 N. Pennsylvania St., (317) 833-2233). The breakfast menu features interesting spins on classic breakfast recipes and a regular Saturday morning special option--either a special (and rarely repeated) pancake option, or a fish option. I tend to trust the chef and go with whatever they're doing with the pancakes, but the fish (for breakfast!) special usually looks like a winner as well. Of course if you'd prefer something else, the battered french toast or the eggs Benedict are tasty options.

9 a.m.
A Slight Respite Before The Gauntlet


After filling your belly, head across the street to the north side of Veterans Memorial Park and visit the newly redesigned Indianapolis Central Library (40 E. Saint Clair St., (317) 275-4100). Reopened in 2008, the library project was overrun with construction problems and came in way overbudget. But the building is spectacular, and the downtown views from the upper floors are quite an asset.

2 p.m.
Figure out Who's the Designated Driver Beforehand, and Get Your Afternoon Drunk On


Brugge Brasserie, Broad Ripple, Indianapolis

Head to Indy's Broad Ripple neighborhood and settle into a chair on the porch or deck at Brugge Brasserie (1011 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 255-0978), where you can watch the locals passing by on the nearby Monon Trail. While the upstairs bar offers a nice assortment of foreign and domestic beer options, you'll want to start off with The Black, a beer that might be Brugge's calling card. Pair your Black with an appetizer of frites (fries). If you've got company, order the L'Enorme frites--the myriad of sauces make for good conversation. For a main course, try anything off the menu--the crepes, mitrailettes (sandwiches), soups, and mussels are all winners here. Before leaving, be sure to have a Tripel (and remember there's a two Tripel limit). Stop there, though--you're just getting started with the drinking.

4 p.m.
Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Broad Ripple Brewpub



Broad Ripple Brewpub, Broad Ripple, Indianapolis

Instead of getting back in the car, head north (by foot) on the Monon Trail about two blocks to the Broad Ripple Brewpub (840 E. 65th St., (317) 253-2739), Indiana's oldest brewpub. Established in 1990, the Brewpub specializes in authentic English style beer--usually under-carbonated and supremely sessionable. While any of the beers on the menu are worth a shot, we usually start with whatever they've got on cask. If you're lucky enough to catch the porter on cask, watch out--you may never want to leave.

6 p.m.
Watch for Girls Drinking Pitchers of Framboise


If you've still got the stomach for it, take a walk to over to Chumley's Beer House (838 Broad Ripple Ave., (317) 466-1555) before the college kids show up. Featuring 50 taps (roughly 25 craft), you're sure to find something you haven't had before. If I were you, I'd get out of there before the place gets too busy. Then again, I hate people.

9 p.m.
Pizza is the Perfect Drunk Food


Hopefully you've been eating a little along the way, but you'll want to finish up with the city's best pizza. Bazbeaux Broad Ripple (811 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 255-5711) features a variety of modern pizza options, all of them tasty. The Quattro Formaggio (romano, cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, bacon and mushroom) is a Hoosier Beer Geek favorite. And they've got a few beer options, as well.

10:30 p.m.
You're On Your Own Now


Find your way back to Brugge (for an on-tap Three Floyds Alpha King) or your hotel as safely as possible.

Sunday

10:00 a.m.
Mass Ave. Awaits


A visit to Indianapolis wouldn't be complete without a visit to the shops and restaurants of the Mass Avenue Arts District. Stop in at Hoaglin To Go (448 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 423-0300) for a filling breakfast before wandering over to Luna Music (431 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 917-5862) to check out the latest and greatest in music. Head towards downtown and stop in at Mass Ave Toys (409 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 955-8697) and pick up something for the young one at home.

And if you still want to drink (...you're a harder person than I), there are plenty of bars around - The Rathskeller, MacNivens, Chatham Tap and Old Point Tavern all have craft beer options.

21 May 2009

36 Hours in Madison

Hoosier Beer Geek has been fortunate to establish relationships with people who are just as geeked about craft beer as we are. These other geeks come from both within and outside of Indiana. Two of those non-Hoosier beer geeks are Mike from STLHops and Jeffrey from Madison Beer Review.

The three cities are in relatively close proximity and can easily serve as weekend getaways for the craft beer geek. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and it being one of the biggest travel weekend of the year, it was decided that each of us would write a guide on what to do if you have 36 hours in their city.

Yesterday, we had a guide for 36 hours in St. Louis. Tomorrow, we will have a guide for 36 hours in Indianapolis, created by HBG's Mike. But today, though, it is Madison Beer Review's Jeffery and his recommendation of what to do if you only have 36 hours in Madison...


Welcome to lovely Madison, WI (photo by Luiz Castro) You’ve successfully braved the traffic in Chicago, construction in Rockford, and you now find yourself in the capital of Wisconsin, where you can Live Like You Mean It (alternate state slogan: “Illinois’ Largest State Park”). Hold on to your hats, because there’s more beer here per capita than any other place East of the Rockies and West of Michigan. In the immediate area around Madison are 10 breweries and brewpubs, and countless more beer bars and gastropubs. We will assume for the moment that you are not here for The Great Taste of The Midwest (if you were, this article would be very short: “Go to Great Taste.”).

Before we get started, you'll want to know two things about getting around Madison. First, the public transport is terrible, so you'll have to drive or walk - this means that one of you will need to remain sober. Second, this town is impossible to drive in - you can print out directions, you can ask for directions, you can know exactly where you're going and you will still get turned around and diverted by one-way streets, streets that change names three times in five blocks, and roads that never run the same direction for more than half a mile. Just suck it up and do what I do: swear very loudly at the steering wheel.

While it's highly unlikely that you've gotten into town at 5pm on a Friday (Chicago traffic at 3pm on a Friday!? HA!), we'll pretend that you did:

Friday 5 p.m.
UW Memorial Union Terrace - While it's on-campus, it is open to the public and is a great place to start your evening. A large, diverse taplist of everything from a house amber to local offerings from Capital and New Glarus to more typical college fare like Labatt's and Miller. During the summer, you can sit on an iconic John Deere Green Sunburst Chair looking over Lake Mendota (one of four lakes in the Madison area) and plan your evening. This location makes for great people-watching and the bandstand is typically active. There are two things you'll need to know about the Terrace: 1) parking can be a challenge, during the summer the school ramps are typically open to the public and available and there is one right near the Terrace, though it can fill up quickly on nice evenings; 2) you need to be a member to buy a pitcher of beer (secret note: on busy Friday evenings, or really most evenings, it's rare that they ever check for your Membership ID).

Friday 8 p.m.
Friday Night Fish Fry - a Wisconsin tradition, fried cod and hash browns (with melted cheese and onions) is your number one bet. From the Terrace you have a number of options: 1) Walk up State Street to State Street Brats; 2) Walk all the way up State Street to the Capitol; 3) head over to the near-East Side. State Street Brats is a University landmark bar, with a decent taplist of macros and Leinenkugels, it's definitely more atmosphere than beer-geek friendly. Don't worry, if you want to hit Brats but want to front-load your evening with good beer, it's open late and you'll probably end your night on State Street anyway. Capitol - you have two options for Good Beer and Fish Fry on the Capitol. The Old Fashioned is a local quasi-gastropub with a phenomenal taplist of only Wisconsin beers; this summer they are featuring beer from every single brewery and brewpub in the state, so there is beer here that you can't get anywhere else in the state, let alone the world. You can also head over to The Great Dane Pub. The Great Dane is a world-renowned brewpub and this location is the original (there are three others). The food is great, the beer is better. East Side - if you're me, though, you get in your car and you head over to Madison's near-East Side, which is quietly turning into a beer mecca in the city. Get your fish on at Alchemy Cafe or Dexter's Pub - both terrific dive bars with great food and amazing taplists.

Friday 10 p.m.
(photo by ibm4381) Hit A Beer Bar - There are four in the area that are all phenomenal. On the East Side and an easy walk from Dexters or Alchemy is The Malt House. The Malt House has a great taplist divided evenly between Belgian, Wisconsin, and "Pub Choice". The bottle list is extensive, and the scotch, bourbon and whiskey lists are equally compelling (it is the Malt House, after all). Maduro is downtown on the square. While the taplist at Maduro is usually Bells-heavy, it does feature a number of great selections from all over the world, in addition to a great wine selection and cocktails. One thing to beware of at Maduro: it is a cigar bar - if you like cigars, it has a pretty decent selection (though there are better cigar bars in town like Drackenburg's, also on the East Side and has a decent beer selection, and Hemingways, on the West Side, conveniently located near the Great Dane Fitchburg); if you don't like cigars or like smelling like cigars, it may not be your place. Two other beer bars worth heading to are Brasserie V and Monroe Street Bistro on the Near West Side. Both have excellent food, so you can grab a bite to eat there as well. Brasserie V has a selection that focuses on Belgian and American Belgian-like beer. You can find some great beer on tap here that you can't get anywhere else on tap. The staff at the Brasserie is probably the most knowledgeable in the city about great beer. Monroe Street Bistro is an unauthorized "spin-off" of Brasserie V and has a slightly more populist taplist as well as cocktails.

Friday Late Night
Most of the beer bars mentioned above, except Brasserie, are open until bar time (1am or so). Though, really, the action after about 11 pm is all on State Street. Hit up Paul's Bar, The Irish, and State Street wouldn't be complete with at least walking into the Kollege Klub. You can end your night with a brat at State Street Brats or a gyro or pizza from any number of local purveyors of drunk food. Saturday - I hope you're up early and not too hung over, it's going to be a long day and you'll probably drink a fair amount of beer.

Saturday 7 a.m.
Start your day with a good breakfast and some coffee. It's not a Saturday morning in Madison without the Dane County Farmer's Market. One of the largest producer-only farmers markets in the country, the breadth of food available is astounding. Get there early, grab some coffee from any number of local roasters (Ancora on the square and Michaelangelo's just off the square on State are my preferred haunts), and cruise the baked goods and cheese or vegetables or meats (buffalo jerky anyone?). Grab a 6oz block of goat cheese from Fantome Farms or a 5-year aged block of Cheddar from Hook's and some fresh-baked bread or muffins and take your coffee down to Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace and relax for a minute or two to start your day off right.

Saturday
(photo courtesy of Eating in Madison A to Z) - Ready for some brewery tours? You have plenty of options, not to mention brewpubs to stop and grab some lunch. Breweries within an easy drive include: Tyranena in Lake Mills, New Glarus in New Glarus, Capital in Middleton, and Ale Asylum on the Near East Side of Madison. If you're looking for an itinerary, let me suggest the following: 10am - New Glarus Brewing Company - it's a self-guided tour and quick, the tasting at the end of the tour is reasonable ($4, I think?); the new brewery should be open by mid-summer and they'll have beer available for purchase at the brewery that isn't available anywhere else. 12pm - Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI - a trip to Madison isn't complete without a beer at the traditional biergarten here. Known for its dopplebocks, Capital is a Madison institution. 3pm - Tyranena, Lake Mills, WI - it's a forty-five minute trip from Capital to the far east side Madison suburbs; make sure you check what time the tour is on Saturdays (usually held in the early afternoon). Tyranena's tours are fun, and the beer is amazing; they typically have some stuff on tap at the taproom that is not available anywhere else. 6pm - Ale Asylum, Madison, WI - last stop, Ale Asylum. Tours are by appointment only, but the taproom has plenty of beer that you can't buy around town including a full line of Belgian blondes, dubbels, tripels, and quads. [ed note: an alternate itinerary would be to start at Tyranena and skip the tour there, but keep heading East to Milwaukee and check out some of the breweries there or hit up a Brewers game] Want a brewpub for lunch or dinner? Check out The Grumpy Troll in Mount Horeb, Gray's Tiedhouse in Verona, the former-JT Whitneys on Madison's West Side (should be open mid-June), or The Great Dane in Madison (two locations - downtown and West Side) and Fitchburg. Head a little farther West to tourist-friendly Mineral Point for Brewery Creek, or head into Milwaukee (only an hour away) and stop at Delafield Brewhaus, Water Street Brewpub, Stonefly, or Milwaukee Ale House.

Saturday Night
For dinner take the twenty minute drive to Mount Horeb, WI and visit the award-winning Grumpy Troll. A pizza joint upstairs, a more formal dining experience downstairs, the beer is equally awesome both places. Head brewer Mark Duchow mixes up the taplines frequently with everything from an authentic, stone-heated steinbier to a flanders-style red. The Baltic Porter and IPA have won numerous awards.

Sunday
(photo courtesy of Eating in Madison A to Z) As you're dragging yourself awake, drive or walk over to Mickie's Dairy Bar near UW's Camp Randall. The breakfast-only diner serves a ton of pancakes, waffles, corned beef hash, and milkshakes. The menu is on the wall, and it's cash only. Oh, it's also a seat-yourself situation, so if all of the tables are full just hang around for a minute; servers may or may not point you in the right direction, but you'll get a table soon enough. I hope you've found this tour of Madison interesting. Madison has more good food and good beer than anyone could ever possibly consume. If you're going to be in the area, please let Madison Beer Review know and we can always get you pointed in the right direction.

20 May 2009

36 hours in St. Louis

Hoosier Beer Geek has been fortunate to establish relationships with people who are just as geeked about craft beer as we are. These other geeks come from both within and outside of Indiana. Two of those non-Hoosier beer geeks are Mike from STLHops and Jeffrey from Madison Beer Review.

The three cities are in relatively close proximity and can easily serve as weekend getaways for the craft beer geek. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and it being one of the biggest travel weekend of the year, it was decided that each of us would write a guide on what to do if you have 36 hours in their city.

Tomorrow, we will have a guide for 36 hours in Madison. Friday, we will have a guide for 36 hours in Indianapolis, created by HBG's Mike. But today, though, it is STLHops' Mike and his recommendation of what to do if you only have 36 hours in St. Louis...


Friday

5PM - Hey, who got city in my museum?

You've probably just now rolled across the Mississippi and have begun singing "Deep River" like Clark Griswold. The city of St. Louis is laid out in front to you, but where to start? Well, it's a bit too early for dinner, (unless you're my parents) so it's time to stretch the legs. One of the more unusual locations in the area is the City Museum. Not your Father's museum, the City Museum bills itself as an "eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel."

Run around MonstroCity or view the World Aquarium, the City Museum presents a hodge-podge of sensory delights that will surely awaken your travel-weary bones.

beer-1222_1280x9607:30PM -Pubgrub

After all of that exploring, you've probably worked up an appetite. Luckily, you're close to the original location of the largest local brewery in St. Louis and the second largest craft brewery in Missouri, the Schlafly Tap Room. In 1989, Tom Schlafly and Dan Kopman incorporated and created the Saint Louis Brewery, soon after they purchased the Swift Printing Company and the rest is history.

Today you'll find that the wooden interior and stainless steel brewery equipment lends itself to warm dining experience. Chef Andy White has turned what was previously a ho-hum menu into a wonderful gastropub experience. Also, this is only location in the area to experience Schlafly beer on cask.

9:30PM - I'm sure you'll see me here.

33 Wine Shop and Tasting Bar is probably the hippest bar in St. Louis, because it's not trying to be the hippest bar in St. Louis. 33 features a casual atmosphere with one of the best hand-picked beer lists in St. Louis. Here you'll find not only over 100 beer selections, but even aged beer and probably the largest selections of sour beer at a bar in St. Louis. If it's not an unbearably humid St. Louis night, check out the back patio, just make sure to go and get your own drinks at the bar.

Saturday

10AM - Taste of St. Louis

Not unlike my beer, I like my food local, both are usually fresher and tastier when they don't have to travel very far. If you're looking for a local breakfast, Cafe Osage is probably your best choice in St. Louis. With the produce being grown in the vegetable garden across the street and fresh herbs grown on the Café Osage Green Roof, I'd say that's pretty darn local.

12PM - Takin' the tour, takin' the tour.

Oh sure, you could visit another large brewery and go through their fancy-schmancy tour, but then try to ask them a question about brewing and watch the deer in the headlights stare you'll quickly receive. Then again, maybe you're a sadist and you enjoy that type of thing? If you're not though, hit up the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood for one of their hourly tours detailing what it's like to brew beer that actually has some taste.

1293043321_1280x9602PM - 3.14159265
You may be now working up another appetite, so it's time to visit your favorite mathematical constant, Pi. Pizza is a very personal thing and many a divorce and fist fight have been fought over what kind of pizza is best. Luckily, Pi offers something for everyone including you vegan types. Hell, even President Obama digs on Pi.

5PM -Prepare to spend some money.

It's time to hit the East Side! In this case it's to visit Corral Liquors in Granite City, IL. Corral Liquors has one of the largest selections of beer in the St. Louis area and allows you to purchase any single bottle to create your own Mix-a-Six. On the Illinois side you'll find beers from breweries you can't get in Missouri, such as Three Floyds. Port/Lost Abbey and Dogfish Head. If you've got a cooler in the car, throw those beers in, you're going to need them cold for the next place you're going to.

2009_05_16_1516_1280x8536:30PM - Save those quarters for laundry.

Sure it may not look like much from the outside, but every couple weekends a month CP Pinball lights up over 45 pinball machines and lets you get about the best value for $10 you're going to find in the St. Louis area. The best part? Besides the fact it's 10 bucks to play as much pinball as you want for free, it's BYOB. So kick back, crack open a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and enjoy some Addams Family Pinball.

Just make sure CP is open the weekend you're visiting, as I said above, Charles only opens the place a couple of weekends a month.

beer-2221_1280x9608PM - Putting the South in Southern Illinois.

Too few places in St. Louis has great food and great beer, it's kind of a shame and something I've been trying to work hard to change. But one of the places that puts it all together is Erato on Main in Edwardsville, IL. Chef Kevin Willmann blends local produce and some of the freshest seafood in the country with his on spin on Southern comfort dishes. The beer list gives you numerous options to choose from, including plenty of draught beers and things you don't normally see on local beer lists, such as sour beer.

Sunday

10AM - Insert "rooster" joke here.

Are you up finally? Jeez, it's 10AM! You're going to sleep your life away! Well, haul your butt down to Rooster and wash out that coating of sour beer with one of Rooster's mimosas or if you're going down that route, may as well have another beer. I always enjoy a Hitachino White Nest in the morning. Oh, make sure to get a Rooster Slinger, it's the best way to start a morning and to end a trip.

19 May 2009

KOTBR #72: Pint night at Spencer's Stadium Tavern


Our latest roundtable was after our tour of Sun King Brewing with Clay Robinson. I've always bitched about the death of the $5 dollar pint in Indianapolis, but Spencer's Stadium Tavern shut me up quickly when I was told they offer $2 pints on Wednesdays. They do a great job with their beer at Spencer's and usually will have several tap lines of beer for the craft beer enthusiasts and a nice selection in the cooler as well. We also appreciate how they rotate the kegs and their high attention to tap line cleanliness. We didn't know what we all wanted to review, but we had some readers out with us as well, and we decided on the new-to-Indiana brew: Stone Levitation Ale. Levitation is an amber ale that clocks in at 4.4% ABV, and is one of the few sessionable Stone beers that you will find.



I was very excited to give this beer a whirl. I love Stone beer, and I am usually drawn to the fact that a beer from California could be offered at such a good price, and yet still satisfy my hop head nature. I can pick up Stone IPA for 5 bucks a bomber and around 10 bucks a sixer, so it is usually one of my staples that I have in the fridge. Levitation has the classic calling card of Stone beers with a similar nose and hop flavor profile. The caramel malt comes to life in the flavor profile and is more balanced with malt and hops that many other Stone products. This beer drinks heavier than a 4.4% beer, and I honestly would say that this had a higher ABV than Stone IPA if I didn't know their ABVs. There isn't anything wrong with this beer, but it wasn't the refreshing session beer I was hoping for with a name like Levitation. But Stone wouldn't be Stone if they didn't defy conventional wisdom, would they? This is probably the best intro beer, though, from someone trying to get into Stone beers. It has a good malt and hop profile, and it isn't the supercharged hop bomb that is Stone's calling card, but you certainly know this is a Stone product from sip one. I am pretty amazed though at how much flavor a 4.4% beer has though. 3.40 Mugs

This is a weird beer. It has this footy / powdered donut / sweet hop thing going on in the nose, which is followed with a hoppy but not bitter front. A malty backing follows up, and the beer finishes grassy and smooth. It's a really "meaty" sort of beer at 4.4% - there's a lot of heft to it. At 4.4%, do you want heft in your beer? I'm not so sure. 3.22 Mugs.

I do like Stone's Imperial Russian Stout quite a bit; however, the rest of their beers just don't resonate with me. I have to provide a caveat here--I've tried only five or six of Stone's beers besides the Stout. But my palate tends to find the hop character of those five or six beers to be overwhelming because they don't have a heavy enough malt presence to balance out the hop wallop. As a consequence, all I get with their beers is a very dry hop bomb. This is not to say that Stone brews bad beer; rather, my palate simply doesn't take to their beer.

I found Stone's Levitation Ale to be no different. The nose on this American Amber was what we at Hoosier Beer Geek like to call "footy" (i.e., a full-on sweaty sock odor) with pineapple and metal notes. The mouthfeel was light and crisp. As for the flavor, it was very dry with a heavy pineapple and grass presence and a definite malt backing (but again, not enough malt for my taste). This is a good beer, but not one that I would seek out of I had others of the same style to choose from on the beer menu (e.g., Bear Republic's Red Rocket Ale). My rating: 3.40 Mugs.

I agree with Jim as far as the hop profile not really being my cup of tea (or mug of beer). I'm pretty meh about this Stone offering, and although I might drink it again, it wouldn't be one of my top choices. Would I chose it over Fat Tire? Of course. Over Fort Collins Retro Red? Probably not. 3.37 Mugs

Also, we were joined by Twitter friends Josh, Jason, CJ, and Chris.

Josh (jugomugo) - 4.00 Mugs
Jason (xtrarant) - 3.75 Mugs
CJ (Phaedrus) - 3.50 Mugs (hoppy but not overpowering)
Chris (netshade) - 3.75 Mugs

Thanks for coming out, guys!

Stone Levitation
Matt R 3.4 mugs Mike 3.22 mugs Jim 3.40 mugs Gina 3.37 mugs Chris 3.25 mugs
KOTBR Score - 3.52 Mugs

18 May 2009

Beer Diary #14 - Mike - A Crash Course In Icelandic (Craft?) Beer

When traveling through Iceland (at least up the Ring Road from Reykjavík to Akureyri), you won't notice any beer advertisements - really you won't notice much of any advertisement. But roll through any of the towns or cities along the way, and you'll see bars featuring outside advertisement for beers from Viking, Turborg, Guinness, and Gull.

We've tried those beers, and found them all pretty forgettable (think "American Lager"). When we stumbled across a liquor store in Akureyri (Iceland's "Cultural Center"), I stepped inside to see what other Icelandic options were available.

* * * * *



Jokull Bjor - Nose of grapes, with a hint of grain, and maybe a little malt. Not much going on here, and I've drank less-clear water. Basically your typical American lager. Except made in Iceland. 5% ABV. 261 Kronur/$2.03.


Olvishold Brugghus Skjalfti - Surprise! A little bit of floral hop in the nose, a slightly darker than water body, and... it's an American Pale Ale! Not a particularly great APA, but there's a little something going on here to keep you interested. Definitely a step up. 5% ABV. 270 Kronur/$2.10.


Gullfoss - Grainy/skunky nose, a sweet malty flavor, a little bit fuller than the Jokull Bjor, but a very similar beer. My friend said it reminded him of the skunkiness of Red Stripe - a beer I'm not familiar with. I'd say it's just another clear Icelandic lager. 5% ABV. 279 Kronur/$2.17.


Kaldi - Apparently (from what I've read), Kaldi is produced by Iceland's first microbrewery. A golden colored body supports a tiny bit of head. The nose is a hint of banana, but there's a bitter element in addition to the banana in the front - maybe a little peppery - and perhaps a hint of the sulfur that comes out in any water out of an Icelandic tap. This one's got a little more character than the Gullfoss and Jokull Bjor, and that's definitely a good thing. 5% ABV. 277 Kronur/$2.15.


Olvisholt Brugghus Mori - A dark copper color, with a bit of lacing, even on my plastic tasting glass. Nose of butterscotch, and a nice full body and flavor... one we had a hard time pinpointing. Maybe there's a little chocolate there. Light Tootsie Roll, maybe? Balanced with a hop element - this makes for a decent American-style Amber. The one beeradvocate review is pretty dead on, apart from the A- score... I'd say it's a solid B. 5.5% ABV. 391 Kronur/$3.04.


Islenskur Urvals Stout (Viking Olgerd Akureyri) - Hard to say what part of the words on the label are the brewery - but the word "stout" is the only one that really matters. A deeeep dark brown color, nose of smoke and bbq sauce, a hint of coffee - and a flavor that follows the nose. Same roasty elements, with a tiny hint of chocolate, and maybe a little coconut in the finish. Light bodied. I've had enough beer, even in four ounce samples. 282 Kronur/$2.19.

* * * * *


So if you find yourself in Iceland, you've got at least three fair beer options: Olvishold Brugghus Skjalfti, Olvisholt Brugghus Mori, and Islenskur Urvals Stout. All three have enough character to keep your craft beer palate occupied.

And if you find yourself in Akureyri, a word of advice: Watch out for parking tickets. Better yet, just keep going. There's plenty to see in Iceland, and I'd say Akureyri ain't it.

* * * * *


Want more info on Icelandic Beer? We've got an interview with brewer Valgeir Valgeirsson of Ölvisholt Brugghús on the other side of this link.

15 May 2009

Random Beer Roundup - What'll you have? RBR edition

As you may know, there are nine Knights of the Beer Roundtable here. One third of them will be out of town, out of state, out of country, out of this hemisphere!

In the meantime, the other half dozen of us will hold down the fort. Things may be so screwed up, proving how much we need them. Or you may not notice a thing, in which case, we'll know that we can axe the three of them.

I'm kinda hoping for the latter. That'll show those globe trotting bastards!

A quick reminder, we are still looking for volunteers for the Indiana Microbrewers Festival on July 18th. Details here. We have 1/3 to 1/2 of the slots filled. In just one week. Apparently people like beer!

Remember, if you have anything you want to share with HBG for the blue ribbon winning RBR, drop us an email at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. On with the show!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Monday, May 11th - Sunday, May 17th: American Craft Beer Week

Monday, May 11th - Sunday, May 17th, noon-8pm at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora:

Open all week. Regular beer lineup - Blonde Ale, Mild Ale, Wit, Stout, Cherry Ale.
Monday, May 11th, 7p at Old Town Ale House in Fishers:
Stone Levitation Celebration; no cover

Saturday, May 16th, noon-8pm at Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora:
Open House - in addition to the regular beer lineup, IPA and Coconut Porter; complimentary food and drawings for small prizes.

Saturday, May 16th at Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington:
UpCup judging and ceremony.

Saturday, May 16, 1p-3p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Beer tasting, Magic Hat

More Fun After American Craft Beer Week

Monday, May 18, 5p-7p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Beer tasting, Clipper City Brewing

Monday, May 18, 5p at Adobo Grill in Indianapolis:
Roundtable at the bar, $2.50 pints night

Monday, May 18th at http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/:
Indiana Microbrewers Festival tickets go on sale, online only.

Thursday, May 21st, 6-8pm, at Big Red Liquors in downtown Bloomington:
Free Beer Tasting

Saturday, May 23, 1p-3p at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Beer tasting, Sam Adams

Wednesday, June 3rd:
A beer event to be announced soon. Stay tuned to our Twitters for details!

Saturday, June 6th, 3-7pm at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
4th Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale, 30 + breweries, 3 craft beer distributors, 2 wine distributors and over 100 different craft and import beers to sample. http://www.kegliquors.com/festofale.htm for more details.

Saturday, June 13th, 5-10pm at Upland Brewing in Bloomington:
Radfest beer festival, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. See details below under "What's Brewing"

Monday, June 22nd at Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
Big Bell's Brewing tapping, a record breaking 30 different Bell's beers on tap at once.

Friday, July 17th at Optimist Park in Indianapolis:
Brewers of Indiana Guild VIP Dinner

Saturday, July 18th at Optimist Park in Indianaplis:
14th Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival

Saturday, August 22nd:
A beer event to be announced soon. Stay tuned!

What's Brewing
Price and availability are subject to change

From Adam at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:

In recognition of American Craft Beer Week, through the 17th, Crown Brewing is offering $3 pints.
From Scott at Upland Brewing in Bloomington:

Upland Brewing Co. is happy to announce the first ever Upland RadFest at the Upland Brewery at 350 W. 11th St. in Bloomington, IN.

RadFest celebrates the release of Upland’s newest year-round beer, Rad Red Amber Ale, and also premieres other locally brewed Indiana beers. Half the proceeds will be donated to the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

WHEN: June 13th from 5pm to 10pm.

HOW MUCH: $20 in advance or $25 at the door, free meal ticket at the door if you dress RAD! (Rad is whatever you make of it. Ewoks, Magnum PI, ninjas and robots are pretty rad to us.) The most raddest outfit will win an Upland T-shirt of choice and a $50 gift card for the Upland Tap Room.

Admission includes a custom beer glass, samples of great Indiana craft beers, and mind-blowing rock n’ roll. Bread and pretzels will be provided at no cost, and hamburgers and brats will be available for purchase.

Breweries confirmed so far: Brugge, Lafayette Brewing, Sun King Brewing, and Shoreline Brewing.


At the Bar
Price and availability are subject to change

From John at The Legend Irvington Cafe in Indianapolis:

Nothing but craft beers on tap at The Legend in Irvington.
Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scottish Style Ale
Pyramid Brewing Hefe-weizen
Breckenridge Brewery 471 IPA
Bluegrass Brewing Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout.


From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse with locations around Indiana:

Weekly Drink Specials Reminder:
Sunday & Monday: $5 Import/Microbrew Draughts 24oz MUG CLUB REFILLS (must purchase mug)
Tuesday: $3 12oz Select Microbrew/Import Bottles & $7 48oz San Adams Draught Pitchers
Wednesday: $7 48oz Import/Microbrew Draught Pitchers
Thursday: $2.50 Pint Night - see our list of beers
Other drink specials for the non-craft beer drinkers. See our website.


Carry Out
Price and availability are subject to change

From Greg at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:

The 2009 release Founders Old Curmudgeon Ale has made it to Indiana in both bottles and draft! This Old Ale style beer is absolutely amazing and is great now or to lay down for awhile. Seek it out at your local retail stores or bars that support Founders throughout the year!

Great Divide Belgica Belgian Style IPA: This is the 5th new beer from Great Divide so far in 2009. The Belgica is a wonderful balance between the fruity and spiciness of the Belgian yeast and the bitterness and floral aromas of the American hops. This is a very limited early summer seasonal, so get it while you can.

2009 He'Brew Rejewvinator: Rejewvinator is a hybird beer, half dopplebock and half belgian dubbel. This is the year of the date, so this year's Rejewvinator is brewed with dates. It is a big, malty sweet beer with a wonderful taste profile. Limited release.

Three Sergeants Ale is a new beer to the Indiana market, being released this week. Created by 3 ex-sergeants in the military, 3 Sergeants Ale is a light Ale full of flavor and perfect for summer and 4th of July!

Two Brothers 12 pk Variety Packs: The Ebel's brothers have put together a wonderful sampler pack of some of their best creations containing a mix of both everyday beers and special releases.


News, Reviews, and Gossip

NABC's Roger Baylor writes about fighting for better beer in his Mug Shots column for LEO.

Neal Taflinger reviews the craft beer dinner at Spencer's Stadium Tavern last week, featuring Sun King's Clay Robinson and Chef JJ Boston.

Follow NABC's Bank Street Brewhouse equipment installation at The Potable Curmudgeon.

12 May 2009

Beer Diary - Lunch at Zing


It was gorgeous outside at lunchtime in Indianapolis. So nice that a co-worker of mine and I decided we needed to do some outdoor dining before the upcoming rains turned al fresco dining into al wetto dining. We pondered our choices.

I recalled from a recent roundtable that I had dined and drank inside Zing, but the weather wasn't suitable for enjoying their large balcony with its views up and down Indiana Avenue.


Plus, much like my last visit, it was a Tuesday, which means Indiana Beer Night. Which is good all day. So it was Indiana Beer Day. We're drinking at lunch!

The lunch menu at Zing is different from their small plates dinner menu. They have big salads, sandwiches, and other entrees. I opted for the mahi mahi tacos off of the appetizer menu. I love grilled fish tacos. Oceanaire used to good ones, until they replaced it with a battered fish taco. Then Rock Bottom had good ones, until they recently removed them from their menu. So I am yet again searching for a good fish taco. Three tacos were $9. They were good and tasty, with a nice avocado sauce, but a little small for my needs. And they served the tacos in a fried flour tortilla shell, which makes it puff like a taco salad shell. An interesting take, but I'd prefer a regular soft taco shell (my next stop for fish tacos...Adobo).


But this isn't Hoosier Fish Taco Geek (yet), so let's talk beer.

My co-worker had a bottle of Three Floyd's Gumballhead, which he has had before and frequently enjoyed. I selected a recent addition to the tap menu: Mishawaka Brewing Company's Four Horsemen. I know I have had this in the bottle previously, but this is the first time I have had it on tap.

Mishawaka calls the Four Horsemen an Irish style red ale. Beer Advocate defines it as an APA. I can understand the confusion.


It is darker than a "red", looking more like a brown. It does taste like many reds I have had before, but it has more of a malt base, again leaner towards a brown ale. But on top of that, it is kicked up with a good amount of hop spice. No wonder there is confusion in its definition. Of course, I had a brewer tell me recently that Red Ales are a sort of catchall category...not malty enough to be a brown, not hoppy enough to be a pale ale, so just call it a red and be done with it.

Ignoring categories, the Four Horsemen was an enjoyable beer on this particular sunny day. And as it sat in the sun and warmed, the flavors improved. A smell also came from it, one I couldn't quite identify. Not good, not bad, just...there.

Four Horsemen, three bucks, on draft, on Indiana Beer Night...Day...Lunch...whatever, at Zing.