31 March 2011

Big League Brew

What sport goes better with beer than baseball? It’s like peanut butter and chocolate. We had baseball. We had beer. But both became infinitely better when they were put together. Here’s a quick look at craft beer at five area ballparks:

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
It pains me, as a Cubs fan, to say that not only were the St. Louis Cardinals quick to respond, but they also carry a greater selection than Wrigley Field (more on that below). I would expect a team that has a ballpark named for a shit beer like Busch to have nothing but shitty beers. Wrong. First up: Schlafly, the big microbrewery in town. On draft, you can find Pale Ale and Kolsch. Also from St. Louis: O’fallon, whose Wheach (peach wheat beer) can be found in bottles. Boulevard Brewing from Kansas City is on draft along with Sam Adams Seasonal and Goose Island Honkers Ale (you can say it isn’t a craft beer, but I still think it is worth noting).

Comerica Field, Detroit, MI
Fermentation Nation did a nice look at beers available while watching the Tigers. But here are the highlights: Atwater Block on draft; Atwater Block, Bell’s, and Sierra Nevada in bottles; and a rotation Sam Adams and Goose Island beers.

Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
The Krauts in Cincy love their Reds fans. And they love their German beer. So you will find several stands with imported brews. If you have premium tickets (behind home plate), you will have access to the “Scouts Alley” bar. They serve a variety of craft beers. When I went last year, they had beers from Great Lakes Brewing Company and 21st Amendment Brewery.

U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
The White Sox didn’t respond to or acknowledge my requests for information. But God bless the internet. The Beer Leaguer had better luck. In a conference call with White Sox personnel, he discovered that Goose Island will still be available on draft and that the “Beers of the World” stands will be replaced by craft beer stands, though they didn’t say which craft beers will be available.

Wrigley Field, Chicago
Dammit Cubbies. I know that Budweiser and Old Style are the dominate beers, but couldn’t you carry just a couple of craft beers? How hard would it be to carry a Goose Island 312? There is a brewpub just a few blocks away. But no, you inform me that the local beers you carry include Old Style, Old Style Light, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. I almost wish that they didn’t reply.

29 March 2011

REMINDER: Microbrewers Festival logo contest

Just a friendly reminder for those of you who are thinking about entering and are procrastinators. Deadline is Friday...

Design Contest and Art Show: Call for Entries
The nonprofit arts organization and gallery, Big Car is teaming up with the Brewers of Indiana Guild and the Hoosier Beer Geek to celebrate great art, design and beer with a logo and poster contest for the 2011 Indiana Microbrewers Festival in Broad Ripple this coming summer. Selected participants will be included in a design and beer show at Big Car Gallery in the Murphy Art Center in Fountain Square on the July 1 First Friday. The winning logo and poster will be used to promote this yearʼs festival, which serves as a fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The winning designer or design team also receives four VIP tickets to the 2011 Indiana Microbrewers Festival, four VIP tickets to the 2012 Winterfest, two Indiana Microbrewers Festival T-shirts, two posters, and a selection of gifts from members of the Brewers of Indiana Guild. Designers and illustrators — who are welcome to work in teams — are asked to create and submit a new logo and 11 x 17 poster that celebrates beer and promotes the Indiana Microbrewers Festival in a creative and attractive way. The logo and poster elements will also be used as a newspaper ad and in online advertising, so it is best to make a somewhat flexible design that allows for these secondary uses. The selected logo will also be used on T-shirts and tasting glasses. T-shirts are two-color screen prints. Glasses are a one-color print, usually about 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" in size. Please include either "16th annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival" or "Indiana Microbrewers Festival 2011" in the logos. For the poster, please leave space for multiple sponsor logos (weʼll add those later). Details to include on the poster: 16th annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival presented by Brewers of Indiana Guild and World Class Beverages July 16th, 3-7 p.m. VIP gates at 2 p.m. Indianapolis Art Center & Optimist Park in Broad Ripple www.indianabeerfest.com $50 VIP; $35 General Admission; $10 Designated Driver; available online Deadline: Submit logo and poster files via email as print resolution jpegs (3 megs or smaller per file) by April 1, 2011. Weʼll ask for larger files later. Submit your design and send any question to Jim Walker at jim@bigcar.org About Big Car: As a grassroots nonprofit arts organization, Big Car sparks new artistic ideas and initiatives that strengthen communities. Our mission is to bring art to people and people to art. We frequently partner with the Hoosier Beer Geek, brewers and beer distributors to connect art and beer at our events and exhibitions. www.bigcar.org.

Shelton Brothers Next to Leave Indiana

Achel. Cantillon. De Molen. De Prouf. Dieu Du Ciel. Drie Fonteinen. EKU. Fantome. Haandbryggeriet. Jolly Pumpkin. Mikkeller. Nøgne Ø. Nørrebro Bryghus. Struise.

While these breweries may not be anyone's "regular", they are the sort of breweries whose beer fills a niche. If you're looking for a one-off beer to bring to a party of better beer fans, you could hardly go wrong picking from the list of breweries above.

They are also all breweries whose beer currently sits on the shelves of liquor stores throughout Indiana. But not for much longer. These beers, which are part of the "hand-selected" Shelton Brothers portfolio, have stopped being shipped to their Indiana distributor, Cavalier.

What's behind the decision to leave Indiana? It's hard to say.

"We received special shipment of Anstichs in Aug '10 and ordered Xmas seasonals at the same time. The Anstichs were the last items we've gotten. I've been aware of a growing disconnect for a couple of years. Heard both sides, and I find the whole situation tedious, in that while sides spat, consumers and retailers are the ones being punished," said New Albanian's Roger Baylor, via twitter.

Regardless, Cavalier isn't saying much.

"At this point you would be better to ask Shelton as they currently are not shipping us any beer and have not renewed their state registration," said Cavalier President Mat Gerdenich.

While brewery lineups continue to come and go in Indiana, this particular group are not easily replaced. Hoosier Beer Geek has attempted to contact Shelton Brothers. We'll let you know if we hear anything more.

For more on Shelton Brothers and the process behind the beer they import, check the comments on this interview with Urbain Coutteau of De Struise Brouwers from back in 2008.

CBMTCBL3: Final Details

Thanks to everyone who bought tickets for our 3rd Annual Craft Beer Meal That Comes Before Lunch, which sold out in just five hours. For those of you lucky enough to acquire a ticket, here are the final details on what to expect.

Food (Choose 1):

1) Crepe stuffed with sweet potato hash, caramelized onions and goat cheese and sauce
2) German breakfast board: Variety of cured meats, cheeses, bread, fresh fruit, yogurt, jams/jellies, what have you
3) Steak and Eggs

Beer Courses (Drink all):

1) Dogfish My Antonia (a continually hopped pilsener)
2) Brugge Black Coffee (a coffee infused belgian black)
3) Brugge Woodruff Kitty (a soury whatever)
4) Sun King Baconator 2 (a bacon/chocolate infused dopplebock - not vegetarian friendly)
5) NABC Old Lightning Rod (Old Ale/Scotch Ale)
6) Lafayette Brewing Agave Wheatwine
7) Schlafly Raspberry Coffee Stout

Additional Entertainment (Probably):

1) A cheese selection/pairing from Goose the Market (to go with one of the beers above)
2) Poetry from Matt Robinson, Hoosier Beer Geek Poet Laureate
3) Trophy Presentation

See you Saturday.

28 March 2011

How I Fell In Love With Anchor Steam

Many years before I was inducted into the Knights of the Beer Roundtable, I was a light beer drinker. It was during that time that I took my first trip to Colorado, where my friends turned me on to a beer with a funny name - Fat Tire. Fat Tire was a beer unlike any I'd had before - big on taste, hefty in mouthfeel, and endlessly drinkable. I was in love.

It was during that time - shortly after I moved to Indianapolis from small town Illinois - that Fat Tire was still an exotic beer, one that I couldn't find anywhere near home. Eventually the beer came to St. Louis, and it was not uncommon for me to make the 30 mile trip from my Mom's house across the river, all in an effort to bring cases of Fat Tire back to my apartment on Indy's southside.

That's all in the past now - I haven't had a Fat Tire in years - but there's something about beer drank on vacation that makes them more desirable afterwords. A friend once said to me that nothing tastes better than a beer in a foreign place - and I'm apt to agree. It was in Japan (of all places) that I really fell in love with Chimay, and after a week of looking for beer all around the circumference of Iceland that I found exactly what I was looking for back in Reykjavik - a bottle of a big stout by Ölvisholt Brugghús called Lava.

A funny thing happened when I joined Hoosier Beer Geek - I became a lot more picky about my vacation beer. Chimay is still magic; I'd have to believe that a bottle of Lava would still make me very happy. It's the beer I loved before HBG - Fat Tire - that I have a hard time believing would grab my attention like it did back then. I know too much now - an it's pretty rare that an American Amber sets my world on fire. It's not enough that a vacation beer be exotic anymore, it's also got to be really damn good.


So when we set our eyes on a trip to San Francisco, Anchor Brewing wasn't on the agenda. You may know the story of Anchor (from wikipedia):
Hearing that the Steam Beer Brewing Company was about to close and looking for something serious to do with his life, (Fritz) Maytag bought the company in 1965 and made it his mission. Steam Beer Brewing had produced awful, sour beer through the 1950s and into the '60s. To revive the company, Maytag altered the recipe and the brewing process and the beer soon surged in popularity. The brewery moved to a new location in 1979 and throughout the coming years demand continued to climb. Not wanting to sacrifice the small size of the brewery, and in turn the quality of the beer, Maytag helped competitors become proficient in microbrewing. This helped to ease the strain on his own company.
Anchor is a monument. But monuments aren't always the most exciting places to visit - and knowing that the Bay Area is filled with boundary pushing breweries meant that a visit to Anchor wasn't a priority.

Thank god we had a friend that knew better.


We did end up touring Anchor, a brewery unlike any I've visited before, with open / coolship fermentation, beautiful brass brew kettles, a long and interesting history, a warm and welcoming tasting room, and that beer.. well, I liked Anchor Steam. I liked every Anchor beer we drank that day. But it's easy to like a beer when you're in the brewery. It's another thing find yourself pulling it off a liquor store shelf again and again.

If you've got a general idea of Anchor Steam, you might have the feeling - as I did - that's it available everywhere. But it's rarely on tap; Finding bottles in a bar or restaurant is even more rare. That leaves us with liquor stores. Plenty of them have it, but - without knowing how the Anchor date code works - you can never be sure of exactly what you're getting.


Regardless of all that, I've taken to buying Anchor Steam regularly. It's been forever since I've been willing to make the commitment to a six pack of anything (unless I plan on drinking one and closeting/cellaring the rest), and despite my reservations, I've yet to have one that tasted out of date.

If you haven't heard the (now old) news, Fritz Maytag sold Anchor to Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio's Griffin Group in April of 2010, which came as a shock to many in the craft beer community. As it turns out, we were lucky enough to meet and have a nice impromptu conversation with both Fritz and Keith during our visit, and it appears the brewery is in good hands, and that the brewery's tradition will continue on an expanded but natural path.

I look forward to it. There's no such thing as too much of a great thing.


For reference:
Recent Anchor Purchases - Date Produced:
Anchor Porter - August 20th, 2010
Anchor Steam - December 7th, 2010

Anchor Date Chart Here: http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/faq.htm


Our thanks to Krystle at World Class Beverages and Fritz, Keith, and Mike at Anchor Steam

25 March 2011

Random Beer Roundup - The Go Bulldogs Edition


****This post may be updated throughout the day.****

I just want to recap some things going on/coming up so they don't get lost in the shuffle.  Mark your calendars!

Beer and Cheese club - available at Goose the Market, 4 months for $99.

You have about one more week to get your entries in for the poster contest.

Saturday 4/23 - Some gals (and guys) will be brewing an all-grain batch of IPA at Great Fermentations.  Join us!

Saturday, 5/7 - HBG's Tailgate for Nothing 4 - Get your tail over to the Sun King parking lot anytime after 11am.  Bring chairs, bring food and beer to share.  This is always a good time and everyone who wants to share good food and beer are welcome.

Saturday - 6/4 - Bloomington Craft Beer Festival

Saturday - 7/16 - Brewers of Indiana Guild Microbrewers Festival

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Don't see your favorite craft beer establishment? Let them know you'd like to see them here! Work for an establishment that serves craft beer? We want to hear from you too!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


At the Bar
From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
March 28th: 12:01AM Tapping of Bells Oberon. Come enjoy the taste of summer along with other Bells beers including: Oarsmen, Hopslam, Amber, Third Coast Beer and Two Hearted.
April 11th: Cigar and Whiskey Tasting. Buy your tickets at the bar. Also $3 Pint Night on 48 of our drafts.
April 18th: Bloomington Brewing tapping party starting at 8 pm
April 25th: Goose Island Experience. We will be giving away a $50 prize package that includes a meal, beer and a tour of the brewery in Chicago. We will be featuring $3 pints of Goose Island 312, Summertime, and IPA. Also $6.50 glasses of Matilda, Pepe Nero, and Fleur.
May 3rd: Flat 12 Tapping Party
May 4th: Sun King Tapping Party
May 5th: Upland Tapping Party
May 6th: Three Floyds Tapping Party
May 7th: Beer Sellar Goes Local. Upwards of 50 Indiana Drafts for the day. More details are still to come.
April 18th - Bloomington Brewing Company Tapping Party 
May 7th - Beer Sellar Goes Local 50 different Indiana Beers on site. More details to come soon!
From Patrick and Beth at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
We tapped a keg of Flat 12 Half cycle and everyone has really enjoyed the 6% super hoppy, citrusy beer, great job guys, the Flat 12 Amber has held it's own, with a nice hoppy finish to malty goodness.
Other taps right now hold People's Hop Killa which has been very well received..We have the Old Rasputin on Nitro,....BBC out of Bloomington's B-town brown is delicious as well.

From the Liquor Stores
From Steve at 21st Amendment in Broad Ripple:
We've got a little bit of Dogfish Head left in stock, including Palo Santo, Midas Touch, Aprihop, and India Brown. I anticipate the amount we have left to last for about another week or so, so this is the last chance for anyone to scoop any of it up before it is officially out of our store. We also have a couple of cases of Hopslam left in stock.

As for new options, we now have Brooklyn Lager in 6-pack cans for $9.99, as well as Boulevard 4-pack bottles of Tank 7 farmhouse ale, Sixth Glass quadruple, Dark Truth stout, and Double-Wide IPA, each for $12.49. On top of that we just began carrying Bee Creek Ale, which is $10.99.

Furthermore, this week I plan to resume our usual Friday beer tastings. I'll be opening up some of the Brooklyn Lager in a can and Bee Creek Ale at 5 o'clock. We may open up one or two more beers as well, depending on who all is around.
From Joe at Crown Liquors:
On Friday, March 25th, from 5-8 PM we will be sampling:

2 BROTHERS - Cain and Ebel (Hoppy Amber/Rye Ale) (Now in 6-Packs, same price!)
GOOSE ISLAND - Demolition (Belgian-Style Golden Ale)
BOULEVARD - Double Wide (Double IPA)


Other new brewskis include:

NEW ALBANIAN - Elector Imperial Red (New Indiana Beer!)
LEFT HAND - Good Juju (Ginger Spiced Ale)
BROOKLYN - Brown Ale
BOULDER - Kinda Blue Blueberry Wheat
STONE - Cali-Belgique Belgian-Style IPA (Now Year Round!)
WEINSTEPHANER - Gift Packs
COOPERS - Sparkling Ale, Best Export Stout
HOFBRAU - Maibock
BOULEVARD - Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Limited!)
DOGFISH HEAD - Aprihop IPA (Get it while you can!)
LINDEMANS - Pomme Lambic, Peche Lambic
UNIBROUE - La Fin Du Monde, Maudite (Both back in Stock!)
SAM ADAMS - Wee Heavy (Imperial Series)
THREE FLOYDS - Rabbid Rabbit, (We still have a few Arctic Panzer Wolf (wolves?) left too!)
HARPOON - Leviathan Quad
HEAVY SEAS - Small Craft Warning Pils
FISCHERS - Amber

From the Distributors/Reps
From Greg at Cavalier Distributing:
New Arrivals From Cavalier:

Boulder Hazed & Infused 12pk CANS: Brand New Package, 12pk CANS!

Boulder Kinda Blue: Limited Seasonal Release, 6pks & Draft

Left Hand Good JuJu: Limited Seasonal Release, 6pks & Draft

Left Hand TNT Weizen Dopplebock: New Big Mo Series Brew, Very limited, Allocated in 22oz Btls & Draft

Two Brothers Monarch White Ale: Limited Seasonal Release, 6pks & Draft


Upcoming Cavalier Events:

3/25 Cap N Cork in New Haven, Tyranena Brewing Co. Tasting, 5-7pm

3/25 WiseGuys in Merrillville, Cider Tasting, 5-7

3/29 Zodiac Lounge Tasting, 8-10

3/31 Chalet 7 Tasting, Elkhart, 4-6

4/22 WiseGuys Tasting, Merrillville, 5-7

4/28 Chalet 3 Tasting, Elkhard, 6-8

4/29 Pikk's Tavern Founder's Beer Dinner w/ John Host, Valpo, 6:30

5/07 St. John Wine and Spirits New Day Tasting, St. John's, 2-4

5/11 54 Main Bistro New Day Dinner, Hobart 6:30

Upcoming Events
WHO: Chef JJ’s Back Yard, Sun King Brewing Co., GrayBull Wines
WHAT: Chef JJ’s Eggfest
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat., May 14
WHERE: Chef JJ’s Back Yard, 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., (317) 602-3828, ChefJJs.com.
COST: $25 per person, children 12 and younger free

Located in the parking lot that surrounds his private dining and event facility, Chef JJ’s Back Yard, Chef JJ’s Eggfest will feature food grilled by 30 teams on 30 different Big Green Eggs, an Iron Chef-style grilling challenge, Fresh•Local•Beer, and organic wine. Also, Sun King will tap a seasonal beer at the event!

JJ’s Back Yard will also offer egg-cellent discounts on Big Green Egg grills and accessories. Tickets are only $25 per person and include unlimited food and one drink ticket for adults of legal drinking age. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge and there will be a play area for kids.


The first ever "Bar Week" in Indy is here! From April 4th - 10th, participating bars are offering up a menu of your favorite lascivious and liberating libations at 50% off! Open to all, from open to close!
7 Days. 7 Bars. 7 events! Each night of the week, Yelp will be hosting an event open to the public!

Brew Bracket Introduces Live Tasting Tournament Featuring Local Craft Beers on April 17th; 400 Hoosiers to Vote for Best IPA in Indiana

Tickets and additional information here

24 March 2011

KOTBR #123 | It's a Family Affair - Founders Nemesis 2010


We like Barley Island's Broad Ripple location for a variety of reasons. Obviously, the great tap list is one. Then there are the Wednesday night guest brewery tappings, such as the Founders tapping we attended a few weeks ago. And finally, we can bring the kids with us. When we have the kids along, a KOTBR roundtable truly becomes like one of those big holiday family gatherings--everyone is together dining, laughing, drinking, and watching the kids play. But you know, family gatherings also bring the inevitable squabble, and the KOTBR is no exception to this phenomenon. So, for example, Jason may say something snide about the St. Louis Cardinals, and all hell breaks loose as arguments ensue between the Cub and Cardinal factions of the family (and don't get us started on Chris, who for whatever reason is a fan of the Sons of Satan).

I haven't followed baseball since 1994 and don't really have a stake in such arguments. But my point about our roundtables being family-like is definitely true, even when the kids aren't around (though we love having them around). Roundtabling is our favorite HBG activity, often because it gives us an opportunity to catch up on one another's lives, which does not happen when we're running craft beer events because we're too busy. So here's an inside look at a KOTBR family gathering--

Perhaps the best thing about family is that each member has his or her own style. The same applies to the Nemesis family from Founders. The 2009 Nemesis was a Wheat Wine aged in Maple Bourbon barrels, and the 2010 Nemesis is a Black Barleywine.

In this case, we got acquainted with the 2010 version at Barley Island. Nemesis '10 has a sublimely sweet chocolate nose with a stinging heat. It has quite a bit of heat in the flavor along with some rich, dark fruit and caramel maltiness. Yet it remains smooth enough to drink. If this beer were a family member, it would be that trouble-making but really fun cousin who always has some inside information.

You know it's going to be trouble, but you can't help but indulge. 3.50 Mugs.


You might think that over the course of writing 100-some beer reviews, that eventually the process would get easier. Sometimes it is - some beers are immediately familiar, and the words put themselves down on the page. Founder's Nemesis isn't like that. I got a stinging sweetness - a grape tootsie pop sort of pop - right off the front. Gina got smooth caramel, as did I. But I also got a whole mouth bitterness that she didn't. Chocolate, caramel, bitter... they're all in there, but I don't think they sum up the beer.

What I do know is that I liked it, but I thought it could (still) use more age. I'm sure a little time would reveal even more complexity. 3.96 Mugs.


The biggest nemesis that I face these days is time. Between work, home, and play, I’m left with little time each day. That’s why I’m always happy to combine activities. For example: home and play. When it was suggested that HBG hit Barley Island’s Broad Ripple restaurant for the Founders tappings, I thought “Hey, Barley Island has family dining…I can hang with the Knights of the Beer Roundtable and bring my family! It’s a win/win!”

And no, I have no problem with drinking in front of my kids. Drinking isn’t evil (the naysayers are another nemesis) and I have the goal of demonstrating to my children that responsible drinking behaviors are very achievable.

Also, it was a Wednesday, which is a “kids eat free” day. A light wallet is another nemesis.

So it ended up being a great evening of family and friends, fine food (the spinach melt sandwich and deep fried mushrooms are fantastic), and a wonderful selection of beers for consumption (including Barley Island’s Whose Ear? and Three Floyds' Brian Boru).

But Founders is the guest brewery of the month, and a Founders beer is what we reviewed. If you haven’t guessed yet, we reviewed Nemesis's 2010 version. I like barleywines. And this one is no exception. Maybe it is because we have so much in common. Much like me, it is big and boozy (no explanation needed). Much like me, it has a hint of sweetness (brown sugar in the beer; I’m more of a white sugar). Much like me, it had a thin head (I’m with little hair on top). And much like me, there are hints of dark fruit (I guess I’m more nutty than fruity; I’m sure some will argue the point).

Where I differ from Nemesis: it has a hint of Belgium, and I’m mostly German and Danish; and it is dark bronze, where I alternate between sunburned and white-as-snow (what can I say, I have some strong redneck roots; yet another personal nemesis). 4.20 Mugs.

Take a deep breath and remember the facts.

You know these ginormous rare beers are put up on a pedestal. You know they're a mixed bag. You know that, at best, this will be a great beer that's probably too young and too hot. You know that none of these facts matter and, when something like this goes on tap at your favorite family-friendly brewpub in town, you'll be there.

Well whaddaya know, Nemesis nails it: a mixed-bag-ginormous-expectations-too-hot-DOES-NOT-MATTER-I-still-like-it beer. In a way, big rare beers like Nemesis are just like any great family gathering. It won't always be perfect, but you should expect the unexpected and you're damn sure gonna have a good time.

Everyone else has already gone over the flavors in the beer so I won't belabor that. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I've got a bottle of this to age at home because I think it's only going to get better with some time. 4.10 Mugs.

Founders Nemesis 2010
Jason: 4.20 Mugs | Jim: 3.90 Mugs | Mike: 3.96 Mugs | Gina: 3.50 Mugs | Chris: 4.10 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.93 Mugs

Beer and Cheese Club - March Edition


The month of March brings us a funky, spiced up Italian cheese and an equally spicy, Belgian-inspired Saison.  The cheese featured this month is simply named Juni, after the juniper berries that have been added to the curd.  This is a raw cow's milk cheese with a thick rind of mold.  Incredibly fragrant from both the juniper berries and the rind, this cheese continues the Beer and Cheese Club into new territories with something unlike any cheese featured in previous months.

Saison de Lente, the seasonal beer from The Bruery was just released earlier this month and quickly found its way into this pairing.  With a bold, spicy presence and a slightly creamy body, this beer was a natural fit for the Juni.  The Brettanomyces cultures used to ferment this beer impart a wonderful complexity to the beer without imparting any sourness.  If you haven't had many beers from The Bruery, this is a great one to introduce you to their Belgian-inspired catalog.


If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your March installment is likely ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month nets you 1 750mL bottle of The Bruery Saison de Lente and a massive wedge of Juni. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.


The beer and cheese club is quickly becoming something I look forward to every month. This month brings us a beer from Orange County, California, and a cheese from Piedmont, Italy.  Bruery’s Saison de Lente is a farmhouse ale in their seasonal collection.  It ushers in spring with a generous amount of hops and a touch of Brettanomyces that keeps the beer spicy yet refreshingly subtle.  The cheese is interesting mix of hard and soft featuring a rind that is fuzzy gray with bright yellow bits.  If you look closely, its textured surface resembles paint on a canvas.  Near the rind, the cheese is very firm, but closer to the core, it gets softer and even a bit stretchy.  The cheese reminded me of fresh pineapple, both in the nose and in flavor.  The juniper berries that are added in give the cheese a piney crunch. The pairing melds tangy, funky flavors in the cheese with refreshing spiciness in the beer.  Thanks Goose the Market!


When we first saw the cheese, I was surprised at how tall it was.  That seems like an odd first impression, but I was having trouble figuring out how I would cut it (haha, cut the cheese).  The rind, while incredibly thick, is a great contrast to the soft, creamy cheese.  When I placed my slice of cheese on my plate, I immediately investigated the rind.  I'm no cheese expert, so I always poke around at the rind to figure out if it's edible.  It certainly had the characteristics of an edible rind, but the fuzzy mold had me apprehensive.  I tried a small piece and decided that this particular mold would not kill me.  Or at least it hasn't yet.  The rind is funky with an earthy character.  It works great in compliment to the cheese, but too much by itself is a bit overpowering.  The cheese has an aroma of mushrooms and juniper, quite strong on the juniper actually.  It may come as a surprise how mellow the cheese is without the rind, but it is best enjoyed with a bit of the rind attached and a few chunks of juniper berries.  The three elements together create a wonderful, creamy juniper-filled treat.


Saison de Lente is one of The Bruery beers I have not yet had.  This is a brewery that rarely disappoints, and Saison de Lente is no exception.  Notes of spicy hops, chamomile, cinnamon and grass alert the nose to how spicy this beer is going to be.  In fact, it smells like it may be a bit overpowering.  Luckily, a hefeweizen depth to the body balances out the burst of clove, cinnamon and lemon.  At only 6.5% ABV, this beer would be great on a nice warm spring afternoon.  In fact, the creamy wheat texture seems like an almost too-good-to-be-true match for the creamy interior of the Juni.  The funky rind of the cheese is an excellent complement to the Brettanomyces in the beer.  The juniper berries settle in like old friends of the characteristic Saison spices.  Saison de Lente is briskly carbonated without being fizzy and breaks up the thick cream of the cheese very nicely, leaving behind a refreshing sensation.  After trying the two together, it almost seems like Juni is the Saison of the cheese world.  I love how wonderfully complimentary these two products are.  Nice job!


To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

23 March 2011

A clarification from Sun King

We received an email from Sun King recently. They wanted to clear up some mistakes in a recent article published by the Indy Star and we felt it would be good to post it here for everybody to see.
Mistake In Indy Star Story Bites Brewer In Butt

As you might have noticed, Sun King Brewing Co. garnered a lot of attention thanks to the local news media over the last week. But one mistake found its way into the Indianapolis Star story on Tuesday morning and was repeated in on-air news briefs by several other outlets. The mistake in question is the idea that Sun King, along with award-winning Munster, Ind. brewer 3 Floyds, is attempting to change the state definition of a small brewery in order to gain a tax benefit. This is not true and we are unclear as to how it made its way into the story. Brewers pay a flat state tax per barrel regardless of whether we brew 500 barrels or 5,000,000. We pay several different kinds of taxes, we do it gladly, and we are proud to generate jobs and tax revenue for our state. We aren't looking for any special benefits, we are only asking that the state allow us to continue growing so that we can create more jobs and generate more tax revenue. The 20,000 barrel cap was put in place 20 years ago, when only a handful of brewpubs were operating in the state, making 500 to 1,000 barrels each year. It's a different market now and it needs different rules.

If the law is not changed, what will likely happen is that 3 Floyds will move it's operation to Illinois and Sun King will cap our growth and stay at just under 20,000 bbls per year.

If we wanted to grow beyond that 20,000 bbl annual limit, here's how it would effect our business -

1. Our Tasting Room would be closed. No more tasting hours, no more retail sales of growlers or cans. This is what happened to Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. They have a beautiful tasting room that they can't use because they outgrew Minnesota's state limits for small breweries. That would mean that...
2. Our Tasting Room manager and approx. 12 part-time employees would lose their jobs.
3. Our logistics manager and three full-time delivery drivers would be laid off because...
4. We would have to use a distributor to deliver our product to bars, restaurants, and package liquor stores, which would eat approximately 1/3 of our income from sales.

Again, we just want to continue to grow and contribute positively to Indiana's culture and economy. We hope that our state legislators see the value of that.

18 March 2011

Random Beer Roundup - The March Madness Begins Edition



Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day!  Even if you didn't go out to celebrate, I hope you enjoyed the nice weather.  As the temperatures increase, so do the beer events, it seems.  The calendar is getting full of great beer events.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Don't see your favorite craft beer establishment? Let them know you'd like to see them here! Work for an establishment that serves craft beer? We want to hear from you too!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers:
From Greg at Lafayette Brewing in Lafayette:
On tap this weekend at Lafayette Brewing Co.: Star City Lager; Prophet's Rock Pale Ale; East Side Bitter; Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale; Tippecanoe Common Ale; Eighty-Five American Ale; and Black Angus Oatmeal Stout. We'll also be pulling pints of our annual batch of Digby's Irish Stout from the beer engine. A classic dry stout, Digby's is produced with pale, roasted and raw barley and weighs in at 4.4% ABV with 28 IBUs. Look for our next specialty release on Sunday, March 20, as we unveil our latest batch of Equinox Ale- a hearty American IPA featuring equally massive doses of Centennial and Amarillo hops. Brewed to celebrate the first day of spring, this feisty brew comes in at 6.4% ABV with 70 IBUs.
From John at Half Moon Brewery in Kokomo:
On Thursday, March 24th, we will release the Heavenly Hefeweizen.
(O.G.=1.049 ABV=5.35% IBU=13)

Other Current Seasonals are:

Golden Glory Ale
This is a golden ale made with 100% Marris Otter malt and a special blend of hops called Falconer’s Flight. The aroma of the hops comes through as a citrus-like fragrance, followed by the delicate flavor of the hops and a light to medium bodied golden delicious beer. The idea is to display the aroma and flavor character of the hops in the beer without adding a significant amount of bitterness. Enjoy!  O.G.=1.055 ABV=5.9% IBU=17

Old Reggiewig's Wee Winter Warmer
Owner Chris “Reggie” Roegner had a bottle of Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale (brown ale w/ginger, cinnamon, orange peel), and decided that Half Moon needed a winter beer that was similar. And so, Old Reggiewig’s Wee Winter Warmer was born. A strong Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy) made with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and sweet orange peel. It has the distinct aroma of ginger and cinnamon followed by a full bodied, sweet malty, and wintery spiced flavor. It’s a beer that will keep you warm for the rest of the winter.  O.G.=1.070 ABV=7.2% IBU=23
Irish Dry Stout (Seasonal)
Brewed with lots of roasted barley to give it an authentic Irish Stout flavor. A very dark, roasty, dry, creamy ale served on a nitrogen system and stout faucet. This special brew was done to have an authentic Irish beer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. However, the nitrogen system stays with us to enjoy many a creamy head forever!   O.G.=1.056 ABV=5.7% IBU=39

I also wanted to mention that Half Moon was voted "Best Of" in 8 deifferent categories for 2010 by the readers of the Kokomo Tribune. Best BBQ, Best Burger, Best Steak, Best Wings, Best Place For Family Dining, Best Place To Watch The Game, Best Place To Go And Talk With
Friends, and last but certainly not least, Best Place To Catch A Buzz.

From Charles at Upland Brewery in Bloomington/Indianapolis:
Blackberry and Cherry Lambic reservations closed in about 22 hours. We're once again honored that so many people are excited about these beers! We look forward to seeing everyone between Mar. 29-Apr 12.

Find us this Saturday at Muncie Gras! We're celebrating the holiday by pouring samples above the Heorot.


At the Bar
From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Indianapolis:
April 11th - Cigar and Whiskey Tasting. $3 pints. 
April 18th - Bloomington Brewing Company Tapping Party 
May 7th - Beer Sellar Goes Local 50 different Indiana Beers on site. More details to come soon!

From the Distributors/Reps
1) John Holl will be launching his new book “Indiana Breweries” from 6 to 9pm on April 28th at Three Wise Men Brewing. I know it’s a little early for this, but I just heard from John and thought I’d mention it. I have posted the event on the WCB events calendar.

2) As you know, Dogfish Head will be leaving Indiana. What we know now is that we will be getting one more order from Dogfish Head in the next few weeks and that’s it. Inventory concerns are likely to keep Dogfish Head out of Indiana for a good while, perhaps a couple of years. At the moment, our inventory is pretty limited and I expect it to sell in a hurry. We’ll certainly miss them, the beers and the people.

3) I will be at the Craft Brewers Conference next week and I plan to tweet and post to Facebook quite a bit. Anyone interested in following that can find me on Twitter @worldclass or on Facebook at facebook.com/WorldClassBeerIN. If folks from Indiana have questions for certain brewers or people out there, I’ll try to get them answered!

4) Liefmans Brewery beers are back in Indiana including the Cuvee Brut (Kriek), Fruitesse and Goudenband. Liefmans was gone from the US for a while but now owned by Duvel/Moortgat they are back and still brewing in their historic Oudenarde, Belgium facility. Of course, we’re tracking all the beer locations through Beer Spy at: http://in.worldclassbeverages.com/beerspy/brewery/liefmans/215/.
Upcoming Events
WHO: Chef JJ’s Back Yard, Sun King Brewing Co., GrayBull Wines
WHAT: Chef JJ’s Eggfest
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat., May 14
WHERE: Chef JJ’s Back Yard, 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., (317) 602-3828, ChefJJs.com.
COST: $25 per person, children 12 and younger free

Located in the parking lot that surrounds his private dining and event facility, Chef JJ’s Back Yard, Chef JJ’s Eggfest will feature food grilled by 30 teams on 30 different Big Green Eggs, an Iron Chef-style grilling challenge, Fresh•Local•Beer, and organic wine. Also, Sun King will tap a seasonal beer at the event!

JJ’s Back Yard will also offer egg-cellent discounts on Big Green Egg grills and accessories. Tickets are only $25 per person and include unlimited food and one drink ticket for adults of legal drinking age. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge and there will be a play area for kids.


The first ever "Bar Week" in Indy is here! From April 4th - 10th, participating bars are offering up a menu of your favorite lascivious and liberating libations at 50% off! Open to all, from open to close!
7 Days. 7 Bars. 7 events! Each night of the week, Yelp will be hosting an event open to the public!

Brew Bracket Introduces Live Tasting Tournament Featuring Local Craft Beers on April 17th; 400 Hoosiers to Vote for Best IPA in Indiana

Tickets and additional information here

16 March 2011

"None of Us are Party Planners" - An Interview with Three Floyds' Barnaby Struve

Monday, March 14th was a busy day at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana. In addition to the production of a collaboration beer with Indianapolis' Sun King Brewing (more on that later), the brewery was visited by two film crews and yours truly.

After things settled down for the day I was lucky enough to spend a few minutes with Three Floyds' Head Brewer and long-time employee Barnaby Struve. While our conversation touched on quite a few long-term brewery issues, the section below touches on something a bit more immediate: Dark Lord Day.

Tickets for the event go on sale this Saturday, March 19th. In the meantime, we hope to hold you over.


Why the changes this year? What went wrong last year, and what do you think needed to be fixed?

“That’s a Pandora’s box. The reason why we’re having changes this year is – every year we have changes. This thing grew organically. None of us are party planners but now we’ve been forced to do that because so many people come to the brewery every year.

There were 25 people the first year, 50 at the next, 200 at the next, and then 4000 and on and up, so all of a sudden we were like, ‘Wow, we’ve got to get a bunch of chemical shitters for these people, what do we do?’

The good people of Munster don’t mind us doing this but it cannot grow exponentially every year. We’re a small regional brewery that has a small parking lot and a little bit of space in our warehouse and that’s it.

It’s funny – you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. People want to come, but then they complain that there are lines. We’re like, ‘We’re going to try to manage the crowd better by making it a ticket only event so that also we know A) how many people are going to come and with that knowledge we can have the right amount of food for everyone, we can manage lines and crowds better, and B) it’ll be safer – it’ll be just a better event.

It’s so hard – we’re trying really hard to do the best thing we can to organize this thing. In order to have it go from year to year we have to limit the size. Munster is going to put up with only a certain amount of drunken revelry every year. There were somewhere around 10 to 12 thousand people here last year. We can’t have 20,000 this year and 30,000 the next year. We’re just a little brewery.

Everyone will complain about it, but they don’t realize that before the sun comes up the next day we’ve got a whole team of people out here cleaning up our entire neighborhood so that we can try to be good neighbors to the people that we live with the other 364 days a year.

I love people coming here and I want them to have a good time and I want them to bring beer and to trade beers. What other event – in previous years – what other event has been free where you could bring your own beer, you could bring your own food, the music is free. I don’t know of any other beer event ever that’s like that.

So this year, for the people that really truly care about it and that can get tickets – we just want to make it better for them. We want to make it more user friendly, we want to make sure that the longevity of the event is insured, and we want to make sure that everyone can get their beer, have a good time, trade with their friends, try Sun King beers, try Russian River beers and all the other breweries that we’re friends with and send us stuff. It’s fun. That’s the intent anyway, but sometimes people get a little upset.”


There’s this sort of feeling that Three Floyds tells you what they want to tell you—

“Absolutely! What company doesn’t?”

Is that fair?

“Is it fair? What I think, #1 – I love the fact the people care enough to obsess about it, but we have to control information because look at how many threads there are on whatever websites about Nick’s personal life or what we’ve got going on or what we’re making or releasing and all this other stuff. You have to control your message, especially when people want to know everything about it and everyone’s talking. There’s one thread that we printed out the other day that was, ‘How come I can’t find Gumballhead?’, and the response was, ‘These guys just sit around and smoke weed all day, and then when they want to make money they come in and brew a batch of beer and then sell it.’ They don’t understand that we’ve grown by over 30% every year and because... I actually just typed up a state of the brewery address to let people know what we’ve done growth-wise so they can understand us. Because as our name grows, the demand grows, and that’s actually exceeding our growth. You can only do so much. Like with regards to Dark Lord Day – it’s like when was the last time you and your nine friends held a party for 12,000 people? We’re honestly trying to do the best we can, and I think that people should not necessarily always focus on what is negative about the event, and try to come and have a good time. And if you don’t like it… I’m sorry. We’re doing our absolute best, honest-to-god.”

You don’t want to be the guy that’s like, “If you don’t like it don’t come,” but on the other hand it’s like—

“No, and I would never say that. We’ve been having weekly meetings and the sole focus of our weekly brewery meetings for the last probably three months has been just Dark Lord Day planning. Like, ‘How are we going to make it better this way in terms of how the space is organized?’ ‘How can we get the toilets to not overflow?’ ‘How can we cut down on lines?’ ‘Where can we have more food stations?’ ‘How can we make it safer?’ ‘What’s going on with this?’ ‘What’s going on with that?’ A lot of work goes into it and we like having the event. It’s the one day that we retail beer instead of wholesale it. Everyone thinks that we’re driving around in Mercedes or something but I’ll tell you what, last year’s Dark Lord Day paid for is a new 100 ton chiller that we’ve got outside that actually helps us produce more beer, which allowed for 30% growth last year. So this year, what are we going to do with it? We’re going to put a new roof on our building. And a new roof is going to cost us a ton of money.

It’s not as though we’re like, ‘HA HA HA! We are lording over the beer and we don’t want you to have this and we don’t want you to have that.’ It’s just so bizarre that people care that much.

I think it’s great, and I get maybe – it’s like a 50/50 response when I go out to events. Like some people are like, ‘Why don’t you guys do this, why don’t you guys do that?’ And they’re a little bit negative about it but – you know the dissenting voice is always the loudest. The other 50% are like, ‘Guys, I understand. I love what you do. It’s really great that you’re doing this. Don’t listen to those other people.’ And that’s what I would rather focus on is the positives out there. We’re putting a lot of beer out there. And the people that do get it? It’s great. And I want those people to keep coming and drinking the beer and if people want to be negative about it, I think they should maybe focus on something else, get another hobby besides drinking.

That was a really long rant.


That’s the thing, I don’t want this to be negative, I don’t want to say, ‘Hey if you don’t like it, don’t come, don’t drink our beer’. That’s not my intention or my message at all – we wouldn’t be where we are today without all these people’s support. And we rely on them – they’re our customers so they’re the people we want to make happy. It’s just that if we were a big giant conglomerate – a huge brewery that could take care of everyone’s needs at the United Center – no one would want to come. People like us because we’re a small regional brewery and we make limited edition beers. If we did that, if we grew, if we got a bunch of revenue and grew by 300% and had Dark Lord Day at the United Center or Soldier Field or somewhere where everyone could come get Dark Lord, no one would come, because then we would have sold out.

So it’s like this double edged sword that’s really bizarre to me, and I think – like I said – the loudest voice is the dissenting one, and for every person that complains, we have hundreds of people coming through our pub every day that really really enjoy the food that we make and really like the atmosphere and people that we are. We’re not a bunch of aloof, snooty fuckers.”

There were rumors that you considered moving the event to convention centers, was that actually a consideration or—

“It’s always been a consideration. But we can’t do it because of the archaic beer laws in this country. Like I said – we work really really hard to make the event accessible to as many people as possible. So that being said, of course we’ll look into different locations, but we can’t because we can’t sell our beer off the premises. The fact is that, yeah, the beer is $15 a bottle, but it’s been that way since we put it out. We’ve not raised the price at all, but it’s also an incredibly expensive beer to make. If we were to do that, and make short lines, and go to the convention center we would probably have to be upwards of $60-$70 because we’d have to sell it to a distributor, they’d have to sell it back to us – so it’s just – right now, this is our little brewery, and this is what we’re doing.”


A correction - Barnaby Struve's title within Three Floyds Brewing Company is Vice President, not Head Brewer as reported above.

15 March 2011

Beer Diary: Atlanta

It was a whirlwind weekend, but I won a trip to Atlanta for the SweetWater Brew Your Cask Off event, and fellow Knight of Beer Roundtable Jason and I left Indy at 6 AM on March 4th to try and drink Atlanta dry.



The first place Jason and I hit was The Porter Beer Bar. The bar is located is a very bohemian part of the city, but we had heard from multiple sources that this was a bar we needed to check out. It was a great recommendation.



The bar is a beer geek's little slice of alright. I think they had around 30 taps of all craft beer with most of that having a very Belgian and import beer theme. They also had another 6 or 8 pages of bottle selections from brewers all over the world. I was also really impressed by their proper glassware for all of their beers. I've never seen another beer bar with that type of dedication to proper glassware.



They also pass the honest beer glass test. All of their beers are spelled out and priced out for exactly what you are getting. No calling it a pint and only getting 12 oz served to you in a 14 oz shaker pint like is common here in Indianapolis.



The next bar was another Atlanta beer destination we were told to hit. We drove out to Decatur to a beer bar called Brick Store Pub. They had around 25 or so taps with a huge bottle list to go with it.



The servers knew their stuff, and again they had their beers listed with the proper size and were priced right to move. This place really seemed to pull together a really eclectic crowd, and it just goes to show the true social aspect of beer.



I felt this would be my local pub if I lived anywhere near this place. I don't mean that just because of the great beer list, but this place just had that "feeling" that great places have the minute you walk into them.




Our last stop for the day was at SweetWater Brewing Company. The liquor laws in Georgia work a little differently than they do here in Indiana. I gather that it is illegal for brewers to sell their beer directly to consumers on the premises. You have to pay for a brewery tour and then after that you get very ample samples of their delicious beer. Growler sales are also illegal in Georgia.



I was a huge fan of their entire lineup of beer. The IPA is bitter beast of a beer that I thought was really delicious. I was also a big fan of their Happy Ending imperial stout. It clocks in around 9%, but doesn't drink that way at all. It has big roasted notes, chocolate, a touch of coffee, and a pretty sizable hop presence. I also really liked their 420 Pale Ale. It would go into my rotation in the summer if I could get it around these parts.



SweetWater is doing something special down in the South. Last year they brewed 77K barrels of beer, and all of that beer is only available within three hours driving distance of Atlanta. That makes them one of the top 25 largest craft beer brewers in the US. The place couldn't be more fun as well. You can tell from the name of their beers that the people running the show like to have fun, and it shows in their operation. We need to get Clay from Sun King and Freddy from SweetWater together for a collaboration brew.