Beer and Cheese Club - August Edition

 For the August edition of the Beer and Cheese Club, we visit our old Belgian friend Delirium Tremens.  Or perhaps as it is better known, the pink elephant beer.  To pair with the pink pachyderm, we have an interesting goat's milk cheese from nearby Champagne, IL.  If you've had Delirium Tremens before, you probably are aware that it is an easy drinking, balanced Belgian ale.  Moonglo, from Prairie Fruits Farms, is certainly a cheese to match that same description - except the Belgian part.

While most beer drinkers know Delirium Tremens by name, they may not know that the brewery that produces it is Huyghe Brewery.  While the brewery structure itself dates back to the 1650s, Huyghe has only been around since 1906.  That's fairly young when compared to many Belgian breweries!  Even younger still is Delirium Tremens, being first released in 1989.  At the World Beer Cup in 1998, Delirium Tremens was declared to be the best beer in the world - a slogan that still adorns Delirium Tremens ads today.  Delirium Tremens weighs in at 8.5% ABV, but you certainly wouldn't guess that from drinking it.  

Prairie Fruits Farm was actually started by a couple of scientists - not your typical farm origin.  Moonglo is a raw goat's milk cheese that features an incredibly dense rind that was rinsed with brine and pear leaf tea.  The tea is actually made from fruit treas on the farm and the cheese itself is made from the milk of Nubian and LaMancha goats raised on the farm.  Moonglo has 2 years of age on it and while the rind is a bit tough, the cheese inside is only mildly firm.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your August 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's delivery will be a 750mL bottle of Delirium Tremens and about a half a pound of Moonglo. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

Prairie Fruits Farm Moonglo vs Delirium Tremens - science cheese! This cheese is tomme style, which means I don't know what. Nubian goats! LaMancha goats! This is crazy stuff.

Powdery, dry, rind is grassy - taken together, they're a very "farmy" combination - invoking outdoorsy, earthy, pasture-like farmy jams. I prefer it with the rind attached.

DT - An old favorite. Punchy apple cider nose, straw colored, a head that sits on top like a fingerprint. Drinking brings out candy grape flavors.

Together? Beer finishes the cheese nicely, and there's no reason to complain as they both taste lovely, but in this case I'm not sure anything is added by the mix.

Delirium Tremens is a beer carries a mild aroma that brings to mind honey, lemon, pear and cardamom. The beer itself carries a bit of a spicy character, as many Belgian beers do.  A honey sweetness complemented by preserved lemon and lavender notes rounds out the flavor profile.  While the beer is a bit warming, it doesn't warm in the same way some bigger boozy beers do.  The finish is fairly dry with a bitter sensation that is closer to pith than hops.

Moonglo reminds me slightly of a very mild cheddar with a dense unleavened bread-like rind.  While you might be apprehensive about consuming a rind this thick, I assure you the flavor is very neutral and complements the cheese well.  When combining both the cheese and beer, no big revelations or fireworks take place as with some of the other pairings we've experienced in the BCC.  The sweetness in Delirium Tremens drops out and the spicy notes come to the front, which brings out a bit of the tea notes in the dense rind.  Really these two just simply complement each other.  No one greatly enhances the other, but their flavor profiles seem to be designed to work together perfectly.

I began tasting this cheese with the rind off and it's soft-ish, tangy with a pleasant amount of salt and a hint of barnyard.  Leave the rind on and you'll get a heaping blast of that barnyard taste.  Taken with Delirium Tremens, I found that the cheese brought out the fruitier aspects of beer -- a big fruity taste lingered right on the center of my tongue -- and that you got a nice bit of pepper and clean noble hops bitterness at the end that freshened your mouth for the next bite of cheese.  This is an enjoyable pairing but it didn't wow me like some other offerings from the club.

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.

Details of the Hoosier Beer Geek New Years Party at Deano's Vino

We know you've been anxiously awaiting the details of our New Years party at Deano's Vino.

This just in!

Michael,

We finally have the beers worked out for New Year's Eve. I hope it is to your liking:

On tap at opening:
Brugge White
Bells Two-Hearted
Dogfish India Brown Ale

At 9 PM we will take the Brugge and the Bells off and put on Delirium Tremens and Dogfish 120 Minute IPA

These are both mini-kegs (about 60 pours each), so once they are gone, we will put the Brugge and the Bells back on.

Looking forward to seeing everyone. If you have any other questions, just let me know!

So there you have it - our new year's party will have two limited run huge beers. A word of warning: these will be $10 pours.

I know what you're thinking: "Ten dollars!?!?!?" I was thinking that too, at first. A few things to consider: 1) It's New Year, and our party has no cover charge. 2) Dogfish 120 and Delirium Tremens normally go for a pretty steep price - a bottle of 120 at a local retailer shows $8.99 on their website. In fact, 120 goes for $10.50 at Dogfish Head's own alehouse in Falls Church, VA. And Delirium Tremens retails for near $10 a bottle¹.

These are not normally cheap beers. And it's new year! Have one big beer, and enjoy the $4.50 Brugge, Bells, and Dogfish India Brown for the rest of the night. Or drink yourself into a stupor. It's New Year!

Another thing to remember - Deano's has an extensive and very reasonable priced beer list. So no matter what you're after (even if it's PBR...), Deano's can take care of you.

So that's it - No excuses! Come on out - 9 PM, December 31st, Deano's Vino, Fountain Square.

Beer details:

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Too extreme to be called beer? Brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full 2 hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month & aged for another month on whole-leaf hops!!! Our 120 Minute I.P.A. is by far the biggest I.P.A. ever brewed!

At 20% abv and 120 ibus you can see why we call this beer THE HOLY GRAIL for hopheads!

20% abv
120 ibu
In case you care... the average 12 oz. serving has 450 calories.

Delirium Tremens
On December 26th 1989, the famous "Delirium Tremens" was born. The particular character and the unique taste of "Delirium Tremens" result from the use of three different kinds of yeast. Its very original packing, which resembles cologne ceramics, and the colourful label contribute to its success. The label depicts the different phases of the production of "Delirium Tremens" the "Pink Elephant" was up and ready to conquer the world. To celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989, the topical beer "La Guillotine" was launched.

9.0% abv

Brugge White
Brugge White has a quenching tart background with sweet fruity finish reminiscent of tangerine and lemon.

Seafood on the menu? Pasta night? Or maybe you just finished mowing the lawn?
White is the answer to all these questions.

Ted’s Take: “This beer is ridiculously delicious!”

4.5% abv

Bell's Two-Hearted
India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and incredible floral hop aroma.

7.0% abv

Dogfish Head India Brown Ale
A cross between a Scotch Ale, an I.P.A., and an American Brown, this beer is well-hopped and malty at the same time. It is brewed with Aromatic barley and caramelized brown sugar.

7.2% abv

* * * * *

¹Granted, it's a big bottle.

Don Quixote de la Munchies, by Miguel Cerveza Sangrias

It's amazing what a little publicity will do. Last week, we're listed again in Intake Weekly (three times actually). This time, our next gathering is also publicized. We arrive at Barcelona, a new tapas bar in downtown Indianapolis, and the five Knights of the Beer Roundtable are joined by 9 squires, all of them very fit to fill the roll as our Sancho Panzas. And our Dulcinea? Good beer.

Because it is the mission of each true knight... their duty... nay, their privilege! To dream the impossible dream, to face the unbeatable foam, to beat the unbearable sobriety, to run where the drunk dare not go.

To right the undrinkable beers. To love hops and malts at the bar. To try, when your arms are too weary, to reach for a better beer! This is my Quest to follow that beer, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far, to fight for the right without question or pause, to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly brew!

Whoa, excuse me. I must be suffering from delirium tremens. Was that what Alonso Quixano suffered from? I don't normally break into Broadway musical numbers. Ask anybody who knows me.

A-hem.

Speaking of delirium tremens...

The beer of the evening was Delirium Tremens, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium. You may have seen signs for Delirium at some of the better bars. Their logo is pink elephants. How appropriate!

It's a very nice Belgian beer, with sweet and dry flavors and aromas of apples and citrus. It is cloudy with a light orange color. The best part about this beer is that it gets sweeter with time. If you let it sit and warm up, more sugary notes begin to appear. Enough to make you stop singing Man of La Mancha songs and switch to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory songs (the Gene Wilder version, not the Capt. Jack Sparrow version)...

If you want to drink paradise, simply pour a bottle and drink it...

Sorry, I'll try to make that the last musical number of this posting.

Delirium Tremens is similar to Unibroue's La Fin du Monde. I like it better than La Fin because the flavors are better layered and finished in Tremens. Having said that, I'd have to give Delirium Tremens a 3.5 mug rating. It is not my favorite beer out there, but it is one of my favorites in this category of beer.

A few quick words about Barcelona... Last night, there were quite a few patrons enjoying themselves in groups small and large. Some questioned if they would do well being right next door to the Wheeler Mission. It seems to be doing fine from that respect. The food is very tasty, though they come in small portions that this steak and potatoes guy is not used to. But that's suppose to be the idea, they tell me. The wait staff was very friendly, though still a little green. But I think that will improve with age.

They have six or eight beers on tap, though mostly the standard mega-brews. The beer list had twenty or so bottled beers, including craft brews from Indiana and beyond, including imports. The beer list was out-dated when handed to us, which is a little frustrating. It would be nice if they could keep it updated. But I'm sure that will also improve with time, given that this joint is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, you will find a beer here to fit your tastes. I mean, Bell's Oberon was on tap, and that is always nice.

I'm going to finish by saying thanks to the our esteemed guests for joining us. These three fine fellows were also in Intake's beer guide and it was great to be introduced to them (or re-introduced in my case...I went to college with two of them). They have elected to use their inner beer geek to make good beers as their hobby and, hopefully one day, their profession. Yes, they've tried each and ev'ry beer recipe on the information superhighway. But more, much more that, they brewed it their way.

Sorry, couldn't help myself...

Delirium Tremens @ BARcelona Tapas

For Knights of the Beer Roundtable Review #21, we chose to hit an establishment that Indianapolis has needed for a long, long time--BARcelona Tapas, the new Spanish tapas bar that is part of an effort to invigorate the eastern side of the Mile Square along Ohio Street. Making our roundtable special this time around were our guests. As Jason noted, we had a whopping party of fourteen for the festivities. Four of our guests simply popped in after reading last week's beer feature in INtake; three guests were the esteemed gentlemen who were also part of the INtake feature.

As a tapas aficionado as well as a beer geek, I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a tapas bar in Indy. Unfortunately, our fair city has a reputation for being slow to change, and we are well behind the curve on the tapas phenomenon. While other restaurants in the city have done tapas, they didn't do the Spanish-style dishes that are the main feature at BARcelona. Consequently, I am very grateful for BARcelona's arrival in the Circle City. It saves me the trouble of having to trek up to Chicago for Emilio's or Café Iberico, which are great restaurants in their own right but not exactly conveniently located at 180 miles to the north.

So, Hoosiers, here's a crash course in tapas. Why should you love tapas? Because they're very flavorful, served in small portions--a welcome change from the typical American restaurant, where your main course comes on a plate the size of Rhode Island--and inexpensive. The smaller portions are also conducive to sharing with friends. Everyone can order a different dish for the whole group to sample.

Tapas usually consist of hot and cold plates. The classic cold tapas plates are marinated vegetables, olives, Spanish cheeses, garlic potato salad, and serrano ham. Typical hot tapas plates include fried turnovers called empanadas, and various meat, fish, and vegetable dishes coupled with distinctive sauces. From what I sampled, BARcelona gets the food right. I tried the spinach and mushroom empanadas, the patatas bravas (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce), and some marinated mushrooms. Though not the best tapas I've ever had, all three dishes were excellent.

Accompanying my tapas was the feature beer, which was Delirium Tremens, a Belgian beer. Throwing together Spanish and Belgian fare might be considered a strange pairing--sort of like Antonio Banderas and Jean-Claude Van Damme choosing to co-star in some sci-fi/martial arts/b-grade action flick. Not so. While taking in a Banderas/Van Damme feature would undoubtedly be a total waste of a hard-earned $8.00, the pairing of spinach and mushroom empanadas and the Delirium was darn near ideal.

Like many Belgian ales, the Delirium Tremens has a huge fruity aroma, heavy with apple and plum notes. The flavor is similar to the aroma; it's fruity, malty, slightly sweet, and dry on the finish. At 9% alcohol by volume (about twice the ABV of American macrobrews), Delirium Tremens is appropriately served in a snifter, which promotes the drinker's slow enjoyment of its potent aroma and taste. I have, however, had more flavorful Belgians than Delirium Tremens. Still, this is a decent beer. I'm with Jason here--a 3.5 mug rating seems about right.

All in all, Review #21 turned out to be a fantastic evening. We ate some food unique to the Circle City, drank some Belgian suds, and forged new friendships--all thanks to the power of beer.

Brewers and beer geeks join forces. From left to right: Jason, Jason, Jim, Mike, Chris, Gina, Adam, and Brent

KOTBR Review #21: Delirium Tremens

Review 21 was unlike any other in that it was the first time we had unexepected guests; when arriving at BARcelona Tapas, we met Jeremy, Mary, Jeff and Jessica, who had read about us in INtake. We also had invited out old friends Brent, Adam, and Jason, so our numbers swelled to a total of 14 drinkers. After settling in and trying out some of BARcelona's fine food, we got down to tasting our feature beer, Delirium Tremens.

Jason gave the Tremens a 3.5 mug rating in a review that touched on everything from Don Quixote to Jack Sparrow:

It's a very nice Belgian beer, with sweet and dry flavors and aromas of apples and citrus. It is cloudy with a light orange color. The best part about this beer is that it gets sweeter with time. If you let it sit and warm up, more sugary notes begin to appear.

Jim explained tapas theory (my words, not his) and agreed with Jason that DT was a 3.5 mug beer:

...the Delirium Tremens has a huge fruity aroma, heavy with apple and plum notes. The flavor is similar to the aroma; it's fruity, malty, slightly sweet, and dry on the finish. I have, however, had more flavorful Belgians than Delirium Tremens. Still, this is a decent beer.

Mike sang in the words of the old Caucasian spiritual (the Golden Girls theme) and gave DT a 4 mug rating:

DT's nose is a fantastic thing - I could be happy just smelling the beer. Based on nose alone I'd think it was a five mug beer. Unfortunately the beer's taste doesn't quite live up to its nose - but that's not to say it isn't enjoyable. It's a flavorful experience of a beer, and begs to be really savored.

Kelly revealed that her friends and coworkers are all perverts before giving Tremens a 4 mug rating:

This beer starts out with a big carmel apple nose, and follows up with a cotton candy finish and sneaky ABV that reaches out and punks you in no time flat. A thoroughly enjoyable beer, but Belgian ales have stiff competition in the land of the Beer Geeks...

Chris "spewed forth some yada, yada, yada" and gave DT 5 mugs:

The taste is one of the most complex of any beer I've ever tried, and it has a light mouthfeel. It's got a real high ABV - 8.5% - so this is a good sipping beer. Don't drink too fast, unless you're a tubby bastard like me, then you can probably handle it. It's really one of my top 10 favorite beers.

All of the knights would like to thank our guests, Deano, and the folks at BARcelona Tapas for a fine time and some great food.

2007 Hoosier Beer Geek Review - by the numbers

The Knights should thank their livers for allowing them to review approximately 57 different brews from all over the globe (30 cities, 10 states and 6 countries) in 2007. There were 51 beers at 27 Roundtable events while the remaining six reviews were random entries (warm-up beers, diary entries). During 2007, we had two amazing parties, 1 beer with our namesake*, and were especially busy during the month of December when we did about a quarter of our Roundtable reviews (13 beers).

Beers/Locations

We rated the most beers at one time (6) during Jim's Chrismukkah celebration, which was somewhat surprising since all of the reviewed drinks had an ABV of 8% or more. The remaining 26 Roundtables commenced at 20 separate locations with Deano's, Brugge, and Badaboomz as the setting for more than one Roundtable.

Our highest rated breweries with one beer, Upland (Ard Ri) and Dogfish Head (90 Minute), had 5 mugs overall. Our highest rated brewery with more than one beer was Bear Republic with an average of 4.25 for their Racer 5 IPA and the Big Bear Black Stout. Not surprisingly, the most represented state was Indiana featuring 15 reviews from nine distinct breweries including Upland, New Albanian, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Oaken Barrel, Brugge Brasserie, Barley Island, Mad Anthony, and Three Floyds. Other states that had five or more reviewed beers were California, Michigan, and New York.

Styles

Our most reviewed style (of approximately 27), Belgian Strong Ales, had eight different beers. They were Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens and Delirium Noel, Brewery Van Steenberge Piraat, Ommegang Abbey, Bell's Batch 8000, Brugge Brasserie Imperial (I think this is considered a Belgian Strong, but I am not positive), Unibroue Signeurale, and Goose Island Demolition. They faired well overall, having an average score of 3.14, but there were seven other styles averaging a four mug or better rating (Irish Ale, Scottish Ale, Quadruples, Imperial Stout, Imperial/Double IPA, Dry Stout).

Knights

Of the seven Knights, the average rating / # of reviews (of 51 Roundtable beers reviewed):
• Chris - 3.72 / 27
• Jason - 3.69 / 29
• Jim - 3.67 / 37
• Kelly - 3.67 / 12
• Gina - 3.51 / 29
• Matt - 3.40 / 10
• Mike - 3.15 / 43

Here you can see the Knight with the most time on his hands (or the biggest lush) is Mike with 43 reviews. The highest rated beer (5 mugs) by the most knights (6 out of 7) was the 90 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head. Chris was the Knight most likely to give a five mug review, with seven beers receiving the honor (Upland Ard Ri, Delirium Noel and Delirium Tremens, He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Bear Republic Big Black Bear Stout and Racer 5 IPA). The remaining Knights were a little more reserved with their mugs, offering the highest rating to only one or two beers (with the exception of the newest Knight, Matt, who did not officially give a five mug rating to any beer in 2007). Other five mug ratings were Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Koningshoeven Quadrupel Trappist Ale, and BBC’s Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout.

We accomplished a lot this past year and met some new friends along the way. We're thankful for you and your support over the past year and we hope to bring you even more beers, events, and news for 2008. If there is something in particular you would like to see, let us know. We're always looking for suggestions.

* Sint Sylvester Vooranvond - A HBG Commemorative Ale – awesome, but no official review submitted.

Read All About It!!

Not sure if we're supposed to make this public (shhh!!), but the Knights of the Beer Roundtable are going to be a big part of the cover story on the Jan. 18th edition of INtake, which is about Indy-based bloggers. Be sure to pick up a copy. Jason even brought us some special "props" for the occasion, and you'll only be able to see those in the magazine.

We did a kick-ass photo shoot for the story today at Deano's (whose service appears to have recovered from their lull last week, and they are now back to their good old selves), and I'll be damned if we didn't have to drink two pints of Delirium Tremens and/or Delirium Nocturnum before we could get through the shoot. When the photographer arrived, we poured our first pint. While he was getting his equipment ready, we launched into an internal review of the beer amongst ourselves. By the time he was ready to shoot, most of our pints were gone, so we had to refill. 2 pints of Delirium Tremens/Nocturnum (8.5% ABV each) + 5 empty stomachs = 5 very happy & slightly buzzed beer geeks.

We were intending to actually do a real review of the beer, but I think we all got caught up in our new-found fame to take any notes on the beer to post. You know, it's tough being a big, famous, superstar these days, what with our regular media darling status and all :) (And speaking of media darling status, if you get the chance, check out the WTHR-13 Community Focus segment next Tuesday the 9th at 12:45pm to see me in action for my real job)

And today also marked the very first time that all 5 KOTBR were together. We had had 4 of us together on a few rare occasions, but never all 5.

Anyway, we think this is a good time to let our loyal readers know that we're going to be making some changes to the HBG site. First, Jason is working on a rockin' new banner and redesign of the site. Second, I'm going to turn this into a "group" blog, whereas all five of us can post directly to the site, without the other 4 having to send things to me. Third, (and this is mostly to accomodate our schedules) we are going to set regularly-scheduled days for Roundtable Reviews, beginning this month. Once we have those dates determined, we will post them on the site, as well. Our fourth change is to make a big push for our readers to join us on Roundtable nights - we want to meet you! Don't be intimidated because you don't think you can talk beer - we couldn't either when we began - but we have fun learning. And remember - we're beer "geeks", not beer "snobs". A fifth change is to get back to the basics of "Hoosier" Beer Geekdom. We're still gonna frequent Deano's, but we're also going to be doing quite a few reviews from local brewpubs, and rating more Indiana beers. So let us know if you like the changes - we know you're reading because we can tell from our SiteMeter log - so feel free to make some comments! We'll try to roll the changes out in the next couple of weeks, so bare with us.

If you threw a party, and invited everyone you knew*

*or didn't know

Hoosier Beer Geek has always been an open invite sort of thing; We're happy to have anyone who wants to drink good beer. When the most recent INtake article ran, it ran with a sidebar that extended that invitation to INtake readers.

The thing is, we've never actually had unexpected guests before. And what we do doesn't have much form - we're just drinking, after all. So when we arrived at BARcelona Tapas to find four new guests, it came as quite a surprise.

I hope that I served as a good host to our guests (Jeremy, Mary, Jeff and Jessica) - I got the feeling that they weren't exactly familiar with the blog, which meant that they didn't really know how we function - which is to say, we barely function at all. "So what do the Hoosier Beer Geeks do?" I was asked. "Well, we drink beer."

And that's pretty much the gist of it. If you come out we'll be happy to talk about beer styles, or local brewers, or what we've drank. We'll be just as happy to talk about soccer, the Colts, or music. In fact, we're a lot more likely to talk about the latter group.

* * * * *

My feelings on BARcelona Tapas are pretty similar to Jim's; I'm quite happy to have the option downtown, and everything I had was tasty. BARcelona is the sort of place that promotes the expansion of the pallet - which definitely runs parallel to the ideas behind Hoosier Beer Geek.

* * * * *

Perhaps I should have done a better job explaining to our guest the whole critical beer drinking process. Our feature beer was Delirium Tremens had a sweet, fresh, bubblegum-like nose that was intoxicating - after leaving my nose in the glass for what seemed like a good minute I began to grow self-conscious that perhaps I was putting on a show. But DT's nose is a fantastic thing - I could be happy just smelling the beer. Based on nose alone I'd think it was a five mug beer.

Unfortunately the beer's taste doesn't quite live up to its nose - but that's not to say it isn't enjoyable. Once on the tongue the almost overwhelming taste of applesauce comes through, and the applesauce taste also comes out in the nose. This is a chewy, appley beer - but not in any way like a cider. It's much too sweet for that.

Delirium Tremens is incredibly easy to drink, which can be a bad thing. Although the ABV isn't incredibly high, you will know you drank this beer. It lead to a coma-like sleep. I'd give this beer a four mug rating - it's a flavorful experience of a beer, and begs to be really savored.

My Top 20 Answers to the Toughest Question

If you're like me (and if you are, I really feel sorry for you), you tend to freak people out when they ask you what your favorite beer is. They're freaked out because they're expecting you to spout out one beer real quickly. You're freaked out because it's just too damn tough of a question, and as you try to explain to them why choosing between Optimator and Dark Lord is tough, their eyes glaze over. Quite honestly, I hate getting asked this question because I just can't give you that quick answer, and my list always changes with the more beers I try.

So I never have to answer the question again, here is my Top 20 favorites. They're listed in no particular order, because it's so tough to rank them. I did notice that my list is heavily American, with the Good Ole' U S of A making 15 of them, with 7 of those coming from Indiana breweries. The styles are all over the board, too. I've always considered myself to be a dark and malty beer drinker, but there are a whole lot of hoppy beers on here, too. So with no further ado, my Top 20:

Optimator (Spaten)
Trois Pistoles (Unibroue)
La Fin Du Monde (Unibroue)
Winter Warmer (Upland)
Dark Lord (3 Floyds)
Alpha Klaus (3Floyds)
Alpha King (3 Floyds)
Gumballhead (3 Floyds)
Two Hearted Ale (Bell's)
Oberon (Bell's)
Racer 5 IPA (Bear Republic)
Big Bear Black Stout (Bear Republic)
Hoptimus (New Albanian)
90 Minute (Dogfish Head)
The Black (Brugge)
Hop Juice (Two Brothers)
Delirium Nocturnum (Brouwerij Huyghe)
Delirium Noel (Brouwerij Huyghe)
Delirium Tremens (Brouwerij Huyghe)

Tubby Bastards Eat Pretty People in BARcelona

See, this is what happens when you're the last one to the dance - or in this case, to post your review. All the other Geeks have already said anything of any importance. But since I've been absolutely abhorent about posting my reviews lately (Have you seen the one about the Racer 5 IPA from The Bear Republic from my May trip to California? No, you haven't because I have posted it yet!), I'm going to spew forth some yada, yada, yada for your entertainment.

As you know, we went to the new BARcelona Tappas in downtown Indy. Not that we wouldn't have checked it out, but we put it higher on the list since our buddy Deano is the managing consultant here. And we've grown to love that tubby bastard (I can say that because I'm a tubby bastard, too), so we wanted to check out his new project.

It was awesome to show up and have 4 unexpected guests. I mean, we always send out an invite, but nobody really ever takes us up on it. So we had given up on you. But we've been given new hope, and we expect to see more of you coming out now that we're cool enough to be resident beer geek experts for INtake. We really dig having other beer geeks join in.

The restaurant itself appears to be quickly becoming an "it" place. Bunches of pretty people who didn't look like they were ever geeks in their lives. LOSERS! So depending on your opinion, that's either good or bad. But that was really about the only questionable aspect of the restaurant for me. Chris, the manager, was extremely helpful. They had a side room booked for us, and was as prepared as they could be with having no idea what we were going to do. I take that back - one more questionable aspect - the beer list was given to us on a folded sheet of paper for all to share, meaning they didn't have a seperate beer menu. But hey, live and let live. Hopefully, they'll fix that. But the selection on that paper was pretty decent. They had six beers on tap - Stella Artois, Paulanor Wheat, Moretti Lager, O. B. Amber, Oberon, and, well, Bud Light. They also had 20 bottles, ranging from Coors Lite to Delirium Tremens, so one hell of a range.

The food was fantastic! Since I'm on a diet anyway, the portions were perfect, and I didn't feel like I was cheating. The chicken wings that Kelly ordered may be the best I've ever had - or at least real close. And I am a chicken wing expert. In fact, I'm putting together Hoosier Chicken Wing Geek as we speak! But everything we ordered and sampled was really great stuff. I've been here for lunch once before, and both mine and my wife's dish were very tasty, too. So I can say after trying at least 7 items from the menu, that nothing has been below very good!

You know we warmed up on the Delirium. I love Delirium. My good friend Traci - of Good Beer Show fame - introduced it to me, as she did the concept of drinking good beers, when we had less gray hairs. It's nose is fruity, giving off heavy plums, similar to Unibroue beers, which I think Jason mentioned. It's very blonde, and is obviously unfiltered. Lots of sediment floating around. The taste is one of the most complex of any beer I've ever tried, and it has a light mouthfeel. The bottle is best known for being white & opaque, with pink elephants and dancing aligators. It's got a real high ABV - 8.5% - so this is a good sipping beer. Don't drink too fast, unless you're a tubby bastard like me, then you can probably handle it. I don't know if it's the taste I like so much, or the memories of some good times up in Muncie that are associated with it, but I give it 5 mugs. It's really one of my top 10 favorite beers.

If you haven't gotten the chance yet, check this place out. It's definitely worth your time.

Now let me step up on my soapbox for a second. Don't be afraid of the homeless folks the next block down at Wheeler. They may just hit you up for some change. Tell them no, and send them on, preferrably to Horizon House if you're there during the day. They have to put up with a lot of shit at Wheeler - ie, go to church service or you get kicked out for the night, even if it's winter - and they're in a bad situation. But for the most part, when you get to know them (and I did working at Horizon House for three years), they're good people who have taken some wrong roads in life.

I think I prefer Old Indiana

For Roundtable 23, Knights Jim and Chris, along with Jason B., met Gina and myself at our house for a sampling of beers from New Belgium Brewery of Fort Collins, Colorado.

New Belgium is probably most famous for their Fat Tire Amber Ale - a beer not available in Indiana, yet still widely known by Hoosier drinkers. Gina and I had picked up the New Belgium beer on a recent trip to St. Louis, and then carefully (and under constant icey-cold temperature) transported them back to Indianapolis.

The beers for review were Fat Tire, 1554, Abbey, and Tripple. My personal goal for this meeting was to see if Fat Tire was deserving of its reputation, and to find out if New Belgium is doing better in its lesser known beer.

After warm ups from Brooklyn Brewery and Dogfish Head, we started with New Belgium's 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. It had a tiny malt nose, a dark reddish tea-like appearance, and very light lacing. A taste featured light chocolate notes, and at 5.6 ABV, the alcohol wasn't overwhelming. The overriding characteristic of this beer was its smoothness. It's an extremely drinkable beer - a good beer, but just good. 1554 gets a score of 3.5 mugs.

Back in June we visited Fat Tire by way of blind taste test, but felt that the beer may have been a bad batch. Although I didn't post a review on HBG then, I did post my thoughts on my personal blog - "diaper nose, can't believe they're selling this to people".

I'm happy to say that my feelings on Fat Tire are not as strong now - but they remain negative. Fat Tire has an orangey-apple juice appearance, medium lacing, and a weak sulfury malt nose. The taste reflects those same characteristics, thought it's not as bad as I remembered. It's not an offensive taste, but certainly nothing special. Just sort of blah. I'd give Fat Tire 1.5 mugs.

Next up was the Abbey Belgian Style Ale. It featured a fantastic Delirium Tremens like nose, but instead of Tremens apple taste, Abbey has a strong banana presence. This beer has a coke-colored appearance with slight lacing, and a banana and bubblegum taste, with strong alcohol notes - at 7.0 ABV, perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. It's a very true to the Belgian style beers I've had previously, and gets better as it warms. But in the end, I've had much better beers in this style. I'd give the Abbey 3 mugs.

Our last choice from New Belgium was the Tripple Belgian Style Ale. It was not unlike the Abbey in having a fruity nose, though not nearly as strong. I picked up a slight malt note and a hint of apple that came through on the front once in my mouth. It was a very light with strong alcohol notes on the back, and a slight sourness. I'd give the Tripple a 3 mug rating as well.

All in all, I can't say that any of the New Belgium samples we had were bad beers - though Fat Tire barely crosses the line from undrinkable. These beers serve as fine samples of their respective styles, but none of them are really outstanding - and certainly not worthy of the hype. There's no reason to worry that you can't find these beers locally - you can find better choices in the products available in Indiana.

Return of Random Beer Roundup - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

Ok - I get stuff like this all the time - basically press releases for new beer and stuff that's just come available around here. Usually I don't do anything with it until we actually get a chance to review the beer - I feel a little weird emailing this stuff out to our subscriber list because it is - basically - advertising. But maybe our readers would like to see more of this kind of thing? If that's the case, let us know with the handy poll located on the right. Thanks - Mike

Firstly, and Urgently - If you like $3.25 pints of Schlafly Export IPA - and I'm guessing you've never had it before, but that shouldn't stop you - J. Gumbo's nee* Badaboomz has a special going on tonight. Free pint glass with purchase.

Inquiring West-Side Minds Want to Know - Because I know there are some of you out there on the west side of Indianapolis looking for someone to throw you a bone, I asked World Class' Bob Mack for a few suggested destinations for the beer seeker.

Mike,

That’s a good question and sometimes a hard one for me to answer, simply because there are somewhere around 10,000 licensed beer retailers in the state, so I don’t always have a good handle on this.

The west side is tough (I live there!) for good drinking spots. I usually end up downtown or at a local brewery. But a thought or two –

Badaboomz at 4930 Lafayette Road has a nice selection. They are franchised by Mike DeWeese, though the selection is not nearly so good as the old Badaboomz downtown.

My Favorite Cigar at 36 East Main in Brownsburg has a small selection, but it is a very nice environment and they do have Delirium Tremens, Belhaven Scottish, Weihenstephaner and a couple other good beers. I think they might add a beer or two in the near future as well. They have a patio out back that we are going to offer them Delirium umbrellas for. The people are very cool there.

The bar at Stone Creek restaurant in the Metropolis complex (Plainfield) has a nice little selection and a comfortable environment. They have a permanent Bell’s line (Oberon at the moment, I think) and last time I was there a couple of weeks ago they had Arrogant Bastard draft plus some good bottles. The food is good and the bar is open to anyone whether you are eating dinner or not. The people are very friendly as well. At one point not so long ago, they had an Ommegang Hennepin draft line also which I would love for them to get back.

The BW3’s across from Metropolis used to have a Two Hearted draft line and I went there for that reason, but they changed it to Oberon (which I can get anywhere!). They have a few good bottles but it is the routine BW 3’s selection, for the most part.

The Union Jack in Speedway on Crawfordsville Road usually has some good beers and seems to be getting better.

Zydeco in Mooresville has all the Abita line (I rather like Jockamo IPA) and they are usually well priced. It’s a restaurant, but a cool place to stop later in the week for a snack and a beer.

Bob Mack
World Class Beverages
2007 GABF "Craft Distributor of the Year"

As for the smoking or non-smoking policies of the previously listed locations, that I can't help with. I'm guessing My Favorite Cigar is a smoking establishment.

If Jew Couldn't Get Enough of Those He'Brew Beers - Call the pun police.

This from Mat Gerdenich at Cavalier:

We just unloaded our first shipment of the two newest Coney Island Lagers. The Albino Python a White Lager brewed with spices and the Sword Swallower a Steel Hop lager. These two new brews are making their way to the shelves of establishments that sell high quality craft beer. The original Coney Island Lager is already out there.

http://www.coneyislandlager.com/

We also got our last load of Rejewvenator. Half Dopple Bock Half Belgian Dubbel brewed with fig juice.! So you better get this while you can.

http://www.shmaltz.com/

Mat Gerdenich
Cavalier Distributing

And this from Jeremy Cowan at He'Brew himself:

yoyo mike-
i'll see you guys in indy july beer fest i hope....here's some new beers in your neck of the woods...yummm!!
take it easy!
jeremy

Doppelbock, Shmoppelbock...REJEWVENATOR is on the loose!
Half doppelbock, half Belgian-inspired dubbel brewed with nearly 500 gallons of the juice of the sacred Fig. Shmaltz Brewing's first ever harvest to harvest offering....a new HE'BREW Beer season to rejoice. L'Chaim!

Here's what those look like:



To Borrow a Line From Schalfly - It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore - We'll be posting our review of Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast shortly, but in the meantime, if you're looking:

We got some in last week and it is making its way to the usual spots Hop Shop, Party Pack Hots Shotz etc. Nothing else new came in for Mikkeller or Struise but we did jet more Jackie Brown, Black as well as others.

Mat Gerdenich
Cavalier Distributing

I'm a Little Late to This Party - Back in late May, the New York Times - surely your #1 beer review source - did a write-up on bitters - a perfect summer beer. Be careful of people reviewing beers in newspapers. Especially if they're named Jason. Oh yeah. Here's that article.

You May Have Seen the Beer, Now See the Youtube Video: Ladies and Gentlemen, Pizza Beer. Which, by the way, isn't bad at all.


*For a good time, check out the nee entry at wikipedia.

The Drinking Tour of Flanders

Good beer and bicycling go hand in hand. In America, there's nowhere that serves as better evidence than cycling/craft beer capital of Portland, Oregon. Portland not only has the most breweries/brewpubs per capita in the United States, it is also well known as a cycling mecca, and despite 55 days with measurable precipitation a year is ranked first in bicycle commuting among the 30 largest cities in the United States.


If you were to imagine Portland as a country, perhaps your best choice would be Belgium. Bad weather, bicycling and fantastic beer are all part of the Belgian identity. Once a year Belgians gather to celebrate the combination of those elements in the Ronde van Vlaanderen (or Tour of Flanders) spring classic bike race.


The Ronde (along with Ghent-Wevelgem and Parix-Roubaix) is perhaps most famous for its route on the cobbled backroads of southern Belgium. These brutal cobbled sections break men and bicycles alike, leaving only the hardest of hard men at the front in battle for the title of Ronde van Vlaanderen champion. Perhaps it is fitting that this year's Tour of Flanders will be held on Easter (5pm ET, Versus):

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

We are not professional cyclists. We are fans and drinkers. Drinking along with the Tour of Flanders route is our own way of the cross.

Beer 1) The route starts just outside of Brugge, namesake of Indiana's Brugge Brasserie, so perhaps a bottle of Brugge White, Black, or Tripel might make for a fitting introduction.


Beer 2) Route continues through Hooglede, just 17 kilometers from Esen, home of De Dolle Brouwers.

Beer 3) The route passes through Lendelede, just 6 or so kilometers south of Ingelmunster, home of Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, makers of Kasteel Rouge.


Beer 4) Route passes through the region Wallonne and heads north at Russeignies, about 26 kilometers north of Pipaix, home of Brasserie Dubuisson Frères, makers of the Scaldis lineup of beers.

Beer 5) Route passes through Brakel, just 32 or so kilometers south of Melle, where the Brouwerij Huyghe produces Delirium Tremens and Delirium Nocturnum.


Beer 6) Race finishes at Meerbeke, a 21 kilometer straight shot from Brussels' Sint-Jans-Molenbeek neighborhood, home of Brasserie Belle-Vue (which I could have sworn I've seen in local liquor stores). But since we can't get that here in Indiana, we'll look north (still only 52 kilometers from the finish) to Breendonk and Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, makers of Duvel.

If you've kept up with the race, hopefully you'll be with me in celebrating a win by Cervelo Test Team. And if you've kept up with the beer, there's a good chance you passed out and didn't make it to the end of the race. No need to worry, Paris-Roubaix (the king of the classics) is only a week away.

Having never been to Belgium, I can't say this is entirely accurate. I definitely appreciate any comments or corrections. In this case I stuck to beers and breweries with beer available in the United States (Indiana in particular).

Beer Diary - Mike

I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise that we do a fair bit of beer tasting on our own outside of Hoosier Beer Geek - a process I justify by calling it "research". In order to justify all that research, I try to take notes here and there as a way of cataloging my consumption. Here are those notes from the past few months - my beer diary.

If you've had any of the beers here and would like to discuss what you thought of them, please leave a comment.

Current Favorite and Recommended Beers (no particular order):

Brugge Beer (or Brasserie's) Black
Dogfish Head 60 + 90 Minute IPAs
Left Hand Milk Stout
Founders' Rubaeus - Even if you don't drink "fruity beers", it's definitely worth trying - especially when it starts to warm and gets creamier. I can't get enough of this stuff lately.
Franziskaner Hefeweizen - I'm just starting my discovery of the style - please recommend a hefe if you know of a great one.

WHAT I'M DRINKING:

14 August 2007 Location: Oaken Barrel, Greenwood, IN

Oaken Barrel Alabaster Belgian White - $2 pints! Served with an orange slice - usually when someone puts a piece of fruit in my beer I'm annoyed, but it's their beer, and they're brewing it, so the orange slice stayed. Light yellow color, slight lacing which was enhanced once I threw the whole slice in the glass. A light summery beer. Not worth writing home about, but not too bad. I'd drink it again.

Oaken Barrel Indiana Amber - Drank half of Gina's glass. Darker red color, almost cola-like. Hoppy front that finishes with a nutty brown ale sort of flavor. Pretty much right up the middle between an IPA and a brown ale. Not bad, not great, not very full bodied. I can't say I drink a lot of ambers, but I wouldn't have thought this was very true to style. Different, anyway.

09 August 2007 Location: Home

Clipper City Heavy Seas Hang Ten - It was late, and my calorie count was probably where it should have been, but I couldn't stop drinking soda and juice and everything else (note: try water) so I thought "what the hell". I'm trying to rid my fridge of beer, to be honest.

The label reads "unfiltered wheat beer in German style" so I was surprised at the punchy belgian-style nose. Very cloudy, caramel brown/orange color. Gina said "corn" and I agree - a bit of a cream corn taste. Strong alcohol, a bit fruity as well. Pretty good, but I only finished half. Would buy again, I think. Worth sharing.

06 August 2007 Location: Home

Unibroue 16 - Belgiumtastic, metallic, punchy, really metallic. And did I mention metallic. The bottle maybe? Punchy. Needs to warm.

This is a real burner. Tart, but in a weird way... almost like a tart feeling on the back of the tongue.

Hmm. Good, not great.

Note: I don't know how much I've eaten today, but it must not be much, because half a glass of this makes me feel like I'm being eaten by the couch. Usually I don't notice how much I've drank until I stand up... not the case currently.

I'd buy this again.

05 August 07 Location: Home

Summit Maibock - blah, and then once warmed, a slightly more interesting blah. Maybe if I was in the mood. A beer-tasting beer.

04 August 07 Location: Buddy Nate's House, Trenton IL:

Avery Saison (was it the Twelve?) - potpourri, spicy, overwhelming, didn't finish the glass

Delirium Noel - Delirium's Christmas Beer, same style as Tremens, overripe apple, punch in the mouth, I'd rather have Tremens

03 August 07 Location: Sidney Street Cafe, St. Louis, MO:

Franziskaner Hefeweizen - Bananas bananas, better and fuller when warmer, good stuff

19 June 07 Location: Home

Celis Grand Cru - Sweet nose that reminds me of Brugge's black - hints of apple and maybe bubblegum, clear bubbly golden appearance, no head.

I tried this cold out of the fridge and felt that it started very promising and then whacked me over the head with the alcohol...

Warmed up it's a little bit more mild, but the alcohol still comes out - almost overwhelming the taste of the beer, which hints at apple and bubblegum before the alcohol punch. The taste sits on the tongue after the swallow and doesn't really let up. I suppose this is what they call a "chewy" mouthfeel, in that it doesn't really go away.

All in all, it's just too much, really.

18 June 07 Location: Home

Dogfish Head Midas Touch - Grape almost grape koolaide nose, bubbles like champagne, no head or lacing, champagne coloring, champagne-ish bite, not hoppy, tight almost sour aftertaste that doesn't leave the tongue. Sits uneasy in the stomach. No thanks.

17 June 07 Location: Home

Breckenridge Vanilla Stout - Deep Red color, full head and lacing, vanilla coke, vanilla ice cream float-like nose, very very smooth, mild alcohol taste, very well balanced with no dominant flavors jumping out. no residing aftertaste. leaves a sweet odor/taste on the glass. not bad, not outstanding.

Introducing Zing!

In just a few short weeks, downtown Indianapolis' newest independent restaurant, Zing, will be opening. The two-floor restaurant is housed in a classic old building at the corner of West St. and Indiana Ave. that was most recently home to a restaurant called Payton's Place. In the process of a complete rehabilitation of the building, a wrap around outdoor seating deck was added to the second floor.

Other photos of the exterior work are available here.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to take a look at the inside of the not-quite-finished restaurant and have a chat with the owners about their beer menu. They were good enough to allow me to snap a couple pictures at the same time.

The second level bar.

The beer selection at Zing will be eight beers on draft and an assortment of 25 bottles. That's not going to blow away the menus at the biggest beer bars around town, but that's a solid number. Taps are located on both the upper and lower levels of the restaurant and they plan to have the following beers on draft at their opening:

Bell's Oberon
Oaken Barrel Amber
Guinness
Blue Moon
Stella
Sam Adams
Bass
Bud Light

A very respectable selection. Would we like to see more beers from microbreweries? Sure, but this is a very good middle-of-the-road assortment that hits on many different beer styles and avoids having a tap stand completely full of macro light lagers. And if enough people show up and start asking for more craft beers, I'm sure they'd be willing to adjust their menu!

Another seating space on the south end of the second floor.

As for bottled beer, they're planning to have 25 bottled beers on hand. A sampling of the beers to be available includes:

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Barley Island Barfly
Affligem Blond
Goose Island Honkers Ale
Brooklyn Lager
Delirium Tremens

To find out about the rest of their selection, you'll just have to stop in after they've opened.

The outdoor seating area, looking southeast along Indiana Ave.

Zing will have seating for 150 inside and an additional 120 outside when weather permits. Alternatives to beer include a wide array of 50 wines as well as a martini menu, all of which will be collected with the beer options in a separate drinks menu. As for the food menu, word is that it will feature small-plate dining with "American, French, Mexican, Portuguese and Italian cuisine." Plates will be about $7-11. The owners are shooting for a Grand Opening around Labor Day weekend, so stop on by and welcome Zing to town!

(More photos of the inside of Zing are available here.)

Reminder: HBG New Year's Party at Deano's Vino tomorrow

Hopefully you're already planning on attending, but just in case you're not - don't forget our New Year's Party at Deano's Vino (1112 Shelby St, Indianapolis (317) 423-3154) tomorrow night! Even if you're on your way somewhere else, no cover means it's easy to stop on in and have a pint or two.

We'll be kicking things at off at 9PM in our special way with limited pours of Dogfish 120 Minute IPA and Delirium Tremens ($10/pour), an all you can eat buffet ($15), and DJ Phil.

Hope to see you there.

Exceeding all expectations

As it appears that I'm the first of us awake on this first morning of 2008, I'll also be the first to offer my thanks for the amazing generosity shown to us at last night's New Year's Eve party at Deano's Vino. Before I do that, however, I think my colleagues would agree with me when I say that we had an incredible time at the party and were truly heartened to see so many people turn out to celebrate the arrival of the new year with us (and sorry about the lack of live blogging last night--we figured no one was at home reading anyway, and we couldn't get the wireless to connect).

My thanks go to--

- faithful Hoosier Beer Geek readers and fellow beer geeks who came out last night. You are the reason we do what we do here at HBG, and we are extremely grateful for your camaraderie and support.

- my fellow Knights of the Beer Roundtable. I feel truly blessed to have become friends with you over the past year. Whether it's an argument with Jason over whether The Breakfast Club is a chick flick, a geeky chat with Matt about our mutual zombie movie fetish, a talk with Mike and Gina about Fulham Football Club, a discussion with Kelly about the best indie rock acts of the year, or a soliloquy by Chris on the finer points of a certain kind of cinema (ahem), you all keep me endlessly entertained. As Chris is fond of saying after having a few, "I love you, man!"

- Deano, Jody, Paul, Nick, Laura, and the rest of the Deano's Vino crew for hosting us. Your hospitality and, shall we say, unpredictability (in a good way, of course) always keep us coming back to you for more fun. And thanks especially to Deano for not showing his ass to the crowd as he did at Oktoberfest.

- Ted, Charlie, and everyone else at Brugge Beer for the Brugge swag and the phenomenal Sint Sylvester Vooranvond Ale. We all marveled at the silky and mellow drinkability of this outstanding blonde Belgian ale. A beer geek couldn't ask for better beer friends than you guys. You are brewers par excellence and a huge asset to the Indiana craft beer community.

- Bob Mack of World Class Beverages, who was our beer savior last night when he was able to procure more Delirium Tremens and Bell's Two Hearted Ale after the first kegs of these beers were blown. Bob, we owe you big time.

- DJ Brian Jones for spinning his trademark '80's punk and new wave hits for us and for packing the dance floor with partygoers. I think all will agree with me as I now dub Brian, "The Official DJ of Hoosier Beer Geek" (TM).

- lastly, Tyler Durden and Project Mayhem for providing us with the tagline for the night ("Welcome to Fight Club!"). Don't ask me why this became the tagline. I still don't understand it, but ask anyone who knows us or who has read our reviews and they'll tell you that we're bizarre like that. Maybe Kelly, who was the progenitor of this catch phrase, can give you some reason why we shouted this when people walked into the bar last night.


And of course, I've just broken the first two rules of Fight Club ("You DO NOT talk about Fight Club.").

May you all have a prosperous and sweet New Year!

Two things about Zing!

Last August, Knight Chris introduced us to Zing!, a small plates restaurant and bar at the corner of Indiana Avenue and West Street in downtown Indianapolis. There are two things we wanted to bring to your attention.



First, their beer menu. According to their website, it includes:

Draft beer:
Stella Artois 4.75
Guinness 5.75
Blue Moon 4.75
Sam Adam’s Seasonal 5.00
Bass 4.75
Bell’s Seasonal 4.75
Three Floyds Alpha King (Indiana) 5.00
Brugge White (Indiana) 5.00

beer flights
[ Draft Only • Three 5oz. portions ]
choose any three 8.00

Bottled beer:
Barley Island Barfly IPA (Indiana) 4.75
Three Floyds Gumballhead Wheat Ale (Indiana) 5.00
Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale (Indiana) 4.75
Upland Wheat (Indiana) 4.50
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA 4.75
Goose Island Honker’s Ale 4.75
Victory Prima Pils 4.75
Flying Dog Gonzo Porter 5.00
Shiner Bock 4.75
Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat 3.75
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 4.50
Killian’s Irish Red 3.75
Sam Adam’s Lager 3.75
Delirium Tremens Belgian Strong Ale 9.00
Affligem Blond 6.00
Linderman’s Framboise 10.00
Piraat Belgium Strong Ale 10.5% 8.00

There are other domestic and import beers available. Of particular interest, on Tuesdays (like today) they have a special: Hoosier Beer Night. All Hoosier Beers are $3. Sounds like a good time for Hoosier Beer Geek to visit. Maybe around 8:30pm tonight.

Secondly, on April 26th, at 6pm, Zing! will be hosting a seven course beer dinner. The cost is $30. RSVP at 317.636.7775, or at zingrestaurant.com. This can either be a great finish to a great beer weekend (Dark Lord Day is that weekend) or the highlight for those without Golden Tickets. Either way, food and beer equals fun. The menu submitted to us is below and is subject to change:

Course 1
Gaspacho with avocado creme fraiche and grilled goat cheese crostini soup
Bell's Oberon

Course 2
Grilled Vegetable salad with cappacolla, genoa salami, and provolone
Three Floyd's Gumballhead

Course 3
Asian meatballs with glass noodles and soy lime drizzle
Brugge White

Course 4
House made crab cakes with spicy remoulade
Three Floyd's Alpha King

Course 5
Chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and simmered in a sweet pepper tomato sauce
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Course 6
Cappacolla wrapped pork tenderloin pepper crusted and served with savory bread pudding and mustard sauce
Piraat Belgian Tripel IPA

Course 7
Chocolate pots de creme topped with fresh whipped cream and candied ginger
Flying Dog Gonzo Porter

Random Beer Roundup - The Dark Lord Awaits Edition

I am looking for a couple licensed pouring volunteers for an evening event in Fishers on Saturday, June 12th. If you are interested, please let me know!

*****

Be sure to say hi if you are up in Munster this weekend!

*****

Congratulations to Dustin Boyer, who is moving on from Spencer's to a new and exciting position at Sun King Brewery. We wish we could be there tonight to toast you in person! Congratulations!

*****

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!

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, April 23rd at Spencer's Stadium Tavern: Dustin's Last Pour - Wish Dustin farewell to Spencer's and hello to a new opportunity at Sun King.

Saturday, April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Day

Wednesday, April 28th at the Chatterbox: Sun King Tasting (more info below)

Thursday, April 29th at Chef JJ's Backyard: Sun King Brewer's Dinner (more info below)

Thursday, April 29th from 5 - 8 PM at Keg Liquors in Clarksville: Stone Beer Tasting

Saturday, May 22nd at the Lake County Fairgrounds Industrial Building: Illiana Mayfest

Saturday, June 5th at Keg Liquors in Clarksville: Fest of Ale (more info below)

Saturday, July 17th at Opti Park in Broad Ripple: Indiana Microbrewers Festival (VIP Tickets are available NOW, regular admission/DD on sale May 17th)

More news and events can be found on Indiana Beer

What's Brewing

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:

On tap at LBC this weekend:

Ouiatenon Wit Bier; Prophet's Rock Pale Ale; East Side Bitter; Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale; Tippecanoe Common Ale; Eighty-Five; Black Angus Oatmeal Stout; How Now Brown Ale and Star City Lager. We're also pulling cask-conditioned Dibgy's Irish Stout from the beer engine.

On the entertainment front, we've got another spectacular show set for this Saturday: Mom & Pop Productions present the Legendary Shack Shakers. Led by their wildly charismatic, rail-thin frontman/blues-harpist, J.D. Wilkes, the Shack Shakers are a four-man wrecking crew from the South whose explosive interpretations of the blues, punk, rock and country have made fans, critics and legions of potential converts into true believers. You don't want to miss this band! Show time 9 pm.

From Clayton at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

Events:

Dustin's Last Pour - Friday, April 23rd

Spencer's Stadium Tavern

Lots of Sun King Beers

4 p.m. - Close

Sun King Tasting @ The Chatterbox - Wednesday, April 28th

Sample 5 Sun King Beers with Fruits, Veggies, Cheeses & Choice of Grilled Kabob for $19 per person

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! email david@chatterboxjazz.com for reservations

Brewer's Dinner - Thursday, April 29th

Chef JJ's Back Yard

5 Courses of freshly grilled goodness paired with Sun King Beers

www.chefjjs.com/brewers-dinner/ for reservations

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:

On Saturday the 24th, those of you who can't make it to Dark Lord Day can find the Upland festival bus at the Story Inn Wine Fair in Nashville, IN. We're hoping to open the eyes of wine drinkers to the flavor and diversity of craft beer, and we could use a few staunch supporters to get the party started.

At the Bar

From Neal at Pizzology in Carmel:

Friday we are bringing in Tyranena Scurvy Extra IPA and Two Brothers Anniversary Ale, Monarch White Ale.

You know...if you care and stuff.

From Lauren at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:

We tapped Delirium Tremens and Sam Adams Summer Ale at Scotty's Brewhouse Bloomington.

We tapped Sam Adams Summer Ale at Scotty's Brewhouse Muncie.

Carry Out

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

Here is the latest from Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

Events:

Stone Brewing Beer Tasting at Keg Liquors. Join us on April 29th from 5 - 8 PM as Keg Liquors welcomes Stone Brewing in for a special beer tasting featuring some of their great beers.
5th Annual Keg Liquors Fest of Ale, June 5th from 3 - 7 PM. 30+ Breweries, 3 Craft Beer Distributors, 4 Fine Wine Distributors, over 150 craft and import beers, wine, food, charity silent auction and beer raffle and more! http://www.kegliquors.com/fest_of_ale.html for more details

New Products:

Avery - Maharaja Imperial IPA (Colorado)

New Holland - Dragon's Milk Strong Ale Now in 4 packs! (Michigan)

Southern Tier - Jah*va (New York)

Leinenkugel - Summer Shandy (Wisconsin)

Southern Tier - Krampus (New York)

Southern Tier - Oak Aged Unearthly (New York)

New Holland - Imperial Hatter (Michigan)

New Holland - El Mole Ocho (Michigan)

Ommegang - Witte Now in 4 packs! (New York)

Clipper City - Heavy Seas Letter of Marque (Maryland)

Tyranena - Scurvy IPA (Wisconsin)

From Josh at UPL at County Line & Meridian (southside):

Some new items in stock-

Southern Tier 22oz Bombers-

Unearthly IPA

Oak Aged Unearthly IPA

Hoppe Imperial extra pale ale

Back Burner Barleywine

Iniquity Black ale

Jahva Stout

Southern Tier IPA & Phin & Matt's pale ale 6-packs

New Holland Envious & El Mole Ocho Bombers

New Holland Mad Hatter & Imperial Hatter

Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout (very limited supply)

Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA

Tyranena Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown

Tyranena Legendary 12 pack

Redhook 8-4-1 Expedition Imperial Brown ale

Widmer Prickly Pear Braggot

Heavy Seas Letter of Marque Rye Porter

From Corrie at Goose the Market in Indianapolis:

New in the cellar at Goose the Market...

Wisconsin's Tyranena may still be new to Indiana, but they so totally get us. Hoosiers like pirates, and so, logically, hate scurvy. That's just the first reason we like Tyranena's IPA brewed with orange peel. Their brewmaster is seen as first mate(y) on the label of their Scurvy, and it tastes good, too.

Avarently, sving is uvon us...so it's time for delicious Avril from Dupont, a farmhouse ale that verfectly fitting for svring.

We give a gold star to North Coast's Blue Star, an unfiltered American wheat beer. Summertime, and the livin' is easy.

Oh, this Samurai comes in a six pack...not Seven Samurai...but still, it's refreshing and goes down easy. Well done, Akira Kurosawa (and Great Divide).

From Eric at 21st Amendment in Broad Ripple:

Stop by your local 21st Amendment to get ready for Dark Lord Day 2010. To help you warm up your palate we're running a special on all Three Floyds 6 packs. Don't forget to impress your out of state beer geeks with some wonderful local products. I'd suggest the Upland Variety pack and a few random six packs of Barley Island and Oaken Barrel. See Ya in Munster!

Trip Opportunities

From Ron Smith:

Guided Beer Vacations to Belgium and Germany!

Now through the end of April (about the next 2 weeks) is the timeframe where I need to get firm commitments from people. You can read about my Belgium Trip here (http://www.beermba.com/belgium-beer-vacations.php) and my Germany Trip here (http://www.beermba.com/germany-beer-vacations.php). There is also some general information here (http://www.beermba.com/beer-vacations.php). These are great trips designed to maximize the enjoyment of beer lovers that want to see these parts of the world without all the stress, planning, etc. While being primarily beer-focused, we also break it up and visit many of the usual tourist sites as well. Thus, even non-beer lovers will really enjoy them, but the true beer lover will be in heaven on these trips.

News around the web:

Rita Kohn's upcoming book, True Brew, is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.