Follow up to "Can a great restaurant serve mass-market beer?"

Many of our readers read Hoosier Beer Geek through our email subscription option, so you may have missed out on the lively conversation that happened in the comments following the entry titled "Guest Post: Roger A. Baylor, The Potable Curmudgeon - A thread: Can a great restaurant serve mass-market beer?"

Luckily, some of Indianapolis' finer chefs stopped by to chime in on the subject. And perhaps as a result, both Neal at L'Explorateur and Eli over at H2O Sushi announced plans to hold beer dinners.

We now have some details on the L'Explorateur dinner, thanks to Indianapolis food blog Feed Me/Drink Me:

Beer and Food Symposium: And as promised, on Wednesday, February 27 Neal is also putting on the first of what he hopes could be many beer dinners at L'explorateur -- five courses paired with craft beer. If you were interested in the fine dining discussion here or over at Hoosier Beer Geeks, make your reservation! $65 per person (plus tax and tip)

We've also followed up with Eli at H2O - he's currently working with our friends over at World Class Beverages to put something together. We'll let you know when more details surface.

Indiana Craft Beer & Food Symposium Menu and Details

The conversation that led to the symposium has now led to the menu.

L’explorateur
Welcomes you to the First Annual
Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium

Frank Boon Gueuze
Stinky Fondue | Rabbit Sausage Meatballs
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Brugge Black
Chilled Oyster | Oyster Tempura | Black Oyster Stew with Pearls
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Czech Pilsner
Loup De Mere | Hot Buttered Popcorn | King Crab Salad
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Broad Ripple Brew Pub Ankle Biter Barleywine
Curried Leg of Lamb | Cassis and Cassia Lentils |
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Brugge Triple de Ripple
Banana Pot Crème


Chef Neal Brown explains:

A few things of note, this is not your ordinary beer dinner. But as many of you know, we aren't known for ordinary. Because of the context of the discussions on Hoosier Beer Geek about beer being a part of the fine dining experience, I really felt strongly about making this a very progressive, fine dining affair. Thats not to say "stuffy" or "pretentious", but an example of where fine dining is across the globe.

We are at about half capacity for the dinner and I am sure that once Ted sends it out to his list, Braingirl posts it on her Blog, and it goes live on Hoosier Beer Geek it will sell out. We are capping the event at 30 but will have a little flexibility there.

Thanks for your patience. We are really looking forward to this dinner, I have done some snooping around online and have found nothing as unusual as these pairings, so it will be a very unique, thought provoking and delicious experience.

All six of us here at Hoosier Beer Geek plan on attending, so we hope to see you there. Don't worry, we're as intimidated by that menu as you might be. But we were that way with beer once, too.

Reservations can be made at L'Explorateur through this link or by calling (317) 726 6906. Cost is $65 per person (plus tax and tip). Come on out and support those who support expanding the palate - and better beer.

R Bistro/Three Floyds beer dinner follow up: Neal from L'Explorateur weighs in

After posting my thoughts on the recent Three Floyd's/R Bistro beer dinner, I left a comment on the blog of Chef Neal Brown of L'Explorateur, seeking out his thoughts on the differences between his Indiana Craft Beer Symposium and the Three Floyds dinner.

Neal was kind enough to weigh in with his thoughts on his blog, Babelfish Tartare. He points out the difficulties in working with a distributor when doing a beer dinner, and gives a nice bit of insight into the whole process. It's easier to appreciate and understand the difficulties in putting together a beer dinner when given some background.

One point Neal makes: "American beers, in my opinion are way to assertive to be very food friendly...Three Floyds being an excellent example."

I'm not sure I agree with him there. Hopefully he can join us for a roundtable sometime, when I think we could prove that American beer has the ability to work just as well as those from out of country.

Bloomington's new better beer (and food) option

It wasn't that long ago that we were talking about better beers at finer dining establishments. And we ended up with a great discussion that included those from Indy's cream-of-the-crop restaurants like L'explorateur, H2o Sushi Bar, and Meridian. We know that Neal at L'explorateur is going to do a food and beer dinner on February 27th and Eli at H2o Sushi Bar will be offering one on March 10th. Prices and menus for both have not been set yet.

I should also point out that Badaboomz Downtown, as part of the Devour Downtown event, is offering a $30 dinner that is paired with beers. It runs through Saturday, February 2nd.

Elsewhere in the state, much has been made of celebrity chef Daniel Orr's return home to Indiana. He has just opened a restaurant and market called FARM Bloomington and I want to point out that he has a stellar beer menu. Just another chef who really appreciates craft beer.

On draft they have: Upland Wheat, Rogue Dead Guy, Bloomington Brewing's Quarryman Pale, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Bluegrass Brewing's Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout, Stella Artois, and Guinness. Their bottle list is very nice as well. Looks like another place for beer geeks to try out.

First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium | Jason's Notes and Grainy Photos

Anyone who lurks around the local foodie blogs and websites know that Chef Neal Brown's L'Explorateur is a well regarded contemporary restaurant that has quickly become a favorite of many. So I was excited to attend the Beer and Food Symposium, not only for the beer dinner, but to experience Chef Neal's culinary creations for the first time.
Not wanting to look like a bunch of rubes, we opted not to bring in the big cameras. But thankfully, my training from being a former CIA operative came in handy as I had my little camera phone with me and took many recon photos of the evening. Including this very grainy photo of who I believe to be Ted Miller of Brugge, who collaborated with Chef Neal on the beer pairings.
I could probably sell this photo to the National Enquirer as a photo of Bigfoot. Damned low lighting!

First Course
Frank Boon Geuze from Belgium's Brouwerij Boon. Gueuze is a beer style that mixes old and new lambics, a common practice that is paralleled in the scotch world. The old lambics provide a well aged flavor while the new provides the bubbles and little extra sour flavors. I'm not big into sour flavors, but this Boon Geuze (which how the brewery spells it) has been my favorite lambic to date. A light champagne aroma with fruit notes, it is still sour to taste.
Rabbit Sausage Meatballs (shown missing a meatball) on a slice of pear with "stinky Italian cheese" and Chimay beer fondue. The meatball had more fattiness than I was expecting, which is a good thing; the flavor is in the fat. The fondue wasn't THAT stinky and had a very deep flavor.

The pairing was inspired by a traditional cooking of rabbit in gueze. The beer cuts through the fat of the meat and cheese; the fat of the food cuts through the sourness of the beer; and the pear works with the fruit notes of the beer to pull it all together.

Second Course
Black from Brugge's Terre Haute brewery. It has a very clean smell with notes of chocolate, fig, raisins and plums. There was a bit of sweetness to the fruit.

It was paired with a trio of oysters, which I don't have a photo of. Because I ate the photo after I ate the oysters. I love oysters. I was excited about this course. I wanted more. So I ate the photo as well. And it was delicious.

But imagine: a small raw oyster on a half shell with a bit of shallots on top sitting on top of a bed of sea salt. To the right of it is a deep fried oyster in a tempura batter with a dab of black caviar on top. And to the right of that a cup of black oyster stew with carrots, celery, and onions in a velvety soup with a dash of Black.

Oysters, mussels, and dark beers are a traditional combinations. Ted explained that they were brought together by the use of oyster shells in the process of buffer the pH of the water in preparation for brewing. Ted is a regular Bill Nye of the brewing arts. The saltiness of the oysters cut through the roastiness of the Black, giving way to the beer's dried fruitiness, which paired well with the oysters.

Third Course
Krusovice Imperial Czech Lager from the Kralovsky Pivovar Krusovice (or the Royal Brewery of Krusovice...which is why "Imperial" is in the name). Classified as a Czech Pilsner at Beer Advocate, this is what Budweiser and other domestic mass produced American beers should taste like. A very light beer, it has some light fruity notes, making is like a watery lambic without the sour notes. This could be a regular summer beer for me.
Chef Neal prepared a loup de mere, which was pan fried with the skin side down. For presentation purposes, the fish was sliced, serving the crispy skin on top of, but separate from, the moist meat, which caused Chris to ask if he was actually eating two different fishes. But serving them apart like this emphasized the different ways of preparing the fish. They sat on top of asparagus and a beautiful buttery sauce. The fish was topped with a crab salad that could stand to be served on it's own on a crusty roll. It was topped with a piece of popcorn.

This was an interesting pairing, in that half of the geeks said the malt of the beer came out more with the fish dish and the other half felt the fruit flavors came popping out of the beer. I sided with the latter, making them right. We discussed what other beers would go well with this dish. Many were suggested: lambics, IPA's, German wheats. I suggested a dark beer, like the Brugge Black, which pairs well with the saltiness of the fish and crab. Ted and Broad Ripple Brewpub's Kevin agreed with me; smart move on their part.

I'm such a cocky bastard...

Course Four
Ankle Biter Barleywine from Broad Ripple Brewpub. Tasting this, I though of Rice Krispies, not because of the cereal, but because of the ton of the sugar I would throw on it before eating it. The barleywine has a sweet, fruitty, and floral aroma. It tasted of caramel and butterscotch and was so, so smooth. My favorite stand alone beer of the night.
It was paired with leg of lamb, covered in curried, cooked rare, served of a bed of lentils and a tomato sauce. This dish brought out the carnivore in me. I love curry. I love meat. And I loved the tomato sauce served with this. After discussing the protocol of manners in a fine dining establishment, everyone agreed that since this is a beer dinner, and beer is the drink of the common man, it was more than appropriate to pick up the lamb bone and gnaw the remaining tidbits of meaty goodness of it.

This was a bold and challenging pairing, which Ted gave all the credit to Neal on this one. Most think IPA or other strong spiced beers to go with curry. But instead of complimenting, they fight for your attention. In this pairing, the beer brings out the complexity of the food's spices and the food deepens the caramel flavor of the beer. Neal added to the marriage of beer and food by using currants in his dish to further compliment the beer. By far, this pairing was the most successful of the night in spite of the degree of difficulty.

Course Five
Tripel de Ripple from Brugge. At this point, we are all having a great time and are a bit silly. All we could say about this beer "This shit is Bananas! B! A! N! A! N! A! S!". Apologies if the song is now stuck in your head.
Banana Pot Creme. Banana Creme covered with chocolate, topped with whip cream and a graham cracker. I'm thinking Boston Cream Pie deconstructed.

This is a pretty easy pairing, though oddly enough, the dessert cut the banana flavor of the beer and brought out the other fruit and spices of this wonderfully intoxicating Tripel.

At first, the $65 may seem like much. But I'm telling you, it was a BARGAIN! This is, by far, the finest complete meal that I have ever had, with each course bettering the one that came before it. Chef Neal and Ted are brilliant yet approachable guys who are happy to talk about their thoughts and answer questions.

Over the course of the evening, I felt as if I were a judge on Bravo's Top Chef. Every course was beautifully presented. Descriptions were given by our hosts. And we carefully dissected and discussed what we were consuming. If all of Neal's dishes are like these, then it is no wonder that L'Explorateur is frequently discussed by the local foodies.

Immediately, I asked if we really had to wait a whole year for this experience to happen again. For all of you who didn't attend, you missed out on a great experience. And while I'm certain that next year they will try to be better than this year, they have a tough task ahead of them, as this was spectacular.

R Bistro/Three Floyds beer dinner versus the First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium: Mike's Thoughts

My first thought was to just shut up and enjoy it for what it was. But that wouldn't be me. So I'd like to add a few thoughts on last night's Three Floyds beer dinner at R Bistro (produced with help from World Class Beverages). Hopefully pointing out some weaknesses can be a good thing, and perhaps can serve as a tool for improvement the next time around.

I'd agree that the dinner was very good - it's just that a (perhaps impossible) standard has already been set, and I now know what's possible. Our previous beer dinner at L'Explorateur was so mindblowing that I was left wishing the R Bistro dinner was a little more thought out.

Consider the beers paired with the first three courses - after the aperitif of Gumballhead (which was fine), we had Dreadnaught (big hoppy IPA), Pride and Joy (big hoppy "mild ale"), Alpha King (big hoppy American Pale) - granted, this is Three Floyds, and big hoppy beers are par for the course, but I think a little more variety could have been a good thing.

The courses that succeeded for me were those in which we took a few steps outside of the Three Floyds wheelhouse. The lamb sausage paired with Gorch Fock Munich Helles was surprising in that the light Munich-style beer held it's ground against the lamb, and the Behemoth Barleywine proved to be an equal match to at least one of the cheeses (hint: not the one that tastes like wet dog* or "dirty underwear" (as said by the woman at the table next to us)). Finally, the use of Robert the Bruce against vanilla ice cream and banana cake seemed to be an odd choice - we had figured they were going stout, or perhaps even Alpha Kong for the banana notes - but the ice cream's sweetness did wonders for the beer, and left a hint of coffee on the back on the palate.

In a way, the use of Three Floyds beers paints the parings into a corner. Consider the variety of beer at the meal at L'ex: Frank Boon Geuze, Brugge Black, Krusovice Imperial Czech Lager, Ankle Biter Barleywine from Broad Ripple Brewpub, and Brugge Tripple de Ripple - beers that jump all over the map (the Belgian Map with stops in the Czech Republic and England).

Another concern was the feeling that the chef didn't really seem to have a lot of thought about the beer - and maybe I'm wrong here. But it seemed as though she presented a food menu to the World Class folks and then sort of stepped out of the way. All in all, the meal worked well - but Gina noted that perhaps we were seeing the difference in a beer dinner put together by a distributor versus a beer dinner put together with the help of a brewer. I think she may have a point.

Also worth noting was the crowd last evening. Perhaps I'm assuming, but based on our survey results, I think it's fair to say that this wasn't a Hoosier Beer Geek sort of crowd. First off, many of the folks in attendance seemed to be older than our demographic, and judging from reactions and question, entirely new to craft beer. To introduce those folks to Three Floyds, World Class' Matt Clapseattle painted the story of the reclusive and shy Nick Floyd - a humble brewer slaving away up in Munster, creating world renowned beers and hiding in corners with a hat pulled over his eyes. Though I doubt it was intentional, Matt failed to mention the death metal and tattoos.

While I'm certainly not a food critic, when we left the question I had floating in my head was "would I go back for the food alone?" I think I would. After the dinner at L'Ex, I was ready to kidnap Chef Neil (and staff) and lock him in my kitchen. I think that might say something.

* * * * *

*A taste that still lingers in the memories of my mouth

DigIN: A Taste of Indiana Recap

DigIN to tasty eats, great beer and wine? Don't mind if I do! This past Sunday, Rodney and I woke up bleary eyed after a night of reveling at the Hoosier Beer Geek 4th Anniversary party and slathered ourselves with sunscreen in anticipation of a brand new slow food event here in Indianapolis, DigIN: A Taste of Indiana. DigIN was spawned by an Alice Waters (the slow food guru herself) event in 2008 that showcased local and sustainable food efforts in Indiana.

After the event a local chef (our good friend Neal Brown formerly of L'Explorateur and now of Pizzology fame) and the Indiana Department of Agriculture decided to start working together to redefine what "A Taste of Indiana" could be with regard to the developing local food movement. They brought together food producers, chefs, breweries and wineries for one celebration event, Dig-IN: A Taste of Indiana. This was a great event that showcased what Indiana is truly capable of with regard to great food and drink!

We tried many dishes from Indiana Artisians including chicken and noodles (Indiana handmade noodles); bloody marys made with Indiana Vodka and Indiana bloody mary mix; and amazing chocolate truffles!

We had nibbles of burgers produced from local cattle, topped with farm fresh eggs and local cheese.  One of my favorite dishes was from a chef at my alma mater, Butler University - their fresh gazpacho with lots of jalapenos and onions!  It was SO tasty and really well spiced.

We had perfect weather for the event; I just wish it could have been about 10 degrees cooler or the breezes had continued through the balmy afternoon.

We also were really impressed with the unique and innovative selections that each chef strived to enhance the event with, from many different takes on pork to lots of fresh caprese salads.

I really liked that the chefs also had lots of signs so you knew what you were getting into with your decadent eats at each location.  I was really impressed with the local goat cheeses and the quality of the pork that each of the chefs used!

I did appreciate also that the producers were on hand to discuss the dishes and the conditions in which they are growing their produce or how they raised their animals.  We actually talked to one of the producers from Gunthorp Farms in Northern Indiana about their animals and about the ingredients of our salad. 

Rod and I stuck to just one pint of Brugge Brasserie's Pooka (which was $4 a pint) but for just $1 more you got an awesome Drink Indiana/DigIN pint glass that was really nicely done (and it was filled with beer).  All in all this was a great event and I really hope that the people who put on DigIN decide to make this an annual event!

First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium | Mike's Notes

Eighteen (I think) people showed up for Chef Neal Brown's First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium at L'Explorateur last evening - not the most overwhelming support, but a crowd that Neal was quite happy with.

Despite our concerns with the sophistication of the menu, there was no issues once we started eating. A relaxed yet excited audience was treated to an amazing all around dining experience - one that left us all wondering when we could do it again.

Fortunately for us, Neal seemed to be thrilled with the reception - and he announced that this was just the first time for what could become a regular event. For those of you who didn't make it - you really missed out.

Looking back through a menu filled with highlights, it's hard to pick out my favorites. Here are a couple.

Czech Pilsner paired with Loup De Mere, Hot Buttered Popcorn, and King Crab Salad - I didn't bring a notebook, so I couldn't tell you which Czech Pilsner we had. A fruity nose with some definite malty elements was evident immediately, but the malt backbone was really drawn out by the buttery elements of the fish and crab.

Brugge Triple de Ripple paired with Banana Pot Crème - I don't think it's possible that I'll ever have a better dessert. The combination of the chocolaty banana Pot Crème when served with Brugge's Bananaey (new word) Triple de Ripple was so amazing that the best word to describe the combination is four letters long, starts with "F", and ends in an exclamation point.

I'd like to thank Neal and menu assistant Ted Miller again for the amazing experience.

Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Downtown

You can forget all your troubles and forget all your cares and drink downtown.

Indianapolis has some great drinking neighborhoods. Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Massachusetts Avenue--they all have great establishments for craft beer. But if you live, work, or visit downtown, there is no need for expensive cab fares or a potential DUI. There are a variety of places within stumbling distance. Here are a few of our favorites in the Mile Square.

Adobo Grill
This Mexican grill has a small craft beer selection, but they make your guacamole tableside (highly recommended), have fantastic tacos, and a fine selection of tequila, if that’s your thing. You might also try a michelada, which is a spicy beer cocktail similar to a Bloody Mary.
110 E. Washington St.
317.822.9990
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #74 - Tacos and Chelada at Adobo Grill

Dick’s Bodacious Bar-B-Q
This counter-service, Texas-style BBQ joint keeps a great craft beer list on tap and in bottles. A nice choice for a quick bite and a drink. I highly recommend the Hoss nachos.
50 N. Pennsylvania St.
317.916.9600
Website

Hoosier Park’s Winner's Circle
If you want to place a bet on most sporting events, you can’t do it in Indy. At least not legally. But if you want to bet on the ponies, Indy can help you. The Winner's Circle is a bar, restaurant, and off-track betting facility. What's more, you’ll find craft beer to help lubricate your wallet.
20 N. Pennsylvania St.
317.656.7223
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #144 - Of Tridents and Horses

The Libertine Liquor Bar
Chef Neal Brown owned and operated the highly-regarded L’explorateur before opening The Libertine, which specializes in craft cocktails and small plates. The Libertine is better known for their cocktails than their craft beer, but we are making a convert out of Neal.
38 E. Washington Street
31.631.3333
Website

Pearl Street Pizzeria and Pub
A little off the beaten path but close to everything, Pearl Street serves up pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and craft beer. It's a great pick for a meal and a pint if Bankers Life Fieldhouse is your destination for a Pacers game or other event.
65 E. Pearl St.
317.638/3110
Website

The RAM Restaurant & Brewery
The two breweries downtown are chains, but they have good food and locally-crafted beers from fantastic brewmasters. The first chain brewery on our list is RAM. We recommend that you grab a pint of RAM’s special or seasonal brews, especially if any barrel-aged brews are on draft.
140 S. Illinois Street
317.955.9900
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #128 - Knights of the Beer Ramtable

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
The second of Indy's downtown chain breweries has been a longtime fixture on Washington Street. Brewer Jerry Sutherlin brews up some fantastic hoppy beers (the Hopbomb is a personal favorite) and the food is good too. I recommend the nachos (I like nachos!)
10 W. Washington Street
317.681.8180
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #59 - A Likely Story
KOTBR #33 - Rock Bottom Pumpkin Ale

Scotty’s Brewhouse
Scotty’s Brewhouse has locations in Indy, Muncie, Lafayette, and Bloomington with a brewery (Thr3e Wise Men) in Broad Ripple. The food menu is extensive and the craft beer tap list is the largest downtown. The patio is a great place to hang and there are plenty of TV’s inside. It is a block from the front door of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
1 Virginia Ave. #100
317.571.0808
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #77 - The Socratic Beer Method

Tavern on South
Tavern on South has one of my favorite non-nachos appetizers: Shagbark Teriyaki Duck Wings. The mushroom cappachino soup is wonderful on a cold day. The entire menu is fantastic. It is close to Lucas Oil Stadium. And it has a great tap list. You’ll find me there after work during half priced appetizers (4p-6p Monday through Thursday).
423 W. South St.
317.602.3115
Website
HBG Visits
KOTBR #133 - You're Going to Hate This

Tomlinson Tap Room
If you are looking for a variety of local food bites, you’ll find it at the City Market. Papa Roux and Three Days in Paris (crepes) are among my favorites. But the icing on the cake: the Tomlinson Tap Room.  Located on the second floor of the main hall, the TTP serves nothing but Indiana craft beer. And you can get growlers to go (except on Sundays).
222 E. Market Street
317.423.2337
Website
HBG Visits
Sneak Preview: Tomlinson Tap Room at City Market
Scenes from American Craft Beer Week | Sun King/Three Floyds Three Kings Tapping @ the Tomlinson Tap Room
Beer Diary #25 - Mike - FSB and F8 at Tomlinson Tap Room

Previously in our "Where to Drink in Indy" series:

Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Broad Ripple, the North Side, and the Northeast Side
Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Mass Ave, the Near East Side, and the Near North Side
Where to Drink in Indy - Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Fountain Square

Twenty Tap: Kevin Matalucci's Meridian-Kessler Bar

Kevin Matalucci has been brewing in Indianapolis for a long time. As the head brewer at Broad Ripple Brewpub, he's made a lot of friends in the Indiana brewing community. So it may seem natural that as he watches old friends shuffle from working for others to owning their own, the inclination to join the brewer/owner club might have tickled his fancy.

"I always knew that I would do something, and I'm still going to work at the Brewpub," he said. "I love making beer, but I always knew that I wanted to do something else. I've always talked about doing something and then opening up a brewery never seemed to fit the bill. Then with so many opening, it was like 'Well, now they need a place to purvey their products.'"

He'll provide that place when he opens up Twenty Tap (5408 North College Avenue), in the space formerly occupied by Northside News. He hopes to open the bar by the beginning of August, if not sooner, as the space (entirely built by Matalucci) was nearly finished when we visited. "It's just buttoning everything together," he said, "most of it is pretty much taken care of."


In addition to twenty taps, plans call for a menu featuring locally sourced food. "Kind of an offshoot of a gastropub, I guess - good pork, good oysters, good burgers. Fresh and local ingredients, everything you would expect with good beer," said Chef Rob Coate, who patrons may recognize from his previous stints at Pizzology, L'Explorateur, and Elements.

Matalucci added, "It'll be sandwich based opening up - like a fried balogna sandwich, stuff you don't see anywhere. We will have ribbon fries like you get from King Tater's at the state fair. Different funky burgers - Ted (Miller, owner of Brugge Brasserie) and I have been.. Ted's really the inspiration. He gets these ideas - 'We're making these tonight'. We had this African spiced lamb burger with apricot chutney, with goat cheese on top and arugala. Just different combinations. Rob is good with different combination, and we're trying to get the kitchen done here so we can experiment."


Getting crazy with the image stitch program
Of course Twenty Tap's focus will be on beer - "My competitive advantage is the personal relationships I have with all these people," said Matalucci. "Mostly I just plan on featuring regional product. But mostly it will be (beer from) the people that I know."

What's different about Twenty Tap than other bars? "Well, it's the kind of bar I want to come to," said Matalucci, "and there's lots of those, don't get me wrong. But I like a big long bar (space) with nothing else in it, and that's what this is. I only went with twenty taps because I want to go through the beers. I don't want anything getting old or stale, I want it to be fresh all the time."

"It kind of weeds out the sports crowd," said Coates, "there's no banners or televisions.."

"We will have a tv," said Matalucci, "but it's kind of like (the television at) the (Broad Ripple) Brewpub - minimal."

"It's for people who are going out to get a good beer, instead of just going out to drink," said Coates.


Matalucci has spent the past 18 years working at Broad Ripple Brewpub. What spurred him to open Twenty Tap now?

"The space became available, and I just knew that I wanted to do something. This has evolved over time. I always knew that I wanted some kind of beer bar that people weren't really doing."

"It's just the next phase in life," he said. "I'd love to continue brewing (at Broad Ripple Brewpub), but it's just the next phase. I can't be idle for real long. All my home improvement projects are pretty much done, it was time for me to work on something else. This space opened up and it just seemed like the right fit at that time."

He started the project in May of 2010. Originally going by the name "Firkins", it was going to be a brewery where all the beer was served firkin-style. What did Broad Ripple Brewpub owner John Hill think of the idea?

"He's always been very supportive," said Matalucci. "Starting your own place, like he did with the wine bar - he worked all day at his other job, and then built the Corner Wine Bar. When I busted out the (Twenty Tap front) window, he came over here to help me lay this out."

"He's been very supportive," he said, "very generous with talking with me about how they've organised their businesses, and how to set up the financials - both he and Nancy have been very generous with their time and knowledge."


Of course Matalucci is still a brewer at heart. So perhaps the space won't be just a bar forever.

"At some point I'd love to have a brewery (at Twenty Tap). I've even got a spot in the basement for it, and I will pursue that once this is open. But that's just kind of a side note."

* * * * *

I made in an earlier version of this article - Rob Coates never worked at H20 Sushi. The article has now been corrected.

First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium | Jim's Notes

I am far from a gourmand. In fact, I'm not much of a carnivore. This is not to say that I never eat or even dislike meat. Rather, I find that as I grow older, my stomach simply doesn't take to meat all that well. I'm a once a day meat eater at most, and some days, I don't eat any meat at all. Add to this the fact that I became lactose intolerant upon turning 40 and, well . . . you have all the gory details of my digestive tract.

As a consequence, I approached the First Annual Craft Beer and Fine Food Symposium at L'explorateur with some trepidation. Fortunately, the experience surpassed my expectations a thousandfold. Chef Neal Brown's down-to-earth hospitality, along with his ingenious culinary creations and Ted Miller's assistance with beer selection, set my stomach and mind at ease. In fact, Neal's five-course meal and Ted's beer choices were so mind-blowingly delicious that it was difficult for me to pick a favorite course. After a bit of deliberation, I decided on the pairing of Broad Ripple Brewpub's Ankle Biter Barleywine with the curried leg of lamb, which was served on a bed of cassis and cassia lentils. Kevin Matalucci, the brewer of the barleywine and an attendee at the dinner, has created the mellowest, most palate-pleasing barleywine I have ever sampled. The caramel notes of the barleywine mingled perfectly with the spicy bite of the curried lamb, which was wonderfully buttery and tender.

Thanks again to Neal and Ted for putting together this groundbreaking Indianapolis event. Thanks also to those HBG readers who came out to enjoy the dinner with us. The next symposium won't come soon enough for me!

GABF 2009 Road Trip: Avery again and Great Divide

As we left Boulder County, we decided to stop in at Avery one last time before moving our base of operations to Denver. The main reason for our return to Avery was the tapping of 3 sour experiments to coincide with the release of Sui Generis (Barrel Aged Series #2). Unfortunately since Sui Generis didn't go on sale until 3PM, we weren't able to pick any up. At least there was plenty of sour beer to be had on tap!


Good Sally
Salvation mixed with Sour Blend 1 and aged in Cabernet barrels

Good Sally both looks and smells like a lambic, with its hazy yellow hue and lemon, apple and pear aroma that is mixed into a nose-shocking acidity. With a nose this strong, I definitely anticipated a sourness to back it up. I was quite surprised when the sour character was actually subdued. This beer came across as a Belgian Blonde with a tinge of sourness and a creamy mouthfeel. Notes of limeade and green apple helped things diverge from style and create a nice, refreshing summer beer.


Port Alter Boy
Reverend mixed with Sour Blend 1 and aged in Port barrels

This variation of Reverend has a nice clear appearance and looks like it was filtered somewhat. When you first take a sniff of this complex ale you get lots of dried fruits with a hint of pucker. The first taste is not surprising that you get lots of apricot, plum and just a little hint of dried strawberries. It finishes with just a little bit of sour pucker to make the drinker want a little more. It's not a crazy sour beer but it's definitely delicious.

Opus Alter Boy
Reverend mixed with Sour Blend 2 and aged in Cabernet barrels

This variation on Reverend created a number of savory characteristics. The nose was faint with subtle raspberry notes complimented by rose and lavender aromatics. Despite the soft nose, the sourness of this beer was huge. When pushing past the sharp tartness, and interesting combination of rhubarb, sun dried tomatoes, white grapes, apples and black pepper came through. The sun dried tomatoes and black pepper helped define this beer as a Saison with a massively amped up sour level.





Once we arrived in Denver, we decided to head out to Great Divide just before Happy Hour. Even though we had a common cast of characters we kept running in to in Boulder County, this was probably the first time when it felt like GABF was in full swing. We pushed our way into the super crowded tap room and proceded to try Les Claymore (a sour bourbon barrel aged Claymore), a bourbon barrel aged Claymore and a Berliner Weisse.


We followed these samples up with their new Wet Hop Pale Ale and Hoss. The Wet Hop was pretty much as you would imagine, and quite tasty. We agreed that Hoss tasted like Cherry Coke and that the name was somewhat of a misnomer. For reviewing purposes, however, we decided to go with a couple of the more standard offerings.


Denver Pale Ale

The aroma of this Pale Ale is a friendly balance of spruce, grass and caramel. The grassy hop notes are well balanced with the caramel. The bitterness of this Pale Ale is mild enough to be inviting, but the lemon and grapefruit notes are enough to let hop heads get the most out of the hops. A caramel malt flavor creates a solid base that is heavy enough to balance the beer but doesn't sweeten it to the point of detracting from the hops. I was very impressed with how great the sessionability of this beer was. I could easily drink more than one without getting sick of it and the ABV floats right around 5%. I'll admit this is my first time trying this beer, and after having it at Great Divide I would really like to see it show up on some Indy tap lists.


Samurai

I think I've found a great lawnmower beer for Matt! Samurai is made with rice and pours with a nice pillowy head. It's slightly cloudy in appearance, much like a wheat but is a little more gold in appearance. The nose has hints of cantaloupe and aromatic flowers. It's slightly perfumey but not overpoweringly so. Tastes very light and refreshing while still having a very complex flavor profile. The ABV is right at 4.2% and I've had it before out of bottles when L'Explorateur was still open. This would pare perfectly with sushi or other fish options. I would love to see this more places and think it is a great "gateway" beer for those trying more craft options.