Indiana Brewing And Drinking Society

I don't want to make too many assumptions about craft beer lovers, but I'm pretty sure that most of us like to drink beer in an atmosphere that promotes the enjoyment of the beer. Speaking for myself, I prefer a non-smoking establishment over a smoking establishment, a mellow vibe over a raucous vibe, an unpretentious clientele over an exclusive clientele, and a bartender who is not only a pleasure to be around, but who knows the beer menu intimately.


One of Fountain Square's newest bars, Imbibe (1105 Shelby Street, 317.685.1959), fits these criteria perfectly. Nestled in the lobby of the Fountain Square Theatre Building, Imbibe is an intimate place, seating 25 to 30 patrons at most. The decor is a mix of art deco and modern, with a smattering of high tables, a few easy chairs, and the bar itself. Possessing a food menu focused on tapas-style snacks, Imbibe is the sort of place where you might kick off a night on the town with a date. This is exactly what Annie and I did on New Years Eve, and we didn't regret it. Far from it.

I haven't even mentioned Imbibe's drink menu yet. This menu and Imbibe's barkeep, Brian Jones, are the bar's strongest ingredients. So to the drink menu first. Imbibe is among the Indy establishments that does cocktails well. To say that the cocktails are artisanal wouldn't be too far off. Though I haven't had all the cocktails on the menu, I can tell you that Imbibe's vodka martini and cosmopolitan are well worth having.


In addition, the beer menu has a number of high-quality selections. Two of Imbibe's three taps were pouring Bell's Hopslam and Stone Arrogant Bastard when we visited. There is also a bottle menu that includes craft beer offerings, including Left Hand and Bell's. And then there's Brian, who the KOTBR have known since our first anniversary party. Hospitable, knowledgeable, and funny, Brian is one of those bartenders who makes it difficult to go home.

For our latest roundtable, we visited by Imbibe to review Stone Arrogant Bastard (American Strong Ale, 7.2% ABV, IBUs "classified" according to Stone). Though we did nine-word reviews not too long ago, they seem appropriate once again for Roundtable #99.


Jim: Burnt amber color. Smokey pineapple nose. Dry, lively finish. 4.25 Mugs

Rod: Strong Ale Lite or Hoppy Scottish Ale? Perhaps both. 3.80 Mugs

Jess: Your name delights us. Hoppy Scottish ale - I like! 4.00 Mugs

Gina: Presumptuous, haughty, imperious, brazen. You probably won't like it. 3.45 Mugs

Mike: I can name at least eight more arrogant bastards. 3.25 Mugs

Stone Arrogant Bastard
Jim: 4.25 Mugs | Rod: 3.80 Mugs | Jess: 4.00 Mugs | Gina: 3.45 Mugs | Mike: 3.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.75 Mugs

The Lost Abbey brewery has been highly praised in the craft beer community since they opened their doors in 2006. Tomme Arthur has been brewing some of the highest rated and most sought after beers in the world and the brewery does an amazing job labeling and marketing their beer.

One of their more interesting marketing efforts is the Saints and Sinners Clubs. For 2010, memberships to the clubs entitle you to semi-monthly allotments of beer and a set of glassware along with other benefits like options to buy extra bottles, discounts, and admission to private events for club members only. The Sinners club offers more wild brews, but memberships go quickly and it is rather expensive to join. The Saints club is a little less expensive, but the brews are a little less wacky.

When the 2009 memberships opened, I bit the proverbial bullet. Lost Abbey does not ship to Indiana, so collections of the bottles required sweet-talking a family member into accepting these semi-monthly shipments (Shipping is an extra $20.00 from the brewery each time, by the way) to her home in Illinois.

Over the course of a year, 14 new additions to the collection were gained on our frequent trips back to visit family. Each shipment, with the exception of the July allotment, contained 2 bottles of the same beer. July's shipment contained 4 bottles, each a different variety.

After all was said and done, the club (initial cost plus shipping) was just at $290.00, almost $21.00 a bottle. Usually a bit more than I'd pay for a single bottle, but the overall experience was worth it, I think. Would I do it again? Probably not, at least not the Saints Club. The Sinners Club, though, is a different story.

So what's this all for then? What's the point if we can't get the beer here anyway? Well, more than once in our travels we found ourselves standing in front of a row of these beers, trying to pick which ones to buy, wondering which ones deserved space in the suitcase since the descriptions on the bottles were vague at best.

So, if you find yourself in front of a row of these incredibly alluring labels, how will you know what's inside? How do you pick? Our crazy poems probably won't help, but we hope they entertain.


Our opening review, in Villanelle form:

Witch's Wit

Review is a practice we've often rehearsed
The ninety-seventh time we've met somewhere out
In the language of Lost Abbey we became well versed

Ten total bottles for which we had thirst
A tasty group with considerable clout
Even small samples might leave us submersed

"A Witches Wit must surely be cursed!"
I said at the start of our route
But in tasting I realized the mistake of my outburst

A flavor with which my mouth was aspersed
A feeling continued the day throughout
As toward my mouth my glass was coerced

A Belgian-style ale brewed with honey and spices traversed
The commonly used description a brewer's copout?
For it was the flavor of candied grape that I felt showed up first

The mug scores below are tightly dispersed
My notes became a flameout
Some are better, best or worst
As nine more bottles of Lost Abbey are yet to be nursed

Lost Abbey Witch's Wit
Mike: 3.3 Mugs | Gina: 3.8 Mugs | Rodney: 3.72 Mugs | Jess: 3.6 Mugs | Matt: 3.7 Mugs | Chris: 3.2 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.55 Mugs


Devotion:
Lost Abbey Devotion AleMike: 3.0 Mugs | Gina: 3.25 Mugs | Rodney: 3.2 Mugs | Jess: 2.7 Mugs | Matt: 2.5 Mugs | Chris: 2.9 MugsKOTBR Score: 2.92 Mugs


Carnevale -
Oh Farmhouse ale,
Didn't we imbibe you earlier?

Rustic Saison,
You tease me with notes of blankets and hay.

Lemongrass and grapefruit,
I was hoping for more of a party.

Lost Abbey Carnevale Ale
Mike: 2.75 Mugs | Gina: 3.2 Mugs | Rodney: 3.3 Mugs | Jess: 3.8 Mugs | Matt: 3.75 Mugs | Chris: 3.4 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.36 Mugs



Red Barn Ale - (We've reviewed this beer before, scores are new)

Tart toasted toffee
Presents Pineapple pepper
Refreshing Saison

Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale
Mike: 3.5 Mugs | Gina: 3.85 Mugs | Rodney: 3.3 Mugs | Jess: 3.5 Mugs | Matt: 3.0 Mugs | Chris: 3.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.40 Mugs


Lost Abbey Lost and Found - (We've reviewed this beer before, scores are new)
Review by way of Found Poetry, via Beer Advocate reviews:

A fine lookin' 750ml bottle
happy to see me: it overflows
Like a murky rootbeer
devilishly fresh phenolic madness

Figs and sweet toffee
Baking a loaf of bread
with the bottom remnants of Grandma's spice drawer

Hitting the tongue with a well-rounded assault
dark fruits gal-our
warming, but reassuring
Ah, the Dubbel.

Lost Abbey Lost and Found
Mike: 3.4 Mugs | Gina: 3.4 Mugs | Rodney: 3.5 Mugs | Jess: 3.9 Mugs | Matt: 3.6 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.56 Mugs



ENGLISH SONNET
Inferno Ale
This beer, I know I have seen it in Chicago
Mysterious artwork gives way to poor description
A purchase I have many times chosen to forgo
Alas, about this decision I have always felt affliction
Despite my poor decisions in the past -
Ho! It stands before me!
Inferno, we meet at last
I can only imagine what your style must be
A blonde ale it would appear
Such a floral aroma accompanied by banana and lemon
The mild character is surprising and reveals my fear
A bit of grassy hops with lemon and cream in fusion
This poor ale, weak in its life, reveals the ravages of age
In its youth, I shall revisit, so that its true flavor I may justly gauge
2.7 mugs

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale
Mike: 3.0 Mugs | Gina: 3.2 Mugs | Rodney: 2.7 Mugs | Jess: 2.9 Mugs | Matt: 3.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.01 Mugs



LIMERICK
Gift of the Magi Ale
Caramel penetrated the sinus
Nutty brown with almonds, the finest
Earthy hops were in there
Caramel flavors to pair
Though it finishes with latex dryness
3.1 mugs

Lost Abbey 2009 Gift of the Magi
Mike: 3.3 Mugs | Gina: 2.9 Mugs | Rodney: 3.1 Mugs | Jess: 3.9 Mugs | Matt: 2.85 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.21 Mugs


Judgment Day- (We've reviewed this beer before, scores are new)

Judgment Day AleA palate it may assailBe sure to stock four or fiveIn the event this day shall arrive.
Lost Abbey Judgment Day AleMike: 3.4 Mugs | Gina: 4.5 Mugs | Rodney: 4.0 Mugs | Jess: 4.3 Mugs | Matt: 3.75 MugsKOTBR Score: 3.99 Mugs

10 Commandments

Wish I were there, beer
Notes might say big spice dark fruit
Could have been tasty.

Lost Abbey 10 Commandments
Gina: 2.6 Mugs | Rodney: 3.5 Mugs | Jess: 3.3 Mugs | Matt: 2.5 MugsKOTBR Score: 2.97 Mugs


Serpent's Stout

As the tongue tires,
The night develops.
Much like the chocolate flavor upon my tongue.

Alcohol burns and coffee emerges,
The night develops.
Much like the dried cherries and figs upon my tongue.

Light disappears under the toffee head,
The night ends.
My tastebuds are toast.

Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
Mike: 3.8 Mugs | Gina: 4.3 Mugs | Rodney: 4.0 Mugs | Jess: 4.6 Mugs | Matt: 4.0 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.14 Mugs

Happy Friday! I'm looking so forward to this weekend that I can hardly speak...so I won't.
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.
Hoosier Beer CalendarEvents are subject to change
Saturday, March 6th: KOTBR100 Bus Trip to New Albany
Sunday, March 7th at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East in Lafayette from 2-5pm: World Beer Tasting Event - $40 per ticket (limit 50). More details below.
Saturday, March 27th - Hoosier Beer Geek's Craft Beer Meal Before Lunch at Brugge Brasserie. Tickets on sale very soon.
April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Day
What's Brewing
From Roger at New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany:I was going to give you a Gravity Head update, but I've fallen and I can't get up. Damned curious for a Newtonian fest.From Andrew at Oaken Barrel Brewing Co. in Greenwood:Nitro Stout and Java Stout on now! For those keeping their eyes on the horizon, we have a Scottish 80/- coming on next and a California Common in the fermenter. Tasty brews at OBBC!From Jon at Powerhouse in Columbus:Power House has 1436 Dark Wheat on tap and we'll have Two Dave's IPA on soon. We will have live music from Rick Malito on St. Patrick's Day.
From Billy at Broad Ripple Brewpub in Indianapolis:$3 pints on Mondays. Look for more events in the coming months culminating in our Birthday Bash on the big day.
From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:Upland Brewing Co. is proud to present Infinite Wisdom Weekend. To celebrate the release of our Infinite Wisdom Tripel, we are hosting an art show at our Bloomington Banquet Hall on March 26th, featuring the works of Norton Wisdom. Norton is a world renowned artist, good friend of the brewery, and the creator of our Infinite Wisdom Tripel label art (along withDantalion and Double Dragonfly). The exhibition starts at 7pm, and there is no charge for entry. Prints will be available for purchase.

Infinite Wisdom Weekend continues at Jake's Nightclub in Bloomington the following night, Sat. Mar. 27th. Wisdom paints all his work to music, and beginning at 7pm, he'll be working to the sounds of Zion Crossroads and Chicago's premier progressive bluegrass band, Cornmeal. Tickets for the concert are $10 in advance and $12 day of. They will soon be available online at uplandbeer.com, and at Upland's Bloomington Tap Room, Indy Tasting Room, and Jake's Nightclub.

We want to thank everyone for their interest and excitement about our upcoming sours release. Online reservations for these very limited-release beers went fast - way faster than we ever imagined, actually. We're sorry that everyone wasn't able to make it on the list. Had we known how fast the reservations would go, we would have done a few things differently, but ultimately there just aren't enough sours in this release to go around. But, we plan on making a much larger release late this summer or early in the fall, so all hope is not lost!

Upland will be pouring beer at Wine to Water in Greenfield on Saturday, March 6th, in support of developing clean water sources in Africa. Check out Wine to Water's Facebook page.

We're sponsoring a concert at Booney's in Avon on St. Patty's Day. Helios Pale Ale will be on special to help everyone into the holiday spirit.

At the Bar
From Nick at Naptown Restaurant and Wine Bar in Fountain Square:Naptown has the Cream Dream 2: the Electric Boogaloo, Red Rye PA, and the Sunlight Cream Ale on draft this week. Plus on Thursday we're selling pints for $3.00 and HALF PRICE SANDWICHES, we will also have DJ Dicky Fox there spinning that night. So hope to see you guys soon!!Carry Out
From Corrie at Goose the Market in Indianapolis:New in the cellar at Goose the Market...As we emerge from the cave of Hoosier February, a little Saison de Lente from The Bruery will help our pupils adjust to all this sunshine. The light spice and a touch of refreshing hoppiness bring the light to this golden farmhouse ale.
Stone's latest batch of Old Guardian Barley Wine is new to the cellar, but for the lucky few, a stash of last year's vintage is up for grabs.
Two Brothers' latest Bare Tree Weiss Wine is a strong wheat ale that's layered with complexity now but suitable for aging, too (just like me).
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:New Holland - Night Tripper (Michigan)Southern Tier - Gemini (New York)Southern Tier - Hop Sun (New York)Stone - Old Guardian (California)Great Divide - Espresso Oak Aged Yeti (Colorado)Two Brothers - Bare Tree Weiss (Illinois) De Dolle - Stille Nacht (Belgium) De Ranke - Guldenberg (Belgium)Fantome - Hiver (Belgium)Fantome - De Noel (Belgium)La Rulles - Triple (Belgium)Haandbryggeriet - Haandbakk (Norway) Spezial - Rauchbier (Germany) Jenlain - Blonde Biere de Garde (France)St Druon - French Abbey Ale (France) Boulder - Flashback (Colorado)De Glazen Toren - Jan De Lichte (Belgium)Thiriez - XXtra (France)Bieres23 - Ambree (France)
From Josh at the United Package Liquor Store at County Line & Meridian (Southside Indianapolis):New beers in stock-
Three Floyds Behemoth barleywineThree Floyds DreadnaughtRogue RIS 7ozRogue John John (Dead Guy aged in Dead Guy whiskey barrels)Stone Old Guardian 2010 (still have a few '09!)Upland Ard RiNew Belgium Mighty ArrowBoulder Mojo Risin'Dogfish Head Aprihop
Beer on sale-
All Goose Island 6 packs $6.98
From the Distributors:
From Mat at Cavalier Distribution:Man O Man a lot of beer arrived at the Cavalier IN warehouse this week!Stone Brewing Co.:2010 Release of Old Guardian Barley Wine - 11.1% this year - This is a hefty beer with copious amounts of barley, and boat loads of bittering and aroma hops. If you decide to enjoy this fresh, you will find this beer to be over the top in every way, and will be the only beer your mouth will taste during your beer session. Like-a-fine-a-wine, this beer gets better with age.
Two Brothers:Two Brothers Monarch Wit is their anniversary ale brewed with unmalted wheat and a touch of oats for a light body and crisp, refreshing finish. It is then spiced with coriander and orange peel giving this Belgian-style White Beer it's traditional citrus aroma and flavor.
Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss 2009 Vintage bottled 375ml champagne splits with a cork finish again this year, it is a beautiful package. Also, the smaller size bottle will make it easier to drink the whole thing, since the alcohol is around 11.5%. “With in every bare tree lives the promise of a new life”
Clipper City:Clipper City has a new website. Take a peek!Clipper City Latest Release from the Mutiny Series - Siren Noire Imperial Chocoulate Stout. Approx. 8% ABV An English style imperial stout, fermented and flavored with imported Belgian chocolate nibs. Smooth and easy drinking. Named for the Sirens who lured seafarers off course and ultimately to their demise. The all new Clipper Fleet is in stock which features award winning classic beer styles focused on quality and drinkablilty. The Clipper Fleet beers are all under 6%. Classic Lager - Approx 5% ABV Pale in color and brewed with 100% malt and German noble hops making it well structured and refreshing. Perfect with Maryland steamed crabs and shrimp.Gold Ale - Approx 4.5% ABV Deep gold in color with floral and spicy hop aromas. Brewed with pale, carmel, and Munich malts balanced with Cascade, Centennial and Hersbrucker hops. Well rounded, fruity and complex. Pairs well with salads, mild cheeses and pulled pork BBQ.Marzen - (formerly packaged as MarzHon as a fall seasonal) Now available year round - Amber in color with a rich, toasty malt flavor with a slightly sweet finish. Pairs well will sausage, pizza and pit beef. GABF Medal winner 4 consecutive years since 2006 as Clipper City MärzHon. Pale Ale - Approx. 4.75% ABV Amber in color with a nice earthy hop aroma. Distinctly British in character with a firm malt character and a crisp, angular hop finish. Pairs well with burgers, chili and spicy foods. Also look for a summer Ale out later this year!Great Divide:Hoss Rye Lager 2009 - GABF Bronze (now a year round beer) - Based on the Marzen lagers of Germany. Rich, layered malt notes, with hints of cherry and dark fruits, dominate, while the unique addition of rye imparts a slightly earthy, spicy character. Hoss finishes crisp crisp and dry, and its brilliant red-orange color is a toast to the sunsets that make the perfect backdrop for this beer. 6.2% ABV Claymore Scotch Ale - (now a year round beer) - Named for a medieval Scottish sword, Claymore Scotch Ale is our tribute to the legendary “Wee Heavy” beers of Scotland. This malty, deep-ruby beauty features lots of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile, and a subtle warming character. Unlike its namesake, this beer only requires one hand, but it’ll still make you feel like nobility. 7.7% ABV Colette - (spring Seasonal) - is our homage to the beers that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast strains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats - a beer as refreshing as it is complex. 7.3% ABV Espresso Oak Aged Yeti - (special limited release ) - is a new addition to the Yeti clan. A generous infusion of espresso adds yet another layer of complexity to this beer, combining with the vanilla oak character, intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile to create a whole new breed of mythical creature. It’s official: You can now have Yeti with breakfast. 9.5% ABV Boulder Beer: Flashback Ale - (now a year round beer) An India Brown Ale. Citrusy with a prominent hop aroma, finishes clean, crisp and dry with dark roasted flavors from the biscuit and chocolate malts perfectly complementing the bountiful cascades. Grains: Belgian biscuit malt, Chocolate malt, pale malt, Gambrinus honey malt. Hops: Five additions of cascade hops Left Hand: 400 Pound Monkey - “The name comes from our VP of Brewing Ops, Joe Schiraldi, getting frustrated with poor brewing techniques one day,” says VP of Operations, Chris Lennert. “He got roiled up and said ‘any monkey can throw 400 pounds of hops in a kettle!’ We thought it was a good name for our English-style IPA, having a bit of fun along the way.” The main hop used in the beer, Boadicea, is a new hop variety that is allegedly the only one in the world that is resistant to aphids, those pesky little mites that wreak havoc on hop crops. Good Juju – (now in 6 packs as a spring & summer seasonal) "A little Juju voodoo - fresh ginger kisses the lithe body, copulating with the hop in this pale ale ancestor. Emancipate yourself from the dead of winter, none but the vernal equinox can free the light. A refreshing frivolity. Hey mon. Shuccha fwangaa! Better a witch doctor than a trouble maker. Quit yor' bitchin' an' get to witchin'." Good Juju is available through July. That is all for now. Needless to say it has been a traffic jam on our loading dock this week.EventsFrom Ryan:World Beer Tasting EventSunday, March 7, 2010All proceeds benefit the Blue Knight Auction!
Join Master Brewer and Nationally Certified Beer Judge John Blichmann & Doug Granlund for a World Beer Tasting Tour at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East
2 - 5pm$40 per ticket (limit 50)
Sample 12 of the world's classic beers plus a Doug & John homebrew!Learn how to pair food & beerEnjoy a 4 course lunchReceive a commemorative hand etched glass by Doug Granlund
Call Chris Goellner at 474-7500 for more information or mail your $40 to purchase your ticket by 3/1/10 to: Lafayette Catholic School Development Office at 2410 South 9th Street Lafayette, Indiana 47909
Don't forget to designate a driver!From the Internets:
From Twitter:
shallos Tomorrow night @ 6:00 we are tapping Great Divide's Yeti: oak aged imperial espresso stout .. Don't miss out it won't last long.
PeoplesBrew FREE T-Shirt Giveaway contest on FRIDAY, March 5th! Details & Hints forthcoming!! Check back in the Morning...maybe... http://bit.ly/b6xM7n
BruggeBrasserie Artemis 2 IPA on @ 4. Bad Kitty making an encore as well!
barleyisland Avail at Broad Ripple: $5 tix to NUVO's 20th Anniversary party at Talbott Street w/ Rev. Peyton's BDB, Leisure Kings, A2'd, & More!
barleyisland Now on tap in Noblesville: wheat, pale, brown, IPA, oatmeal stout, java stout, and the belgian wit. We also have... http://bit.ly/bhQz4h

The Calumet region has become an enjoyable pocket of craft beer goodness. Everyone on the planet knows that Three Floyds is located there, but other towns have good microbreweries too. Shoreline in Michigan City. Brickworks in Hobart. Back Road in LaPorte. And coming soon: Figure 8 in Valparaiso.

Crown Brewing is another one of those breweries. Located in downtown Crown Pointe, Crown Brewing has come a long way in its short life with seven beers on tap. Brewmaster Steve Mazylewski has been putting together some impressive recipes during his year at the helm.


On this particular trip, I ordered a flight of six samplers:
-Crown Light is a blonde ale. It is light bodied, clear gold in look, easy on hops, and has a touch of lemon in the flavor profile. Definitely a session beer. And its a good start for macro drinkers, yet won't make a geek gag.

-Crown Brown is light in mouthfeel but full on flavor. Caramel sweetness comes through. Its nutty nose is enjoyable. I like a fuller mouth in my browns, but it's lightness makes it highly sessionable.

-Marzen is copper in color and crisp in flavor and mouthfeel. It has a malty nose, and there is a hop kick that shows up in the back of the throat.

-Celtic Pride Oatmeal Stout is dark and black with roasty malt nose. Roasted malts are very strong in the flavor profile. The mouthfeel is very milky. I find some coffee-like bitters in back of throat.

-Coffee Stout starts out as the Celtic Pride. It looks the same, but it has slight coffee nose. The Oatmeal Stout has some coffee notes to start off with. The additional coffee gives this beer a big coffee flavor. I think Gina would like.

-Special Force Ale is an IPA with a light copper color. I find that it has a light citrus and flowery nose, but the hops are tamed in the nose. They are, however, much bigger in the mouth. There is a dry mouthfeel that you commonly find in hoppy beers. In this beer, they use Summit, CTZ, centenial, and cascade hops. No one hop overwhelms the others. They play really well together and create a nice balance of hop characteristics. Crown has been bottling this beer in 22 ounce bombers.


In additional to the flights, I ordered a Grand Poobah, which is a Russian Imperial Stout. It is darker than dark. Big and rich with a thick, full mouthfeel. Is that dark chocolate in the nose? There's something else there, something familiar. Roasted malts and chocolate come through. And creamy. Its 10 percent ABV is kinda hidden, as this beer is not boozy at all. So be careful.

The Crown Brewing taproom has a nice relationship with the adjacent Carriage Court restaurant. I visited on 30 cent hot wings day, which are on Tuesdays. I ordered the hot wings, which are sweet and flavorful with heat building up over time. The wings are meaty and not overly breaded. I also ordered the Irish nachos which are battered fries topped with melted cheese, bacon crumbles, and ranch dressing. They use bagged, frozen fries, but I don't care. The fries are tasty and even better with the toppings. It is big enough for two and at $3.25, it is a great deal.

Other notes from Crown Brewing:
-They plan on bottling the Crown Brown and then, hopefully, the dopplebock. The bock is aging right now and will be served at Three Floyds Dark Lord Day event. Some will be served at Crown.

-Coming up in Crown Point: The St. Patty's Day parade. Apparently it is a big deal. Crown Brewing will have a float in the parade and a root beer stand on the streets. Back at the brewery, corned beef and cabbage pizza will be on special. And along with the stouts, they will be serving Patrick, an American red ale. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Patrick Tillman Foundation.

-And on May 22, the Illiana Mayfest will host area breweries, including Crown Brewing. The plan is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. The fest will be held indoors in a Lake County Fairgrounds building. But if the weather is nice, they will have the big doors at each end opened up. More details to come.

This would be a final warning that if you want a ticket, you should buy it now.

Here's the link to the ticket site.

The first Brewer's Dinner of 2010 at the downtown Rock Bottom featured a super filling hybrid of Beef Wellington and Philly Cheesesteak and some very creative stuffed mushrooms. One of Jerry's most popular IPAs, the Hop Bomb, is on tap now and made an appearance as well as his most award winning beer, Subzero.





First Course: Cajun Crab Stuffed Mushrooms paired with Hop Bomb IPA

Why it worked: Balanced IPAs almost always work with spicy dishes. Hops accentuate spice and malt quenches it. This was no exception. The mushroom stuffing had a very pleasing mouth-warming sensation that was invigorated by the hops of the imperial IPA at first, and then cleaned off the palate by the big malt body. The earthiness of the mushrooms worked really well in bringing out an earthy character in the hops that was otherwise unnoticeable. A bit of lemon zest sprinkled on the plate complimented the citrus notes in the beer as you would expect.



Second Course: Spinach Salad paired with Raccoon Red Ale

Why it worked: This salad was fairly mild and clean, so it didn't have a lot of interaction with the hoppy beer. The sweetness of the caramel malts certainly paired with the sweetened Italian dressing. Jess made the observation that a stronger cheese such as Parmesan or feta (instead of Munster) would probably have worked better.



Third Course: Beef Wellington paired with Subzero

Why it worked: The alcohol in this strong ale actually helped cut the heat from the poblano peppers. Beef generally works well with big malty beers and this was no exception. The creaminess of the cheese in both the potatoes and the beef wellington was just a bit too much to be able to pair with the beer.



Fourth Course: Chocolate Empanadas paired with The Hammer Baltic Porter

Why it worked: The Hammer is already a big, roasted Baltic porter and the few months it has been sitting has mellowed the alcohol and brought out a lot of creamy chocolate. It makes sense that the dark chocolate in the empanadas paired with the chocolate in the beer, but the surprise match here was that the sweetness of the dessert canceled out the sweetness of the beer and revealed a really nice cherry quality. Definitely a great pairing and always fun when new flavors like this emerge.

Pairing lessons: Big malty beers do a nice job of helping subdue balanced spicy foods. Hoppy beers typically pair with sharp and somewhat salty cheeses, choose a delicate cheese and the hops will likely wipe it out. When pairing similar flavors, try to pick a complex beer because the secondary flavors are what will come out the most.

After a long hiatus we are recording shows once more. Mikey Mason sings three new songs and we sample five beers from The Bruery. It feels good to do this again.

DOWNLOAD SHOW #178

I had lunch at Lafayette Brewing Company on Friday. With it being Lent, I was planning on fish and chips. But the special of swordfish teriyaki kabobs were to good to pass. Damn tasty fish.

I drank a Marley's VSOP, which is aged on Jack Daniels barrels. Very tasty with chocolate malts. It is interesting how different styles react differently to barrel aging. Some beers come out tasting like bourbons. This one did not. There isn't a strong whiskey kick. Instead, it is pleasantly mellow. But I did get a bit of smoke in the nose from the charred barrels. They also have their Weeping Hog IPA on tap, which is pretty good from my experience.

Some other notes from LBC owner Greg Emig:
-In the next year, look for LBC to transition away from 12 ounce bottles to 22 ounce bottles. It is less costly to produce and allows them to bottle more of their other beers.
-You'll find LBC at Crown Brewing's new beer festival at the Lake County Fairgrounds on May 22nd.
-And Alpha Test will return to LBC on November 20th. Look for more varieties of hops.

Continuing our streak of deceiving Scott Wise into thinking we're a reputable news source, we were invited to check out his latest venture over the weekend. This event was fairly packed thanks to Scott's Twitter army receiving passes for spending $50 at one of the Brewhouse locations in the past week. That's okay, we still feel special.


Scotty's Lakehouse is a joint venture between the brains behind Scotty's Brewhouse and the Patachou restaurants. The two concepts are fused by offering Patachou breakfast items in the morning and a selection of organic burgers, a few Brewhouse favorites and a few new items for lunch and dinner. Although the Lakehouse features a lower number of taps than the Brewhouse locations, Indiana beer is the predominant theme. Located in Geist, Scotty's Lakehouse is the second Scott Wise location on the north side of town. Despite my general disappointment with things north of 86th Street, I am glad that they are seeing more good beer locations and local food options open up.


Upon arrival, the immediate impression is that the Lakehouse seems to be located in a hard to reach strip mall. Maybe someone in Geist can correct me and inform us in the comments that there was an easier way to arrive than we did. Nonetheless, if the crowd at the opening event on Saturday could be used as a reference point, the Lakehouse is already a destination worth seeking out. The interior decor matches that of other Brewhouse locations, which I would consider a positive thing. Lots of exposed brick and duct work, a prominent and well kept bar and of course those bar towel napkins.


The initial beer lineup

Three Floyds Pride and Joy (soon to be Gumballhead)

Mad Anthony IPA

Peoples Pale Ale

New Albanian Beaks Best

Oaken Barrel Indiana Amber

Barley Island Dirty Helen

Sun King Wee Mac

Granite City Broad Axe Stout

Upland Bad Elmer's Porter

A decent selection of wine, spirits and Coors Light are also available for people who would prefer not to drink beer. The focus of the menu is on burgers, including not only organic beef burgers, but also turkey, elk, bison and vegetarian burgers. All of the burgers we tried were very well put together with a creative combination of well designed toppings. Fried dill chips and 7 tidals dip are carry-overs from the traditional Brewhouse menu.


Burgers all run at $8 with sides of fries, coleslaw and mac and cheese (among other things) available from $3 and up. The fries were a bit too dense for my tastes, but the blue cheese coleslaw, sweet potato fries and mac and cheese were all big hits at our table. The burgers were excellent. For reference - Boogie Burger is my favorite burger joint in town. Lakehouse didn't top Boogie Burger, but it certainly rides up near the top of the list. I would love to see the Lakehouse burgers find their way onto the Brewhouse menus in the future. Another menu highlight turned out to be the condiments, especially the Beer Mustard made with Sun King Wee Mac.


Now back to something we do actually claim some knowledge on - beer. Available serving sizes are 16oz glasses, 24oz mugs and 101oz table taps. The 16oz glasses are pub glass style (think Broad Ripple Brewpub or the country of England) and the 24oz mugs are the traditional Brewhouse mugs. The 101oz table taps are these comically large glass tubes filled with beer with a tap at the bottom to dispense into individual glasses or funnels and hoses for you to lay under the table and drink out of until your server catches you and kicks you out. If you try doing that, don't tell them you got the idea from us. 16oz glasses ride between 4.50 and 5.00. On Mondays, Indiana beer, both bottled and draft, is $1 off.


The Lakehouse is definitely a welcome addition to the north side of town and their dedication to Indiana beers is quite admirable. They open up today at 4PM. Cheers to Indiana beer and great burgers!

As the home of Broad Ripple Brewpub, Brugge Brasserie, and Barley Island Broad Ripple, Broad Ripple has become Indiana craft beer headquarters. As further proof to that claim, You'll soon be able to add the Scotty Wise/Mike DeWeese/Jon Lang/David Waldman brewery project to that list.

With the help of this article from IBJ.com and the details DeWeese has dropped here at HBG (here and here), we can now lay out the basics. The brewery is a joint effort between Wise (owner of the Scotty's Brewhouse chain of restaurants), and a group calling themselves Beer Baron LLC, featuring DeWeese (former owner of the previous incarnation of the downtown BW3's/Badaboomz/J. Gumbo's), Jon Lang (former head brewery at Barley Island/GABF Gold Medal Winner), and David Waldman.


In a recent conversation with Wise we were able to discover the location for the brewery - 1021 Broad Ripple Avenue, in the space that previously housed the Broad Ripple location of Sunflower Market. Conveniently located at the crossroads of the Monon Trail and Broad Ripple Avenue, the location's ample parking, extensive floorspace, and already built-in wall coolers seem like a promising start.


The brewery's bones come from a previous Indiana brewery effort - the group only had to go as far as Fort Wayne to acquire equipment for the recently closed Warbird Brewing Company. No mention has been made of the brewery's plans to bottle or can their offerings.


What remains to be seen is how the group plan to manage their brewing efforts - Wise expects the brewery to produce four or five styles for his restaurants (under the Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. label) in addition to the beers being produced for the Beer Baron LLC Group. Wise admitted that it's a question that has yet to be answered.

The combined experience of the group should be its strong suit. Wise's business acumen combined with DeWeese's extensive beer background and Lang's award winning brewing experience make sense on paper. "This is a new thing for me," said Wise. "We're still figuring it out."

Where: MacNiven's (339 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, (317) 632-7268, Smoking Allowed).


When: Thursday, February 25th.


Who: MacNiven's owner Stuart Robertson, World Class Beverage's Matt Clapesattle, and Bell's Brewery's Veronica Sanders.


Why: A firkin of Bell's Hopslam is a very rare thing - this was the only firkin to make it to Indianapolis.


What: Bell's Hopslam needs no introduction, and this year's batch seems to be one of the best yet. Drunk from a firkin, it was like Hopslam Plus - plus more sweet grapefruit flavor (maybe even a hint of strawberry), plus a smoother mouthfeel, and just all around a little bit better.

While you may have missed your chance for a taste of Hopslam on firkin (the beer ran out about an hour after the tapping), you'll have an opportunity to sample Bell's Batch 9000 - an even rarer beer - on tap this coming Monday (03/01/10) at Chatham Tap.

I think someone was wanting to see what the new Sun King cans may look like...
What do you think?
Oh wait, that's not it. Well, hopefully soon we can all see the real deal.
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.
Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Monday, March 1st at Chatham Tap in Indianapolis: Bells Batch 9000 tapping
Wednesday, March 3rd at Sun King: Girls Pint Out event
Saturday, March 6th: KOTBR100 Bus Trip to New Albany - Last few tickets are available NOW!
Sunday, March 7th at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East in Lafayette from 2-5pm: World Beer Tasting Event - $40 per ticket (limit 50). More details below.

March 27th - Craft Beer Breakfast

April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Release

What's Brewing

From Jon at Powerhouse in Columbus: Power House has 1436 Dark Wheat on tap and we'll have Two Dave's IPA on soon. We will have live music from Rick Malito on St. Patrick's Day.
From Billy at Broad Ripple Brewpub in Indianapolis:
The Broad Ripple Brewpub, the very first Brewpub in the State of Indiana, turns 20 this year - on 11/14/10 to be precise, and so we're celebrating with drink and food specials, and other fun stuff, between now and then. Right now we have $3 pints on Mondays. Look for more events in the coming months culminating in our Birthday Bash on the big day.
From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:
Reservations for Upland's lambics and Dantalion dark wild ale open Friday, Feb. 26th. We have an extremely limited supply, so act fast! Go to uplandbeer.com to reserve your bottles!

Also, Upland's Ard Ri Imperial Red Ale is being released this weekend. Keep your eyes open for it on tap and on shelves all over Indiana!
At the Bar

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
Two things, one, our beer line up is as follows Gaffel Kolsch, Breckenridge Avalanche, Victory Hop Wallop, Sun King IBA (India Brown Ale) , and the good ole Double Trouble from Founders.We have the Sun King Electric Boogaloo waiting in the wings to be tapped tomorrow probably.....now, our Wednesdays are going well with $3 beer, and $4 wine. Specials good all day, think of it as an inventory reduction sale.
From The Legend in Irvington:
Four new beers on tap at The Legend in Irvington

Come by and taste Upland's Ard Ri, available only at this time of the year, Two Brothers Domain DuPage French Country Ale, and SunKing's Wee Mac Scottish Brown and Osiris Pale Ale.
Carry Out

From Corrie at Goose the Market in Indianapolis:
New in the cellar at Goose the Market...

Brian Boru from Three Floyds takes his place on our shelves once again...come and get a dram.The first in a series of collaborations between Rogue's John the Brewmaster and John the Spiritmaster, John John Dead Guy Ale spent three months inside Dead Guy whiskey barrels.No false advertising here...Mishawaka's Seven Mules Kick Ass Ale is smooth and satisfying but with 10% abv, take your time mule-ing over that next glass, donkey.
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:Upland - Ard Ri (Indiana)
Upland - Komodo Dragon Fly Black IPA (Indiana)
Three Floyds - Brian Boru (Indiana)
Baltika - #7 Export (Russian Republic)
Bruery - Mischief (California)
Bruery - Saison de Lente (California)
Southern Star - Buried Hatchet Stout (Texas)
Stiegl - Pils (Austria)
From Patrick at Crown Liquors:
The Bruery Saison De Lente & Mischief
Southern Star Buried the Hatchet
BFM Bon-Chien Grand Cru Vin Jaune
Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueze back in stock
De Ranke Cuvee de Ranke
Mikkeller Tomohawk & Amarillo single hop

Beer tasting at the downtown location Friday night, from 3-7 PM, will be "American Takes on Belgian Ales". Featured beers will be The Bruery Mischief, Ommegang Three Philosophers, Flying Dog Raging Bitch, and New Belgium Mothership Wit.
From the Distributors:

From Matt and Krystle at World Class Beverages:
Batch 9000 tapping parties in Indy: Chatham Tap, Monday, March 1st. Two Hearted and Sparkling will be available also. There will be more 9000 tappings in the future, we'll keep you posted as dates are confirmed.

Look for Lincoln from Three Floyds in March, fun events with him on the horizon starting March 9. More info as the pieces come together.

If you’re looking for craft beer in a can for this spring/summer season… look for 6-pack Wittekerke Wit Bier cans from Global Beer next week! Go to the World Class Beverage’s Beer Spy on our website www.worldclassbeverages.com to find it closest to you.

Other new product to hit the market soon from Hoppin’ Frog in Akron, Ohio – Outta Kilter Scottish Red Ale and Hop Dam Triple IPA. Hoppin’ Frog received prominent mention in this article http://www.hoppinfrog.com/news/hoppin-frog-on-list-of-worlds-top-brewers/ and were rated as the 24th best brewer in the world for 2010 according to Rate Beer, in addition to others including the top rated brewer in the world, our very own Three Floyds from Munster, Indiana. Congrats!

Other new products coming soon: Harpoon Summer (find it on draft at Max’s in Bloomington near March/April), Buffalo Bill’s Orange Cream Ale, and Anchor Summer.
From Greg at Cavalier Distribution:
We have several incredible, exciting new beers to Indiana!!
The Bruery Mischief & Saison de Lente both make their Indiana debuts this week!! Mischief is a limited, year-round beer for us, and we only have a third of our initial allotment left in the warehouse. Mischief is a Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale. This wickedly good golden ale is fiendishly dry-hopped with American hops to add a layer of complexity and mystery to its fruity, dry Belgian-style character. Citrus and resin diabolically combine with ripe melon, pear and slight peppery spice in a precariously effervescent mixture. Enjoy it, but you'll want to keep an eye out. ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 35, Release: Limited Year-Round

Saison de Lente is the Bruery's spring seasonal, and is available in limited quantities for the first time in Indiana. We received a very, very limited amount of the Saison de Lente, and are almost out in the warehouse, so make sure to grab some asap while it's still available! The Bruery's Spring Saison de Lente is light blonde in color with a fresh hoppiness and a wild and rustic Brettanomyces character. Lighter in color and alcohol than Saison Rue, yet equally complex in its own way. Perfect for warmer weather and Spring celebrations. ABV: 6.5%, IBU: 35, Release: March - May

Southern Star Buried Hatched Strong Stout--Available in 4pk CANS!! Southern Star Buried Hatched is finally here!! Buried Hatched is a Strong American Stout by style and an everyday addition to the Southern Star line of beers. For all those looking for OB Ten Fidy, Buried Hatchet is the perfect option!! Jet-black in color, this monster smells of coffee and chocolate. The taste is much of the same, with hints of creamy toffee and roasted malt. Smooth and delicious, this medium bodied ale is all about the malts, but has enough hop bitterness to be balanced. ABV: 8.25% IBUs: 50

Beer Lao Lager & Dark Lager are in Indiana for the first time ever!! Direct from Laos, Beer Lao is considered one of the finest beers from Southeast Asia. Beer Lao is a premium authentic rice beer brewed from a unique blend of the finest European and Laotian ingredients, a fusion of the best traditions of East and West. Brewed in Laos with hand picked indigenous rice varieties, spring water originating from the foothills of the Himalayas, Hallertau hops, German yeast and French malted barley.

Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock is being released in Indiana for the first time as well! This is a well- balanced Bock beer, malty and flavorful with a clean finish. Perfect for the Spring season, Stegmaier Bock is a good reminder that warmer months are coming!! You should be able to find this starting this week in stores across the state.Events
From Ryan:
World Beer Tasting Event
Sunday, March 7, 2010
All proceeds benefit the Blue Knight Auction!

Join Master Brewer and Nationally Certified Beer Judge John Blichmann & Doug Granlund for a World Beer Tasting Tour at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East

2 - 5pm
$40 per ticket (limit 50)

Sample 12 of the world's classic beers plus a Doug & John homebrew!
Learn how to pair food & beer
Enjoy a 4 course lunch
Receive a commemorative hand etched glass by Doug Granlund

Call Chris Goellner at 474-7500 for more information or mail your $40 to purchase your ticket by 3/1/10 to: Lafayette Catholic School Development Office at 2410 South 9th Street Lafayette, Indiana 47909

Don't forget to designate a driver!Misc:

From Mike at an upcoming Indiana brewery:
My nameless as of yet brewery is finalizing the purchase of Warbird's equipment. It will be located in a building leased by Scotty's Brewhouse. We will be brewing his private label brands as well as our own. My group is soliciting funding so if anyone is interested feel free to contact me. I have also completed the inventory of my beer cellar for this year and the list is here with non-negotiable prices.
From the Internets:

From Twitter:
@RustBeltBrewing: It looks like we have picked up distribution in the Hoosier State, Indiana!Belgian beer tasting in the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/reviews/24wine.html?em
Interesting IBJ article with new brewery news:http://www.ibj.com/scottys-brewhouse-owner-planning-microbrewery/PARAMS/article/18390

Seriously this time, we've got Sun King's new can designs.

"A year ago we had just started filling this brewery space" said Sun King Brewer/Owner Clay Robinson as he displayed the workings of the brewery's new canning system, "and it's crazy to think at where we're at now."


The meteoric rise of Sun King continues with the addition of an automated canning system that should help the brewery get its beer on local liquor store shelves by mid to late March.


Many craft breweries are still small batch bottle processing, a slow and tedious process that involves touching each and every bottle that goes out the door. Sun King's new canning system is capable of maximum speeds of 18 16oz cans per minute - or somewhere between 60 - 70 cases per hour.


What this means is that you can expect the beer in even more locations. "This enables us to sell the beer to folks who may not have a spare tap line available" said Robinson.


One potential problem with canning versus bottling is that pre-printed cans must be bought in bulk - a costly initial investment that can hamper diversity of product. Sun King plans to start their canning with their most popular styles - Cream Ale and Osiris Pale Ale - and see how the demand shakes out.


"One of the reasons we went with this machine is that it allows for different can sizes" said Sun King Process Engineer Michael Pearson. "So if we want to do one-off runs of bigger beers in bigger cans, or smaller cans, or anything like that, we have the ability."


Another option the brewery is looking into is a shrink-wrap type label that would allow for in-house labeling of blank cans. This would allow for cost-effective smaller batch or one-off varieties.


Robinson noted that he has already been in talks with 8 to 12 local liquors stores, with names local craft beer fans are familiar with - Mass Ave Wine Shop, Vine and Table, Goose the Market, Crown Liquors and Kahn's were just a few mentioned - so the beer should be available all over the city. That's a good thing, because initial taste tests proved that the beer out of a can is a tasty and wonderful thing. Considering Sun King's success, we wouldn't expect anything less.

This continues our series of lost roundtables where we throw off the shackles of traditional numbering systems in order to promote anarchy. Not really.

Keeping up with the newest in limited release beers has become a futile exercise - you might be on top of things for a while, but eventually you end up with a beer closet full of things you have to find special occasions for or make excuses to drink.

But when the two craft beer heavyweights that are Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada combine forces, I can't help but pay attention. Back when I went around asking for suggestions on beer for aging 21 years, Dogfish's Sam Calagione suggested that I might check out the Dogfish/Sierra Life and Limb - a 10% ABV strong, dark beer that defies style characteristics (more here) - saying, "Any of our beers over 15% abv should last for that long. Also – the Life & Limb beer Dogfish and Sierra brewed together that comes out in November would be good for this sorta thing."

Well 21 years is too long to wait for me, and the downtown Indy BW3's was lucky enough to acquire a keg or two of Life and Limb for tasting now. So when BW3's Sam gave us the heads up, we headed downtown.

Because Sam Calagione suggested this beer would stand up to 21 years of aging, I expected a monster. Instead the beer starts surprisingly mild, at least when cold. What happened over the next hour was interesting, though, as the flavors grew and my palate pushed me to savor what was in front of me. It's rare that any beer can hold my attention for an hour anymore - usually something that rich will wear me out.

The nose on this beer is tootsie roll and (Rod will love this) hot slot car track1 - a sort of burnt sulfur thing, slightly smokey and boozy together. The flavors are what you might expect - sweet dark fruit, grape, and a finish that works its way up your nose. Just a bit boozy.

You could definitely age this beer, but I like it right now. If you're lucky enough to find some (both bottles and kegs are pretty limited), I think you'll be happy either way. 4.29 Mugs


I had high expectations going into this one. The quintessential America Pale Ale brewery paired with the definitive extreme beer brewery. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I certainly was expecting something good. On tap, Life and Limb pours like an imperial stout. It also smells like an imperial stout with lots of dark chocolate and molasses characteristics. At first taste, I'll admit that I was a bit set back by the alcohol. The alcohol was a bit more warming than I expected and will definitely aid in the improvement of this beer over a few years. I found chicory reminiscent of the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout and traditional imperial stout flavors such as molasses, dark chocolate and oak. Life and Limb contains an intriguing sweetness that I can best characterize as cherries and honey. The finish is surprisingly dry, seemingly a result of a touch of hoppiness on the back. I'm eager to see what this one tastes like in a few years and I've already tucked away a bottle. 4.15 Mugs


I thought Life and Limb was pretty good, though definitely rough around the edges and a little boozy. I'm sure everybody has already said this, but it'll probably be better with a couple years aging. 3.9 Mugs

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life and Limb
Mike: 4.29 Mugs | Chris: 3.9 Mugs | Rod: 4.15 Mugs | Gina: 4.05 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.09 Mugs

* * * * *

1I know that references like this one have a very limited audience, but if you know what I'm talking about and have a chance to drink the beer, I think you'll be surprised that I don't just make this stuff up.

Senate Bill 75 passed the House Public Policy Committee last week 10-0. In passing the Supersized Bill, two additions were made. The first eliminated language from existing code that limited alcohol sales at public-owned airports to those that have regularly scheduled commercial flights. This allows airports, like Terre Haute, who lost commercial flights to retain a restaurant (or restaurants) with liquor licenses.

The second added language that would allow an indoor theater that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in a city of population between 200,000 and 300,000 to obtain a one-way, two-way, or three-way license. Sound funny? Well, it is meant to help the Embassy Theatre in Ft. Wayne.

"The Embassy Theatre is a nonprofit organization," says Kelly Updike, Executive Director at the Embassy Theatre. "We are currently only able to obtain day/event permits for wine and beer sales for our concession/bar sales at performances, as we do not qualify for any other type of liquor permit under current law. I am told that there are other theaters or similar venues in the state have received this type of code change in order to receive a three-way permit. Obtaining this permit will improve our revenue from concessions/bar sales tremendously, thus allowing us to better meet our mission of preserving and maintaining the historic Embassy Theatre."

I suspect that in future legislative sessions we'll see other privately-owned theaters will be making contact with their legislators to get in on this action.

After passing the committee hearing, SB 75 had its second reading in the House. Two amendments were made. One slightly changes the language of steps required by applicants in obtaining a permit in consolidated cities (i.e. Indiananpolis). No big deal. The second apparently postpones until May 2011 the requirement of retailers and dealers to have their servers and clerk trained within 120 days of employment and every three years after. I'm assuming that this would give the ATC and businesses more time to get their training programs in place.

With these amendments, SB 75 moved passed the second reading and heads to the floor where, I predict, it will pass. It will then return to the Senate since the language is different from when it first left the Senate. Assuming it moves through the Senate again, it heads to the Governor for his signature.

My prediction: it will pass. You'll be able to buy carryout from your favorite brewer on Sundays; you'll be able to toast your vote right after you place it; and you'll be able to drink until 3am on Sundays, making Monday morning that much more difficult.

There is a lot of good beer on the radar this weekend. Let's start with the C-1 tapping at Brugge tonight. Also recently tapped and hopefully still available are Muscles From Brussels, a Belgian-style Black IPA with 10.2% ABV, 80 IBU's, and Belgian candi sugar from Barley Island, and the Imperial Cream Dream II: Electric Boogaloo from Sun King (tapped yesterday at Spencer's Stadium Tavern).
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.

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, February 19th at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple: Special Tapping of C-1, a collaboration beer from New Albanian, Schlafly, and O'Fallon Breweries

Saturday, February 20th at the Murphy Art Building in Fountain Square: PK Indy 8: 20x20 Circling the Globe for Haiti (more information below)

Tuesday, February 23rd at Rock Bottom Downtown: Brewer's Dinner - Call for Reservations.

Thursday, February 25th at MacNivens on Mass Ave - Hopslam Firkin

Thursday, February 25th at R Bistro on Mass Ave in Indianapolis • Brewer's Dinner • 6:30 p.m. • 6 Course Dinner prepared with / paired with Sun King Beer

Thursday, Feb. 25th at 7:00 PM at the UPL at 96th and Olio. Enjoy beers from Stone, Founders and much more from Cavalier distributing.

Friday, February 26th at New Albanian Public House in New Albany: Gravity Head begins! A recent list is here.

Saturday, March 6th: KOTBR100 Bus Trip to New Albany - Tickets are available NOW!
Sunday, March 7th at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East in Lafayette from 2-5pm: World Beer Tasting Event - $40 per ticket (limit 50). More details below.

March, Dates TBA - Craft Beer Breakfast

April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Release

What's Brewing

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:
Many thanks go out to all the folks who came out to support our 15th Annual LBC Winter Warmer this past Saturday. We enjoyed our 9th consecutive sell-out of the event and raised money for a great local charity, LAURA'S KIDS. As we mentioned at the festival, a portion of this year's proceeds will go towards establishing the Peach Schmitt Scholarship. Peach was one of the sweetest ladies we'd ever met, a former elementary school teacher and great friend of LBC who passed away in January. All the details are being finalized for the scholarship which will be based in part on financial need of the applicants.

We also want to thank all the brewers, volunteers, friends and family of LBC who donated food, services and/or time that make this event so special. And hey, where else in the world can you sample a 12-year-old barleywine? Good times, great beer and a worthy cause... it doesn't get any better than this!

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; Weeping Hog IPA and our recently released Marley's VSOP (very superior old porter)- a Baltic porter matured on Jack Daniels Barrel Wood.

From Andrew at Oaken Barrel in Greenwood:
Our stouts are in full swing! The Nitro Oatmeal Stout is on tap now, and we will be tapping this year's rendition of the award-winning Oaken Barrel Java Stout on Saturday. We hope you all can make it out for a couple pints!
At the Bar

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
On tap currently is Sun King Naptown Brown, HopSlam, Hop Wallop, and Gaffel Kolsch, about out of Elector Red, waiting on a keg of Ruination, and have ordered two bbls of the Sun King Electric Boogaloo...it's their Cream Dream II...Beer geek with Tom this week is all about Belgians...at least as much as you can in an hour and a half.
Carry Out

From Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:
Upland Ard Ri -Imperial Red Ale
Bells Batch 9000 -"Malt brewed with molasses and brewer's licorice."
Bells Consecrator
Boulevard Irish Ale
3 Floyd's Brian Boru Irish Red Al

Come see us at the downtown Bloomington store on Friday February 26th from 6-8pm for a special Upland tasting. They will kicking off their latest seasonal, the Ard Ri. Upland is sure to bring some other surprises with them as well!
From Patrick at Crown Liquors:
Tasting's at Crown Liquor's this Friday at the Carmel location (126th & Meridian) from 5-8 P.M.
It is a tasting of Schlafly beers including:
Irish stout, apa, grand cru, coffee stout, and scotch ale with special guest pourer Scott w/Schlafly.

The Downtown location will also hold a tasting Friday from 3-7 P.M.

Brian Boru from Three Floyds is in this week.

Thanks, and hope you can make it!
From the Distributors:

From Matt at World Class Beverages:
Macniven's will tap a Firkin of Bell's Hopslam, Thursday, February 25th, promptly at 5:30 pm. Only cask conditioned Hopslam in Indy area this year. More Bell's specialty taps to be determined by Stuart's fancy next week.

Batch 9000 tapping parties in Indy: Chatham Tap, Monday, March 1st. Two Hearted and Sparkling will be available also. There will be more 9000 tappings in the future, we'll keep you posted as dates are confirmed.

Scott Shreffler from Schlafly (say that 5 times fast) will be making the rounds Friday night. First, a tasting of his brand's fine brews at Crown in Carmel, then he'll join the festivities at Brugge for the Schlafly/NABC/O'Fallon C-1 tapping later.

Look for Lincoln from Three Floyds in March, fun events with him on the horizon starting March 9. More info as the pieces come together.Events

From Jim at the Murphy Art Building in Fountain Square:
PK Indy 8: 20x20 Circling the Globe for Haiti

Feb. 20, 8 p.m. $20 - proceeds go to to Architecture for Humanity for the rebuilding of Haiti
street level space in the Murphy Art Center (formerly Dolphin Papers)

1043 Virginia Ave. in Fountain Square

Twenty seconds is all it took to destroy so many lives and dreams in Haiti. The Global PechaKucha family is coming together with Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Haiti, 20 seconds across the world on Feb. 20. At PK events, people do seven minute slideshow presentations (20 seconds per slide) on a variety of topics. Find out more at http://www.pecha-kucha.org.

Drinking and conversation are a big part of all PK events. Saturday's event features beer donated by Sun King. So you can make a donation of $20 to help Haiti and drink some great local beer. The price of the beer is included in your donation. Sun King beers on tap Saturday: Sunlight Cream Ale, Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, and Crab Apple Wit.

From Ryan:
World Beer Tasting Event
Sunday, March 7, 2010
All proceeds benefit the Blue Knight Auction!

Join Master Brewer and Nationally Certified Beer Judge John Blichmann & Doug Granlund for a World Beer Tasting Tour at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East

2 - 5pm
$40 per ticket (limit 50)

Sample 12 of the world's classic beers plus a Doug & John homebrew!
Learn how to pair food & beer
Enjoy a 4 course lunch
Receive a commemorative hand etched glass by Doug Granlund

Call Chris Goellner at 474-7500 for more information or mail your $40 to purchase your ticket by 3/1/10 to: Lafayette Catholic School Development Office at 2410 South 9th Street Lafayette, Indiana 47909

Don't forget to designate a driver!

Every year, for the past 15 years, the Lafayette Brewing Company pulls together a celebration of strong ales and barleywines they like to call Winter Warmer. For the majority of the years it has been in existence, the festival has been held on the second floor of LBC and ticket sales are kept at a comfortably low number for a much more intimate event than your typical beer festival. Delicious whole hog BBQ was provided and Scratch Thing rocked the night away. In terms of beer, Alcatraz, Power House, Back Road, Brugge, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Mad Anthony, Barley Island, People's, Sun King and Upland were all in attendance, as well as a guest appearance by Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. Lafayette Brewing Company stole the show (which was rightfully theirs to steal) with a 12-year old Big Boris Barleywine. That's from 1998 for those of you who are bad at math, and it keeps getting better with age. Here are a few clips from the festivities.



















If you'd like to check out more photos from the event (much better ones than I took), check out Rod McPhail's photos here.

Two Shallos Roundtables in a row? We kind of forgot we had done this one until I went digging through my notebook, hence the "Lost Roundtable" title.

As for the beer? We've done this before. Back in April of 2009 we sat down with every dark Founder's beer available and asked if they were up to expectations. Close to nine months later is a good time to re-review. Back then I gave Founder's Porter a 3.75 mug score and declined to add my thoughts. This time around I'll say the Founder's Porter has the cocoa powder nose, chocolaty front, and smooth and balanced flavors that make great porters great. In fact, apart from Broad Ripple Brewpub's porter, I can't think of one I'd rather have than Founder's. Watch what I do with that score now: 4.75 mugs


Look at the label of a bottle of Founders Porter and you'll find the following tagline: "Dark, Rich & Sexy." I don't know what Founders is thinking by calling the beer "sexy," but the dark and rich part I definitely get. In fact, between Founders Porter and the Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter (our Beer of the Year for 2009), the porter is fast becoming my favorite beer style. And as both of these beers show, when the style is done right, it's hard to beat.

So let's focus on Founders Porter, especially when it is served on draft. What you'll find is a beer that's nearly pitch black in color with the faintest remnant of a tan head. And the nose--well, the nose is simply amazing. If you've ever had a whiff of the dark chocolate truffles from Indy's fine chocolate shop, The Best Chocolate in Town, you'll know what I'm talking about. The flavor pretty much follows suit, conveying notes of the richest, darkest chocolate you've ever had, bolstered by a full, chewy mouthfeel. This is a definite bonus for a dark chocolate freak like me (I go through a bar of Endangered Species Extreme Dark Chocolate--another fine Indianapolis chocolatier--just about every week), and it's probably why I love Founders Porter.

Speaking of The Best Chocolate in Town and Endangered Species--Hey KOTBR, when are we going to get around to doing that chocolate and beer pairing roundtable? 4.80 Mugs.


My consumption of Founders Porter inspired me to bust out my Ouija board to contact a portly founder. Specifically, Benjamin Franklin. Here is what he had to say:
"Remember not only to drink the right beer in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave undrunk the wrong beer at the tempting moment."I believe he means at heaven’s bar, only the best beers are served, not unlike Shallo’s. And Founders Porter is a heavenly choice. You would be wise to stay away from certain beers, even if they are the only ones available.
"Be slow in choosing a beer, slower in drinking."Here he is saying that there are a lot of beers to choose from, so be sure to take your time. Which is why it took us a while before we selected Founders Porter for our roundtable beer. Ben is also suggesting that you take your time with beers like the porter, whose ABV is higher than some and whose flavors are best enjoyed without a Rocky Mountain chill.
"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable beer drinker, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every time one has a mind to drink."I may be wrong, but I believe he is speaking to the sessionability of this beer, that Ben could easily drink this beer day in and day out.
"Wish not so much to live long as to drink well." Ben obviously is stating that life is to short to waste on beers that don’t have the roasty, chocolaty malts in flavor and aroma, and the full, creamy mouthfeel that is found in Founders Porter.
"I am in the prime of senility."Um, I can only assume that he thinks I have lost my mind for pretending to talk to Ben Franklin about Founders Porter. But it was better than my Grand Rapids-themed “The Death of an Amway Salesman” write up that I was originally working on. 4.25 Mugs.


Most people know I am a big fan of Founders beers. I am not sure whether it was because of the cold evening, being in the company of good friends, or that the beer was on draft, but Founders Porter was drinking brilliantly the night we had it. The nose was brimming with wonderful dark chocolate scents and roasted grain. I find that many porters just don't have the heft in both the nose and flavor, but this one does. The flavor profile is rich and decadent with base flavors of roasted grain that lean towards chocolate and a bit of caramel. I let the beer warm a bit more and there was even a little touch of coffee in there as well. The mouthfeel is my favorite aspect of the beer. This beer is full-bodied and finishes silky smooth and coats the tongue really well. This is the type of beer I've come to expect from Founders. It is Founders doing Founders only the way they can. I've said it before, but I don't think anyone does dark beer better than Founders. 4.65 Mugs.

Founder's Porter (Draft, December 2009)
Mike: 4.75 Mugs | Jim: 4.8 Mugs | Jason: 4.25 Mugs | Matt: 4.65 Mugs | Chris: 4.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.55 Mugs