The Session #61: Roundup

I am really happy with all of the writing this month.  I tried to keep the question vague on purpose, and many people took it quite literally, while others took a completely different spin. This seems like a pretty divisive subject, but nothing that couldn't be settled over a few pints.  


Well done all! 


Steve Lamond has a great posting about a very cool lambic blending operation going on in the UK. He also has an addendum to the subject as well.  


Gareth Jones at Beeradvice talks about an alternative to local styles. 


The Tale of Ale has an interesting Irish take on the subject.  I think it is very cool a local beer to me helped an Irishman start his craft beer journey.  


Mr. David J over at Good Morning thinks about local wherever he happens to be, but still enjoy's his home local the most.  


T.J. Samulis over at Happily Hopped brings up points of origin for ingredients, but still how his local Flying Fish is truly local.  


Stan Hieronymus over at  Appellation Beer has a very succinct and too the point opinion on the subject of local.  

Al over at Fuggled has another take on how point of origin for ingredients changes his outlook on what local beer is. 

Derrick Peterman has a nice write-up on his local over at Ramblings of a Beer Runner.   I won't hold him gradating from The Ohio State University against him though.

Jake over at BeerBrarian takes a regulator look at local in the great Washington DC area. 

Matt at Beer and food stuff looks at his local and how he spends his money on them.  

The Beer Nut takes a look at his geographical local which happens to be Carlsburg.

Chris from Draft Magazine posts one of the best clips from Portlandia and still has a soft spot for his truly home local beer even though he spends his professional time talking about all of the great beer that is local to somewhere.  

Beer Search Party takes a good look at what the term local means to him.  

Simon Johnson over at Reluctant Scooper has another short and too the point take on local. I would like to have a few pints with Simon and talk with him about his views.  I agreed 100% with him not long ago.  

Ghost Drinker comes to the conclusion that local beer isn't better.  

Jon Jefferson from 10th Day Brewing takes ask an interesting question about what breweries might be sending out to the public and what they might be keeping for the tap house.  

Craig over at DrinkDrank breaks the question down four ways.  

Scott over at Beerbecue has an attorney's take on the subject.  Turns out the US government says local beer needs to be within 400 miles from brewery to sales point to be considered local.

What a great turnout this month!  Again, well done all who participated.  If I missed anyone leave a post and I will update the page. 

Cheers!

Matt 

Random Beer Roundup - Read The Session Edition

Matt is hosting The Session #61 today.  Find his post here and find links to other posts in the comments here.


Keep your eyes open for some ticket giveaways coming up in the next few weeks!  We'll have a few pairs of tickets (including a pair of VIP tickets) for the Illiana Mayfest coming up in May.  We'll also be giving away tickets to the upcoming Brew Bracket.  Stay tuned!


Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:

Here's what the lineup looks like for this week:

SessieSpecial K - 2011 Brewers Cup Gold Medal
Weizengoot
Scottish 60
DunkelweissDubbel - 2011 Brewers Cup Gold Medal
Dred Brown
Coffee PorterCascadian Light Ale - 2011 Brewers Cup Silver Medal

Special Saturday Tappings at 1pm:
Wee Fatty (1 keg)
Billy Baroo (1 keg)

From Bob at Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

Beer: Cuttlefish Cuvee, a special blend of Walkabout Pale. Tapping Friday, March 2nd.
Coming soon - Irish Amber and one other surprise.

Events: 
3/1 Taste of Carmel
3/2 WFYI Indy's Wine Fest
3/2 Presenting Sponsor: JDRF Beta Cell Bash @Radio Radio
3/6 Flat 12 Tap Night at Rocky's, Jefferesonville
3/8 Flat 12 Tap Night at Hearthstone Coffee House & Pub, Fishers 
3/9 Gravity Head, Flat12 Tapping - Rich O's, New Albany
3/13 Charlestown Pizza Anniversary Party
3/14 Fiddlers Hearth (So Bend) - F12 Night
3/15 Mudsocks Grill (Fishers) - F12 Tap Night   

From Skip at Fountain Square Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

We are tapping our “Big Nuggets” IPA this FIRST Friday in Fountain Square.  Light in color and big on hops including of course lots of dry hops.  We will have live music and Fountain Square will be full of great art.

From John at Half Moon Brewery in Kokomo:

We just released a Marzen today.  It's called March Madness Marzen Lager, and has 6.0% ABV and 22 IBU's.  We will tap an Oatmeal Stout aged in a Jack Daniels barrel on St. Patty's day.  Yum!

From Roger at New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany:

http://louisvillebeer.com/welcome-back-sherman-minton-celebration/

Gravity head and other info: http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/


From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Fishers/Indianapolis:

Rabbit Punch Irish Red just hit the taps last night at both Fishers and Indianapolis. Starting with caramel and finishing with a pleasant roast character, this pint is perfect for the malt fans. Be sure to check it out, and while you are in there, also take a look at our other seasonals on tap right now:

Batch 1100: Monk Juice - Belgian Tripel
Aries American Wheat
Afternoon Delight  - IPA (only downtown Indy)

From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

We just released Grapefruit Jungle in the Tasting Room and on tap in bars/restaurants around central Indiana and cans in 4-packs of Isis: Double IPA to Liquor Stores! We've been working hard to keep a solid rotation of seasonal and specialty beers flowing and will continue to do so...

Events and Tappings:

Fri., March 2, 5 to 9 PM
Fresh•Local•Beer and First Friday at the Harrison Center for the Arts at 1505 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis.

Sat., March 3, 7 PM
Fresh•Local•Beer and the 2nd Annual Rivoli Revue to benefit the Rivoli Theatre Restoration at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis.

Wed., March 7, 7 PM
INDYCOG presents Bicycle Dreams at the Earth House Collective at 237 N. East St., Indianapolis. Tickets are $11 in advance, $15 day of the show.

Enjoy a screening of the Bicycle Dreams accompanied by Fresh•Local•Beer with all proceed going to benefit Bicycle Advocacy in Indianapolis!

Thurs., March 8, 6 PM
Ring of Dingle Tapping at Sun King Brewing Company. Featuring music by Woodstove Flapjacks and food by Circle City Spuds.

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

Join us at Thr3e Wise Men next Tuesday, March 6th for the tapping of our next seasonal beer, St. Slater’s Irish Stout! The party starts at 6pm so make sure to get here for the sample of this very tasty beer that Omar will be handing out to everyone.

From David at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence:

Fresh off the tapping of our Pink Ribbon Saison, Triton Brewing is moving along quite nicely!

The Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber, Deadeye Stout and Railsplitter IPA are all pouring in the Tasting Room along side the Pink Ribbon Saison.

We added a brand new 40 barrel fermenter to our equipment line-up and bottling is getting very close!

Triton distribution is State-wide and you can go to tritonbrewing.com to get a complete list of our purveyors.

As always the tasting room is smoke-free and family-friendly!

At Bars and Restaurants

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville:

ON DRAFT
Sun King Dominator Dopplebock (9+% abv. be careful) 7.00 12oz
Flat-12 Milk Stout (they call it Lacto-Matic)5.25 Pint (Fountain Square Oatmeal Stout next)
Brewery Van Steenberge Piraat 10.5% abv.(A triple by strength, an IPA by history) 8.75 12oz  Cask-conditioned, wickedly rich, well rounded, and packs a punch.  Watch out!
Bell’s Amber Ale ( a classic version of a house favorite)5.25 Pint
North Coast Pranqster Belgian style Golden Ale 7.25 Pint (it’s big and tasty)
New Albanian Hoptimus Imperial IPA 6.75 12oz 10% abv
Two Brother’s Heavy Handed IPA 12oz 5.75 (Bell’s Lager of the Lakes waiting next)
People’s Brewing Mr. Brown Pint 5.25 ( a higher than normal abv. hoppy brown)
New Alabnian Yakima Rye IPA  Pint 5.75 7.5% abv.
Sun King ISIS (It’s a double version of Osiris Pale Ale) 5.75 12oz

BOTTLES
North Coast Brother Thelonius (an Abbey style Ale) (very potent, watch out)
Dark Horse Scotty Karate (A big Scotch ale) 9.5%abv.
Spaten Optimator A nice Dopplebock
Duvel — the classic Belgian Golden Ale
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Victory Brewing Golden Monkey (Belgian style triple)9.5% abv.
Chimay Blue (9% abv. a classic and fabulous Belgian strong dark ale) at $9.25, a bargain.

WHEAT BEERS
Celis White (a classic Belgian style wit)
Celis Grand Cru
Hoegaarden (An original Belgian wit)

From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis:

Weekly Specials:

Mon: $4.50 imperial craft pints

Tues: $3.50 craft brewery sponsored trivia pint night

Wed: Darts & Crafts with $2.50 craft drafts and $5 beer flights

Thurs: $3.50 craft pint night and $3.50 craft bottles & cans

Fri: $13 craft pitchers

New taps this weekend:

Bier brewery Dred brown and seasonals

Barley Island Dirty Helen

Upland Wheat Ale

Sun King Zaius

Sun King Isis

Sun King MDB

We will be having a St. Patricks Day craft beer celebration with all authentic Irish food, great american made beers in the mold of Irish classics, free party supplies for everyone, and a great list of dance party tunes.

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations:

Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington is now pouring Bell’s Hopslam! As everyone knows you cannot go wrong wanting a pint of this very amazing beer. We are serving pints everyday of the week for $7!   

Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette has just tapped a keg of People’s Hop Killa! If you like the hoppy beer then you should stop by and get a pint any day of the week for $7.50!   

Scotty’s Brewhouse Northside Indianapolis is now serving New Albanian Hoptimus and Elector! Come join us on Tuesday where you can get one of these beers in a 48oz pitcher for only $6! 

Scotty’s Lakehouse is now serving Upland Helios Pale Ale! You can enjoy a 48oz pitcher of this great pale ale on Wednesday night for only $9!

From the Distributors
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

Sixpoint Resin - Double IPA; limited release; slim 12oz can and draft
HeBrew Hop Manna - American IPA; new everyday offering; 22oz bottle and draft
Hofbrau Maibock - Helles Bock; limited seasonal release; 6 packs only
Tyranena Dirty Old Man Barrel Aged Rye Porter - Barrel Aged Imperial Rye Porter; limited seasonal release; 4 packs and draft
North Coast Old Stock - Barley Wine; limited release; 4 packs only
Stevens Point Whole Hog Imperial Stout - Russian Imperial Stout; limted seasonal release; 4 packs only
Stevens Point Whole Hog 6 Hop IPA - Imperial IPA; everyday offering; 4 packs only
O'hara's Irish Stout - Irish Dry Stout; everyday offering; 4 packs and draft
O'hara's Irish Red - Irish Red; everyday offering; 4 packs and draft
Jacobins Flemish Sour - Flanders Red Ale; everyday offering; draft only

UPCOMING EVENTS

3/2 - Finch's/Sixpoint Tasting at Triangle Liuqors;  Valparaiso; 4pm-6pm
3/3 - Charity Tasting with Pat's Liquors featuring Finch's & Sixpoint; Porter; 1pm-4pm
3/3 - Bridge Opening Festival in downtown New Albany; Craft Beer tasting at Keg Lq; 2-5pm
3/5 - Chalet Beer Club Tasting; Elkhart; 6:30pm
3/6 - Birdy's Monthy Beer Tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10
3/7 - Stone Old Guardian Tasting; UPL County Line Rd; 5:30pm
3/8 - Sixpoint/Finch Tasting at Godfathers;  Valparaiso; 5pm-7pm
3/8 - Sixpoint/Finch's Tasting at Bridge Liquors; New Albany
3/14 - Stone Tapping Event at The Sinking Ship; 7pm
3/15 - Chalet #3 Craft Beer Tasting; Elkhart; 4pm-6pm
3/16 - New Albanian Tasting at Boom Bozz; Westfield; 3-6pm
3/16 - New AlbanianTap Takeover at Black Acre Brewery; 7:30pm
3/16 - Union Street Liquors Spring Tasting; Mishawaka; 4pm-6pm
3/16 - Craft Beer Tasting at Blemont on Illinois Rd in Ft. Wayne
3/22    Sixpoint Tasting at Nick's Merrillville; 4pm-6pm
3/23 - Craft Tasting at Cap N Cork on Lima Rd. in Ft. Wayne
3/24 - Mardi Gras Celebration at the Heorot in Muncie featuring Finch's; all day event
3/31 - Sixpoint and Finch's Tasting at Mr. G's Noblesville
4/11 - Founders Tapping Party at The Sinking Ship; 7pm
5/26 - Illiana Mayfest; Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point; 2pm-6pm; $30 general and $45 VIP (entrance at 1pm)
10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm

Upcoming Events
From Dan at Paddington Brands:

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Here’s the 101 on our event:Brew Bracket is the only one of its kind, a true tasting tournament. 16 brewers bring a similar style of beer (Wheat for our spring event) and are seeded randomly into a bracket. 400 participants taste beer (blindly, 2 glasses at a time) and vote for their favorites. Over the course of the day winning beers move through the tournament until we crown a champion at the end of the event. 

Here’s why this year is exceptionally awesome:Our 16 brewers are very close to Indianapolis, and we have nearly every new brewer to the scene involved in the event. This includes 5+ breweries that have just started within the last year. It’s an awesome opportunity for beer fans to find out about new breweries and learn more about what they like within the style through the blind tasting. And we’re partnering with local charity, the SCI Hope Fund, to give back to the community as part of the event.


Basic details:Saturday, April 14^th from 12:30PM – 5PM
Tickets are $35 each, only 400 available

More information and ticket purchases through http://www.brewbracket.com/upcomingevents/ 

From Sam at Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville, KY:

Wondering what to do for Thunder Over Louisville 2012?! Not willing to chance the rain or cold?! Look no further!! We are excited to announce our AtG Thunder Package 2012! We will be closing our doors on Saturday, April 21, 2012 for a private and relaxing experience to all who purchase the AtG Thunder Package 2012!. The package includes:

A ticket into Louisville Slugger Field seating area section 101-106 (Facing the 2nd St. Bridge...perfect view of the show!) for both the baseball game & a perfect seat to watch the largest fireworks display in the country!

Access to the concert down on the Field (Journey UnAuthorized)

Exclusive all day access to 1 seat in Against The Grain (including access to the clean, neat, & maintained restrooms, large televisions showing the Air Show, and full-fun-friendly service!)

Vouchers for your choice of, both, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, as well as, 5 (well liquor or house made beer) drinks!

These tickets will include return access to and from your seat in the ball field & Against The Grain all day! 

This package is available for the $200 (*plus tax) per adult & $175 (*plus tax) per child (children tickets will not include alcoholic drinks, duh). We encourage all interested to act promptly, as we have limited  seating and will not extend sales beyond our indoor seating capacity. TICKETS ON SALE.

The Session #61: What makes local beer better?

The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.


When I began to think about this month's topic I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with my thought pattern. The rise of the term "local" beer bothered me in the beginning.  I'm much more for education than I am for marketing buzz words.  I never really considered beer made down the street as "local" for a very long time. Malt comes from around the world, hops come mainly from the Pacific Northwest, Germany, and a big rise in hops from New Zealand.  Many yeast strains originate from the around the world as well.  The only really local thing was water, but then brewers would treat the water and add chemicals to it to make it taste like water from somewhere else.  I often wondered if I started a restaurant and brought in all my ingredients from all over the world and called myself "local" what kind of reaction that would make? It also bothered me that places that were telling me to support local and support their brand, but were selling their beer several states away.  What were you telling those people in those markets that were several states away?

That is what I use to think.  I now consider many beers and breweries local to me.  I'm not going to spell out what "local" means to me in terms of geography because I don't think it is a matter of geography, but a matter of community. Local to me means bringing about a sense of community and a sense of belonging.  An overall sense of something that I am part of, and something that makes the community I live in a better place. The craft beer non-sense around ultra limited one-offs, wait lists 300 deep for a new beer, tap takeovers, Ebay sales, and just other general ass-hattery is killing that sense of local-ism for me. That is part of the craft beer landscape now, but you can stay away from that and still enjoy what our great brewers have to offer.

When the importance of "who" you are drinking is more important than "what" you are drinking it is a dangerous tipping point for the craft beer community. That needs to change, and our beer community is how that will change.  How did I come to make this switch in my feelings about the term local though? Many important things I've been apart of in my life involved beer.  I've been at several brewpubs for rehearsal dinners, gatherings with my friends at bars and breweries, weekends away at beer festivals, good times and bad times happened to me with a beer in my hand. I've said goodbye to friends that were moving, met new friends that are now in my circle, and I said goodbye to someone for the last time before they left this earth over a pint of beer. I don't remember what I was drinking when those moments happened, but I damn sure remember the moment and the association with beer.  Places like the Broad Ripple Brew Pub, Brugge, Sun King tap room, Oaken Barrel, MacNiven's, Chatam Tap, and the Flat 12 tap room hold special meaning for me.  Not so much for the beer they have (even though I went there first because of it) but because they are part of my community.  I know the people that own them, and in some cases I've met their wives and children, and I'm happy to patron those places and support people I know.  Great beer is great beer, but I'm trying my best to never lose sight of what beer really is and that is a reason to be with friends and family and talk and experience life as it happens. You can find "local" beer anywhere in the country.  It can be found in places like the Schlafly Taproom, Founders Taproom, The Horsebrass Pub, Toronado, The Publican, The Old Fashioned in Madison Wisconsin, and any place where people come together for great beer and hang out with good people. That is what local beer is all about to me, and I hope I get to keep enjoying that sense of local and community for a very long time to come no matter where I happen to be in the world at the time.

Why does local beer matter?  It matters because of what it means and represents for an entire community of beer lovers, brewers, and the people that patron them.  Is local beer better?  I certainly think so.

Cheers!

Matt

Random Beer Roundup - The Nice Knowin' Ya, Liver Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:

Here is what we got for this week,


Scottish 80 Shilling
Special K - Gold medal 2011 Brewers Cup
Dunkelweiss
Weizenbock
Belgian Dubbel - Gold medal 2011 Brewers Cup
Dred Brown
Coffee Porter
Fuggit Stout - Brew Bracket #2 winner
PDG Pale

From Bob at Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

Beer: Cutttlefish Cuvee, a special blend of Walkabout Pale. Coming soon! Date announced on our Facebook page. March - Irish Amber. 

Events: 

3/1 Taste of Carmel

3/2 WFYI Indy's Wine Fest

3/2 Presenting Sponsor: JDRF Beta Cell Bash @Radio Radio

3/6 Flat 12 Tap Night at Rocky's, Jefferesonville

3/8 Flat 12 Tap Night at Hearthstone Coffee House & Pub, Fishers 

3/9 Gravity Head, Flat12 Tapping - Rich O's, New Albany

That's what I have for now. Big Thanks to all who turned out for Flat Tuesday and raised a glass with us. 

From Roger at New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany:

http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2012/02/all-about-gravity-head-2012-at-nabcs.html

From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Fishers/Indianapolis:

Thursday, March 1st will be the grand release of Rabbit Punch Irish Red at our Fishers location at 6:30 p.m. Also, keep an eye out for some Barrel-aged fun hitting the RAM in the next few months including dry-hopped, barrel-aged Big Red IPA, our fall seasonal, Bombshell Brown, in a whiskey barrel, and Batch 1100: Easy Rye-der Imperial Pilsner aged in Chambourcin grape barrels. Dates and details to come soon.

From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

Upcoming Events:

Heart of Brews at the Omni
Fri., Feb. 24th, 6:30-10 p.m.
A Beer Tasting Event to support Riley Heart Hospitals
research for Kids with Ailing Hearts at The Omni Downtown.
Beers from Sun King, BIER, Upland and Barley Island
www.rileypeds.org/WellsConference 

Grapefruit Jungle Tapping at Sun King
Thursday, March 1st at Sun King   6-9 p.m.
Music: TBA
Food: Spice Box 

Ring of Dingle Tapping at Sun King
Thursday, March 8th   6-9 p.m.
Music: Woodstove Flapjacks
Food: Circle City Spuds.

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

Stop by Thre3e Wise Men every Tuesday and get your growler filled for only $8.00! Currently fill it with one of our 4 main beers or the current seasonal which is the Wise Ass White IPA. Make sure to put our next seasonal tapping on your calendar, Saint Slater’s Irish Stout, which we will tap on Tuesday March 6th.

From David at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence:

In honor of the first day of March, Women's History Month, Triton is tapping our Pink Ribbon Saison. 

Thursday, March 1, at 6:00 pm at the Triton Tap Room, come out to celebrate the tapping of our first Saison, the Pink Ribbon Saison, made with pink and white peppercorns and coriander. This sweet, spicy Belgian-style is big on flavor and character! Try the Saison for a truly unique taste experience. 

In addition to being an amazing beer, the Pink Ribbon Saison is part of an effort to raise breast cancer awareness. A portion of the sales from the Pink Ribbon Saison will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

From Lindsay at Upland Brewery in Bloomington/Indianapolis:

We're taking books for Indy Reads! :) http://uplandbeer.com/upland-indy-tasting-room-helps-%E2%80%9Cindy-reads-books%E2%80%9D-stock-the-shelves/

and we're still taking apps for an additional brewer! :) http://uplandbeer.com/brewer-position-at-upland-brewing-co/

At Bars and Restaurants

From Jon at La Margarita in Fountain Square:

Tap list as of Friday:

Fountain Square Escape from Alcatraz Bock

New Day Johnny Chapman

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Peoples Hop Killa

Upland Schwarz

Founders Red's Rye PA

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville:

PKD BEER LIST   02-15-12        LIST SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ON DRAFT

Sun King Dominator Dopplebock (9+% abv. be careful) 7.00 12oz

Flat-12 Milk Stout (they call it Lacto-Matic)5.25 Pint

Boulder’s Hazed and Infused IPA  Pint 5.25

Bell’s Amber Ale ( a classic version of a house favorite)5.25 Pint

North Coast Pranqster Belgian style Golden Ale 7.25 Pint (it’s big and tasty)

New Albanian Hoptimus Imperial IPA 6.75 12oz 10% abv

Two Brother’s Heavy Handed IPA 12oz 5.75

People’s Brewing Mr. Brown Pint 5.25 ( a higher than normal abv. hoppy brown)

New Alabnian Yakima Rye IPA  Pint 5.75 7.5% abv.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf 7.50 12oz

From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis:

Sahm's Place will be having our weekly Tuesday Night Trivia at 8:30pm. This week it will be hosted by Sun King with Dustin coming in with some great selections! We will have all pints on special for $3.50 plus Sun King cans for $4.00.

Wednesday is our Darts & Crafts night with $2.50 craft drafts and $5.00 beer flights. No entry fee to play and we will be handing out gift cards for the top 3 finishers.

We have just started our beer flight selection this week in order to prepare for the additional 6 lines we will be adding in March. With 4 5oz selections for $7 everyday, and $5 on Wednesday, we hope everyone can come out, drink some delicious beer, and eat some of our all made from scratch chow.

New lines for this week:
Bells Brown
Bells Lager
Founders Centennial IPA
New Albanian Beak's Best ESB
Flat12 Winter Cycle
Flat12 Walkabout
Three Floyds Alpha King

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations:

Scotty’s Brewhouse Muncie is now pouring Founder’s Imperial Stout. You can come by on a Thursday and enjoy a pint of this very delicious beer for $3.50.

Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving Flat 12 Walkabout Pale Ale. Stop by on a Tuesday and get a 48oz pitcher for only $5.00!!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Northside Indianapolis now has Stone Smoked Porter on tap! You can enjoy a pitcher of this beer every Wednesday for $9.00!

Scotty’s Burger Joint in Columbus is now pouring People’s Hop Killa. You can get a pint of this amazing craft beer for only $6.50 every day of the week.

From the Distributors
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

Heavy Seas Black Cannon - Black IPA; limited seasonal release; 6 packs only

Boulder Killer Penguin - Barleywine; limited seasonal release; 22oz bottles and draft

Finch's Secret Stache Stout - Robust Stout Brewed with Vanilla Beans and Lactose; limited release; 22oz bottles only

UPCOMING EVENTS

3/2 - Finch's/Sixpoint Tasting at Triangle Liuqors;  Valparaiso; 4pm-6pm

3/3 - Charity Tasting with Pat's Liquors featuring Finch's & Sixpoint; Porter; 1pm-4pm

3/5 - Chalet Beer Club Tasting; Elkhart; 6:30pm

3/6 - Birdy's Monthy Beer Tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10

3/8 - Sixpoint/Finch Tasting at Godfathers;  Valparaiso; 5pm-7pm

3/14 - Stone Tapping Event at The Sinking Ship; 7pm

3/15 - Chalet #3 Craft Beer Tasting; Elkhart; 4pm-6pm

3/16 - Union Street Liquors Spring Tasting; Mishawaka; 4pm-6pm

3/22    Sixpoint Tasting at Nick's Merrillville; 4pm-6pm

3/31 - Sixpoint and Finch's Tasting at Mr. G's Noblesville

4/11 - Founders Tapping Party at The Sinking Ship; 7pm

5/26 - Illiana Mayfest; Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point; 2pm-6pm; $30 general and $45 VIP (entrance at 1pm)

10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm

Upcoming Events
From Donna at IUPUI in Indianapolis:

The 2nd Annual "HEART of the BREWS" - An ALE tasting event to support RESEARCH for KIDS with AILING HEARTS.


Proceeds to benefit research at the Riley Heart Research Center


Come together with friends and learn about the beers offered by local breweries, and find out what foods go best with different beers in an educational, responsible and relaxing atmosphere.  In addition, this year we are excited to have a Silent Auction as part of the evening. While enjoying your tastings, take time to bid on items, which will include autographed sports memorabilia, museum membership, gift certificates to local hotels and restaurants, private tour and tasting at Sun King, gift baskets and more.


DATE: Friday, February 24, 2012
TIME: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Doors will open at 6:30 PM for Registration and check-in
Silent Auction will be open from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Tasting will be available from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
PLACE: Omni Severin, 40 W. Jackson Place, downtown Indianapolis
Must be 21 years of age to attend; picture ID will be required.


Contact Person: Donna Fischer, dfischer@iupui.edu; 317-278-1130


Beer tastings provided by:
Sun King
Upland
Barley Island
BIER


Ticket Information:
$30 Early Bird Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between January 13, 2012 and February 3, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)


$35 Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between February 4, 2012 and February 23, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)


$40 At the Door – General admission ticket (available February 24, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)


$10 Designated driver – May be purchased in advance and at the door (includes complimentary water and soft drinks). We encourage responsible drinking. Designated drivers are welcome to attend, but they must be 21 years of age.

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Here’s the 101 on our event:Brew Bracket is the only one of its kind, a true tasting tournament. 16 brewers bring a similar style of beer (Wheat for our spring event) and are seeded randomly into a bracket. 400 participants taste beer (blindly, 2 glasses at a time) and vote for their favorites. Over the course of the day winning beers move through the tournament until we crown a champion at the end of the event. 

Here’s why this year is exceptionally awesome:Our 16 brewers are very close to Indianapolis, and we have nearly every new brewer to the scene involved in the event. This includes 5+ breweries that have just started within the last year. It’s an awesome opportunity for beer fans to find out about new breweries and learn more about what they like within the style through the blind tasting. And we’re partnering with local charity, the SCI Hope Fund, to give back to the community as part of the event.


Basic details:Saturday, April 14^th from 12:30PM – 5PM
Tickets are $35 each, only 400 available

More information and ticket purchases through http://www.brewbracket.com/upcomingevents/ 

From Sam at Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville, KY:

Wondering what to do for Thunder Over Louisville 2012?! Not willing to chance the rain or cold?! Look no further!! We are excited to announce our AtG Thunder Package 2012! We will be closing our doors on Saturday, April 21, 2012 for a private and relaxing experience to all who purchase the AtG Thunder Package 2012!. The package includes:

A ticket into Louisville Slugger Field seating area section 101-106 (Facing the 2nd St. Bridge...perfect view of the show!) for both the baseball game & a perfect seat to watch the largest fireworks display in the country!

Access to the concert down on the Field (Journey UnAuthorized)

Exclusive all day access to 1 seat in Against The Grain (including access to the clean, neat, & maintained restrooms, large televisions showing the Air Show, and full-fun-friendly service!)

Vouchers for your choice of, both, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, as well as, 5 (well liquor or house made beer) drinks!

These tickets will include return access to and from your seat in the ball field & Against The Grain all day! 

This package is available for the $200 (*plus tax) per adult & $175 (*plus tax) per child (children tickets will not include alcoholic drinks, duh). We encourage all interested to act promptly, as we have limited  seating and will not extend sales beyond our indoor seating capacity. TICKETS GO ON SALE: FEB 1, 2012 @ 11am.

Black Acre Grand Opening

A fixture of the urban neighborhood is the local pub, and it is an element most Indianapolis neighborhoods are missing.  Looking to our larger neighbor, Chicago, you'll find great beer bars in many of their neighborhoods.  Beer bars worth seeking out and visiting regardless of where you are from.

Congratulations, Irvington, you are now the proud owner of a beer bar worth seeking out.

Black Acre opened up on Wednesday with 15 guest taps.  A well-chosen selection of session beers, seasonal specialties and fan favorites.  People's Hop Killa and New Albanian Bonfire of the Valkyries will please the beer geeks.  New Albanian's Beak's Best, Crown Brown, Finch's Golden Wing, People's Pilsner and Stone Levitation are great options for anyone looking to drive home after a long evening at the bar.  Abita Purple Haze and Strongbow are available for those looking for something a little more fruity.  La Trappe Quadrupel and North Coast Old Rasputin (on Nitro) are higher alcohol choices.

Black Acre, however, is a brewpub.  15 guest taps are currently featured while they ramp up their brewing facilities, but another 15 taps are reserved for house beers.  There is clearly a strong desire here to serve Irvington as not only a brewpub, but a great beer bar.  While the space is currently missing the growlers we've come to expect at all bars, they are on their way.  The Black Acre crew expects house beers to be on tap in a month, so mark your calendars for the end of March.  Based on the initial crowds, Black Acre could easily operate as a beer bar, but the first question posed by many customers was "when can we expect to see your beer?"  Clearly the sign that Irvington is thirsty for a brand they can call their own.

Perhaps even more impressive than the initial beer offering and crowd response was the interior design.  Black Acre brandishes the type of attention to detail that is somewhat of a rarity in Indianapolis.  The room is divided into three fluid segments through the use of different materials.  The middle of the space is clad in repurposed pallets, creating something similar to a rustic Avec.  The other walls have their own textured finishes.  There is a reclaimed barn wood standing bar.  The bar is polished stone, while the backing to the tap handles is a stainless steel that stands out nicely from the wood backdrop.  Growlers transformed into light fixtures hang from the ceiling.  This isn't your run-of-the-mill restaurant supply store interior.  This soon-to-be-brewpub already has an image of its own, and a beer selection to match it.

Currently, charcuterie plates built from Smoking Goose meats and cheeses or sweet potato fries are available for food options, with paninis and sandwiches available in the future.  All beers are $5.75 including tax, with higher alcohol or limited edition beers being served in 8oz glasses.  Rogue root beer is available on draft for 1.50 for your designated driver.  A few wines were also available but really who cares.

The Black Acre guys are living the dream of many home brewers.  After brewing for many years, they finally decided to take the advice of all their friends and go professional.  In their journey to becoming Indianapolis' latest brewery, they've created a well-polished beer bar that sits among the city's best.  Not bad for a bunch of law students.  I think I speak for us all when I say I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do in the brew house.