Mr. HoosierBeerGeek,

I am having a big poker party in late July and want to serve a couple beers that remind me of my undergrad days at Indiana University, but do not taste too horrible. Although I am not a fan of Little Kings, it is my first choice. Got another idea? Thanks in advance for your help.

Sincerely,
Gordon

Gordon, thanks for the inquiry - but first a clarification. There are actually six of us - two ladies and four fellows - that are behind Hoosier Beer Geek. So perhaps your question would be better addressed to "Family HoosierBeerGeek".

On to your question: Although it's hard for us to say what sort of beer you might have drank in your IU days, there's one Bloomington-based brewery that jumps out as an obvious choice - Upland.

Sure, Upland doesn't make the cheap swill that's the typical choice for frugal college drinkers, but (if the address listed on their website is correct) they brew about a mile from the heart of IU's campus. And since your poker party isn't until late July, they're a chance you'll be able to snare some of their newest release - Preservation Pilsner - a beer style that isn't all that far in style from the light hybrid category that Little Kings fit in.

Of course we can't say for sure what you drank "back in the day", but college isn't just about drinking - it's also about learning to make good decisions, right?