Updated: Random Beer Roundup - Give up crap beer for Lent (or for life) edition

For those of you who practice such rituals, Lent is coming up fast. For many, abstaining from something...sweets, television, cigarettes, whatever. Believe it or not, so people may give up beer.

Shocking, I know. I don't recommend it. It would mean no drinking during the Beer Geek Breakfast on March 14th. Or no drinking on St. Patrick's Day. And that's just cruel.

If you give up beer, try to limit it to crap beer. And make that for life. But if you must give up beer for Lent, remember that Lent consists of 40 days.

But Jason, I count 47 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. What the...?

They don't count Sundays during Lent. And that means you don't have to abstain on Sundays. Seriously, just ask my grandmother who is more Catholic than the Pope.

There are a few days left before Lent, ending with the famous celebration of Mardi Gras, which is French for "show us your ta-ta's and we'll give you some beads!" And if you feel the need to flash for beads, might I recommend doing it in style with a Mikkeller t-shirt.

Speaking of which, we are giving one away. The contest ends Sunday, February 22nd at 5pm, so sign up now! More details can be found here.

It's time to flash our weekly Random Beer Roundup. Remember, if you have any beads or beer news that you want to share, drop us a line at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com. Iko! Iko!

Beer Events:
From Cari at Kahn's in Indianapolis:

Beer Tasting Monday, February 23, 5-7 p.m.: Schlafly beers

From Rob at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:

Don't forget about our free beer tasting every Thursday from 6-8pm at our big downtown store!

From Jerry at Rock Bottom in Downtown Indianapolis:

Next Tapping: Fire chief, Feb. 19, 2009

From Matt and Elizabeth at the Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

Monday, Feb 23rd at 7 p.m.
"Lambics, Meads & Barleywine"
$10 per person includes beer & appetizers.
All beer will be available for purchase at great prices!
Old Town Ale House...841-0800

From Mike at Crown Liquors with locations around Indianapolis:

We wanted to do a special tasting for one the owners daughters, 4yr old Caroline Symmes, that has been going through cancer treatment. Ryan Pierce of Cavalier Distributing has offered up his vertical of Stones Vertical Epic Ale(minus the '02)and lots of other brews. The point, to get more people to come up and taste some great brews and if the mood strikes you, to give a donation to Rileys Children Hospital. In addition to the Vertical Epic, we will be pouring alot of other brews from Cavalier. Here are a few... Southern Star Pine belt Pale Founder's Porter Founder's Double Trouble ---Other founders??? Stone Old Guardian ---Other Stone's??? Mikkeller Its Alive Mikkeller Monks Brew Aventinus Weihenstephaner Hefe I also talked with Bobby and we will be bringing some special brews from our own stashes, I have heard ramblings of Darkness, Lost Abbey, Russian River and loads of other goodies. We will also be having a drawing for prizes, give aways and beer. So please join us for a great cause and come tastes some worldclass brews! We will be doing this Fri at Crown Liquors #15 in Fishers, Feb 20th at 5pm.

And mark your calendar for a Beer Geek Breakfast (or Beer Geek BreakFest) at Brugge Brasserie in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 14th at 10am. Breakfast, lots of beer, and soccer. What more do you want? Tickets are on sale at Brugge Brasserie - PRESALE ONLY - starting today. $25, limited to 50. There will be no day of event tickets sold, so buy now. Or soon. And when they're gone, THEY'RE GONE. More details here.

From Jerry at Rock Bottom in Downtown Indianapolis:

Next Tapping: March 12, 2009
St. James Irish Red

Next Brewer’s Dinner: May 2009

From Matt at World Class Beverage in Indianapolis:

Join us at McCormick and Schmick's in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday, February 26th @ 6:30pm for a celebration of food & beer pairings with some New Orleans & Mardi Gras flair. On the menu...

Abita Turbodog//Beer & Cheddar soup
Abita Purple Haze Ale//Black Steamed Mussels steamed in a tasty ale broth…
Xingu Black//Braised Beef Short ribs
Abita Jockamo//with a beer battered shrimp popsicles
Abita Amber//Beer Can chili
Bells Dopplebock Beer//Triple Bock chocolate truffles

$30.00 per person, includes tax & gratuity

News and Rumors:
From Mat at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:

America's smallest, biggest and most award-winning Jewish (and now Sideshow Freak) Beer Company, Shmaltz Brewing is proud to announce achieving over 80% growth during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Over the last five years (2003-2008), Shmaltz has seen over 1000% growth, with projected annual sales for 2009 estimated at over $2 million.

Fullers London Porter was awarded a Silver medal at the CAMRA Champion Winter Beer of Britain Awards 2009. The awards, judged by a panel of CAMRA experts and leading beer writers, were announced at the CAMRA Winter Ales festival in Manchester last Wednesday, January 21.

Mike DeWeese, formerly of the former BW-3's-turned-Badaboomz-turned J. Gumbo's, can now be found at the Granite City Food & Brewery located at 96th & Meridian.

Now on the shelf:
Price and availability are subject to change

From Mat at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:

The 2009 Release of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine arrived in Indiana bright and early monday AM this week! The 2009 release is weighing in at 11.3% ABV & 95 IBUs this year! This is an allocated limited release so get it while you can.

A very very limited amount of cases and 5 gallon kegs of Two Brothers Red Eye Porter arrived at our warehouse this week as well! Should be on tap soon at Shallos and Finches (Bloomington) and a few other good beer bars to be announced soon. Red Eye Porter is a marriage of two of our favorite things: big beers and dark roast coffee. Red Eye starts with a 9.3% ABV Imperial Baltic porter recipe that can easily stand on its own. Then we loaded it up with 100% organic, fair trade coffee beans that were roasted about 3 miles from the brewery. The dark roast coffee beans were still warm from the roasting process when they were added to the beer. The result is a wonderfully rich chocolate and coffee aroma, with nice coffee and black malt flavor, and a soft clean finish. EYES OPEN!

We will be delivering a keg of Stone Ruination to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bar in downtown Indianapolis. Should be tapped soon! As Hoosier Beer Geek mentioned previously, support those who support good beer!

From Cari at Kahn's in Indianapolis:

Sales:
15% off beer sale at Kahn's.
Through through 24th: All domestic 6 pack beer

From Gabe at Goose the Market in Indianapolis:

The Goose is battling the ever-worsening economy with an ever-evolving stock of craft beers:
Three Floyds/Mikkeller Oatgoop
Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine
Stone Old Guardian Barleywine
Stone Double Bastard
Rogue Double Dead Guy
Founders Double Trouble
Hitachino XH Ale Aged in Sake Casks
Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale...craft beer in 16 oz. cans!
Tucher Bajuvator
Clipper City Holy Sheet Uber Abbey Ale
Brooklyn Monster Barleywine
Victory Old Horizontal Barleywine
Broughton Old Jock
Boulder Mojo Risin' DIPA

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

New:
- Magic Hat # 9 - A Beer Cloaked in Secrecy An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A beer brewed clandestinely and given a name whose meaning is never revealed. Why #9? Why, indeed. A sort of dry, crisp, fruity, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it. Fermented with our 150 year old strain of top-fermenting English yeast.

- Avery # 15 - a unique drinking experience inspired by the wild farmhouse ales of Belgium. Though immensely complex today, more flavor will emerge with time, so throw a few bottles in your cellar for future celebrations. Thanks to all of you who have made our 15-year ride possible! Peace to all and follow your dreams! Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, malted wheat, hops, black mission figs, hibiscus flowers, white pepper, and a very unique strain of brettanomyces yeast.

- Victory Baltic Thunder - this dark lager still features a reminiscent roasted character that embodies the fullness of toffee, along with subtle fruit flavors derived from its higher temperature fermentation.

Also, this isn't beer but Rogue Spirits are now available in Indiana. The famed microbrewery from Oregon started up a distilling operation several years ago. Their selections include:
- Rogue Hazelnut Rum - Toasted Hazelnut flavor with orange overtones and rich vanilla scents mingled with cinnamon and clove. Made from toasted Oregon Hazelnuts, Orange peel, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, and Clove.

- Rogue Spruce Gin - a great gin loaded with Spruce flavors - Spruce, cucumber, angelica root, orange peel, coriander, lemon peel, ginger, orris root, grains of paradise, tangerine, juniper berries. Champagne Yeast, Midwest Corn Spirit & Free Range Coastal Water.

- Rogue Pink Gin - is Rogue Spruce Gin aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels for six months to provide a fruity, mellow flavor and its distinct pink color.

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Company in Lafayette:

we continue to grow our bottle distribution in Tippecanoe county. The latest retail shops to pick up our products: Village Bottle Shop # 3, Eastway Liquors, Scagnoli's Cajun and BBQ and American Legion Post 492.

From Kirk at Mr. G's in Noblesville:

New this week

Sam Adams Blackberry Wit
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
Founders Porter
Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale in cans
Lakefront Bock
Hofbrau Maibock
Two Brothers Cane & Ebel
Two Brothers Red Eye

Now on tap:
Price and availability are subject to change

From Jon at Power House Brewing Company and the Columbus Bar in Columbus:

We will be tapping our Million Mile Stout, an 8% abv stout aged in a Jack Danile's Barrel on March 7th. We will have some Jack Daniel's specials, and some t-shirt give aways.

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Company in Lafayette:

Now on tap at Lafayette Brewing:

Flagships
Ouiatenon Wit (brewed with 100% organic ingredients)
Prophet's Rock Pale Ale
East Side Bitter
Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale
Tippecanoe Common Ale
Black Angus Oatmeal Stout
Eighty-Five

Seasonal/Specialties
Smokehouse Porter- A robust porter brewed with 50% beechwood smoked malt
Weeping Hog IPA- A classic English IPA featuring First Gold hops and served cask-conditioned via beer engine
Marley's VSOP- This Baltic style porter (Very Special Old Porter) weighs in at 7.5% ABV and was aged on Jack Daniels barrel wood for 3 months

From Knight Chris, a note about 14 West in downtown Indianapolis:

If you're like me and ask that fine dining establishments at least acknowledge the craft beer world, you'll be glad to know that you can add 14 West to your list. They don't sport a huge array of craft beers, but they have three taps currently pouring Three Floyds Gumballhead, Stella Artois and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. I can confirm that Gumballhead goes wonderfully with their crab cake!

From Elizabeth at The Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

Some new goodies on draft at the Ale House...

Mishawaka Four Horseman Irish Ale
Original Sin
Three Floyd's Gumballhead
Breckenridge Pandora's Bock
(Double Trouble, Hopslam & Mojo Risin are still on, too)
Coming this weekend... 3 Floyd's Behemoth Barelywine

From Jerry at Rock Bottom in Downtown Indianapolis:

These beers are in addition to our normal lineup:
Seasonal Wheat: Hefeweizen-German Wheat ale.
Banana aroma with spice and citrus flavors.
Hops: Mt. Hood
Malts: Canadian Pale, Winter Wheat
ABV. 5.3%
O.G. 12°

Hoosier Ma Stout: Imperial Stout
Big, rich and roasty strong ale.
Hops: Golding
Malts: English Pale, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Rolled Oats
ABV. 9.7%
O.G. 22.4°

Trouble: Golden Belgian Strong Ale
Rich and full mouthfeelwith wonderful fruit and spice character.
Hops: Golding
Malts: English Pale, Munich
ABV. 8.7%
O.G. 20°

Hop Bomb: American I.P.A.
Grassy bitterness and wonderful floral and ruby grapefruit aroma.
Served Nitro style!
Hops: Simcoe, Crystal
Malts: English Pale, Munich, Crystal
ABV. 7.25%
O.G. 15.8°