Random Beer Roundup - Erin Go Bragh edition

It's time to get your Irish on! Bust out the green food coloring. Pull out your "Kiss me I'm Irish" t-shirt. Put on your Notre Dame hat. Eat a bowl of Lucky Charms. And look for the pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow.

All over the city, bars are bustin' out the Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's. Even the historic German beer hall the Rathskellar in downtown Indianapolis is throwing a huge St. Patrick's Day party.

While Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's are traditional, there are other beers out there that would make for a better trio when celebrating on March 17th. Last year, we convinced Deano's Vino in Indianapolis to put on Barley Island's Black Majic Java Stout, Rogue's Brutal Bitter ESB, and Three Floyd's Brian Boru. That was a stellar St. Patty's line up!

We asked others what they would put on, and this is what we've heard:

O'Hara's Irish Red, Caffrey's & Beamish
-Elizabeth at Old Town Ale House in Fishers

I would serve true Irish beers brewed in Ireland. My 3 choices would be from Carlow Brewery: O'Hara's Irish Stout, O'Hara's Irish Red & Curim Gold
-Greg at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis

Seeing as St. Patrick was born and partially raised in Scotland before venturing to Scotland, I'd mix it up a little: Belhaven Scottish Ale Nitro Cans, Schlafly Extra Irish Stout, and Upland Ard Ri.
-Cari at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis

Wearing of the green is one thing, but drinking it is something else entirely. Ingesting green-tinted swill is tantamount to wearing a badge that reads, "I'm neither Irish nor particularly bright - scoff at me." The accepted colors of Irish beer are black, red and gold, and in our traditionally minimalist fashion, we'll be offering one keg of each (two Gravity Head listed selections and one not) while shunning the other, more egregious and inauthentic forms of Hibernian revelry.

Rogue Kells Irish Lager - Tasty, full-bodied lager. Brewed in Oregon. Superior to Harp.

Upland "The Ard-Ri" - More craic than Smithwicks, any day of the week, and especially this one day a year.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout - Russian and Irish aren't the same thing, but this choice is in homage to the 1980's joint venture between Aeroloft and the Shannon Airport authority, which led to the airport's rise to prominence (and did not prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union).
-John at New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany

Ted at Brugge suggested drinking Brugge Black, White, and Tripel de Ripple for St. Patty's Day. Someone should explain to him that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but Belgium.

Personally, I have a six pack of Schlafly Extra Irish Stout waiting for me at home. I'll be enjoying that on Tuesday! But wherever you are and whatever you are drinking, we hope you have a great St. Patty's Day.

Here is your weekly Random Beer Roundup - it's magically delicious! Remember, if you have beer news that you want to share, drop us a line at hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

Beer Events:
Dates and lineups subject to change

Saturday, March 14, 10am Beer at Brugge Brasserie:

Beer Geek Breakfast -- Sorry, sold out.

Saturday, March 14, 1-4 p.m., at Kahn’s in Indianapolis:

Magic Hat tasting @ the beer dept. desk

Saturday, March 14, at Zest! in Indianapolis:

Beer Supper with Brugge Brasserie
At Zest!, 1134 East 54th Street, 317-466-1853
Saturday, March 14, 2009
1st Course: ceviche cocktail; Brugge White
2nd Course: danish bleu cheese-cauliflower fondue with crouton; Brugge Black
3rd Course: warm goat cheese on greens with julienned granny smith, toasted hazelnuts, french vinaigrette & blackberry gastrique; Brugge Thunder Monkey
4th Course: lobster-stuffed beef tenderloin with worcestershire beurre noir, roasted fennel, wild mushrooms & tomatoes and spinach pilau; Guest’s Choice of beer
5th Course: baby orange confit with spiced orange granite; Brugge Tripel de Ripple

Monday, March 16, 5-7 p.m., at Kahn’s in Indianapolis:

Tasting of Irish Beers! Duh!

Thursday, March 19, 6-8pm, at Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:

Don't forget about our weekly FREE beer tasting every Thursday 6-8pm at the "Big Store" at 418 North College in Bloomington.

Saturday, March 21, 1-4 p.m., at Kahn’s in Indianapolis:

Upland Brewing tasting @ the beer dept. desk

Wednesday, March 25, at Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

A keg of Kentucky Breakfast Stout has been secured. Get Ready! We are hosting a KBS "Kill the Keg" Night.

Wednesday, April 8, 6-8 p.m., at Kahn’s in Indianapolis:

Meet Greg Hall, Head Brewmaster from Goose Island. This will be a ticketed event, but the details aren't fully finished, so stayed tuned for details!

News and Rumors:
Dark Lord Day is six weeks away. More details keep showing up at DarkLordDay.com.

There is lots of stuff about New Albanian Brewing Company's new Bank Street Brewhouse on Roger's blog.

File under "Good dog!": Beer-fetching dog

Now on tap:
Price and availability are subject to change

From Elizabeth at Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

We've added a few new things for this week on our draft line-up: Cane & Abel, Two Brothers Red Eye & Berghoff Lager is back (by popular demand!)

From Patrick and Beth at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:

Just for the record, we will be having a bit o' Thunderbird from Mad Anthony, O'hara's Irish Red from Carlow brewing, (we just finished their Carlow Stout on tap), although all these are in bottles. Also, something from World Class that I haven't picked yet doncha' know?

Speaking of new beers, we just tapped Northwind Imperial Stout from Two Bros. and it won't be lasting long. We pour it through our Nitro Tap just for funsies.

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

From Cari at Kahn's in Indianapolis:

New/Back in Stock this week:
Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Breckenridge 471 Double IPA 22 oz.
More Three Floyds Oatgoop!
J.K.'s Scrumpy Hard Cider

On Sale This Week (through Tuesday, March 17)
Guinness Draught 12 pack $14.99
Harp 12 pack $12.99
Murphy's Stout and Red 4 Can Pack $6.99
Schlafly Extra Stout 6 Pack $10.99

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:

Here is a beer update:
- Sam Adams Imperial Stout - Our take on the stout brewed by 18th century English brewers for the Russian Imperial Court of Catherine II. The special malted barley in this intense and massive brew delivers rich flavors like dark chocolate, coffee and anise.

- Sam Adams Imperial White - Sam Adams Imperial White pushes the boundaries of a witbier. While the brew delivers orange and coriander notes typical of a witbier, it has a bigger mouthfeel and body. It is truly a unique brew.

- Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout - with what might be the longest name for a beer ever. A generous infusion of Denver’s own Pablo’s 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.

- Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale - Named for a medieval Scottish sword, Claymore Scotch ale is a tribute to the legendary "Wee Heavy" beers of Scotland. A malty, deep-ruby-hued ale, it features a generous amount of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile and a subtle warming character, at 7.7% alcohol by volume.

- Grado Plato Chocarrubicais - a new Italian offering, this is brewed with cocoa and carab beans, for a great chocolate flavor.

- De Proef Flemish Primitive #4 - apparently there are several different versions of this beer, number four holding the moniker of Pin Head. The name is based on paintings by the artist Hieronymus Bosch that adorn the labels.

- BBC (Shelbyville Road brewery) Luna de Miel Raspberry Mead - Called the Honeymoon Ale, Luna De Miel is the beverage of love. Brewed in the ancient tradition of fine Meads, this ale owes it's magical qualities to a secret recipe combining the finest barley malt, wildflower honey and red raspberries. Traditionally served at weddings, the custom began in ancient times when it was believed that if the beverage was consumed for one lunar cycle after the wedding, the birth of a son would result. Today, Luna De Miel is the drink of choice for special occasions - or to make any occasion special.

- Magic Hat Hi.PA - Hi.P.A. is a medium-bodied groove with a fresh and fruitful nose of tympanic temptation. It begins and ends with a big hop bite that is itself forever balanced on the brink by a steady rhythm of malt. Dry-hopped for extra quenching in the face of heat and beat, it’s an ideal accompaniment to chilling out, turning inward or sailing onward through the music of the night toward the dawn of the mind. It’s the liquid way to say be here now lest you never come this way again.

From Greg at Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis:

In terms of some incredible liquid hitting store shelves and bar tops around the state, there is plenty 'o cheer for the season:
Great Divide Brewing Co. has two new beers hitting the market this week, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti & Claymore Scotch Ale. The Espresso Oak Aged Yeti is the most recent addition to the Yeti line. It's made with Denver's own Pablo's espresso and offers an entirely new dimension to the Yeti. The Claymore Scotch Ale is a tribute to the wee heavy beers of Scotland. This is a big, malty beer with caramel sweetness and subdued hop bitterness. Also new to the Indiana market are Great Divide Brewer's Picks 12pk Mix Packs! All of these beers feature Great Divide's new packaging as well. Keep your eye out for many more special, new releases from Great Divide throughout 2009!!

Also, new to the market is J.K. Scrumpy's Organic Farmhouse Cider. This is an organc, sulfite & gluten free farmhouse cider from Flushing, MI. J.K. Scrumpy's Cider is produced the old world way using only two ingredients: Apple Juice & Yeast. They press their organic apples right after harvest and allow them to ferment for 6 months before bottling. The result is a big, bold farmhouse cider with depth of flavor and complexity that are only achieved using this slow, old world process. This is truly an artisan farmhouse cider from Michigan that due to variations in the seasons and weather is always going to be unique from batch to batch and an adventure each time! Enjoy!!

Two Brothers has released a very small amount of Monarch Wit to the market starting this week. This wonderful Wit is brewed only once a year and is best consumed fresh. Two Brothers Monarch Wit is a traditional Wit style beer, crisp and refreshing and spiced with coriander & orange peel. It is a PERFECT beer for the Spring and early Summer!

Boulder Beer's Sweaty Betty Wheat Ale is back out and will be a year around beer from now on. Because of the outstanding feedback on this former summer seasonal, Sweaty Betty will now be sweaty and ready all year long!!

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2009 is out in the market and tastes absolutely wonderful this year!! Super hoppy, compare it to past vintages and see how this monster matures.

Remember, next week is the official relese of Founders KBS (formerly Kentucky Breakfast Stout). The first cases will start hitting the market next Tuesday, so get out to your favorite stores & bars who support Founders and get it while you can!! For those of you who don't know, KBS is an Imperial Stout brewed with massive amounts of coffee and chocolates and then cave-aged in oak bourbon baarrels for an entire year (11.2 % ABV). Good luck on getting some and enjoy!

HBG reader Josh sent us an email on Monday mentioning a deal that he found:

I just thought I would pass along a great deal found on Shiner Bock. Dinner Bell Cash-N-Carry at 2835 Shelby St has cases (24) of Shiner Bock for $12.99. I'm not sure if it's a pricing mistake or not.