Random Beer Roundup - I Need a Vacation Edition

Wow! How about that Microbrewer's Festival? Can someone order the same weather next year? It was spectacular. We hope everyone had an enjoyable time. Thanks also to everyone who helped make the show a success. I look forward to volunteering again next year.

I don't know about you, but I need a vacation. Mike and I are looking forward to spending next week with our niece. I think we've got a soccer game and perhaps a trip to Cedar Point in the works. I think it will be a great time, I haven't been on a roller coaster in years! I hope your weekend is great too!

If you have news for the next edition of the Roundup, submit it to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

So, grab your tickets to the Hoosier Beer Geek third anniversary party, this is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Various Dates and Locations in August - Scotty's Brewhouse Beer Dinners (Details below)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at Smock Golf Course in Indianapolis (Details below): Rock Bottom BrewMasters Charity Golf Tournament (you can bid our our basket!)

Saturday, August 22nd: The Hoosier Beer Geek 3rd Anniversary Party, Sun King Brewing Co. Tickets are limited and can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets.

Saturday, September 12th, from 7-10pm at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend: Zoo Brew, beer tasting event, tickets on sale August 1, $30 in advance; more info here.

Saturday, September 26th at Crown Brewing Co. in Crown Point: 2nd Annual Oktoberfest and PRO AM Brewing Competition - Outdoor event, Live Music, Food, etc

What's Brewing

From the folks at Three Floyds:

If you go to your local beer store in the next few days and see some of our beers with gold colored crowns instead of our usual FFF crowns, please do not panic. With our expanded production and long lead times on our custom crowns, we have had to supplement our normal design with plain ones until our orders can catch up to our production. There is nothing different about these except for the fact that they are plain gold instead of normal Three Floyds.

From Matthew at Rock Bottom Brewery Downtown

On Tuesday, July 28th, we will be holding our BrewMasters Charity Golf Tournament as a fundraising event specifically for the Miracle on Washington Street. First of all, we’re looking for golfers to participate in the event! If you or anyone you know is interested in joining us for one of the best golf outings in Indianapolis, we’d love to have you! You can go to our Web site at www.rockbottom.com for more information, or download the event registration brochure at http://www.rockbottomrestaurantsinc.com/RBFoundation/1062golfbrochure.pdf.

A little about the Miracle on Washington...each year on Christmas Day, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery in Downtown Indianapolis holds the Miracle on Washington Street, an event designed to offer more than 500 homeless and displaced guests from Indianapolis-area shelters and non-profit organizations an extraordinary dining and holiday experience. Our honored guests are provided complimentary transportation, are seated at tables dressed in white linen tablecloths and napkins, silverware and china, and enjoy a traditional holiday meal complete with all of the trimmings. We offer gifts of warm adult and children’s clothing, children's books and toys. Professional photographers are on-hand to provide family portraits and pictures with Santa, cell phones to call loved ones, and more than 100 volunteers to make sure each guest’s needs are provided for. Our event is designed to fulfill our belief that everyone deserves a Christmas to remember.

From Adam at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:

ATTENTION ALL HOMEBREWERS!!!

Crown Brewing is pleased to announce that it will be having its first ever "Crown Challenge" PRO-AM .

EVENT DATE = September 26th
BEER SUBMISSION DATE = September 24th
REGISTRATION FEE = $5.00

The competition is open to homebrews only.
No entries brewed with professional assistance, on professional equipment, or at a commercial brewery are eligible.

For all rules, regulation and to download a registration form, please visit, CrownBrewing.com

A T-Shirt & A Pint Only $15!! Stop in anytime now through July 31st and get both a T-Shirt and Pint of choice for only $15.

From Mike at Granite City Food & Brewery:

Granite City has 300 gallons of Blueberry Ale left. Get it while you can. We blew a keg in 1.5 hours at the Indiana Microbrewers Fest.

At the Bar

From Sam at Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown:

Short and sweet.

Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown has good beer!

Being tapped Friday July 24 is Three Floyds Blackheart

Also on Tap:

Founders Reds Rye and Imperial Stout

Stone Arrogant Bastard

Bells Two Hearted and Oberon

Three Floyds Gumballhead and Alpha King

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere

Dark Horse One Oatmeal Stout

New Belgium Fat Tire

Victory Prima Pils

Dogfish Head 90 Minute

Abita Turbodog

From Lauren at Scottys Brewhouse:

Tuesday, August 4: Downtown Indianapolis, 6 – 8pm – Sam Adams Brewing Company
Thursday, August 6: West Lafayette, 6 – 8pm – Bell’s Brewing Company
Tuesday, August 11: Muncie, 6 – 8pm – Magic Hat Brewing Company
Thursday, August 13: North Side Indianapolis, 6 – 8pm – Sun King Brewing Company
Monday, August 17: Bloomington, 6 – 8pm – New Belgium Brewing Company

“[The beer pairing dinner] is a stylistic pairing of Scotty’s food with featured brewery products,” said Martin.

The dinners include an appetizer, choice of entrée, a brewhome-made dessert and, of course, a variety of brew to sip on with each meal course, while brewery representatives offer insights and background.

“The Sun King Brewery will have just released it’s first beers right around the time of the event at 96th street, so this is a great opportunity to sample beers from a new and up-and-coming winning brewery before most others will have the opportunity to do so,” said Martin.

A ticket to the beer dinner is $25 and can be purchased online at www.scottysbrewhouse.com or at any Scotty’s Brewhouse location.

From Elizabeth at Old Town Ale House in Fishers:

We've got Beer School #2 just around the corner: Thursday , July 30th at 7 p.m. This month's topic is "IPA's" $10 includes beer & appetizers. Call 841-0800 to reserve your spot.

Here's what's on draft at the Ale House this week:

Founder’s Pale Ale 4
Sea Dog Blueberry Ale 4
Goose Island Summertime 4
Original Sin 4
Bell’s Two Hearted 5
Bell’s Oberon 5
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 5
Victory Prima Pils 5
Stone Smoked Porter 5
Coney Island Albino Python 5
Great Divide Saison 6
Boulder Flashback Anniversary 6
Rogue Somer Orange 6
Stone Levitation 6
Sun King ESB 6
Left Hand St. Vrain 7*
Hebrew Barrel Aged RIPA 8*
Stone 13 Anniversary 8*
Dogfish Head 90 min. 8*
Stone IRS 10*

*excluded from pint specials

***Come see us in the Beer Garden on Saturday, August 1 for the Flavor of Fishers (www.flavoroffishers.com) we'll be pouring Oberon & Fat Tire among others...plus tons of caramelized bourbon bacon for noshing!***

Reserve your spot for our next week's Beer School. $10 for brew & snacks. Call 841-0800 to reserve your spot!
*excluded from Tuesday & Wed. pint night special

Carry Out

From Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:

Several new items from Victory (did you know that this Philadelphia brewery employes as one of its brewers former Hoosier and BRL employee Dave Sippel?):

* V12 -a 12% abv Belgian inspired ale
* Wild Devil -IPA brewed with Brettanonyces yeast
* Prima Pils & Hop Wallop now in a 22oz bottle
* Brooklyn Local 2 -ale brewed with honey & citrus peel
* Belhaven Scottish Stout
* Two new offerings from Harpoon -Cider and Leviathan Imperial IPA
* New Belgium 6pk bottles -Fat Tire Amber, Mothership Wit, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black, & Skinny Dip Seasonal (brewed with Kaffir Lime)
* Spaten Oktoberfest 12pks

Also, don't forget about our weekly beer samplings. They are every Thursday from 6-8pm at our downtown Bloomington location.

News, Reviews, and Gossip

From Greg and Mat at Cavalier Distribution:

Left Hand Brewing Co. has a couple exciting additions to the Hoosier Beer Community this week, hot on the heels of an outstanding showing at the Microbrewers Fest. The Moo Mobile was in full effect on Saturday, pouring 31 gallons of beers out of the hatch back. In celebration of the Moo Mobile, Left Hand is offering Nitro Milk Stout kegs to top Left Hand draft accounts in the state. These kegs are packed with Nitrogen, so they are ready to be poured on Nitro lines with the correct gas blend. Pouring on a Nitro line gives the Milk Stout that silky presentation and mouthfeel, and only enhances the wonderful flavors of the beer. It's creamy, delicious and makes for a great presentation.

Additionally, Left Hand is releasing Jackman's Pale Ale to the market as an everday offering. Jackman's is a traditional American Pale Ale, assertively hopped with a solid malt backbone. It is hopped with Centennial and Cascade and then dry-hopped with Mt. Hood. This is a wonderfully balanced Pale that is perfect with big, spicy food and should be hitting store shelves and bars this week

Pizza Beer on today show!
If pressed for time fast forward to 8:40 mark to go right to it!