28 February 2010

Coming Soon to Broad Ripple: Another Hoosier Brewery

As the home of Broad Ripple Brewpub, Brugge Brasserie, and Barley Island Broad Ripple, Broad Ripple has become Indiana craft beer headquarters. As further proof to that claim, You'll soon be able to add the Scotty Wise/Mike DeWeese/Jon Lang/David Waldman brewery project to that list.

With the help of this article from IBJ.com and the details DeWeese has dropped here at HBG (here and here), we can now lay out the basics. The brewery is a joint effort between Wise (owner of the Scotty's Brewhouse chain of restaurants), and a group calling themselves Beer Baron LLC, featuring DeWeese (former owner of the previous incarnation of the downtown BW3's/Badaboomz/J. Gumbo's), Jon Lang (former head brewery at Barley Island/GABF Gold Medal Winner), and David Waldman.


In a recent conversation with Wise we were able to discover the location for the brewery - 1021 Broad Ripple Avenue, in the space that previously housed the Broad Ripple location of Sunflower Market. Conveniently located at the crossroads of the Monon Trail and Broad Ripple Avenue, the location's ample parking, extensive floorspace, and already built-in wall coolers seem like a promising start.


The brewery's bones come from a previous Indiana brewery effort - the group only had to go as far as Fort Wayne to acquire equipment for the recently closed Warbird Brewing Company. No mention has been made of the brewery's plans to bottle or can their offerings.


What remains to be seen is how the group plan to manage their brewing efforts - Wise expects the brewery to produce four or five styles for his restaurants (under the Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. label) in addition to the beers being produced for the Beer Baron LLC Group. Wise admitted that it's a question that has yet to be answered.

The combined experience of the group should be its strong suit. Wise's business acumen combined with DeWeese's extensive beer background and Lang's award winning brewing experience make sense on paper. "This is a new thing for me," said Wise. "We're still figuring it out."

27 February 2010

Scenes from a Tapping: Bell's Hopslam Firkin at MacNiven's


Where: MacNiven's (339 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, (317) 632-7268, Smoking Allowed).


When: Thursday, February 25th.


Who: MacNiven's owner Stuart Robertson, World Class Beverage's Matt Clapesattle, and Bell's Brewery's Veronica Sanders.


Why: A firkin of Bell's Hopslam is a very rare thing - this was the only firkin to make it to Indianapolis.


What: Bell's Hopslam needs no introduction, and this year's batch seems to be one of the best yet. Drunk from a firkin, it was like Hopslam Plus - plus more sweet grapefruit flavor (maybe even a hint of strawberry), plus a smoother mouthfeel, and just all around a little bit better.

While you may have missed your chance for a taste of Hopslam on firkin (the beer ran out about an hour after the tapping), you'll have an opportunity to sample Bell's Batch 9000 - an even rarer beer - on tap this coming Monday (03/01/10) at Chatham Tap.

26 February 2010

Sun King CAN Design!

Seriously this time, we've got Sun King's new can designs.





Random Beer Roundup - The Canned Edition



I think someone was wanting to see what the new Sun King cans may look like...

What do you think?

Oh wait, that's not it. Well, hopefully soon we can all see the real deal.

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Monday, March 1st at Chatham Tap in Indianapolis: Bells Batch 9000 tapping

Wednesday, March 3rd at Sun King: Girls Pint Out event

Saturday, March 6th: KOTBR100 Bus Trip to New Albany - Last few tickets are available NOW!

Sunday, March 7th at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East in Lafayette from 2-5pm: World Beer Tasting Event - $40 per ticket (limit 50). More details below.

March 27th - Craft Beer Breakfast

April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Release

What's Brewing

From Jon at Powerhouse in Columbus:
Power House has 1436 Dark Wheat on tap and we'll have Two Dave's IPA on soon. We will have live music from Rick Malito on St. Patrick's Day.

From Billy at Broad Ripple Brewpub in Indianapolis:
The Broad Ripple Brewpub, the very first Brewpub in the State of Indiana, turns 20 this year - on 11/14/10 to be precise, and so we're celebrating with drink and food specials, and other fun stuff, between now and then. Right now we have $3 pints on Mondays. Look for more events in the coming months culminating in our Birthday Bash on the big day.

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington:
Reservations for Upland's lambics and Dantalion dark wild ale open Friday, Feb. 26th. We have an extremely limited supply, so act fast! Go to uplandbeer.com to reserve your bottles!

Also, Upland's Ard Ri Imperial Red Ale is being released this weekend. Keep your eyes open for it on tap and on shelves all over Indiana!

At the Bar

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
Two things, one, our beer line up is as follows Gaffel Kolsch, Breckenridge Avalanche, Victory Hop Wallop, Sun King IBA (India Brown Ale) , and the good ole Double Trouble from Founders.
We have the Sun King Electric Boogaloo waiting in the wings to be tapped tomorrow probably.....now, our Wednesdays are going well with $3 beer, and $4 wine. Specials good all day, think of it as an inventory reduction sale.

From The Legend in Irvington:
Four new beers on tap at The Legend in Irvington

Come by and taste Upland's Ard Ri, available only at this time of the year, Two Brothers Domain DuPage French Country Ale, and SunKing's Wee Mac Scottish Brown and Osiris Pale Ale.

Carry Out

From Corrie at Goose the Market in Indianapolis:
New in the cellar at Goose the Market...

Brian Boru from Three Floyds takes his place on our shelves once again...come and get a dram.
The first in a series of collaborations between Rogue's John the Brewmaster and John the Spiritmaster, John John Dead Guy Ale spent three months inside Dead Guy whiskey barrels.
No false advertising here...Mishawaka's Seven Mules Kick Ass Ale is smooth and satisfying but with 10% abv, take your time mule-ing over that next glass, donkey.

From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
Upland - Ard Ri (Indiana)
Upland - Komodo Dragon Fly Black IPA (Indiana)
Three Floyds - Brian Boru (Indiana)
Baltika - #7 Export (Russian Republic)
Bruery - Mischief (California)
Bruery - Saison de Lente (California)
Southern Star - Buried Hatchet Stout (Texas)
Stiegl - Pils (Austria)

From Patrick at Crown Liquors:
The Bruery Saison De Lente & Mischief
Southern Star Buried the Hatchet
BFM Bon-Chien Grand Cru Vin Jaune
Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueze back in stock
De Ranke Cuvee de Ranke
Mikkeller Tomohawk & Amarillo single hop


Beer tasting at the downtown location Friday night, from 3-7 PM, will be "American Takes on Belgian Ales". Featured beers will be The Bruery Mischief, Ommegang Three Philosophers, Flying Dog Raging Bitch, and New Belgium Mothership Wit.

From the Distributors:

From Matt and Krystle at World Class Beverages:
Batch 9000 tapping parties in Indy: Chatham Tap, Monday, March 1st. Two Hearted and Sparkling will be available also. There will be more 9000 tappings in the future, we'll keep you posted as dates are confirmed.

Look for Lincoln from Three Floyds in March, fun events with him on the horizon starting March 9. More info as the pieces come together.

If you’re looking for craft beer in a can for this spring/summer season… look for 6-pack Wittekerke Wit Bier cans from Global Beer next week! Go to the World Class Beverage’s Beer Spy on our website www.worldclassbeverages.com to find it closest to you.

Other new product to hit the market soon from Hoppin’ Frog in Akron, Ohio – Outta Kilter Scottish Red Ale and Hop Dam Triple IPA. Hoppin’ Frog received prominent mention in this article http://www.hoppinfrog.com/news/hoppin-frog-on-list-of-worlds-top-brewers/ and were rated as the 24th best brewer in the world for 2010 according to Rate Beer, in addition to others including the top rated brewer in the world, our very own Three Floyds from Munster, Indiana. Congrats!

Other new products coming soon: Harpoon Summer (find it on draft at Max’s in Bloomington near March/April), Buffalo Bill’s Orange Cream Ale, and Anchor Summer.

From Greg at Cavalier Distribution:
We have several incredible, exciting new beers to Indiana!!
The Bruery Mischief & Saison de Lente both make their Indiana debuts this week!! Mischief is a limited, year-round beer for us, and we only have a third of our initial allotment left in the warehouse. Mischief is a Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale. This wickedly good golden ale is fiendishly dry-hopped with American hops to add a layer of complexity and mystery to its fruity, dry Belgian-style character. Citrus and resin diabolically combine with ripe melon, pear and slight peppery spice in a precariously effervescent mixture. Enjoy it, but you'll want to keep an eye out. ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 35, Release: Limited Year-Round

Saison de Lente is the Bruery's spring seasonal, and is available in limited quantities for the first time in Indiana. We received a very, very limited amount of the Saison de Lente, and are almost out in the warehouse, so make sure to grab some asap while it's still available! The Bruery's Spring Saison de Lente is light blonde in color with a fresh hoppiness and a wild and rustic Brettanomyces character. Lighter in color and alcohol than Saison Rue, yet equally complex in its own way. Perfect for warmer weather and Spring celebrations. ABV: 6.5%, IBU: 35, Release: March - May

Southern Star Buried Hatched Strong Stout--Available in 4pk CANS!! Southern Star Buried Hatched is finally here!! Buried Hatched is a Strong American Stout by style and an everyday addition to the Southern Star line of beers. For all those looking for OB Ten Fidy, Buried Hatchet is the perfect option!! Jet-black in color, this monster smells of coffee and chocolate. The taste is much of the same, with hints of creamy toffee and roasted malt. Smooth and delicious, this medium bodied ale is all about the malts, but has enough hop bitterness to be balanced. ABV: 8.25% IBUs: 50

Beer Lao Lager & Dark Lager are in Indiana for the first time ever!! Direct from Laos, Beer Lao is considered one of the finest beers from Southeast Asia. Beer Lao is a premium authentic rice beer brewed from a unique blend of the finest European and Laotian ingredients, a fusion of the best traditions of East and West. Brewed in Laos with hand picked indigenous rice varieties, spring water originating from the foothills of the Himalayas, Hallertau hops, German yeast and French malted barley.

Stegmaier Brewhouse Bock is being released in Indiana for the first time as well! This is a well- balanced Bock beer, malty and flavorful with a clean finish. Perfect for the Spring season, Stegmaier Bock is a good reminder that warmer months are coming!! You should be able to find this starting this week in stores across the state.
Events
From Ryan:
World Beer Tasting Event
Sunday, March 7, 2010
All proceeds benefit the Blue Knight Auction!

Join Master Brewer and Nationally Certified Beer Judge John Blichmann & Doug Granlund for a World Beer Tasting Tour at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East

2 - 5pm
$40 per ticket (limit 50)

Sample 12 of the world's classic beers plus a Doug & John homebrew!
Learn how to pair food & beer
Enjoy a 4 course lunch
Receive a commemorative hand etched glass by Doug Granlund

Call Chris Goellner at 474-7500 for more information or mail your $40 to purchase your ticket by 3/1/10 to: Lafayette Catholic School Development Office at 2410 South 9th Street Lafayette, Indiana 47909

Don't forget to designate a driver!
Misc:

From Mike at an upcoming Indiana brewery:
My nameless as of yet brewery is finalizing the purchase of Warbird's equipment. It will be located in a building leased by Scotty's Brewhouse. We will be brewing his private label brands as well as our own. My group is soliciting funding so if anyone is interested feel free to contact me. I have also completed the inventory of my beer cellar for this year and the list is here with non-negotiable prices.

From the Internets:

From Twitter:
@RustBeltBrewing: It looks like we have picked up distribution in the Hoosier State, Indiana!
Belgian beer tasting in the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/dining/reviews/24wine.html?em
Interesting IBJ article with new brewery news:


24 February 2010

Sun King Can

"A year ago we had just started filling this brewery space" said Sun King Brewer/Owner Clay Robinson as he displayed the workings of the brewery's new canning system, "and it's crazy to think at where we're at now."


The meteoric rise of Sun King continues with the addition of an automated canning system that should help the brewery get its beer on local liquor store shelves by mid to late March.


Many craft breweries are still small batch bottle processing, a slow and tedious process that involves touching each and every bottle that goes out the door. Sun King's new canning system is capable of maximum speeds of 18 16oz cans per minute - or somewhere between 60 - 70 cases per hour.


What this means is that you can expect the beer in even more locations. "This enables us to sell the beer to folks who may not have a spare tap line available" said Robinson.


One potential problem with canning versus bottling is that pre-printed cans must be bought in bulk - a costly initial investment that can hamper diversity of product. Sun King plans to start their canning with their most popular styles - Cream Ale and Osiris Pale Ale - and see how the demand shakes out.


"One of the reasons we went with this machine is that it allows for different can sizes" said Sun King Process Engineer Michael Pearson. "So if we want to do one-off runs of bigger beers in bigger cans, or smaller cans, or anything like that, we have the ability."


Another option the brewery is looking into is a shrink-wrap type label that would allow for in-house labeling of blank cans. This would allow for cost-effective smaller batch or one-off varieties.


Robinson noted that he has already been in talks with 8 to 12 local liquors stores, with names local craft beer fans are familiar with - Mass Ave Wine Shop, Vine and Table, Goose the Market, Crown Liquors and Kahn's were just a few mentioned - so the beer should be available all over the city. That's a good thing, because initial taste tests proved that the beer out of a can is a tasty and wonderful thing. Considering Sun King's success, we wouldn't expect anything less.

23 February 2010

KOTBR #95 - Life, Limb, and Lost Roundtables


This continues our series of lost roundtables where we throw off the shackles of traditional numbering systems in order to promote anarchy. Not really.

Keeping up with the newest in limited release beers has become a futile exercise - you might be on top of things for a while, but eventually you end up with a beer closet full of things you have to find special occasions for or make excuses to drink.

But when the two craft beer heavyweights that are Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada combine forces, I can't help but pay attention. Back when I went around asking for suggestions on beer for aging 21 years, Dogfish's Sam Calagione suggested that I might check out the Dogfish/Sierra Life and Limb - a 10% ABV strong, dark beer that defies style characteristics (more here) - saying, "Any of our beers over 15% abv should last for that long. Also – the Life & Limb beer Dogfish and Sierra brewed together that comes out in November would be good for this sorta thing."

Well 21 years is too long to wait for me, and the downtown Indy BW3's was lucky enough to acquire a keg or two of Life and Limb for tasting now. So when BW3's Sam gave us the heads up, we headed downtown.

Because Sam Calagione suggested this beer would stand up to 21 years of aging, I expected a monster. Instead the beer starts surprisingly mild, at least when cold. What happened over the next hour was interesting, though, as the flavors grew and my palate pushed me to savor what was in front of me. It's rare that any beer can hold my attention for an hour anymore - usually something that rich will wear me out.

The nose on this beer is tootsie roll and (Rod will love this) hot slot car track1 - a sort of burnt sulfur thing, slightly smokey and boozy together. The flavors are what you might expect - sweet dark fruit, grape, and a finish that works its way up your nose. Just a bit boozy.

You could definitely age this beer, but I like it right now. If you're lucky enough to find some (both bottles and kegs are pretty limited), I think you'll be happy either way. 4.29 Mugs


I had high expectations going into this one. The quintessential America Pale Ale brewery paired with the definitive extreme beer brewery. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I certainly was expecting something good. On tap, Life and Limb pours like an imperial stout. It also smells like an imperial stout with lots of dark chocolate and molasses characteristics. At first taste, I'll admit that I was a bit set back by the alcohol. The alcohol was a bit more warming than I expected and will definitely aid in the improvement of this beer over a few years. I found chicory reminiscent of the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout and traditional imperial stout flavors such as molasses, dark chocolate and oak. Life and Limb contains an intriguing sweetness that I can best characterize as cherries and honey. The finish is surprisingly dry, seemingly a result of a touch of hoppiness on the back. I'm eager to see what this one tastes like in a few years and I've already tucked away a bottle. 4.15 Mugs


I thought Life and Limb was pretty good, though definitely rough around the edges and a little boozy. I'm sure everybody has already said this, but it'll probably be better with a couple years aging. 3.9 Mugs

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life and Limb
Mike: 4.29 Mugs | Chris: 3.9 Mugs | Rod: 4.15 Mugs | Gina: 4.05 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.09 Mugs

* * * * *

1I know that references like this one have a very limited audience, but if you know what I'm talking about and have a chance to drink the beer, I think you'll be surprised that I don't just make this stuff up.

22 February 2010

Senate Bill 75 - SUPER-DUPER-SIZED!

Senate Bill 75 passed the House Public Policy Committee last week 10-0. In passing the Supersized Bill, two additions were made. The first eliminated language from the existing code that limited alcohol sales at publicly-owned airports to those that have regularly-scheduled commercial flights. This allows airports like Terre Haute's, which lost commercial flights, to retain a restaurant (or restaurants) with liquor licenses.

The second added language that would allow an indoor theater that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in a city of population between 200,000 and 300,000 to obtain a one-way, two-way, or three-way liquor license. Sound funny? Well, it is meant to help the Embassy Theatre in Ft. Wayne.

"The Embassy Theatre is a nonprofit organization," says Kelly Updike, Executive Director at the Embassy Theatre. "We are currently only able to obtain day/event permits for wine and beer sales for our concession/bar sales at performances, as we do not qualify for any other type of liquor permit under current law. I am told that there are other theaters or similar venues in the state which have received this type of code change in order to receive a three-way permit. Obtaining this permit will improve our revenue from concessions/bar sales tremendously, thus allowing us to better meet our mission of preserving and maintaining the historic Embassy Theatre."

I suspect that in future legislative sessions we'll see other privately-owned theaters who will be making contact with their legislators to get in on this action.

After passing the committee hearing, SB 75 had its second reading in the House. Two amendments were made. One slightly changes the language describing the steps required by applicants to obtain a permit in consolidated cities (i.e. Indiananpolis). No big deal. The second apparently postpones until May 2011 the requirement of retailers and dealers to have their servers and clerks trained within 120 days of employment and every three years after. I'm assuming that this would give the ATC and businesses more time to get their training programs in place.

With these amendments, SB 75 moved past the second reading and heads to the floor where, I predict, it will pass. It will then return to the Senate since the language is different from when it first left the Senate. Assuming it moves through the Senate again, it heads to the Governor for his signature.

My prediction: it will pass. You'll be able to buy carryout from your favorite brewer on Sundays; you'll be able to toast your vote right after you place it; and you'll be able to drink until 3am on Sundays, making Monday morning that much more difficult.

19 February 2010

Random Beer Roundup - The Wishing for Spring Edition


There is a lot of good beer on the radar this weekend. Let's start with the C-1 tapping at Brugge tonight. Also recently tapped and hopefully still available are Muscles From Brussels, a Belgian-style Black IPA with 10.2% ABV, 80 IBU's, and Belgian candi sugar from Barley Island, and the Imperial Cream Dream II: Electric Boogaloo from Sun King (tapped yesterday at Spencer's Stadium Tavern).

If there is something coming up that is not listed, we would love to hear about it. News, reviews, info, etc., to share for our next Random Beer Roundup can be submitted to hoosierbeergeek@gmail.com.

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Friday, February 19th at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple: Special Tapping of C-1, a collaboration beer from New Albanian, Schlafly, and O'Fallon Breweries

Saturday, February 20th at the Murphy Art Building in Fountain Square: PK Indy 8: 20x20 Circling the Globe for Haiti (more information below)

Tuesday, February 23rd at Rock Bottom Downtown: Brewer's Dinner - Call for Reservations.

Thursday, February 25th at MacNivens on Mass Ave - Hopslam Firkin

Thursday, February 25th at R Bistro on Mass Ave in Indianapolis • Brewer's Dinner • 6:30 p.m. • 6 Course Dinner prepared with / paired with Sun King Beer

Thursday, Feb. 25th at 7:00 PM at the UPL at 96th and Olio. Enjoy beers from Stone, Founders and much more from Cavalier distributing.

Friday, February 26th at New Albanian Public House in New Albany: Gravity Head begins! A recent list is here.

Saturday, March 6th: KOTBR100 Bus Trip to New Albany - Tickets are available NOW!

Sunday, March 7th at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East in Lafayette from 2-5pm: World Beer Tasting Event - $40 per ticket (limit 50). More details below.

March, Dates TBA - Craft Beer Breakfast

April 24th at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster - Dark Lord Release

What's Brewing

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:
Many thanks go out to all the folks who came out to support our 15th Annual LBC Winter Warmer this past Saturday. We enjoyed our 9th consecutive sell-out of the event and raised money for a great local charity, LAURA'S KIDS. As we mentioned at the festival, a portion of this year's proceeds will go towards establishing the Peach Schmitt Scholarship. Peach was one of the sweetest ladies we'd ever met, a former elementary school teacher and great friend of LBC who passed away in January. All the details are being finalized for the scholarship which will be based in part on financial need of the applicants.

We also want to thank all the brewers, volunteers, friends and family of LBC who donated food, services and/or time that make this event so special. And hey, where else in the world can you sample a 12-year-old barleywine? Good times, great beer and a worthy cause... it doesn't get any better than this!

On tap at LBC this weekend: Ouiatenon Wit Bier; Prophet's Rock Pale Ale; East Side Bitter; Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale; Tippecanoe Common Ale; Eighty-Five; Black Angus Oatmeal Stout; Weeping Hog IPA and our recently released Marley's VSOP (very superior old porter)- a Baltic porter matured on Jack Daniels Barrel Wood.

From Andrew at Oaken Barrel in Greenwood:
Our stouts are in full swing! The Nitro Oatmeal Stout is on tap now, and we will be tapping this year's rendition of the award-winning Oaken Barrel Java Stout on Saturday. We hope you all can make it out for a couple pints!

At the Bar

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
On tap currently is Sun King Naptown Brown, HopSlam, Hop Wallop, and Gaffel Kolsch, about out of Elector Red, waiting on a keg of Ruination, and have ordered two bbls of the Sun King Electric Boogaloo...it's their Cream Dream II...
Beer geek with Tom this week is all about Belgians...at least as much as you can in an hour and a half.

Carry Out

From Big Red Liquors in Bloomington:
Upland Ard Ri -Imperial Red Ale
Bells Batch 9000 -"Malt brewed with molasses and brewer's licorice."
Bells Consecrator
Boulevard Irish Ale
3 Floyd's Brian Boru Irish Red Al


Come see us at the downtown Bloomington store on Friday February 26th from 6-8pm for a special Upland tasting. They will kicking off their latest seasonal, the Ard Ri. Upland is sure to bring some other surprises with them as well!

From Patrick at Crown Liquors:
Tasting's at Crown Liquor's this Friday at the Carmel location (126th & Meridian) from 5-8 P.M.
It is a tasting of Schlafly beers including:
Irish stout, apa, grand cru, coffee stout, and scotch ale with special guest pourer Scott w/Schlafly.

The Downtown location will also hold a tasting Friday from 3-7 P.M.

Brian Boru from Three Floyds is in this week.

Thanks, and hope you can make it!

From the Distributors:

From Matt at World Class Beverages:
Macniven's will tap a Firkin of Bell's Hopslam, Thursday, February 25th, promptly at 5:30 pm. Only cask conditioned Hopslam in Indy area this year. More Bell's specialty taps to be determined by Stuart's fancy next week.

Batch 9000 tapping parties in Indy: Chatham Tap, Monday, March 1st. Two Hearted and Sparkling will be available also. There will be more 9000 tappings in the future, we'll keep you posted as dates are confirmed.

Scott Shreffler from Schlafly (say that 5 times fast) will be making the rounds Friday night. First, a tasting of his brand's fine brews at Crown in Carmel, then he'll join the festivities at Brugge for the Schlafly/NABC/O'Fallon C-1 tapping later.

Look for Lincoln from Three Floyds in March, fun events with him on the horizon starting March 9. More info as the pieces come together.
Events

From Jim at the Murphy Art Building in Fountain Square:
PK Indy 8: 20x20 Circling the Globe for Haiti

Feb. 20, 8 p.m. $20 - proceeds go to to Architecture for Humanity for the rebuilding of Haiti
street level space in the Murphy Art Center (formerly Dolphin Papers)

1043 Virginia Ave. in Fountain Square

Twenty seconds is all it took to destroy so many lives and dreams in Haiti. The Global PechaKucha family is coming together with Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Haiti, 20 seconds across the world on Feb. 20. At PK events, people do seven minute slideshow presentations (20 seconds per slide) on a variety of topics. Find out more at http://www.pecha-kucha.org.

Drinking and conversation are a big part of all PK events. Saturday's event features beer donated by Sun King. So you can make a donation of $20 to help Haiti and drink some great local beer. The price of the beer is included in your donation. Sun King beers on tap Saturday: Sunlight Cream Ale, Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, and Crab Apple Wit.

From Ryan:
World Beer Tasting Event
Sunday, March 7, 2010
All proceeds benefit the Blue Knight Auction!

Join Master Brewer and Nationally Certified Beer Judge John Blichmann & Doug Granlund for a World Beer Tasting Tour at 9 Irish Brothers St. Rd. 38 East

2 - 5pm
$40 per ticket (limit 50)

Sample 12 of the world's classic beers plus a Doug & John homebrew!
Learn how to pair food & beer
Enjoy a 4 course lunch
Receive a commemorative hand etched glass by Doug Granlund

Call Chris Goellner at 474-7500 for more information or mail your $40 to purchase your ticket by 3/1/10 to: Lafayette Catholic School Development Office at 2410 South 9th Street Lafayette, Indiana 47909

Don't forget to designate a driver!

17 February 2010

Scenes from the 15th annual Winter Warmer

Every year, for the past 15 years, the Lafayette Brewing Company pulls together a celebration of strong ales and barleywines they like to call Winter Warmer. For the majority of the years it has been in existence, the festival has been held on the second floor of LBC and ticket sales are kept at a comfortably low number for a much more intimate event than your typical beer festival. Delicious whole hog BBQ was provided and Scratch Thing rocked the night away. In terms of beer, Alcatraz, Power House, Back Road, Brugge, Broad Ripple Brewpub, Mad Anthony, Barley Island, People's, Sun King and Upland were all in attendance, as well as a guest appearance by Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. Lafayette Brewing Company stole the show (which was rightfully theirs to steal) with a 12-year old Big Boris Barleywine. That's from 1998 for those of you who are bad at math, and it keeps getting better with age. Here are a few clips from the festivities.



















If you'd like to check out more photos from the event (much better ones than I took), check out Rod McPhail's photos here.

16 February 2010

KOTBR #96 - Founders Porter at Shallos (a/k/a The Lost Roundtable)


Two Shallos Roundtables in a row? We kind of forgot we had done this one until I went digging through my notebook, hence the "Lost Roundtable" title.

As for the beer? We've done this before. Back in April of 2009 we sat down with every dark Founder's beer available and asked if they were up to expectations. Close to nine months later is a good time to re-review. Back then I gave Founder's Porter a 3.75 mug score and declined to add my thoughts. This time around I'll say the Founder's Porter has the cocoa powder nose, chocolaty front, and smooth and balanced flavors that make great porters great. In fact, apart from Broad Ripple Brewpub's porter, I can't think of one I'd rather have than Founder's. Watch what I do with that score now: 4.75 mugs


Look at the label of a bottle of Founders Porter and you'll find the following tagline: "Dark, Rich & Sexy." I don't know what Founders is thinking by calling the beer "sexy," but the dark and rich part I definitely get. In fact, between Founders Porter and the Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter (our Beer of the Year for 2009), the porter is fast becoming my favorite beer style. And as both of these beers show, when the style is done right, it's hard to beat.

So let's focus on Founders Porter, especially when it is served on draft. What you'll find is a beer that's nearly pitch black in color with the faintest remnant of a tan head. And the nose--well, the nose is simply amazing. If you've ever had a whiff of the dark chocolate truffles from Indy's fine chocolate shop, The Best Chocolate in Town, you'll know what I'm talking about. The flavor pretty much follows suit, conveying notes of the richest, darkest chocolate you've ever had, bolstered by a full, chewy mouthfeel. This is a definite bonus for a dark chocolate freak like me (I go through a bar of Endangered Species Extreme Dark Chocolate--another fine Indianapolis chocolatier--just about every week), and it's probably why I love Founders Porter.

Speaking of The Best Chocolate in Town and Endangered Species--Hey KOTBR, when are we going to get around to doing that chocolate and beer pairing roundtable? 4.80 Mugs.


My consumption of Founders Porter inspired me to bust out my Ouija board to contact a portly founder. Specifically, Benjamin Franklin. Here is what he had to say:
"Remember not only to drink the right beer in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave undrunk the wrong beer at the tempting moment."
I believe he means at heaven’s bar, only the best beers are served, not unlike Shallo’s. And Founders Porter is a heavenly choice. You would be wise to stay away from certain beers, even if they are the only ones available.
"Be slow in choosing a beer, slower in drinking."
Here he is saying that there are a lot of beers to choose from, so be sure to take your time. Which is why it took us a while before we selected Founders Porter for our roundtable beer. Ben is also suggesting that you take your time with beers like the porter, whose ABV is higher than some and whose flavors are best enjoyed without a Rocky Mountain chill.
"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable beer drinker, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every time one has a mind to drink."
I may be wrong, but I believe he is speaking to the sessionability of this beer, that Ben could easily drink this beer day in and day out.
"Wish not so much to live long as to drink well."
Ben obviously is stating that life is to short to waste on beers that don’t have the roasty, chocolaty malts in flavor and aroma, and the full, creamy mouthfeel that is found in Founders Porter.
"I am in the prime of senility."
Um, I can only assume that he thinks I have lost my mind for pretending to talk to Ben Franklin about Founders Porter. But it was better than my Grand Rapids-themed “The Death of an Amway Salesman” write up that I was originally working on. 4.25 Mugs.


Most people know I am a big fan of Founders beers. I am not sure whether it was because of the cold evening, being in the company of good friends, or that the beer was on draft, but Founders Porter was drinking brilliantly the night we had it. The nose was brimming with wonderful dark chocolate scents and roasted grain. I find that many porters just don't have the heft in both the nose and flavor, but this one does. The flavor profile is rich and decadent with base flavors of roasted grain that lean towards chocolate and a bit of caramel. I let the beer warm a bit more and there was even a little touch of coffee in there as well. The mouthfeel is my favorite aspect of the beer. This beer is full-bodied and finishes silky smooth and coats the tongue really well. This is the type of beer I've come to expect from Founders. It is Founders doing Founders only the way they can. I've said it before, but I don't think anyone does dark beer better than Founders. 4.65 Mugs.

Founder's Porter (Draft, December 2009)
Mike: 4.75 Mugs | Jim: 4.8 Mugs | Jason: 4.25 Mugs | Matt: 4.65 Mugs | Chris: 4.3 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.55 Mugs