Hoosier Beer Geek: A Beer Blog for Indiana, from Indianapolis: 02.12

24 February 2012

Random Beer Roundup - The Nice Knowin' Ya, Liver Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:

Here is what we got for this week,

Scottish 80 Shilling
Special K - Gold medal 2011 Brewers Cup
Dunkelweiss
Weizenbock
Belgian Dubbel - Gold medal 2011 Brewers Cup
Dred Brown
Coffee Porter
Fuggit Stout - Brew Bracket #2 winner
PDG Pale

From Bob at Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

Beer: Cutttlefish Cuvee, a special blend of Walkabout Pale. Coming soon! Date announced on our Facebook page. March - Irish Amber.

Events:

3/1 Taste of Carmel

3/2 WFYI Indy's Wine Fest

3/2 Presenting Sponsor: JDRF Beta Cell Bash @Radio Radio

3/6 Flat 12 Tap Night at Rocky's, Jefferesonville

3/8 Flat 12 Tap Night at Hearthstone Coffee House & Pub, Fishers

3/9 Gravity Head, Flat12 Tapping - Rich O's, New Albany

That's what I have for now. Big Thanks to all who turned out for Flat Tuesday and raised a glass with us.

From Roger at New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany:

http://potablecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2012/02/all-about-gravity-head-2012-at-nabcs.html

From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Fishers/Indianapolis:

Thursday, March 1st will be the grand release of Rabbit Punch Irish Red at our Fishers location at 6:30 p.m. Also, keep an eye out for some Barrel-aged fun hitting the RAM in the next few months including dry-hopped, barrel-aged Big Red IPA, our fall seasonal, Bombshell Brown, in a whiskey barrel, and Batch 1100: Easy Rye-der Imperial Pilsner aged in Chambourcin grape barrels. Dates and details to come soon.

From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

Upcoming Events:

Heart of Brews at the Omni
Fri., Feb. 24th, 6:30-10 p.m.
A Beer Tasting Event to support Riley Heart Hospitals
research for Kids with Ailing Hearts at The Omni Downtown.
Beers from Sun King, BIER, Upland and Barley Island
www.rileypeds.org/WellsConference

Grapefruit Jungle Tapping at Sun King
Thursday, March 1st at Sun King 6-9 p.m.
Music: TBA
Food: Spice Box

Ring of Dingle Tapping at Sun King
Thursday, March 8th 6-9 p.m.
Music: Woodstove Flapjacks
Food: Circle City Spuds.

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

Stop by Thre3e Wise Men every Tuesday and get your growler filled for only $8.00! Currently fill it with one of our 4 main beers or the current seasonal which is the Wise Ass White IPA. Make sure to put our next seasonal tapping on your calendar, Saint Slater’s Irish Stout, which we will tap on Tuesday March 6th.

From David at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence:

In honor of the first day of March, Women's History Month, Triton is tapping our Pink Ribbon Saison.

Thursday, March 1, at 6:00 pm at the Triton Tap Room, come out to celebrate the tapping of our first Saison, the Pink Ribbon Saison, made with pink and white peppercorns and coriander. This sweet, spicy Belgian-style is big on flavor and character! Try the Saison for a truly unique taste experience.

In addition to being an amazing beer, the Pink Ribbon Saison is part of an effort to raise breast cancer awareness. A portion of the sales from the Pink Ribbon Saison will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

From Lindsay at Upland Brewery in Bloomington/Indianapolis:

We're taking books for Indy Reads! :) http://uplandbeer.com/upland-indy-tasting-room-helps-%E2%80%9Cindy-reads-books%E2%80%9D-stock-the-shelves/

and we're still taking apps for an additional brewer! :) http://uplandbeer.com/brewer-position-at-upland-brewing-co/

At Bars and Restaurants

From Jon at La Margarita in Fountain Square:

Tap list as of Friday:

Fountain Square Escape from Alcatraz Bock

New Day Johnny Chapman

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Peoples Hop Killa

Upland Schwarz

Founders Red's Rye PA

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville:

PKD BEER LIST 02-15-12 LIST SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ON DRAFT

Sun King Dominator Dopplebock (9+% abv. be careful) 7.00 12oz

Flat-12 Milk Stout (they call it Lacto-Matic)5.25 Pint

Boulder’s Hazed and Infused IPA Pint 5.25

Bell’s Amber Ale ( a classic version of a house favorite)5.25 Pint

North Coast Pranqster Belgian style Golden Ale 7.25 Pint (it’s big and tasty)

New Albanian Hoptimus Imperial IPA 6.75 12oz 10% abv

Two Brother’s Heavy Handed IPA 12oz 5.75

People’s Brewing Mr. Brown Pint 5.25 ( a higher than normal abv. hoppy brown)

New Alabnian Yakima Rye IPA Pint 5.75 7.5% abv.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf 7.50 12oz

From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Indianapolis:

Sahm's Place will be having our weekly Tuesday Night Trivia at 8:30pm. This week it will be hosted by Sun King with Dustin coming in with some great selections! We will have all pints on special for $3.50 plus Sun King cans for $4.00.

Wednesday is our Darts & Crafts night with $2.50 craft drafts and $5.00 beer flights. No entry fee to play and we will be handing out gift cards for the top 3 finishers.

We have just started our beer flight selection this week in order to prepare for the additional 6 lines we will be adding in March. With 4 5oz selections for $7 everyday, and $5 on Wednesday, we hope everyone can come out, drink some delicious beer, and eat some of our all made from scratch chow.

New lines for this week:
Bells Brown
Bells Lager
Founders Centennial IPA
New Albanian Beak's Best ESB
Flat12 Winter Cycle
Flat12 Walkabout
Three Floyds Alpha King

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in Various Locations:

Scotty’s Brewhouse Muncie is now pouring Founder’s Imperial Stout. You can come by on a Thursday and enjoy a pint of this very delicious beer for $3.50.

Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving Flat 12 Walkabout Pale Ale. Stop by on a Tuesday and get a 48oz pitcher for only $5.00!!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Northside Indianapolis now has Stone Smoked Porter on tap! You can enjoy a pitcher of this beer every Wednesday for $9.00!

Scotty’s Burger Joint in Columbus is now pouring People’s Hop Killa. You can get a pint of this amazing craft beer for only $6.50 every day of the week.

From the Distributors
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

Heavy Seas Black Cannon - Black IPA; limited seasonal release; 6 packs only

Boulder Killer Penguin - Barleywine; limited seasonal release; 22oz bottles and draft

Finch's Secret Stache Stout - Robust Stout Brewed with Vanilla Beans and Lactose; limited release; 22oz bottles only

UPCOMING EVENTS

3/2 - Finch's/Sixpoint Tasting at Triangle Liuqors; Valparaiso; 4pm-6pm

3/3 - Charity Tasting with Pat's Liquors featuring Finch's & Sixpoint; Porter; 1pm-4pm

3/5 - Chalet Beer Club Tasting; Elkhart; 6:30pm

3/6 - Birdy's Monthy Beer Tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10

3/8 - Sixpoint/Finch Tasting at Godfathers; Valparaiso; 5pm-7pm

3/14 - Stone Tapping Event at The Sinking Ship; 7pm

3/15 - Chalet #3 Craft Beer Tasting; Elkhart; 4pm-6pm

3/16 - Union Street Liquors Spring Tasting; Mishawaka; 4pm-6pm

3/22 Sixpoint Tasting at Nick's Merrillville; 4pm-6pm

3/31 - Sixpoint and Finch's Tasting at Mr. G's Noblesville

4/11 - Founders Tapping Party at The Sinking Ship; 7pm

5/26 - Illiana Mayfest; Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point; 2pm-6pm; $30 general and $45 VIP (entrance at 1pm)

10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm

Upcoming Events
From Donna at IUPUI in Indianapolis:

The 2nd Annual "HEART of the BREWS" - An ALE tasting event to support RESEARCH for KIDS with AILING HEARTS.

Proceeds to benefit research at the Riley Heart Research Center

Come together with friends and learn about the beers offered by local breweries, and find out what foods go best with different beers in an educational, responsible and relaxing atmosphere. In addition, this year we are excited to have a Silent Auction as part of the evening. While enjoying your tastings, take time to bid on items, which will include autographed sports memorabilia, museum membership, gift certificates to local hotels and restaurants, private tour and tasting at Sun King, gift baskets and more.

DATE: Friday, February 24, 2012
TIME: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Doors will open at 6:30 PM for Registration and check-in
Silent Auction will be open from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Tasting will be available from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
PLACE: Omni Severin, 40 W. Jackson Place, downtown Indianapolis
Must be 21 years of age to attend; picture ID will be required.

Contact Person: Donna Fischer, dfischer@iupui.edu; 317-278-1130

Beer tastings provided by:
Sun King
Upland
Barley Island
BIER

Ticket Information:
$30 Early Bird Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between January 13, 2012 and February 3, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)

$35 Advance Purchase – General admission ticket (available between February 4, 2012 and February 23, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)

$40 At the Door – General admission ticket (available February 24, 2012) (Includes beer tasting, food tastings and program booklet)

$10 Designated driver – May be purchased in advance and at the door (includes complimentary water and soft drinks). We encourage responsible drinking. Designated drivers are welcome to attend, but they must be 21 years of age.

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Here’s the 101 on our event:Brew Bracket is the only one of its kind, a true tasting tournament. 16 brewers bring a similar style of beer (Wheat for our spring event) and are seeded randomly into a bracket. 400 participants taste beer (blindly, 2 glasses at a time) and vote for their favorites. Over the course of the day winning beers move through the tournament until we crown a champion at the end of the event.

Here’s why this year is exceptionally awesome:Our 16 brewers are very close to Indianapolis, and we have nearly every new brewer to the scene involved in the event. This includes 5+ breweries that have just started within the last year. It’s an awesome opportunity for beer fans to find out about new breweries and learn more about what they like within the style through the blind tasting. And we’re partnering with local charity, the SCI Hope Fund, to give back to the community as part of the event.

Basic details:Saturday, April 14^th from 12:30PM – 5PM
Tickets are $35 each, only 400 available

More information and ticket purchases through http://www.brewbracket.com/upcomingevents/

From Sam at Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville, KY:

Wondering what to do for Thunder Over Louisville 2012?! Not willing to chance the rain or cold?! Look no further!! We are excited to announce our AtG Thunder Package 2012! We will be closing our doors on Saturday, April 21, 2012 for a private and relaxing experience to all who purchase the AtG Thunder Package 2012!. The package includes:

A ticket into Louisville Slugger Field seating area section 101-106 (Facing the 2nd St. Bridge...perfect view of the show!) for both the baseball game & a perfect seat to watch the largest fireworks display in the country!

Access to the concert down on the Field (Journey UnAuthorized)

Exclusive all day access to 1 seat in Against The Grain (including access to the clean, neat, & maintained restrooms, large televisions showing the Air Show, and full-fun-friendly service!)

Vouchers for your choice of, both, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, as well as, 5 (well liquor or house made beer) drinks!

These tickets will include return access to and from your seat in the ball field & Against The Grain all day!

This package is available for the $200 (*plus tax) per adult & $175 (*plus tax) per child (children tickets will not include alcoholic drinks, duh). We encourage all interested to act promptly, as we have limited seating and will not extend sales beyond our indoor seating capacity. TICKETS GO ON SALE: FEB 1, 2012 @ 11am.

23 February 2012

Black Acre Grand Opening

A fixture of the urban neighborhood is the local pub, and it is an element most Indianapolis neighborhoods are missing. Looking to our larger neighbor, Chicago, you'll find great beer bars in many of their neighborhoods. Beer bars worth seeking out and visiting regardless of where you are from.

Congratulations, Irvington, you are now the proud owner of a beer bar worth seeking out.

Black Acre opened up on Wednesday with 15 guest taps. A well-chosen selection of session beers, seasonal specialties and fan favorites. People's Hop Killa and New Albanian Bonfire of the Valkyries will please the beer geeks. New Albanian's Beak's Best, Crown Brown, Finch's Golden Wing, People's Pilsner and Stone Levitation are great options for anyone looking to drive home after a long evening at the bar. Abita Purple Haze and Strongbow are available for those looking for something a little more fruity. La Trappe Quadrupel and North Coast Old Rasputin (on Nitro) are higher alcohol choices.

Black Acre, however, is a brewpub. 15 guest taps are currently featured while they ramp up their brewing facilities, but another 15 taps are reserved for house beers. There is clearly a strong desire here to serve Irvington as not only a brewpub, but a great beer bar. While the space is currently missing the growlers we've come to expect at all bars, they are on their way. The Black Acre crew expects house beers to be on tap in a month, so mark your calendars for the end of March. Based on the initial crowds, Black Acre could easily operate as a beer bar, but the first question posed by many customers was "when can we expect to see your beer?" Clearly the sign that Irvington is thirsty for a brand they can call their own.

Perhaps even more impressive than the initial beer offering and crowd response was the interior design. Black Acre brandishes the type of attention to detail that is somewhat of a rarity in Indianapolis. The room is divided into three fluid segments through the use of different materials. The middle of the space is clad in repurposed pallets, creating something similar to a rustic Avec. The other walls have their own textured finishes. There is a reclaimed barn wood standing bar. The bar is polished stone, while the backing to the tap handles is a stainless steel that stands out nicely from the wood backdrop. Growlers transformed into light fixtures hang from the ceiling. This isn't your run-of-the-mill restaurant supply store interior. This soon-to-be-brewpub already has an image of its own, and a beer selection to match it.

Currently, charcuterie plates built from Smoking Goose meats and cheeses or sweet potato fries are available for food options, with paninis and sandwiches available in the future. All beers are $5.75 including tax, with higher alcohol or limited edition beers being served in 8oz glasses. Rogue root beer is available on draft for 1.50 for your designated driver. A few wines were also available but really who cares.

The Black Acre guys are living the dream of many home brewers. After brewing for many years, they finally decided to take the advice of all their friends and go professional. In their journey to becoming Indianapolis' latest brewery, they've created a well-polished beer bar that sits among the city's best. Not bad for a bunch of law students. I think I speak for us all when I say I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do in the brew house.

22 February 2012

Beer and Cheese Club - February 2012

Jolly Pumpkin disappeared from Indiana shelves early last year. Did you notice? If you didn't, shame on you! With Jolly Pumpkin's lack of an entry level beer and choice to compete on the wine level with $10+ 750mL bottles, many beer consumers pass over them on the shelves. This is really a sad situation since Jolly Pumpkin is producing some incredible wild ales that are well worth the price point. Thanks to Goose the Market, members of the Beer and Cheese Club are about to get a taste of some of the incredible work going on in Dexter, Michigan!

The cheese this month is a special offering. Beer drinkers may recognize beers like 3 Floyds Dark Lord or Founders KBS as limited edition rarities, but this type of small batch production isn't only available in the beer world! Roelli Cheese only created 71 wheels of Dunbarton Gold and may never make it again. This truly is a one-of-a-kind cheese. This English-style raw cow's milk cheddar is inoculated with a culture of penicillium roquefort, which you might recognize from the cheese by the same name. The method is very similar to their Dunbarton Blue but for this variation of the cheese, a select group cows were used to create a very specific flavor. This cheese is a rarity and one that Goose the Market has specifically selected to share with us.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your February installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja and a wedge of Dunbarton Gold. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

Dunbarton Gold: Mild, buttery, and a bit funky from the faint vein of mold running through the center of the slice. The cheese was funkier closer to the rind. Really nice on its own.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja: In my opinion, this is the best beer that Jolly Pumpkin brews. A good approximation of a Flanders Red, revealing the sour apple, cherry, and oak notes that you'd expect from that style. However, the beer carries a pronounced spiciness--cloves and coriander--that I don't find in a traditional Flanders Red. This spicy kick, plus the 7% ABV, make La Roja a memorable beer. Now I want a bottle.

Beer + cheese: I liked this combination best when taking a sip of the beer first, then taking a bite of the cheese. The spiciness and tartness of the beer brought out sharp notes in the cheese that weren't present when I tasted the cheese by itself.

Dunbarton Gold - a highly agreeable funky blue nose, spicy/slightly peppery but not overpowering, freshwater fishy, rewarding on bigger bites. I could eat a whole wheel. Lingers in the upper registers of the mouth.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja - nose provides a hint of vinegary sour and tart that doesn't completely come through the beer, but it's thoroughly sour, crisp and genuine grapefruity tart.

Combined, a fruity tomatoey blend, then the cheese washes away, leaving just the slight dry bite of the beer. And your mom.

I admit that I didn't appreciate Jolly Pumpkin before they left Indiana, but after a recent trip to Ann Arbor, I am among the many who was looking forward to their return. La Roja is one of the stronger beers in Jolly Pumpkin's repertoire and it provides the malty base necessary for a good cheddar. The beer starts off with an apple cider vinegar aroma laced with notes of oak and toffee. The best way to start off this pairing is to try the beer by itself, because the immediate tartness will overwhelm the senses at first. Subsequent sips will reveal tart cherries, oak and rosé grapes.

The cheese this month, Dunbarton Gold, is a combination of a medium sharpness aged cheddar and a hint of roquefort. Due to the sourness of the beer, I would suggest sampling the beer first and then following it with the cheese. If the cheese comes first, the tartness may overwhelm the cheese. When following the beer, the dry and nutty cheddar flavors meld well with the residual sweetness of La Roja, while the blue cheese notes are brought further forward through the tart cherry flavors in the beer.

This is a really nice pairing that demonstrates the drastic difference that the order of tasting can exhibit.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

20 February 2012

KOBTR #139 | 31 Flavors

When Kevin Matalucci's Twenty Tap opened last fall, we wasted no time in visiting for a roundtable. Back then, Twenty Tap had exactly what the name of the pub suggested: 20 taps devoted to craft beer. But recently, the pub added 11 new taps, expanding Twenty Tap's offerings to an impressive 31 craft beers. With the pub regularly posting its taplist on Facebook, we noted Twenty Tap's recent addition of beers from breweries new to Hoosiers, such as Sixpoint Craft Ales from New York and Triton Brewing Company from Indianapolis's east side. So we decided that a return trip to the pub for a roundtable was in order. What did we drink? Stuff from the new kids, of course: Sixpoint's Gemini, which is a double IPA, and Triton's Sweet Georgia Brown, a brown ale brewed with espresso beans from Indy's Bjava Coffee & Tea.

Triton Sweet Georgia Brown. This beer is for coffee lovers. My first thought when the bartender set this burgundy brown beauty in front of me was, "I can smell the java in this thing from a mile away." Yes, this beer had a powerful nose. As for the flavor, Sweet Georgia Brown was like a cup of the richest, darkest coffee with a good dose of turbinado sugar. 4.15 Mugs.

Sixpoint Gemini. I was excited to see Sixpoint's entry into the Indiana craft beer market. I'd never had a Sixpoint beer before trying Gemini, but I'd always heard great things about their beers. Gemini did not disappoint. The beer was unfiltered, pouring with a murky red-gold color. The predominant flavor was heavy citrus, with an aggressive grapefruit note hitting the palate hard. Nice work from the new boys. 4.00 Mugs.

Twenty Tap is absolutely one of the best pubs in the city. They've only been open a short time and they have already expanded their tap list from twenty to thirty-one delicious offerings. On my long list of things I love about the place, besides the great food (the Vegan Bahn Mi is outstanding), friendly staff, and never-ending list of beer options at some of the best prices in the city, is that they serve half pints. This is a HUGE deal for me and one that I will never stop thanking them for. This thoughtful option allows for more exploration of the beer list and that’s a big plus for any beer lover.

On this particular visit we sat down with one local, and one newly distributed brewery. Our local option is the Sweet Georgia Brown, that comes from Triton Brewing in Lawrence. Living on the southwest side and working on the northwest side means that trips to Triton are unfortunately few and far between, so it is nice to see them offered around town. I really dug their Gingerbread Brown when it was out and I was hoping to like this one as much. While I had no doubt that I would enjoy it, just how much went above and beyond my expectations. As soon as the beer was set in front of me, I was smitten. I could almost smell the coffee aroma before I even had the glass in front of me! Juan Valdez wouldn't be able to get over how much coffee aroma was coming from this beer! The rich aroma followed through into the flavor, blending coffee and malty sweetness together. 4.75 Mugs.

The next beer up was Gemini, a DIPA from Sixpoint Brewery out of Brooklyn. This hazy, orange brew smelled fantastic. Citrus and pineapple were on the forefront, just as I like it. I’m guessing the keg was getting pretty low, because something in the texture of the beer reminded me of tomato juice. No harm in that. The flavors were excellent, of grapefruit and pineapple, maybe even a hint of pine in there. At 7%, this leans towards the lower end of the ABV scale, as far as an DIPA is concerned but make no mistake, this packs some punch. 4.00 Mugs.

I could continue with telling you - like those before me - about how great 20 Tap is. But judging from the constantly busy status of the restaurant, you already know. There will always be a need for great food and great beer at a reasonable price in Indianapolis. There's no secret formula.

Triton has been in business for a few months now, making inroads into bars across the city, and continuing the trend of chasing the out of town one-off craft breweries from tap handles. This is a good thing, as any city that would like to be known for its beer culture has to start with a strong local brewery presence. Triton's Sweet Georgia Brown Java, with its cuppa joe nose, copper/amber color, and three dimensional (front, middle, and back) coffee flavor, may not be the best coffee beer you'll ever have, but it's not one you'd ever call weak. 3.75 Mugs.

After arriving in Indiana last month, Sixpoint immediately caught my attention with their solid lineup of offerings. Thanks to friends, I've now had most of those selections, and I can say that I was happy with them all. Gemini, their Double IPA, impressed me the least. The beer is cloudy to the point that it looks like applesauce in the glass, with a thick creamy head. This is a fruity DIPA, but unlike my fellow knights, I didn't pick up the overpowering citrus fruits you'd expect. Instead I found a hint of grape followed by a sliver of pineapple. There's definitely a bite of alcohol heat here, too - finishing a little hot. Don't let this scare you off Sixpoint, though - they're definitely worth checking out. 3.3 Mugs.

Triton Sweet Georgia Brown
Jim: 4.15 Mugs | Mike: 3.75 Mugs | Gina: 4.75 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.22 Mugs

Sixpoint Gemini
Jim: 4.00 Mugs | Mike: 3.30 Mugs | Gina: 4.00 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.77 Mugs

19 February 2012

Collaboration brings Oskar Blues to Indiana

In the world of craft beer, bottle collaborations are commonplace. But what happens when two breweries, known for their production of canned beers, want to work together? A can-laboration, of course! In this case, the participating breweries are Indiana’s very own Sun King and Colorado canned-beer pioneers Oskar Blues.

The breweries will be releasing Chaka, an 8% Belgian-style ale that will be brewed in two batches featuring the same recipe. The first brew at Oskar Blues’ R&D facility in Lyons, Colorado, and then again at the Sun King brewery in Indianapolis. The recipe has been formulated by Dave Colt and Dave Chichura with ingredients coming from their respective states - shagbark hickory syrup from Indiana and a Belgian pale malt from Colorado Malting. The brewing will take place early this spring, and the beer will be debuted at the Craft Brewers Conference, held in San Diego in May. After the CBC debut, the breweries will release the beer in their respective markets. Cans will be 16 oz. tallboys with art and brewery information specific to the brewery where the batch is brewed.

This project has been a major undertaking for both breweries, as well as the Ball Corporation, which supplies cans for both breweries. Ball usually requires that an entire truckload of cans be purchased at a time, but they were able to work out a deal for a smaller run for the special release, allowing the recipe to be released in both locations.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do because of the Oskar Blues/Sun King connection” says Clay Robinson, referring to the relationship that he and Dave Colt from Sun King and Dave Chichura from Oskar Blues have maintained since their beginnings in the industry. Colt and Chichura met during Colt’s first brewing gig at the now closed Circle V Brewery in Indianapolis, where Chichura inquired about a brewing position. “He came in and was inquiring about the assistant brewing job,” said Colt. “He started quizzing me about different beer things that I wasn’t aware of, that I was still learning about.” Shortly after, Chichura landed a position at Rock Bottom, where he met Robinson, and the trio have been friends since.

Oskar Blues is a pioneer of the canned craft beer market and their beer is highly regarded, though not distributed in Indiana. This will be the first brewing collaboration between Sun King and Oskar Blues, and the first brewery collaboration for Oskar Blues.

17 February 2012

The Diminishing Returns of Limited Release Beer

The audience for craft beer is booming. One of the more concrete pieces of evidence is the growing numbers of beer geeks clamoring for limited release beer. Where Dark Lord Day once was an anomaly, there are now limited release events happening on an almost weekly basis, with drinkers lining up in person or online to get their hands on the latest and greatest rare beer.

The success rate of these release events are hit and miss. The underplanned, understaffed brewery met with overwhelming crowd size has become a regular part of the landscape. Online events often lead to a failure of technology, as breweries suffer the death of thousand clicks.

Despite the increasing demand, there are those who have managed to repeatedly get it right, as well as those who are repeatedly overwhelmed. As events get more crowded, and acquiring your favorite beer becomes a bigger and bigger headache, perhaps it's time to ask: "Is this fun anymore?"

*

Pliny the Younger, Westvleteren 12, Founders CBS, Vanilla Bean Dark Lord, Armand'4 Oude Geuze Lente, Founders KBS, Cantillon Blåbær Lambik, Rare D.O.S.: Eight of the current top ten beers on Beer Advocate.com. Eight beers that have become nearly impossible for the average person to get their hands on. In fact, of the top 50 beers on Beer Advocate (as of 12/14/11), just five - Russian River Pliny the Elder, The Alchemist Heady Topper, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, St. Bernardus Abt12, and Weihenstepahner Hefe - are regular release, regularly-available year-round beers*.

With high ratings come high demand, and regardless of how a highly sought-out beer is released, the road to the drinker's hand is wrought with obstacles for both the brewery and the drinker.

The On-Premise Beer Release Event

Perhaps the most commonly cited example of the problem of the on-premise release - or at least the one we're most familiar with here in Indiana - is Three Floyds Dark Lord Day. The problems started in 2008, with a larger than expected crowd and slow moving lines. 2009 had marked improvements, but 2010's event was considered by many to be a disaster in crowd-control. By the time the 2011 event happened, the brewery had put in hundreds of hours trying to fix previous problems, limiting crowd size through the use of "golden tickets", and providing Dark Lord fans with a rewarding day at the brewery.

Of course, Three Floyds isn't the only brewery that has dealt with a sudden and surprising demand for their scarcely-available beer.

Buyers [of Westvleteren 12] were originally limited to ten 24-bottle crates of the beer per car, but as the beer increased in popularity, this was first reduced to five, then to three and now to two or one crates. For the Westvleteren 12 in 2009, it was limited to one case. When making an order now, the type and quantity of beer available for sale are revealed. Sales are limited to one order a month per person per license plate and phone number. (from wikipedia)

Westvleteren may have been the first, but it seems as though the problem has recently become widespread.

The annual release of Russian River's Pliny the Younger - with a supply that lasted the brewery eleven days in 2009 - sold out in just eight hours in 2010. The 2011 supply lasted weeks, as the brewery distributed a few kegs to selected accounts, as well as completely eliminating growler sales in the pub.

Another example was Portsmouth Brewery's Kate the Great release, which started as a small event before overwhelming the small downtown area where the New Hampshire brewery is located. The 2010 event, where hopeful drinkers collected daily-calendar pages to reserve their two-bottle allotment - backfired on the brewery when the 500-plus-sized crowd flooded the street in front of the brewery. In 2011, the brewery released one thousand $2.00 scratch-off lottery tickets in the days leading up to the release, ultimately providing nine hundred winners with one bottle of the beer, to be picked up in a one-month window.

If there's one factor that seems to smooth out the on-premise release, it's clear and constant information. Beer fans are much more likely to empathize when they know a brewery is working with them instead of against them. Time windows and predetermined (and non-changing) bottle allocations show the audience that the brewery thinks ahead. An informed and regularly updated security team keeps lines orderly, as line jumpers are minimized, lines move more quickly, and patrons are at least given the impression that this thing is working.

The Online Release and the Failure of Technology

Breweries looking to avoid the headaches of the on-premise release may choose to use the power of the internet to eliminate some of those problems. Locally, Upland has chosen to use the combination of an email list with an online reservation system to handle the demand of their highly sought-out lambic series. Potential buyers on Upland's mailing list receive an email providing a date and time to place reservations for their bottles on Upland's website. Once all reservations are made and the allocation has sold out, the reservation system closes, and customers are free to pick up their bottles within a predetermined window of time.

Upland's first go-around with this system was fraught with problems, as many potential buyers were met with a crashing website and the frustrations that occur when an overwhelmed website is bombarded with traffic. For customers participating in the rush, the only course of action is to continue refreshing the reservation pages, leading to even more problems on the back end. The final result: a few lucky customers who had made their way through, and a collection of unhappy beer fans with little recourse. To Upland's credit, their second attempt at online reservations went much better for customers, with a website that was fully prepared for the onslaught of demand that comes with a limited release. Although the beer sold out in just two minutes, at least customers knew when to give up trying.

A more recent example of the problems of online reservation would be the November 2011 release of Pelican Brewery's Mother of All Storms. The folks at Pelican had alerted the public of the midnight event on both their Facebook and Twitter pages, and as the midnight hour approached the brewery's website was swamped with traffic, eventually leading to an all-out website crash that hadn't been resolved by the next morning. When the brewery attempted to reroute demand by suggesting that thirsty drinkers place their order by phone, they found out just how strong the desire for their beer was; their phone system also crashed.

In many cases the problems with an online system are no different than those of the on-premise release: the brewery's underestimation of demand. Without the proper tools in place to harness that demand, all parties suffer.

Distribution Through the Liquor Store: Blame the Middleman

An often suggested solution to the problems of the limited release is distribution through liquor stores. The argument seems to be that one-time events drive up demand, leading to crowds of not only brewery regulars, but also dedicated craft beer fans, undeserving bandwagon/casual drinkers, BeerAdvocate-type hoarders, and cold-hearted people who'll only resell the beer on Ebay. While there is certainly some truth in that argument, the liquor store release is not the perfect answer.

As demand for craft beer has increased, so has the amount of manipulation of the product by both distributors and liquor stores. On the distributor end, oftentimes the decision of who gets what comes down to sales volume; a liquor store that moves more of a brewery's everyday lineup is more likely to be allocated the limited release product. This isn't an unusual practice in any industry - it's common sense to take better care of those who take better care of you. While these choices are usually out of the brewery's hands, they are completely understandable.

On the liquor store end, possession of limited release beer can mean reservation lists, and ultimately, favoritism, as store employees themselves make the decision on who get the latest and greatest. It's not at all unusual for limited releases to never see the store shelves, as they're kept behind counters or "in the back", waiting for collection by a buyer on a list that other customers never see and can only hope to be a part of. It's also not unusual for the buyers on these lists to find that they've dissolved overnight, as the beer reserved with one employee was unknowingly sold by another.

Another problem with the liquor store solution lies in pricing. After Upland's first release of their lambic series, the brewery was surprised to find that Bloomington's own Sahara Mart had under-priced their very own pricing by $2 a bottle. Having set case pricing at a level that liquor stores could match brewery pricing ($15/bottle in this case), the brewery had no way of controlling final store pricing. In this case, not only could the brewery have made more money by selling the bottles in-house, but they could have eliminated the egg on the face that came with being undersold by the guy down the street.

Perhaps a bigger problem is when the guy down the street marks the beer up. That's what happened to Minnesota's Surly Brewing after the release of their highly-sought Darkness Imperial Stout in November 2011. Surdyk's Liqours, a Minneapolis beer and wine retailer, priced their bottles of Darkness at the unheard of price of $36.99, nearly twice the $18 that customers paid at Darkness Day, Surly's on-premise event. While the brewery was definitely unhappy with that pricing (going as far as to tweet about it), store owner Jim Surdyk justified the price by noting, "“The bottles were selling on eBay for $75. To each their own.” (Quote from/more on the controversy at HeavyTable.com)

It's hard to imagine that breweries would consider the liquor store the ultimate answer, but at least in cases like these they can be largely removed from the blame when a customer goes home angry or empty-handed. While there is pressure from distributors and liqour stores to get the most amount of a product possible, at least the brewery isn't fielding complaints from angry drinkers.

The Embarrassment of Riches Versus the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg

If you're a dedicated craft beer drinker, or even if you know one, there's a pretty decent chance you've experienced a group tasting event. It's these events - like our own Tailgate for Nothing - where collectors pull out the beers they've been saving, in hopes that they'll find a receptive and appreciative audience. And perhaps they will - these events are certainly fun, and it's always great to try something you haven't had before.

But little thought or appreciation really goes into the amount of time put in to make something like the group tasting event happen. It's happened to us all; the bottle you spent time, money, and stress over acquiring is passed around, each drinker getting their two ounce sample, and it's only then you realize: All of this is good, some of it is even great. But after the bottle has made its rounds, there's a strong chance that half the bottle will be left sitting on the table while everyone moves on to the next thing. When you've served up stout number 8 in a 20 stout tasting, was it really worth the effort?

The craft beer landscape is now inundated with limited release beer. But what makes the beer all that more rare is the hoarding that now takes place every time your local liquor store receives a shipment. While the market is certainly growing for these beers, it hardly makes sense that - in a world where there's a new brewery every ten minutes - genuine "need to drink" demand is outpacing release schedules. Beers that were once easy to acquire have moved into limited release territory not by lower production or significantly bigger audience, but by overzealous collection by an specific brand of beer geek that continues to throw it into the pile in their home cellars and beer closets.

Is There a Solution?

If you're wondering if things will ever go back to where they were - the days when bottles of Bourbon County Stout or the more limited Founders releases actually sat on liquor store shelves longer than a day - don't hold your breath. It wasn't so long ago when it was only the rare craft beer fan that had a closet full of beer. Now it's almost a requirement to belong to the club.

The laws of supply and demand say that if demand increases and supply remains unchanged, then it leads to higher equilibrium price and quantity. We've certainly seen this in practice with limited release beer, as prices continue to climb, even with the additional options on the market.

So brace yourself, it's only going to get worse.

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*By my count, anyway. Of course it depends on where you live.

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Addendum

March 3, 2012 Founders KBS release A group of 150+ eager drinkers camp out overnight (starting as early at 10:30pm) in anticipation for the Saturday release and are awarded with line tickets despite the brewery stating ahead of time "don't camp out" (according to BeerAdvocate, anyway. I can't find record of this anywhere).

Somewhere along the line the folks at Founders realized that the 315 cases they had allocated for the event weren't going to be enough to take care of the 1000 people in line, and they halved the allotment to make more folks happy. This didn't sit well with everyone.

I am done with any and all Founders products and collabs. Henceforth it is poisoned, as far as I'm concerned.

While I understand you wanted to make more of the masses happy by deciding to change your limit to a half case, after advertising a higher full case limit, you’ve done nothing more but bait and switch the public. This is the absolute lowest form of marketing. While I know it may gain you more marketshare overall. It completely destroys your base fan base. I may see you one day again, but not any time soon. Keep up the fine beer making and success, just avoid the deceptive marketing practices in the future. Next thing I know you’ll be paying kids in China 10 cents an hour to make beer like WALMART does to make clothes.

Thanks for making a five hour drive feel like a swift kick in the sack.

I was one of the people who got there at 1 in the morning and bared the elements on what was easily the coldest, longest night of my life (also one of the funnest) just to find out last minute that I was only going to get half a case. I would not have made the over 3 hour drive and stood outside for that long if I knew this ahead of time. You decided to make some people happy but in turn make the hardcore people who planned properly feel shafted. On our way out we talked to a few people in line who had numbered tickets that had gotten there at 6am. I get this may come off as selfish but it didn't seem fair to us after being out in that for so long.

I hate to say this but Founders went from my favorite brewery to just another company on a self of hundreds today. A company must stand behind its printed words and today Founders betrayed its loyal customers in an attempt to please the masses. The website said we were entitled to one case and the 9.5 hours in 26 to 40 degree should have delievered this promise. Instead, Founders allowed line-jumpers and masses to destroy what had become a great event. My group drove 11 hours to purchase a product that would have been cheaper on ebay.

Those joining the line at 6:00am finally arrived at the building to get their beer at 1:45pm. Those arriving at 6:30 AM to pick up what they thought was going to be a case of KBS got no line tickets and left empty-handed. Stories of folks driving up to six hours for the event were not unheard of.

After the event, Founders posted a statement on their website apologizing for the decision but also explaining that the did what they thought was best. Founders also promised that they would triple KBS producing next year - which, at the previously promised case allotment, would be just enough to cover those who stood in line this year.

Just a few days later, Founders announced that they would be moving to an online ticketing system for the next KBS release.

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March 17 and 18, 2012 Dark Lord Day Ticketing Using what most people now consider the best possible method, Three Floyds Dark Lord Day tickets (for three release sessions) sell out online in just under one hour. Later in the day the brewery announced (via Facebook and their website) that they would have a limited number of tickets on sale at the brewery for locals on Sunday the 18th.

We realize that online sales create a difficult situation. In an effort to make sure our loyal locals have the ability to attend DLD, we’re offering a few hundred tickets for sale at the Pub today at face value. There is a 2 ticket per person limit and all sales are cash and final. We will also have standard favorites plus some limited barrel aged beers available during the ticket sale (2 case per person limit). Ticket sales will begin at 9:30 this morning. The brewery property is closed until 9:00 am as we set up. You must be 21 or over to purchase Dark Lord Day tickets. There will be an ATM available on site. We hope to see you this morning.

The local-allocation tickets sold out in just around an hour and appeared on ebay in short order. As of March 19th, the highest bid on ebay for a pair of tickets to the event was $801, or a 2125% markup over the $36 cost.

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