Hoosier Beer Geek: A Beer Blog for Indiana, from Indianapolis: 08.12

31 August 2012

Random Beer Roundup - The On Tap Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:

On this week,

Special K Kolsch
Persephone
Good Pils
Roggenschnizzle
Belgian Red
Barley Buddy Brown
Cascadian Light Ale
Caliente
PDG Pale

From Jordan at Black Acre Brewing Co. in Irvington:

We've just expanded our brewery's capacity with 4 new tanks (the fifth isn't here yet) so we should be pumping out more beer and doing growlers soon. Pretty exciting stuff.

Our beer:
Apricot WheatA refreshing, unfiltered American wheat with additions of apricot juice.Malts: 2-Row, White Wheat, Crystal 10Hops: ZythosABV: 5.1 % IBUs: 20

Fair Wind PorterA malty Robust Porter with a strong roast character.Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Crystal 60, Chocolate, Black PatentHops: EKGABV: 6.6% IBUs: 37

Green Tea Pale AleA light, refreshing pale ale with additions of green tea matcha, ginger and honey.Malts: 2-Row, Munich, VictoryHops: CascadeABV: 6% IBUs: 20

Ol’ Fritz Berliner WeisseA German style light sour wheat beer, lemony tart with a champagne like carbonation. We give you the option of serving it on its own or the traditional German method with Raspberry or Woodruff Syrup.Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Acid MaltHops: ZeusABV: 3.8% IBUs: 7

Our guest tap list:
Bloomington Brewing Rye IPA
Boulder Hoopla (Pale) - Nitro
Dupont Posca Rustica (Gruit)
Founders Pale
Flying Dog Brewhouse Rarities Red
Fountain Square Summer Haze (Hefe)
North Coast Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout) - Nitro
North Coast Acme (Pale)
Oaken Barrel Indiana Amber
Original Sin Cider
Rivertown Hop Baron (DIPA)
Rogue Good Chit (Czech Pilsner)
Stone 16th Anniversary (DIPA)

From Bob at Flat12 Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

Heartland Film Festival Short Shorts Festival, 8/31 at Flat 12.

RELEASES
Joe Brahma Coffee Brown Ale will see a limited release (taproom) on Friday, August 31st.
Flat Jack Pumpkin Ale, previewed at DigIN this Sunday, will be released the week of September 3rd. This release will include draft and bottles.

From Skip at Fountain Square Brewing in Fountain Square, Indianapolis:

Put Oct. 6^th on your calendar for the biggest party ever in Fountain Square. We will be tapping our “Hop Your Face” Imperial IPA along with showcasing 4 bands starting at 2pm.

Our first “Hop Your Face”! This annual Imperial IPA is aggressively hopped with four different hops and loaded with a complex mix of malts. Might as Well add dry hops so over 2 pounds per barrel of hops were added to enhance the aroma. When Push Comes to Shove, this 9.5% brew may drive you to Hell in a Bucket, but at least you’ll enjoy the ride.

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

Libation Alert!!
This is public service warning to all people in the greater Indianapolis area. New beer has been spotted in the neighborhood of each RAM Restaurant and Brewery location. Proceed in an orderly to fashion to the following tappings in Indianapolis and Fishers.

Sept. 6th - Every Day IPA
The winner of our Every Day IPA Challenge, Tom Wallbank, will join us to celebrate the recipe that earned him a 1st place finish in this year's homebrew competition. Tom has worked with the RAM brewers to scale up and brew his recipe for everyone to enjoy. Every Day IPA is for all of you who love a well-crafted hoppy beer in a more sessionable form. Join us to toast Tom and try a pint on September 6th at our Indy location at 7 p.m.

Sept. 13th - Big Horn Oktoberfest
After you itch your hop scratch, we will balance that out with some rich malty enjoyment. Big Horn Oktoberfest will arrive on the scene ready to provide salvation in the form of bread and toast-like malt flavor. Find this first in Fishers on September 13th at 6:30 p.m. Prost!

On Tap Now
Doomsday Scenario - Imperial Red
Omnipotent Ale - Black Pale
Bayside Steam (Downtown only)

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

Thr3e Wise Men will be kicking off fall the correct way with a tapping next Tuesday September 4th with our Antonius 1741 Oktoberfest! The tapping party starts at 6pm with a toast with Omar and we have some free snacks for everyone as well. Come celebrate this great time of year with us!

From David at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence:

TRITON HOUSE BREWS
Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, I-65 Baltic Porter, 500 Monks Belgian Strong Ale, Fortshire British Mild

GUEST BREWS
Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Saison Brett, Urban Chestnut Zwickel, Red Bridge Gluten Free Beer (bottle)
Events
Trivia Night at Sahm’s, September 11, 8pm join us at 65th and Keystone to test your ‘Trivia Chops’ against some stiff competition!
Clustertruck at Triton Brewing September 19, 5-9pm join 7-8 of your favorite food trucks for our 5th #Clustertruck events at Triton Brewing Company.
Save the Date! Triton Brewing Sprint Triathlon September 22 at Triton Brewing Company
Save the Date! Triton Brewing 1st Anniversary Party October 20 5-9pm

From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co in Bloomington/Indianapolis:

Fall Beer Releases - http://uplandbeer.com/fall-beer-releases/

We also have our Oktoberfest in Indy http://uplandbeer.com/upland-oktoberfest-at-military-park-indianapolis/

Upland Brewing Co. is bringing international touring act Okkervil River to Bloomington, IN on August 31st, 2012 for an outdoor concert to benefit Sycamore Land Trust. The bill will also feature local favorites that have not been announced yet. Doors open at 5pm, and music starts at 6. Tickets for the Okkervil River concert are on sale. They are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show, and are available at Upland’s Bloomington Brew Pub and Indy Tasting Room, as well as the Buskirk Chumley Box Office, and online at www.hillbillyhaiku.org.

At Bars, Restaurants, and Carry Out
From Jordan at Beer Sellar in Castleton:

New beers on tap/bottle

Draft as of 8/26/12

Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11

Boulevard Double Wide

Victory Ranch S

Flying Dog Citra Single Hop

Mikkeller I Beat YoU

Victory Donnybrook Stout

3 Floyds Gorch Fock

Great Crescent Coconut Porter

Breckenridge Agave Wheat

Petrus Aged Pale

Brooklyn Gold Standard Export

Founders Cerise

Sun King "3"

Bluegrass Brewing Barbarian Honey Ale

Bottles

Goose Island Demolition

Goose Island Juliet

New Holland Envious

Oliver Blueberry/Strawberry Hard Cider

Beers on Deck

Sun King Grapefruit Jungle

Brooklyn Fiat Lux

Brooklyn Pennant

Bells The Oracle

Piraat

Great Divide 18th Anniversary DIPA

New Day Meadery Re Thinker

Victory/Stone/Dogfishhead Saison de Buff

Goose Island Minx

Upcoming Events

Thursday September 6th

Bells Brewery, Inc.: The Oracle DIPA Ale Tapping @ 5pm

Live Music from the Funky Junk at 10pm

From Sahm's Place in Broad Ripple:

Sahm's Place will be hosting Tuesday Night Trivia this upcoming Tuesday with Sun King. Sun King always delivers some awesome prizes and even better beers. Anyone and everyone is welcome to play, just make sure to show up around 7:30 if you want a table (trivia starts at 8:30pm and goes until 10pm)

Coming up in September, with tickets going on sale the first day of September, we are hosting 3rd Thursday with Bier Brewery in our bar. What is 3rd Thursday? It is a pairing of 5 beers (this month from Bier) with 5 courses. We will have 30 tickets for sale all for the price of $30. We expect them to go fast, and to purchase a ticket, you have to come inside the restaurant and buy one. I know, tricky stuff, but call me old fashion, I like seeing your smiling faces. We do not have any set rules for food, beer, presentation, or dress code, we just want this to be an eccentric, inspired, and unique event that takes on the tone of the crowd and the brewers. It should be a good time, and as always, all are welcome.

So, for the beer:

Abita Turbodog

Flat12 Walkabout

Flat12 Karousel Kolsch

Flat12 Big Black Dog 68

Bells Oberon

Bells Two Hearted

Great Divide Wolfgang Dopplebock

New Day Meadery Washington's Folly

Bier Brewery OrangeJunkel

Bier Brewery Rye Pale

Crown Brewing Crown Brown

Victory Prima Pils

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Brooklyn Fiat Lux

Sixpoint Resin

Upland Valley Weizen

People's Mr. Brown

People's Hop Killa

Tyranena Hop Whore

Weihenstephan Vitus Bock

Schlafly American IPA

Urban Chestnut Winged Nut

North Coast Pranqster

Sun King Firefly Wheat

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:

All Scotty’s Brewhouse location have some great new drink specials! You can now come in on Friday and get a 60oz Pitcher of a Thr3e Wise Men beer for only $15.00!!

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th Street Indianapolis is now pouring Urban Chstnut’s STLIPA! If you have not tired this amazing IPA from St. Louis come in on Thursday and get a 24oz. Mug for only $5!

From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven:

Sun King Tap TakeOver at the Trion Tavern
Thursday, September 6 ? 6pm - 3am
Sun King personnel will be on hand to answer questions and hand out swag
Plus, $3.50 beers from all 58 taps!
Sun King beers to be tapped:
Sunlight Cream Ale
Wee Mac Brown
Osiris Pale Ale
Firefly Wheat
3
Grapefruit Jungle
Oktoberfest
Java Mac
Bitch'n Camaro
Zaius Oatmeal Stout
Indiana Replicale 2012
Cream Dream V (to be tapped at 8pm)

Follow the Trion Tavern on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/triontavern) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/BrewHaven) for more info and updates.
Check out our Interactive Daily Tap List to see what's currently on our 58 taps.

From the Distributors:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

Mad River Mad Belgian - Belgian Golden Ale; seasonal release; 4 packs only

Tyranena Brewers Gone Wild Hop Whore - Double IPA; special release; 4 packs and draft

Lakefront Pumpkin Ale - Spiced Pumpkin Lager; seasonal release; 6 packs only

Lakefront Oktoberfest - Traditional Marzen Lager; seasonal release; 6 packs only

UPCOMING EVENTS

9/4 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Birdy's; 6pm-8pm; $10

9/7 - Carnagie Center Benefit in New Albany; 6pm

9/7 - Cap N Cork on Broadway in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm

9/18 - Peoples Brewing Tap Takeover @ Sahm's Trivia Night; 8pm

9/14 - Finch's Event @ The Heorot in Muncie; 9pm-11pm

9/21 - Craft Tasting @ Cap N Cork on Dupont St in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm

9/23 - IPR All Beers Considered Event @ Fickle Peach in Munice featuring all Michigan Beers; all day event

9/27 - Craft Tasting @ Belmont on Illinois Rd in Ft. Wayne; 6pm - 8pm

9/27 - Keg Liquors Fall Tasting in Clarksville; TBA

9/27 - Oktoberfest Party @ Buckhead in Jeffersonville; TBA after Keg Lq Fall Tasting

9/30 - Craft Tasting @ Big Red on N College Ave in Bloomington; 6pm-8pm

10/9 - Bloomington Brewing Co Tap Takeover @ Sahm's Trivia Night; 8pm

10/16 - Finch's Tap Takeover @ Sahm's Trivia Night; 8pm

10/13 - Porter Perfect Pint Festival @ Hawthorne Park in Porter; 12pm-5pm; tickets available @eventbrite.com

10/16 - Finch's Tap Takeover @ Sahm's Trivia Night; 8pm

10/18 - Binkley's Brew Club Event featuring Finchs; 7pm

10/23 - NABC Tap Takeover @ Sahm's Trivia Night; 8pm

11/16 - Celebrate Election Day with Elector at Yogi's; Bloomington; all day event

Upcoming Events
From Charlie:

From Stephanie:

In 13 years, it's never happpened... But this is a new day!
JACKSON STREET CLOSED!
14th Annual Festiv-ALE
Presented by: Kahn's Fine Wines

Join us Saturday, September 22nd
4:00-8:00pm
200 S. Meridian St. (Corner of Meridian & Jackson Sts.)

As you have for 13 years, come enjoy over 100 beers under our party tent or take your brew to the street.

Shop our over-the-top silent auction, sing and dance to classic rock played by Saints & Strangers, and cruise on over to our fantastic food bar.

Tickets are available NOW for $45 ($25 is tax deductible)
Procrastinators - $55 at the door ($35 is tax deductible)

To purchase tickets, stop in any Kahn's location to save $2.00 or buy online at http://indiana.cff.org/festivale or call the CF office at1-800-622-4826.

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Brew Bracket Bourbon Barrel Aged Beer Tournament (BBBourbon)

What makes this one special:
The beers are aged in bourbon barrels from Harrison Bourbon. Indiana beers slowly soaking in the flavor of an Indiana bourbon. It doesn’t get any better than that. The style for the brewers is wide open for any beer they feel would be enhanced with a several month barrel soak. The event will be held at Tomlinson Tap on Saturday, September 29th, as an anchor to National Bourbon Heritage month.

This event will run in a similar format to our standard tournaments. We’re featuring 8 brewers instead of the usual 16. We’ll actually be delivering the beer to the participants at their table and pouring it there, to keep a fun social element with the smaller crowd. Between rounds we’ll offer tastings of Harrison Bourbon to compliment the beers being tasted.

Event Details:
Saturday September 29th, 6-9PM
Tomlinson Tap Room in the City Market, Indianapolis
Ticket price: $45 (early bird special of $40 through July 29)
Tickets available here (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/258994)

BB101:
Brew Bracket is the only one of its kind, a true tasting tournament for local craft beer. Participating brewers bring a similar style of beer for each event and are seeded randomly into a bracket. Participants blindly taste the beer 2 glasses at a time and vote for their favorites based on taste alone. Over the course of the day winning beers advance through the tournament until a “best beer” is selected at the end of the event.

30 August 2012

Beer and Cheese Club - July 2012

Long time readers of the blog know that we put a lot of work in to running the Microbrewers Festival each year. As a result, we have found ourselves an entire month behind on the Beer and Cheese Club. Never fear, we are still dedicated to pairing great beer with great cheese and we will get back on track! However we certainly weren't going to skip a month, this stuff is too good!

In the month of July, the Beer and Cheese Club subscribers found themselves with a possibly familiar friend - Bell's Oarsman. This American take on the classic German style of Berliner Weisse has recently found its way in to Bell's year-round lineup. It's lower ABV and slight fruity notes make it a very refreshing summer beer. Its tartness is subdued compared to the traditional Berliner Weisse, which makes it much more accessible to beer drinkers that aren't familiar with sour beers. We hope you like it, as Beer and Cheese Club subscribers will be taking home a six pack of it (or already have).

Tronchon, was quite literally chosen this month because of its whimsical doughnut shape. You may have noticed the curvature in your slice! Luckily, our choice based on our own amusement was met with a unique cheese that we were immediately fond of. The style originates in Spain and is a blend of sheep and goat milks. Here's an interesting factoid for you - The Man of La Mancha himself preferred Tronchon to Manchego. That should impress your friends!

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your July installment was ready for you to pick up a month ago, so we hope you already have! If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes a 6-pack of Oarsman and nearly a pound of Tronchon. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

I will keep my review short for this pairing. Rod and Jason sum up my thoughts about this pairing much better than I can put into words this time around. The Tronchon cheese has a wonderful buttery flavor and dense texture. I actually preferred the cheese all by itself over any pairing including with the beer or on a piece of bread. I thought the cheese was the big winner in this pairing. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the oarsman, but the subtle sour twinge and grassy notes didn't work for me. I much preferred each of these items on their own merits than I did as a combo.

I think it came as a surprise to Rod when I said that I enjoyed Bell’s Oarsman Ale. Yeah, there is a slight tartness, but it is not the lead singer. It isn’t even a back-up singer. The tartness is the girlfriend in the back playing the tambourine. The wheat and citrus notes play a larger roll, taking the edge off of the tart flavor. But all together, the wheat, citrus, and tart play well with the nuttiness of the Tronchon. Apparently when this Spanish cheese is young, it’s a bit squeaky. I believe our piece had a little age given the rind that had formed. Inside was a cheese that was slightly dry but with a clean finish. Very unique and very enjoyable.

When tasting Tronchon, there is a distinct tangy flavor to the cheese. Similar to a simple soft chevre, but balanced with the bite of a mild cheddar. This is most definitely an interesting cheese and my first thoughts were of a lightly sour beer with fruit notes.

Enter Oarsman. This is a beer that I find very nice during the summer. I wouldn't quite call it a sour beer or a Berliner Weisse, but it has that nice refreshing lemonade quality to it. Peaches and lemon are both present in the aroma, as well as a hefty dose of yeast and a hint of funk. Peaches and citrus comes through in the sour character of the beer and the finish is that of an American wheat.

The pairing is a new one for me. The peach and citrus flavors work well with the tangy flavor of the cheese, while the sourness of the beer is just enough to cleanse the palate but not enough to overwhelm. The result is a heavier wheat body to the beer and a cheese sharp enough to hold up to the sour flavors. I'm liking it, and with the huge amount of cheese and beer everyone got this month, it's plenty to share with friends.

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.

29 August 2012

Big expansion for Cutters Brewing Company

Cutters Brewing Company from Bloomington, Indiana is undertaking a major expansion. This is good news for beer drinkers across the state. I've only had Cutters at each of the last few Brewers of Indiana Guild events, but I have enjoyed their lineup each time I've had it.

From their website:

Over the last 15 months we here at Cutters have been working hard serving hand crafted ales to the greater Bloomington, IN area. The growing demands from Hoosiers all across the state have led us to begin expanding to a 30 bbl brew house that will allow us to provide our Hard Working Beer to craft beer enthusiasts across the entire state. Our new production facility will be based in Avon, IN which allows us more efficient distribution to all of Indiana. Rest assured, as we were born and raised in Southern Indiana, our friends here will see a tap room in the coming months.

At 30 bbls this new system will allow us to be among the largest breweries in the state. We are excited to show you our new toys and even more excited to share our Hard Work with you and we think you will be too.

We certainly wish Cutters the very best through their growth and expansion in the coming months. Cheers to more Indiana brewed beer!

Matt

28 August 2012

Ol' Reliable

On Saturday night, I opened the refrigerator door to reach for a beer and realized that I'm tired. I'm tired of the overwhelming number of craft beer choices. There are too many.

I'm certainly not the first person to think about this issue. Other beer bloggers have written about it. And researchers in the fields of economics and psychology have focused on the perils of too much choice. Choice, they say, leads to paralysis or second-guessing.

I began thinking about this problem in earnest when music was taking off in digital form. I remember sitting down at my new iBook in 2004 (was that really 8 years ago?) and cruising around some of the new mp3 blogs. At that time, there were only about 5 or 6 prominent music blogs. Those blogs were posting only a few new songs every day, with the ostensible purpose (wink wink) of driving you to the iTunes store or CD Baby or Amazon so you could buy what you just sampled on the blog. Given the small number of blogs and the relatively small number of songs you could sample, it was fairly easy to sort through what you liked and what you didn't like in a reasonable period of time.

Just a year later, the number of music blogs had metastasized. Most blogs were poorly written and curated, but many were very good (including this fine local specimen). And they were all posting multiple posts a day, with each post containing multiple songs. They rolled out a tsunami of digital music every day. I would get through one blog's daily postings and move on to the next. And the next. And the next. I found that I couldn't stop; I thought that I might be missing that one great song from that one great album that none of the other blogs had written about. I'd shut down my laptop thinking that I'd call it a night of music blog scanning only to second-guess that decision. So I'd open my iBook back up again and look at a few more blogs. And a few more.

Then mp3 blog aggregators started appearing, which made searching for new music easier but only marginally so because the number of music blogs kept growing. As a consequence, I decided to call it quits and go back to good old word-of-mouth advice from friends when it came to music.

Some of my HBG colleagues have posed this question before, albeit it in a different form, but I'll pose it again: Have we gotten to the same point with beer? While in Chicago this summer, I walked into Binny's Beverage Depot and spent almost 75 minutes culling through beers that I cannot get here in Indiana. I still walked out of the store feeling like I had missed beers that I should have bought but didn't have the patience to look for in the store. The same thing happens when I walk into Kahn's or Parti Pak or Crown Liquors. And I haven't even mentioned the beer bars in this town with extensive beer selections.

So at what point does it all become too much?

Here's what I've begun doing more often now, particularly when it comes to drinking at home: buying and drinking what I know is reliable. Buying and drinking what I know I like.

I like Sun King Osiris Pale Ale. I like People's Mound Builder IPA. I like Flat12 Pogue's Run Porter (which I can now get at Trader Joe's--nice work, guys). I like Fountain Square Backyard Porter. I like Upland Wheat. I like Three Floyds Alpha King. I like Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. And New Albanian--I would be forever grateful if you put Beak's Best or Old Bob's 15-B in bottles.

Does this make me boring or even lazy? Perhaps. But I feel comfortable. I feel satisfied. And most importantly, I don't feel anxious.

25 August 2012

Know Your Styles: Rauchbier

Rauchbier - Rauch is the German word for smoke. So a Rauchbier is quite simply a smoke beer.

Just the word Rauchbier evokes facial expressions with people when you talk about it. I've found that people are either pro-smoke beer or anti-smoke beer. There isn't much middle room for people. Even in Germany this type of beer seems odd to many German beer drinkers. Rauchbier is certainly one of my favorite types of beer. There is contention whether or not smoke beer is style or if just adding smoked malt to other styles makes this type of beer a base beer + smoked malts. I fall in the camp that thinks smoke beer is style all its own. Making a good rauchbier is actually a high art form. It isn't an easy style to make. Badly made smoke beers taste like drinking beer from a used ash try, but when this beer style is done correctly you get a beer with an amazing amount of character that pairs better with meat and BBQ than just about any beer on the face of the planet.

Rauchbier has an interesting story. Up until the mid 1700's and early 1800's most beer would have exhibited smokiness is varying form. The malt had to be dried, and until that point most malt was dried using a direct fire method. Many types of wood could be used, but often juniper, beech, or oak would have been used and using the direct fire method the malt would have taken on a smokey flavor when used in the drying process and then finally used in the brewing process. The industrial revolution and lower cost pale malt nearly killed smoke beers. After this point indirect coke fired kiln drying was used and smoke beers went away from just about everywhere in the world with the exception of a small town in the Franconian area of Germany. The city that kept smoke beers alive and well is Bamberg in Bavaria.

Much like the peat-smoked malt from Scotland that gives good Scotch a unique and delicious flavor this method still adds a very unique flavor you won't ever find in other beers.

Smoke beers can run the gamut of the smoke flavor wheel depending on the how the brewers wants to use the smoke malt. The smoke can range from a slight woody smokiness to an all out ham and bacon flavored smoked beer. Some brewers will only add some smoked malt to the grail bill, but the beers that carry the Aecht Schlenkerla name use 100% of the grain bill is smoked malt. That is the reason they will be the most intense of the smoke beers you are likely to run into. Smoke beers can also run from light amber colors to very dark brown. There are also some other types of smoke beers that are wheat smoked beers and those will be much lighter and more golden hue. The head will often be large and creamy with a slightly tan hue.

The flavors are going to pair amazingly well with many of the foods that are popular in the United States. BBQ, burgers, bacon, pork belly, grilled chicken, steak, any type of sausage, and smoked fish are going to pair well with this style. Believe it or not, this beer also pairs wonderfully with most Mexican food. I would challenge you to try this beer alone and then try it with one of those types of food. It will really make the beer and your food come together. They will compliment each other in a way that you don't often find in beer and food pairings. The smoke will draw out some of the caramelized food flavors, highlight spice flavors, and highlight good meat flavors. Just about anything you can buy from Claus' German Sausage and Meats over on Shelby is a candidate for this beer.

Bamberg is home to the most recognizable name in smoke beer: Aecht Schlenkerla by Brauerei Heller-Trum. This is the most recognizable smoke beer that is available here Indiana, and I would also say the world. They were my first introduction to smoke beer. They do a number of smoke beers that are available here in Indiana.

If we had a version of Bamberg here in Indiana that is keeping smoke beers alive and well it would be New Albanian in New Albany. They have made a number of really delicious smokes beers that I have tried. Smoked Abzug, Bonfire of the Valkyries, Imperial Bonfire of the Valkyries, Cone Smoker, and their newest version of a defunct Polish smoke beer Gratzilla. Gratzilla is a version of a Polish style called Gratzer that several US brewers are helping to revive. I had a few of them in Wisconsin recently, and if you enjoy smoke beers they are worth seeking out.

Other smoke beers I've know here in Indiana have been made by Lafayette Brewing Company, Three Floyds, Sun King, Upland did a version of an UPcup winner a few years back, and I feel like Mad Anthony has done one, but I couldn't verify that anywhere online.

You can not get it in Indiana, but if you ever see a bottle of Alaskan Brewing's smoked porter you should pick it up. That is another of my favorite smoke beers available here in the US.

You most likely are not going to see any of those very often, but you can get the Schlenkerla beers all over town, and if you make it down to New Albanian (and if you haven't you should treat yourself and head down there) to get smoke beer.

Don't be afraid of smoke beer, but give it a chance and try it with food.

Cheers!

Matt

19 August 2012

Beer Diary | Change

But I'm losing my edge

to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent

and they're actually really, really nice.
-- LCD Soundsystem

What exactly is Hoosier Beer Geek? With Mike's departure, I've been asking myself that question a lot lately. Unfortunately, I haven't had a lot of time to think about the answers.

But I think the question is an important one, especially because I consider Mike to have been an enormous part of Hoosier Beer Geek's soul. That's not to discount the contributions the rest of us have made. Indeed, we are all Hoosier Beer Geek's heart and part of its soul too. We've all worked hard for the Brewers of Indiana Guild. We've done our best to showcase Indiana's brewers and beer bars. And we have tried to inject our unique perspective into what we write here. We've never wanted to be just another beer review blog.

Yet Mike's off-kilter sense of humor, his stream of excellent ideas, his devotion to the world of craft beer--all of these attributes of his were integral to setting the tone of this blog. (I can see Mike reading this now and probably wanting to hide. But I can't fault him for that. In fact, his humility is another one of his positive attributes). Numerous times, Mike said, "Hey, let's do X" and the rest of us said, "Yes, great idea!"

But change has come. Change. Mike's departure is a big change, but much change has occurred in Indiana's craft beer scene as well over the last six years. Things have grown so quickly that it's difficult to keep up with all the craft beer happenings in Indianapolis and around the state. New breweries and beer bars are opening at a rapid rate. More beers from out-of-state craft breweries are now being distributed in Indiana. And there's the challenge of seeing more craft beer available than there is time to try all of it.

Change. The Knights of the Beer Roundtable are changing. We have less time to devote to writing here. We have our own kids who need our guidance, and we have other family members who need us as well. We have increasing demands on our time from our jobs. And we have to fight the "been there, done that" syndrome that tends to set in when one has been doing something for a long time.

Change is frightening. Change can cause paralysis. But change is also exciting. Change brings new opportunities. So what is Hoosier Beer Geek now? Here's what it is:

We still love great beer and are still drinking it. We're still making new friends in Indiana's community of brewers and beer people. We're still marveling at the growth of the craft beer industry in this state. We aren't, however, writing as much, but we're still writing. We aren't staging as many of our own events, but we'll certainly have some in the future. In short, we hope that these changes don't make us any less valuable as contributors.

Change.

17 August 2012

Random Beer Roundup - The Moto Gencon Edition

Thanks for bearing with us in our absence last week. Roundup is back for this week and will be out again next week. Then all should be back to normal for a while.

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:

On this week,

Kolsch
Sessie
Weizengoot
Happy Pils
Bier d'Garde
Oranjunkle
Smoked Brown
Caliente
PDG Pale

From Jordan at Black Acre Brewing Co. in Irvington:

First, we're going to try and do a Firkin every Friday for Firkin Friday. I have two firkins good to go as of right now, so we'll be starting with Bloomington Brewing Company's Quarryman Pale next week. We'll tap the sucker around 7pm. The following Friday we'll be doing Bell's Third Coast Beer.

Second, we now carry a wide range of Trappist beers in bottles. I'm working on getting in touch with Starlight to finish the set.

La Trappe Dubbel, Quadruppel and Oaked Quadruppel

Chimay Premiere, Cinq Cents, and Grand Reserve

Orval

Rochefort 10, 8, 6

Westmalle Dubbel and Trippel

Our current house list is as follows:

Apricot Wheat

A refreshing, unfiltered American wheat with additions of apricot juice.

Malts: 2-Row, White Wheat, Crystal 10

Hops: Zythos

ABV: 5.1 % IBUs: 20

Fair Wind Porter

A malty Robust Porter with a strong roast character.

Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Crystal 60, Chocolate, Black Patent

Hops: EKG

ABV: 6.6% IBUs: 37

Green Tea Pale Ale

A light, refreshing pale ale with additions of green tea matcha, ginger and honey.

Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Victory

Hops: Cascade

ABV: 6% IBUs: 20

Street Lamp Blonde ($1 of every pint of SLB we sell we donate to the Irvington Development Organization.)

A light, American Blonde ale brewed with lemongrass and lemon peel.

Malts: Pilsen and White Wheat Malt

Hops: Saaz

ABV: 5.1% IBUs: 21

Our guest taps are as follows:

Abita Turbodog Brown

Bell's Porter

DuPont Posca Rustica (gruit)

Flat12 Walkabout Pale

Founder's Cerise (Cherry Ale)

Fountain Square Summer Haze (Hefe)

Jacobins Rogue Flemish Sour

North Coast Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout)

North Coast Old Stock (Old Ale)

Original Sin Cider

Sixpoint Resin (DIPA)

Stone IPA

Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow (Lactose DIPA)

Triton O'Rye-n's Galaxy (Rye Pale)

Victory Donnybrook (Dry Irish Stout)

Victory Prima Pils

From Bob at Flat12 Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

The official beer of IndyFringe Festival, Midsummer Apricot Wheat, is brewing and will be featured at IndyFringe Festival. Opening night ceremonies of the Mass Ave based, 10 day festival, takes place on August 16th.

-Flat 12 Night at Nick's English Hut in Bloomington. Friday, August 17th.

-Planet Adventure hosts an Urban Sprint starting/ending at Flat 12, Saturday morning, August 18th.

-Renew Services hosts a MotoGP party at Flat 12, Saturday, August 18th.

-Festivals: DoItIndy IndyFringe Party (MassAve) 8/23, Beers and Bluegrass (Franklin) 8/24, Beers Across the Wabash (Lafayette) 8/25, DigIN (Downtown) 8/26.

Half Cycle IPA bottle release. 6 packs will be released beginning the week of August 20th. Distribution will be Indiana only.

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette:

Beers Across the Wabash

Saturday, August 25, noon to 4 pm

John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge

Lafayette, Indiana

Craft beer festival presented by Friends of Downtown and sponsored by Village Bottle Shoppes. Features a unique, picturesque location and an array of tasty brews from 25 of Indiana's finest craft brewers. Wandering minstrels, beer & food seminars, commemorative sample cup and beer samples from a selection of approximately 100 beers included in the admission price. Outpost Catering, D & R Market and the Lafayette Optimist Club will provide food service (separate purchase required). Tickets are $35 advance and are available at Lafayette Brewing, People's Brewing and all West Lafayette Village Bottle Shoppe locations. Also available on line at: www.beersacrossthewabash.com and www.mogotix.com/events/5934 We hope to see you there!

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

Gen Con 2012 is upon us!
Gen Con has returned to Indianapolis, and we are excited to play a large part in the "The Greatest Four Days in Gaming." To help celebrate, we have planned an eventful week of beer tappings and special events. If you haven't been downtown for Gen Con, here are some beer-related reasons to come experience it with us.

Friday, Aug. 17th at 1 p.m. - Black Mamba Java Stout Tapping
Saturday, Aug. 18th at 1 p.m. - Barrel-aged Bombshell Brown Tapping

Oktoberfest...mmmm
Big Horn Oktoberfest is preparing for its time to shine. One of our perennial favorites to brew, this Bavarian lager will feature bread-like malt notes and a balanced, clean finish. Keep your schedule open for a big release around September 13th.

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

Thr3e Wise Men is now pouring their German lager! Come on by and try a pint of this very refreshing beer on Wednesday for only $3. We also have a great list of some upcoming seasonal beers. In September will be tapping our Antonius 1742 Oktoberfest, October will be our Hoggy Style Amber & November will be our Momma’s Milk Stout #4.

From David at Triton Brewing Co. in Lawrence:

On Tap:

TRITON HOUSE BREWS

Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout,, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, I-65 Baltic Porter, Fortshire British Mild (2012 Replicale), 500 Monks Belgian Strong Ale

GUEST BREWS

Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, Down and Dirty Stout, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Magner's Irish Cider, Redbridge (Gluten Free-bottle), Urban Chestnut Zwickel

EVENTS, TAPPINGS, ETC...

The Riviera Club Triton Beer Dinner August 18 6:30pm Enjoy tasting our craft beer with cuisine specifically prepared to compliment the beer. The cost is $40 per person plus tax. To RSVP call (317) 255-5471.

Clustertruck at Triton Brewing August 22 5-9pm join 7-8 of your favorite food trucks for our 4th #Clustertruck events at Triton Brewing Company.

From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co in Bloomington/Indianapolis:

I know we have some fun stuff coming up September and October. We're brewing the 2012 UpCup winner's Andrew Korty (From Indy) Scottish Ale 70 Shilling, named Malcolm and Margaret.

We'll also be releasing Double Dragonfly, Oktoberfest (Seasonal) and Teddy Bear Kisses (Seasonal). It's all pretty exciting!
We're also holding our own Oktoberfest on Sept 22 in Military Park Indy. Details TBA. I'll be sure to let you know them all.

Upland Brewing Co. is bringing international touring act Okkervil River to Bloomington, IN on August 31st, 2012 for an outdoor concert to benefit Sycamore Land Trust. The bill will also feature local favorites that have not been announced yet. Doors open at 5pm, and music starts at 6. Tickets for the Okkervil River concert are on sale. They are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show, and are available at Upland’s Bloomington Brew Pub and Indy Tasting Room, as well as the Buskirk Chumley Box Office, and online at www.hillbillyhaiku.org.

At Bars, Restaurants, and Carry Out
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville/New Albany:

Here is the latest from Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
Southern Tier - Harvest Ale (New York)
Breckenridge - Autumn Ale (Colorado)
Left Hand - Oktoberfest (Colorado)
New Holland - Ichabod Pumpkin Ale (Michigan)
Sprecher - Oktoberfest (Wisconsin)
Thirsty Dog - Barktoberfest (Ohio)
Two Brothers - Atom Smasher (Illinois)
New Albanian - Black and Bluegrass (Indiana)
Stone - 16th Anniversary IPA (California)
New Holland - Oak Aged Hatter IPA (Michigan)
New Holland - White Hatter (Michigan)
Falls City - Pale Ale (Kentucky)

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:

Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving Flat 12 Summer! Come on by on Tuesday and get a 48oz Pitcher for only $6!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Downtown is now pouring Thr3e Wise Men’s GEN CON Beer, Dragon Troll Ale! You can come down and get a 24oz. Mug of this very tasty Scottish Ale on Thursday for only $5!!

From Mike at Yogi's Bar and Grill in Bloomington:

http://www.yogis.com/index.php/about/blog/beer-blog/120-81412