Random Beer Roundup - The Entering December Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Mike at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

updated 11/29/12 - subject to availability
please bear with us while we move our brewing equipment. great things are soon to come!
flight of 3 beers 7
black belgian black ale reminds the drinker of the chocolate within dark malts, leaving aside bitter astringency often associated with darker beer 6%
pooka sour & refreshing, brewed with boysenberry 6%
tripel de poirot a slightly darker example of our tripel de ripple. notes of vanilla & perhaps pears 10% limit of 2
reindeer games coriander, cinnamon, and allspice come to play in this belgian dark ale brewed especially for the holiday season 6.0%
GUEST BEER ON TAP
ommegang hennepin this hoppy, farmhouse style ale has a champagne like effervescence with a crisp but light on the tongue finish 7.7%
victory braumeister pils using the same recipe while changing only the variety of hops employed each time it is brewed, braumeister pils provides a dry, quenching character that varies slightly from batch to batch depending on the selected hop 5.4%
dark horse perkulator this beer started as a true dopplebock and dark horse brewing’s only publicly distributed lager. “so normal that we couldn’t stand it, so we made it into a coffee dopplebock” 7.5%
founders's centennial ipa a complex flavorful ale with citrus accents, achieved by the abundance of dry hopping. This ale’s sweet, malty undertones balance the hop character with a finish that never turns too bitter 7.2%
tyranena the devil made me do it full bodied oatmeal silkiness with soothingly rich coffee flavors 7.5%

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

Thursday (11/29) 4 to 7. 12 Beers of Christmas: begins with Glazed Ham Porter tapping. (12 holiday beers) Food by Der Pretzel Wagen 

OFFSITE

Ambergeddon - Brew Bracket at State Fairgrounds 12:30 p on Dec 8th
Brewstone Beer Company, Tap takeover. 12 taps. 12/12/12  5 pm.
YELPs Totally Bazaar, Dec 13th
12 Chefs of Christmas, featuring Flat 12 Beers of Christmas, for City Market, Dec 15th. Details at the link here.
12/21/12 End of the World? 

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple:

Thr3e Wise Men will be tapping our newest seasonal, Mount Crumpet Christmas Ale, next Tuesday December 4th. In celebration of this time of year it will be an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party! The festivities begin at 7pm with a toast with Omar and the Brewers and free snacks.  

Mustache Ride Buses will be at Scotty’s Lakehouse, Scotty’s Brewhouse 96^th Street, Southside & Downtown locations to transport any interested guest that would like to come to Thr3e Wise Men for this tapping party. Bus rides will only be $5! Go to www.thr3ewisemen.com/tappingparty to register if you would want to take a bus to the party. 

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, Batch #1 (Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout), Gingerbread Brown, Fortshire British Mild, McQueenie’s Scotch Ale and Midnight Rail Black IPA. 

GUEST BREWS

Brooklyn Blast, J.W. Lees 2011 Harvest, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Summit Extra Pale Ale and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle) 

Triton Brewing Events

December 8, Brew Bracket’s ‘Ambergeddon’ at Indiana State Fair Grounds. Join Triton and 15 other local breweries to choose the best Amber Ale of the bunch. Tickets are $35 and available at brewbracket.com. Doors open at 12:30pm.

December 19, #Clustertruck join us for the final one of the year at Triton Brewing Company from 6-9pm! Come check out some of your favorite food trucks.

From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington/Indianapolis:

Komodo comes out next week and Winter Warmer comes out the week after that.

We're also doing a 'Flight of the Dragonflies' tapping on Dec. 12 at Chumley's, 8 pm. Tapping IPA, DDfly, and Komodo.

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

Schlafly - Coffee Stout (Missouri)

Schlafly - Christmas Ale (Missouri)

Schlafly - Barreled Aged Imperial Stout (Missouri)

Ayinger - Weizen-bock (Germany)

Tyranena - Sheep Shagger Scotch ALe (Wisconsin)

Heavy Seas - Below Deck's Barleywine (Maryland)

Three Floyds / De Molen - Zes Zes Zes (Illinois)

Three Floyds - Topless Wytch (Indiana)

Stone - Enjoy By IPA 12-21-12 (California)

Hinterland - Winterland (Wisconsin)

B Nektar - Zombie Killer (Michigan)

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen in Zionsville:

So we were closed for the summer, and now we're back...sorry for no updates, we have had some great beer running around here, and here's what is available at this moment...Let's all keep in mind that the choices are subject to change.

Peace,

Patrick

ON DRAFT

Power House Diesel Oil Stout                                               $6.50 Pint

La Trappe (Belgian Quad) 10%abv                                           $10.50

 Abita Amber                                                                          $6.00 Pint

BBC Dunkelweiss 7.7abv                                 $7.50 Pint

Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale                                      $4.75 Pint

Upland Double Dragonfly  9%abv                                         $7.25 Pint

 Napa Smith Hopageddon (Imperial IPA)9%abv     $7.50 12oz     

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf    9%abv                $7.50 12oz

Unibroue Trois Pistoles  9%abv                                             $10.50

Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner               $4.75 Pint

BOTTLES                                                     

Sun King Cream Ale           $5.25

Bell's Amber                  $4.25

Bell’s Oarsman Ale                      $4.25

Stella                $4.25

Sixpoint Brownstone                  $5.25

Tyranena Dirty Old Man (imperial rye)                     $6.50

Founders Cerise (cherry fermented ale)                     $5.25

Founders Porter                  $4.25

Orkney Skull Splitter (authentic scottish)                    $8.00

Duvel (the classic Belgian Golden Ale)                     $9.75

Chimay Blue (9%abv and a fabulous belgian golden ale)                     $10.50

Ommegang Three Philosophers (9.8%)                                              $8.75

WHEAT BEERS

Boulevard Brewing 80-Acre (hoppy wheat)

Boulevard Brewing Unfiltered Wheat

Hoegaarden (belgian wit)

From the Distributors and Reps:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

North Coast Winter Ale - English Nut Brown Ale; seasonal release; 6 pack and draft

Left Hand Fade to Black - Rocky Mountain Black Ale; limited seasonal release; 6 pack and draft

Berghoff Winter - Bock; seasonal release; 6 packs only

Stevens Point St. Benedict Winter Ale - Winter Warmer; seasonal release; 6 packs only

Hoppin Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale - Spiced Winter Warmer; limited seasonal release; 22oz bottle and draft

Hoppin Frog Natasha Rocks America - Dry-Hopped Chocolate Rye Imperial Stout; special limited release; 22oz bottles only

Tyranena Sheep Shagger - Scottish Ale; seasonal release; 6 packs and draft

Baladin Noel - Belgian Strong Dark Ale; limited seasonal release; 750ml only

Hinterland Winterland - American Porter; seasonal release; 4 pack and draft

Two Brothers Northwind - Imperial Stout; seasonal release; 6 packs and draft

Two Brothers Revelry - Imperial Red Ale; limited seasonal release; 6 packs and draft

B. Nektar Zombie Killer - Cherry Honey Wine; limited release; 750ml bottle and draft

Finch's Secret Stache Stout - Stout Brewed with Vanilla Beans; new everyday offering; 4 pack cans and draft

Finch's Facsist Pig - American Red Ale; new everyday offering; 4 pack cans and draft

UPCOMING EVENTS

     

11/30 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Lq on County Line Rd; 5pm-7pm

12/4 - Scenic View Winter Open House in Bloomington; 5:30pm-9pm

12/4 - Birdy's Monthly Craft Beer Tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10

12/4 - Sahm's Trivia Night featuring Lexington Brewing Co.; 8pm

12/6 - Craft Tasting @ Big Red on N. College in Bloomington; 6pm-8pm

12/6 - Holiday Insanity Craft Tasting @ Keg Liquors in Clarksville; 5pm-8pm

12/7 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @Payless Liquors on Rangeline Rd; 5pm-7pm

12/8 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Liquors in Carmel; 1pm-3pm

12/8 - Craft Tasting @ S&V on Illinois St in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-8pm

12/12 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Sonka Irish Pub in Terre Haute; 6pm-9pm

12/12 - Bloomington Brewing Co Tap Takeover @ The Sinking Ship; 7pm

12/14 - Craft Tasting @ Belmont Liquors on Maplecrest in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm

12/15 - Craft Tasting @ Keg N Bottle in Anderson; 5pm-7pm

12/15 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Liquors Uptown; 1pm-3pm

12/18 - "A  Feast for Hobbits"   Trailhead Market and Noshery; 6-9pm

From Mark at Stone Brewing Co.:

Stone Brewing Co.'s devastatingly fresh Enjoy By 12-21-12 is available in Indiana in bottles and on tap.  Get it while it's fresh and while it lasts.  Get the low down on this devastatingly fresh, made not to last double IPA at stonebrewing.com/enjoyby.  #EnjoyBy #IN

Upcoming Events:
From Deb at Indy Beer Lab:

We are holding recurring home brewing info seminars and demo sessions at City Market in downtown Indy. We will be teaching the art of the home brewing process. 

All are at City Market (in the demo kitchen on the main level)

November

11/19 9AM-2PM

11/29 9AM-2PM

December

12/1 9AM-2PM

12/6 6PM-9PM

12/7 9AM-2PM

12/14 9AM-2PM

12/22 9AM-2PM

12/29 9AM-2PM

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Brew Bracket 5: AMBERgeddon

Brew Bracket, the only beer tasting event in the US to offer two tasting glasses, IS BACK! The tournament tasting event features 16 unique Amber style beers from local Indiana breweries. Previous event winners including RAM, Barley Island, Bier, and Rock Bottom will be returning with their take on the Amber style, as well as newer breweries to the Indiana beer scene like Bulldog Brewery and Iechyd Da Brewing Company. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

About Brew Bracket:

Your ticket puts you in the judging seat. Over the afternoon, you will visit stations to blindly taste two beers at a time, voting for your favorite between the two. In total there will be 15 different stations making up the bracket. The majority vote of the crowd (400 participants) will advance one brewer through the tournament as the Brew Bracket champion.

At the end of the event we'll present the results and reveal all the locations of the participating breweries. For more information, see the about us on our site http://www.brewbracket.com/about/

Commentary/Conversation | How Many Taps Are Too Many?

Jake:  With more local bars now having 30-plus taps of all craft beer, how many is too many?

I really think this all comes down to the variety being offered and the familiarity of the consumer and bar staff. If you have 30 taps and 10 of them are from a similar style (Blondes/Wheats and Pale Ales especially), how are you expecting to turn those taps at with any rate that maintains product quality? I think the real result is frustration of the consumer and added stress on the wait staff by them having to explain and get multiple samples for multiple people.

I compare this to a place like Local Option in Chicago. They have a huge chalkboard of at least 30 taps that they change regularly. I enjoy going there because I can tell the bartender what style I am thinking and there are two to three options, but no more. I do not think we are at the point in Indy where people trust themselves and their bartender/waiter to have that conversation.

With five local pale ales on draft, which one are you picking? The one with the more ornate tap handle? The funny Name/picture?

I also think this has given beer drinkers even worse ADD than most of us already have. "With 30-plus taps, I can't order the same beer again, I have to try something else" is the feeling I often get and hear others mention.

Jim: Jake raises a couple of issues that I've thought about too. The first is consumer sophistication. I certainly don't want to paint Indianapolis beer drinkers as necessarily unsophisticated; there are plenty of Indy people who know enough about craft beer to know what they want and why they want it. And obviously, bars around town think there's enough consumer sophistication to warrant an expansion of their tap lines. But a lot of people are still meandering their way into and through the craft beer world. I think that a lot of these folks, once they get more into craft beer, are going to be satisfied with a few brands and a few styles. I think that some people may just want simplicity, which makes me worry that some of these bars aren't going to be able to turn their gazillion tap lines as frequently as they might think.

This quest for simplicity leads to my second point, which is something that I've written about before: the perils of having too many choices, or as Jake calls it, "beer ADD." We're at a point now in the craft beer world where the choices are overwhelming--well, at least they are to me. Yes, it's cool to have lots of beers to choose from, but I now find it exhausting seeking out the next best thing. As I've noted before, I find myself now frequently reaching for the "ol' reliable," no-frills beers like Flat12 Pogue's Run Porter, Sun King Osiris Pale Ale, and Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner. I wonder how many other "me's" there are out there. If there are, then maybe only a few bars in town should have 20 or more taps. Or if they do have that many, perhaps they should be unique in their tap choices. I'm thinking of the Rathskeller with its focus on German beers.

In the end, I prefer a bar with a smaller but well-curated tap list, like La Margarita or Brugge Brasserie. But that's just my personal preference.

Rod: This is an interesting one, because it depends heavily on where your priorities are. I first started drinking craft beer in college, and the Chumley's in Lafayette was my go-to bar. As a novice craft beer drinker, the variety of 50 tap lines was unparalleled. I never thought to ask how fresh a beer was; my only concern was whether or not I had tried it. To be entirely fair, I also didn't care how good the beer was. If I received a pint of beer that was less than enjoyable, I could at least say that I had tried it. I learned a lot about the types of beer I enjoyed this way, and it certainly was an essential part of where I am in beer today.

Unfortunately, that college spirit has only slightly diminished. I wrestle constantly with the choice between a beer that I know is going to be great, and a beer I have never seen before. For this reason, the 30+ tap bars are still frequent haunts. That's not to say that I haven't learned a thing or two. Typically, a bar that boasts a huge tap line up is not going to have fresh beer. In fact, they may have downright old beer in those tap lines, and maybe they haven't been cleaned in a year. But it's not as if those problems aren't characteristic of bars with huge beer selections. A bar with three taps can have the exact same old beer, dirty tap line issues that a bar with 30 can have. Simply demonizing a bar because it has a lot of taps is the wrong thing to do.

What we're all after is good beer, and in the topic of this conversation, variety. If a bar has 30 taps and they rotate regularly and keep on an interesting selection of options, there is no reason that the number of tap handles they have should be viewed negatively. However, a bar with six taps that rotates them regularly and has an interesting selection of options is typically just as good. The real problem is the bar that installs a wealth of taps and offers a poor variety with poor draft selections. Buffalo Wild Wings is the prime example of this. A quick visit to the Greenwood location will reveal maybe 5 taps of craft and 25+ of every version of American and Import Light Lager. Surely this is the extreme, but offering 30 taps of locally brewed IPAs is almost as boring.

Perhaps it is a chicken / egg problem. How do you install 100 taps and ensure that you will be able to sell through them all in a reasonable amount of time, such that you're not stuck with old beer? The obvious answer seems to be to start out with fewer taps and build a customer base that can support 100, but then you can't open up as a 100 tap bar. At the end of the day, a bar that focuses on a large number of taps should be judged the same as a bar that focuses on three taps, and that will ultimately define its success.

Jason: Too many bars with too many taps? Only if they don't know their audience or their business.

Let's take my favorite multi-tap bar: Black Acre Brewery. It is in my neighborhood, so I can walk there and stumble back. With the multiple taps, I know that I will find multiple beers to enjoy in a variety of styles. That is important to me. And they are brewers, so they know how to care for their own lines. Neither their beers nor their guest taps last for very long, so aging isn't an issue. They are successful, but they aimed to serve a neighborhood that desired multiple taps. The audience was already there; it just needed to be tapped.

I think that same set up can be duplicated. Twenty Tap is an example of another neighborhood-oriented bar/restaurant. They certainly bring in their fair share of out-of-area drinkers, but it is no surprise that they are in the middle of a neighborhood that values handcrafted, quality goods. Being within walking distance of their audience is helps a lot.

In these cases, the locations are neighborhood-oriented. I suspect that locations in suburban strip malls or national chains are not seeing the same kind of response. They may start off with 20+ local and craft taps, but soon succumb to the 24 varieties of Budweiser. Does this mean that there are too many 20+ tap bars? No. I think there are too few in the neighborhoods that want them and too many in suburban/chain markets where the audience doesn't care.

Chris: This question makes me think back to the state of Indianapolis craft beer around 2007. When you walked into a "better beer bar" back then (what few there were), what did you see on tap? Maybe something from Three Floyds or Upland and then a lot of out-of-state beers. Unless you were drinking at a brewpub, there were no truly local beers on tap.

Certainly Sun King bursting onto the scene in 2009 is among the seminal moments in the history of Indianapolis beer, but their ascendance pushed a lot of out-of-town craft beer off taps around town. If Sun King was put on tap at a bar, their beer wasn't replacing Budweiser; it was replacing beers from Bell's, Stone, Founders, and numerous other beers from outside Indiana. Sun King was also the wedge that broke open the local craft beer scene, further reducing the number of taps available to out-of-town breweries.

Anecdotally, it appears to me that the increase in tap lines at local beer bars has reintroduced a number of these non-Indiana beers. Finally there is some breathing room on the tap stands for local, national and international beers to share space. Count me among those that think this tap expansion is a good step in the maturation of Indianapolis craft beer.

Wish to offer your opinion? Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Road Trip: Solemn Oath Brewing

Jake Wrote:

Earlier this summer, I had the chance to attend my second Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, WI. A few weeks before the festival, Lisa Frame posted on her hilarious Blog #SoYeahDuh about a new Chicagoland brewery called Solemn Oath (Turns out they had just opened in May). After the festival, I was out with some friends and got introduced to Paul from Solemn Oath who invited me to drop by on my next trip through Chicago.

I took advantage of the fact Caleb and I were heading to Surly Darkness Day (Read about that trip here) and we stopped for a couple of beers. After looping around the industrial complex a couple of times, we found the brewery nestled all the way in the back amongst various repair and fabrication shops. As you can see from the picture below and their website, these guys really pay attention to the design detail and knock it out of the park. Plus, they are all around good dudes.

Caleb and I each got a four pour sampler of a different combination. The tasting room and the brew deck are only separated by a four foot wall and about 10 feet of floor, so you can watch the guys working on the next batch while you drink what is currently on tap. Although there are some beers that make repeat appearances on the draft list, the guys are putting out a lot of fun concept beers right now. Definitely keep an eye out the next time you are in Chicago for them on the menu. I have seen them at most of the craft beer centric places I have been to in the last two months.

They were also recently featured on CBS Chicago's "Your Chicago" Segment.

Quick Hitters:
- They do not take cash. Period. Everything is paid through an iPad.
- You cannot leave tips. They have a "Buy a beer" program for friends and for the tap room workers, but no tips.
- New Growlers run $20-25.
- Although they opened in May, they already have some barrel aged releases hitting the tap room and won two medals at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FOBAB) on November 17, 2012. (Big Deal)
- They are already planning growth, but started small and succeeded. It is all about quality and not quantity friends.

How to get there:
Solemn Oath is located in Naperville, IL which is more west than most of us Hoosiers make it when we head to Chicago. However, you should make the time to get out there. When you go:
- Follow your GPS directions to the corner of Ogden and Quincy
- Turn West on Quincy (Usually taking a Right from Ogden)
- Pass the car dealership and that THE FIRST RIGHT
- You will go behind the building on Quincy and go all the way to the back where you will see the logo on a Garage door.

Road Trip: Surly Darkness Day

Jake Wrote:

On October 27, 2012, Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, MN held their sixth annual Darkness Day event. I attended last year and had a blast, so even though this year's event came in the middle of a crazy three months of travel, me and my buddy, Caleb Dann, loaded up my truck with coolers, tents, tables, beer to share, and some snacks for the trip north from Indy. The drive itself was supposed to take 10 hours, but we stopped at a couple of places in Chicago on the way and it took us 14-ish to get there.

For those that have not heard of Surly, they are one of the top breweries in the country in my opinion. However, due to the familiar capital and supply constraints, plus distribution choices, their beers do not make it far from Minneapolis. In addition to making kickass beers, they are all around good people that give back to the community through their "Surly Gives a Damn" program. Go to their website (Here) and read more.

When I attended in 2011, the place was an absolute zoo by 5am even though the gates do not open until 11am (We got there at 3am). Based on that knowledge, Caleb and I committed to camping out the night before with some coordination and warming hut help from my buddy, Scott, who does tours at Surly. When we arrived, I was completely shocked that the entire business park was full at 11pm. For those of you that have been to Three Floyds, imagine the entire area from the Floyds parking lot, through the Cul-De-Sac to the east, and to the Hospital at the front being full of cars, tents, and campfires 12 hours before it starts.

The night consisted of us walking up and down the line between our sitting spot and Scott's group at the front (They got there at 1pm on Friday). We did take a nap in the front seats of my truck from 2-5:30, but I am not sure how much that helped. At 6am, the Brewery workers came around with a bullhorn to wake everyone up and get them to pack up all of the tents. At 7:30am, we were instructed to line up to get our wrist bands. This was my most feared point, but we worked our way into the line and got our wristbands with ease.

As you can see, Surly made the incredible decision to divide the bottle sales into timed groups. This was a vast improvement on last year where the lines wrapped inside the brewery for quite a while with no bathroom available. We got through and got our bottles, plus the awesome carrying bag, with no issues and were able to enjoy a few samples and some music before we headed for the hotel to get some actual rest. 

The fest itself is a lot like Dark Lord Day, except you cannot bring in beer to share.They have special firkins available and tap Darkness on the hour from 11a on. You can also get all the Swag you need before they open the gates and at the store inside.

I am going to try to close out my posts about travel with a few tips, so let me know if they are helpful or if you want more info. I'm new here.

Would I do it Again? Probably. I feared this year would be when it hit the tipping point, but there were still wristbands available at 11am. It will be interesting to see what happens next year as there were some issues with the crowd from what I hear.

If you're going to do it:

- Plan your purchasing ahead. Minnesota does not allow carryout beer sales on Sunday, so you need to buy on your way in or on Saturday after the event (Not good). Also, the bottle sales and sample tickets are cash only. I would suggest $250-300.

- Minnesota is also cold in late October. Take handwarmers, extra layers, etc and find nice locals who have a fire/Space Heater/RV.

- Make a weekend of it. Avoid Chicago by stopping in Bloomington at Destihl, or go through Chicago and Hit the Half Acre tap room and Solemn Oath tap room on the way. Both routes put you through Madison as well for you New Glarus fans.

- Even if you do not get a wristband to buy bottles, go inside. If you talk to enough people, you will not go home empty handed. It is free to attend.

Beer and Cheese - October-ish

Chances are, if you are in the Beer and Cheese club, you've already picked this month's allotment up and hopefully enjoyed it. Here's what we thought.

Kristin wrote:

The Chaource sat in a labeled wood cup, for lack of a better word, with the label attached directly to the rind. I loved the delicate presentation. Once the rind was cut through, it was a mixture of gooey creaminess on the outside and a more solid interior. I immediately went for the creamy side, spreading it on a piece of baguette. It was incredible. The temperature was just right...the taste was buttery and mild, with just the right amount  funk on the end. I reached for the beer...

The beer paired with the cheese was Etienne Dupont Cidre, a cider. The nose was sweet - I expected a very typical, sweet cider. But with my first sip...it was an incredible surprise. Tart, yet cellar-like...clear, but funky. It matched perfectly with the Chaource. In fact, after a few rounds of cheese, beer, cheese, beer, I couldn't have imagined one without the other. It was a perfect pairing. Bravo to this french duo! 

Meg wrote:

I am not picky when it comes to cheese, except the stinky cheeses....I have not developed a palate for them. I was a little leary showing up for my first Beer & Cheese club at Goose the Market.  What would I do if it was the moldy, crunchy, stinky cheese?!  Luckily, we sampled a lovely Chaource (shah-OORSE) cheese from a cheese dairy in the Champagne region of France.  Made from cows milk, it reminded me a bit of brie, a creamy almost melty texture around the outside, and a more firm texture near the middle.  It was mild, a little nutty, and almost earthy. 

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.

Random Beer Roundup - The Pre-Thanks Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Mike at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

BRUGGE BEER ON TAP

updated 11/16/12 - subject to availability

please bear with us while we move our brewery. great things are soon to come!

flight of 3 beers 7

black belgian black ale reminds the drinker of the chocolate within dark malts, leaving aside bitter astringency often associated with darker beer 6%

pooka sour & refreshing, brewed with boysenberry 6%

GUEST BEER ON TAP

victory lager perfectly balanced, this authentic version of a german helles-style lager satisfies gloriously. lean, german malts and fine european hops offer subtle harmony 4.8%

duvel single fermented features a gentle hoppiness, soft carbonation, subtle smooth dryness with hints of frutiness 6.8%

dark horse scotty karate a big, full bodied scottish ale. smooth and balanced despite its higher than average alcohol content 9.75%

power house diesel oil stout brewed in columbus, indiana, this is a stout with a firm brown head and a bit of lactose sugar for added body 6.6%

founders centennial ipa a complex flavorful ale with citrus accents, achieved by the abundance of dry hopping. this ale’s sweet, malty undertones balance the hop character with a finish that never turns too bitter 7.2%

victory golden monkey this golden, frothy ale boasts an intriguing herbal aroma, warming alcohol esters on the tongue and light, but firm body to finish. exotic spices add subtle notes to both the aroma and flavor 9.5%

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

TAPPING: Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Amber (aka Moustache Ride Red) - Movember tapping, Pin the stache and fundraising (11/17, 6pm, at Flat 12) Food by Scratch Truck. Rides by @StacheRidesIndy

     Festival of Barrel-aged Beers. Chicago. (11/17, Details)

-Nunmoere Black Friday (ABA) -  (Black Friday with a host of special dark beers in the line-up; and Flat 12 Gift Certificates and Gift Packs for sale) (Friday, 11/23, at Flat 12 Details)

-12 Beers of Christmas: begins Nov 29th with Glazed Ham Porter tapping. Noon. (12 holiday beers)

OFFSITE

    YELPs Totally Bazaar, Dec 13th 

12 Chefs of Christmas, featuring Flat 12 Beers of Christmas, for City Market, Dec 15th. Details at the link here.  

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

November 21st - That RAM Brewers will be hosting a Tap Takeover with our friends from the Tomlinson Taproom in the Indianapolis City Market. 16 RAM offerings will be served at Tomlinson in one event. Come out and taste a smorgasbord of offerings including cellared seasonals and rare releases such as Barrel-aged Apocalypto Barleywine, Java Disorder, and Nitro Vanilla Stout among many others.

November 29th - In celebration of our win at the Barrel-aged Brew Bracket competition, we will be joined by Tipton Spirits, the makers of W.H. Harrison Indiana Bourbon, to tap Barrel-aged Big Horn Maibock at our Indianapolis location at 7 p.m. This beer is very limited in it's availability, so come out on this night and grab a little taste.

We hope to see you soon!

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, Batch #1 (Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout), Gingerbread Brown, Fortshire British Mild, McQueenie’s Scotch Ale and Midnight Rail Black IPA.

GUEST BREWS

Brooklyn Blast, J.W. Lees 2011 Harvest, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Summit Oktoberfest, Summit Extra Pale Ale and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle)

Triton Brewing Events

Beer Dinner at the Riviera Club, November 17, 6pm. Reservations are required. For more information, call317.255.5471.

November 21, Mini-#Clustertruck at Triton Brewing Company from 5-9pm - join us for your Pre-Thanksgiving growler fills and Scratchtruck and Der Pretzel Wagen!

November 22, Happy Thanksgiving! Triton is closed

Triton Beer Sampling at Union Jack’s (Speedway), Monday, November 26, 7-9pm join your friends from Triton Brewing Company to sample some of our beers and hang out!

At Bars, Restaurants, and Carry Out

From Stuart at MacNiven's on Mass Ave in Indianapolis:

MacNiven's Just Opened 16 New Draught Lines, bringing us to 28 Draught Lines. Local & National Craft, Seasonal & International Beers and a Rotating Wine Tap!

From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven:

"ThanksBeering" at the Trion Tavern (in New Haven, IN)
Wednesday, November 21

8 VERY rare & stellar beers to be tapped at 6pm:

• Goose Island Bourbon County 2012 
• Bell's This One Goes To 11* 
• Bell's The Oracle* 
• Upland Teddy Bear Kisses 
• Stone 16th Anniversary* 
• New Belgium/Alpine Super IPA* 
• 3 Floyds Broo Doo 
• 3 Floyds 219* 

*this is the only keg currently in our area!

Plus, $3.50 beers from all 50 other taps! 
Check out our Interactive Daily Tap List to see what's currently on our 58 taps. And check out our Interactive Bourbon List to see the 50+ fine bourbons we are currently pouring.

As always, there is no cover, no smoking and families are welcome. 

Follow the Trion Tavern on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/triontavern) and Twitter(https://twitter.com/#!/BrewHaven) for more info and updates.

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

http://www.yogis.com/index.php/about/blog/beer-blog/168-11-13-12

From the Distributors:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE

Hebrew Jewbelation 16 - 16th Anniversary Ale brewed with 16 Hops, 16 Malts with 16%ABV; limited release; 22oz bottles and draft

Hebrew Gift Packs - 8 different and rare brews with a glass and supplies to make your owe Beer Menorah; limited seasonal release

Tyranena Brewers Gone Wild Devil Made Me Do It - Imperial Oatmeal Porter brewed with Coffee Beans

Left Hand Fade to Black - Rocky Mountain Black Ale; limited seasonal release; 6 packs and draft

North Coast Winter Ale - English Brown Ale; NEW special limited seasonal release; 6 packs and draft

The Bruery Smoking Wood - Imperial Smoked Rye Porter; limited release; 750ml bottles only

UPCOMING EVENTS

    

11/16 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Parti-Pak in Greenwood; 5pm-7pm

11/16 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Crown Liquors on 106th in Carmel; 4pm-6pm

11/16 - Stone Double Bastard tapping @ Max's Place in Bloomington; 6pm

11/17 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ UPL on County Line Rd; 5pm-7pm

11/21 - Sunset Spirits Grand Re-Opening Celebration in New Albany

11/21 - Falls City Pint Night @ Rocky's in Jeffersonville

11/28 - Craft Tasting @ Deer Park in Ft. Wayne; 6:30pm-8:30pm

11/29 - Collesi Beer Dinner @ Peterson's in Noblesville; 7pm

11/29 - Craft Tasting @ Belmont on Illinois Rd in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm

11/30 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Lq on County Line Rd; 5pm-7pm

12/4 - Scenic View Winter Open House in Bloomington; 5:30pm-9pm

12/4 - Birdy'd Monthly Craft Beer Tasting; 6pm-8pm; $10

12/6 - Craft Tasting @ Big Red on N. College in Bloomington; 6pm-8pm

12/7 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @Payless Liquors on Rangeline Rd; 5pm-7pm

12/8 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Liquors in Carmel; 1pm-3pm

12/12 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Sonka Irish Pub in Terre Haute; 6pm-9pm

12/15 - Lexington Brewing Co. Tasting @ Payless Liquors Uptown; 1pm-3pm

Upcoming Events:
From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Brew Bracket 5: AMBERgeddon

Brew Bracket, the only beer tasting event in the US to offer two tasting glasses, IS BACK! The tournament tasting event features 16 unique Amber style beers from local Indiana breweries. Previous event winners including RAM, Barley Island, Bier, and Rock Bottom will be returning with their take on the Amber style, as well as newer breweries to the Indiana beer scene like Bulldog Brewery and Iechyd Da Brewing Company. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

About Brew Bracket:

Your ticket puts you in the judging seat. Over the afternoon, you will visit stations to blindly taste two beers at a time, voting for your favorite between the two. In total there will be 15 different stations making up the bracket. The majority vote of the crowd (400 participants) will advance one brewer through the tournament as the Brew Bracket champion.

At the end of the event we'll present the results and reveal all the locations of the participating breweries. For more information, see the about us on our site http://www.brewbracket.com/about/

The Cheater shaker pint

Over the last couple of weeks many outlets have been screaming for the death of the shaker pint.  If you follow much in the beer world you couldn't have missed all tweets, blog posts, and Facebook posts about people's thoughts on getting rid of the shaker pint completely.  The epicenter of this most recent flare up of this argument started here.   I fully understand why places use the shaker pint.  It is cheap, easy to clean, and not as many people steal them from bars.

I don't really like the idea of the death of the shaker pint.  Better beer prices are rising rapidly, and Indianapolis tends to be even more expensive than sister cities.  The death of the shaker pint, I personally feel, will lead to another rise in the price of your drink at your local.  Welcome to $7 dollar 10 ounce pours of pale ale served in a fancy glass. Harder to clean, more expensive to order, and more theft to deal with at the bar.  Are you ready to bear those costs?

I think the bigger issue though is the proliferation of the cheater shaker pint.  They look just like a regular pint glass, but they have a larger glass area at the bottom. It looks exactly the same, but holds two ounces less. There are more than a handful of places around Indianapolis that are using the cheater pints.  The ones that make me the most angry are the ones that are calling it a pint on your receipt, and charging a full pint price for the pleasure of only getting a 12.5 ounce pour. I find that unacceptable, and I think it is misleading to the consumer.  If a restaurant did the same with meat sizes that would be a much bigger story.

This happened to me last year at a local establishment, and after paying $6.50 (not priced on the menu) for a cheater pint of Two Hearted, I had had enough. I had a very constructive conversation with the manager of this establishment, and they only removed the word "pint" from the receipt.  I've been back a few times for the food, but I've yet to order a beer there since this happened.

I guess it all boils down to having respect for the consumer.  Honestly, a place is entitled to serve beer in anything they want.  It is dishonest though to call it a pint, charge a premium pint price, and only give the consumer 12 ounces. I'm saying 12 ounces because of the head space.  If a place wants to serve beer in 12 oz glasses, then go right ahead and do it, but have enough respect for the consumer to let them know the ounce size being served.

Photos: Andrew Scrivani for The Wall Street Journal

Thoughts?

Cheers!

Matt

Random Beer Roundup - The Post TFN Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers

From Mike at Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:

BRUGGE BEER ON TAP
updated 11/07/12 - subject to availability
please bear with us while we move our brewery. great things are soon to come!
flight of three beers 7
tripel de ripple our blonde belgian-style tripel exhibits notes of vanilla & perhaps pears 10% limit of 2
black belgian black ale reminds the drinker of the chocolate within dark malts, leaving aside bitter astringency often associated with darker beer 6%
pooka sour & refreshing, brewed with boysenberry 6%

GUEST BEER ON TAP
gaffel kolsch brewed according to a time-honoured family recipe and the german purity law of 1516 with water, malt, hops, and hops extract. delicately bitter, with a slightly hoppy flavor 4.8%
st feuillien / green flash bière de l’amitié a blond belgian collaboration ale brewed with st. feuillen’s traditional belgian-style yeast and spices, rye malt, wheat malt, and american amarillo hops before dry-hopping for more zest 9.5%
dark horse scotty karate a big, full bodied scottish ale. smooth and balanced despite its higher than average alcohol content. 9.75%
power house diesel oil stout brewed in columbus, indiana, this is a stout with a firm brown head and a bit of lactose sugar for added body 6.6%
people's space cowboy a big but balanced double ipa. sweet and citrusy 9.0%

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:

NEW RELEASES

-Thurs, October 8th  ApriCycle Imperial IPA, Cyclo du La Grange (Farmhouse IPA) and East Side Fresh Hop Pale Ale. West Coast Tacos.

-Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Amber (aka Moustache Ride Red) - Movember tapping, Pin the stache and fundraising (11/17, 6pm). Scratch Truck. NEW: Participation in the Festival of Barrel-aged Beers (11/17, Details)

-Nunmoere Black (ABA) - November (Black Friday with a host of special dark beers in the line-up; and debut of the Flat 12 Christmas Gift That Doesn't Suck line-up.) (11/23, Details) 

-12 Beers of Christmas: begins Nov 29th with Glazed Ham Porter tapping.

OFFSITE YELPs Totally Bazaar, Dec 13th

12 Chefs of Christmas, featuring Flat 12 Beers of Christmas, City Market, Dec 15th. Details at the link here.  

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

Three events in the next three weeks!?! That's right. We have a lot of RAM beer to share with you, so come on out to our double-tappings next Wednesday, and start your holiday celebration with us at the Tomlinson Taproom on November 21st.

November 14th - The fourth leg in our RAMAGEDDON 2012 series, Final Countdown Imperial IPA, will be released at both locations. I will be in Fishers at 6:30 p.m., and Chris will be hosting the party downtown at 7 p.m. If that wasn't enough, S'no Angel Weizenbock will also be tapped this night to entice you to come out. :)

November 21st - That RAM Brewers will be hosting a Tap Takeover with our friends from the Tomlinson Taproom in the Indianapolis City Market. 16 RAM offerings will be served at Tomlinson in one event. Come out and taste a smorgasbord of offerings including cellared seasonals and rare releases such as Barrel-aged Apocalypto Barleywine, Java Disorder, and Nitro Vanilla Stout among many others.

November 29th - In celebration of our win at the Barrel-aged Brew Bracket competition, we will be joined by Tipton Spirits, the makers of W.H. Harrison Indiana Bourbon, to tap Barrel-aged Big Horn Maibock at our Indianapolis location at 7 p.m. This beer is very limited in it's availability, so come out on this night and grab a little taste.

We hope to see you soon!

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, Batch #1 (Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout)  Fortshire British Mild, McQueenie’s Scotch Ale and Midnight Rail Black IPA.

GUEST BREWS

Brooklyn Blast, JW. Lees 2011 Harvest, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Napa-Smith’s Hopageddon, Summit Extra Pale Ale and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle) 

Triton Brewing Events

Beer Sampling at Crown Liquors-Noblesville , November 10, 1-3pm join your friends from Triton to taste some of our favorites!

Beer Tapping: Gingerbread Brown, November 15, 5pm in the Triton Tasting Room. Come get one of our most popular Seasonals from last year! KG’s Slider Station will be vending.

Beer Dinner at the Riviera Club, November 17, 6pm reservations are required. For more information, call 317.255.5471.

November 22, Happy Thanksgiving! Triton is closed

Triton Beer Sampling at Union Jack’s (Speedway), Monday, November 26, 7-9pm join your friends from Triton Brewing Company to sample some of our beers and hang out!

At Bars, Restaurants, and Carry Out

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

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

From the Distributors:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/9 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Crown on S US 31; 5pm-7pm

11/9 - Craft tasting Downtown Farm Stand; Muncie; 5pm-7pm

11/10 - Craft Tasting @ Keg N Bottle; Anderson; 5pm-7pm

11/10 - Craft Tasting @ Kroakerheads; Anderson; 9pm-10pm

11/10 - Founders Breakfast Stout Pint Giveaway @ Fireside Bar and Grill; Sellersburg; 11am- Close; breakfast served all day

11/10 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Payless in Fishers; 5pm-7pm

11/12 - Beer 101 at The Real Enchilada #2 in Corydon;  7pm

11/14 - Lexington Brewing tasting @ Irish Lion; Bloomington; TBA

11/14 - Harvest Event @ 800 Degrees 2 Fires; Ft. Wayne; TBA

11/15 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Classic Spirits in Carmel; 5pm-7pm

11/16 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Parti-Pak in Greenwood; 5pm-7pm

11/17 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ UPL on County Line Rd; 5pm-7pm

11/29 - Collesi Beer Dinner @ Peterson's in Noblesville; 7pm

11/30 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Payless Lq on County Line Rd; 5pm-7pm

12/12 - Lexington Brewing Tasting @ Sonka Irish Pub; Terre Haute; 6pm-9pm

Upcoming Events
From Jason at Tuxedo Park Brewing Supply in Fountain Square, Indianapolis:

Midwestern Order of Nin-Kasi (M.O.N.K.)

The 2012 M.O.N.K. Chili Bowl is upon us!  This is a beer and chili competition combined. The rules are simple:

The beer must have a chili ingredient in it somehow. Wait, what?  That's right, mash with some beans, throw in a pepper or two and a squeeze of lime. Okay, maybe not all of those but you get the point.  The chili must have either a beer ingredient or beer in it. That's it, it's that simple.  You can enter one or both. The winner of the big ol' chili trophy is based on the total score.  Dave Kern was the winner last year. .. Can he be defeated?

See rules and details on the Facebook page:

All proceeds benefit the Order and support their endeavor to make awesome home brew!  Prices are as follows:

Non-Members: $10

Members: $5

Enter beer/chili: (1) Free

Enter Both:  (2) Free

Buy tickets in person at Tuxedo Park Brewers Supply or at the door.  But please RSVP if you intend to come!

From Mike at Brew Bracket:

Brew Bracket 5: AMBERgeddon

Brew Bracket, the only beer tasting event in the US to offer two tasting glasses, IS BACK! The tournament tasting event features 16 unique Amber style beers from local Indiana breweries. Previous event winners including RAM, Barley Island, Bier, and Rock Bottom will be returning with their take on the Amber style, as well as newer breweries to the Indiana beer scene like Bulldog Brewery and Iechyd Da Brewing Company. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

About Brew Bracket:

Your ticket puts you in the judging seat. Over the afternoon, you will visit stations to blindly taste two beers at a time, voting for your favorite between the two. In total there will be 15 different stations making up the bracket. The majority vote of the crowd (400 participants) will advance one brewer through the tournament as the Brew Bracket champion.

At the end of the event we'll present the results and reveal all the locations of the participating breweries. For more information, see the about us on our site http://www.brewbracket.com/about/