30 July 2012

KOTBR #143 - If this isn't nice, I don't know what is


Kurt Vonnegut's 1987 novel Bluebeard conveys the fictional autobiography of Rabo Karabekian, a character who first appears in Vonnegut's book Breakfast of Champions. Rabo is an abstract expressionist painter and one-eyed World War II veteran whose paintings disintegrate because of the dodgy materials he uses to create them. While Bluebeard vividly describes the eccentric friends and hangers-on who surround Rabo, the heart of the novel is the secret that Rabo keeps hidden in a potato barn on the property he inherited from his deceased wife. The secret, which is revealed toward the end of the book, turns out to be both beautiful and astonishing.


Like Rabo's secret, Indy's newest culinary gem, Bluebeard, is tucked away; it lies on Virginia Avenue in the Holy Rosary neighborhood, just northwest of Fountain Square. Aside from the name of the restaurant being announced on the side of the building, it's not really clear what's at the location unless you already know going in. In addition to housing a restaurant, the building houses a bakery called Amelia's that produces artisanal breads.


Once you enter the restaurant through a courtyard, you're welcomed by rustic yet sophisticated surroundings. Many of the fixtures in the restaurant appear to be re-purposed--the bar stools, for example, look like they were assembled from old grammar school chairs--and the barroom looks like what would happen if one created a mash-up of a novelist's library and a turn-of-the-twentieth-century saloon. The literary artifacts adorning the restaurant--a half-dozen typewriters from various eras and antique editions of books--seem to be a tip of the cap to Vonnegut and Bluebeard the novel, but I can't say for sure.

Bluebeard's cuisine is inventive, locally-sourced, and has several options for vegetarians like me (sorry vegans; you're out of luck here). Over several visits, I've had the Greek beet salad, house bread, pickle assortment, fried green tomatoes, watermelon gazpacho, and chess pie. All were amazing.

And there is Bluebeard's beer selection. Like the food menu, the draft list of ten taps is locally-focused, continuing the trend of excellent restaurants realizing that good food should be accompanied by good beer. We opted for Sun King's fifth edition in its Cream Dream series. I told the rest of the HBG crew that I wished we could do a Cream Dream vertical because it's hard to recall what the previous Cream Dreams tasted like other than generally remembering that they were sweet and particularly citrusy. Cream Dream V fell into the same profile. I don't normally like to use analogues from other brewers, but I'll do it this time because Cream Dream V strikes me as being very close to one of my favorite beers, Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA. I initially thought the beer would be comparable to 3 Floyds Alpha King, so Jason suggested that we do a side-by-side comparison since Alpha King was also on tap at Bluebeard. Upon comparison, Cream Dream V was definitely the maltier of the two beers, and I actually liked it better than the much adored Alpha King.

So what to make of the Bluebeard experience? Though I might be accused of exaggerating, I'm going to say that Bluebeard is both beautiful and astonishing. But for many folks, that secret is already out.



I am not sure that anything I could say would even come close to the articulate and thoughtful review Jim posted, so I'll just say how happy I am Bluebeard is here. The space is beautiful and the food and drink options are going to keep me eager to return as often as I am able.

Cream Dream V is everything I wanted it to be. Bright, citrusy, hoppy with and equally balanced malt profile. It was a lovely accompaniment to the food and company.


Anybody who is fan of the writings of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. knows that architects are the greatest beings to have ever walked the earth. And I will prove it momentarily. 

If you read the Sun King blog, you will find a fantastic story about the origins of Cream Dream, that it was started as an attempt to win the Alpha King Challenge. And while Cream Dream V (and the versions that came before it) are uniquely different from Alpha King, there is a familiarity with every sip. Golden and topped with a thin white head, it has notes of light, sweet fruits with a bitterness that is neither weak nor over the top. But yet I can't help but compare it to its quasi-father Alpha King. I give the edge to Alpha King, though coming in second to Alpha King is no loss. 

Let's get back to the awesomeness that is an architect. Kurt Vonnegut Sr. was an architect and lecturer based in Indianapolis during the first half of the 20th century. He produced several art deco creations, including many of the old Indiana Bell buildings. He also spent time as a faculty member at the Herron School of Art. Many do not know that his son, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., was a somewhat successful writer. I hear that he has a cult following, that some people think his writings are impressive. To those I say: an architect has more creativity in one sperm than most people have in their whole body. 

Now supposedly Bluebeard is named in honor of Bubba's works. I can't really speak to that. But the food is really good. And the architecture is fantastic. God bless architects!

Sun King Cream Dream V: I Thought We Were Buddies
Gina: 4.00 Mugs | Jim: 4.50 Mugs | Jason: 3.80 Mugs | Rod: 4.00 Mugs | Mike: 4.75 Mugs | Chris: 4.20 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.20 Mugs

27 July 2012

Random Beer Roundup - The Almost August Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers
From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:
Here's whats up for this week:
Mild Brown
Weizengoot
Farmgal
Fruitcup Surprise
Belgian Blonde
Dred Brown
PDG Pale
Rye Pale
Rye IPA


From Bob at Flat12 Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

-Monday, July 30th Beer Dinner at the Indigo Duck, Franklin.
-Saturday, August 4th, Brew Haven @ Trion Tavern in New Haven

-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.


From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

NUVO Best of Indy Party
Saturday, July 28th 2pm - 7pm
Sun King South Parking Lot
Best of Indy Winner for food, music & more will be on hand for fun plus Fresh•Local•Beer

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:
Thr3e Wise Men will be tapping their next seasonal in a couple weeks! We will be tapping our Thr3e Strikes Spitball IPA on Tuesday August 7th at 6pm! Put this on your calendar and join us for the free toast from Omar and some free snacks.

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, 5 Barrel Brown and Fortshire British Mild

GUEST BREWS
Brooklyn Chocolate Stout , Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Magner’s Irish Cider (bottle), Red Bridge Gluten Free Beer (bottle), Tyranena Down and Dirty Stout and Urban Chestnut Zwickel

EVENTS:
Creation Café July 27 Mustache Bash 6-10pm Indy Custom Cornhole tournament and beer pong to go with Triton & Upland samplings To RSVP go to www.indycanal.com.

Circle City Derby Girls at Fisher’s Forum August 11 join Triton at the Fisher’s Forum (9022 E. 126th St.)

From Charles at Upland Brewing Co in Bloomington/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 the Beer Sellar in Castleton:
New tap beers as of July 26th 2012:
3 Floyds Apocalypse Cow
Sun King Cream Dream V
Schlafly American IPA
New Day Washingtons Folly
Bluegrass Barbarian Honey Ale
Founders Cerise
Petrus Aged Pale
Coming Soon:
New Day Re-Thinker
Sun King 3
Mikkeller I Hardcore You & Beer Geek Breakfast
Boulevard Saison Brett & Double Wide
Flat 12 Kiwi Kiwi Hefe
3 Floyds Dreadnaught


From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Broad Ripple:
We have started to get our trivia dates together and are hoping to hear back from some breweries in the next few days to confirm. August 21st will be the first week of trivia (we will be skipping the preseason this year) and Bells Brewery will be hosting. Bells is our go to for things like with Veronica and Co. always being super generous of their brews, supplies, and more importantly their time here at the Place! The rest of the dates will be released in the next week with breweries and special events. 
3rd Thursday beer dinners will be getting underway in September with a local 65th street pairing of Bier Brewery and Sahm's Place. Ed Sahm, Sergio Comarella, Michael Sahm, and myself will be creating 5 different courses to pair with 5 top notch brews from Darren & Crew over at Bier. Starting the 3rd week in August their will be 30 tickets available at the restaurant, and each ticket will be $30. Tickets must be picked up in person, so stop by, have a drink, and ask the bartender for a 3rd Thursday Ticket! 
***We have also added Flat12 Pogues Run porter, Monty Pyhton Holy GrALE, MOA Noir, New Albanian Elsa Von Horizon, New Albanian Tunnel Vision, and Two Brothers Cane & Ebel to our bottle selection!*** 
Beers in Stock:
Great Divide Wolfgang Dopplebock
Great Divide Rumble IPA
North Coast Pranqster
Stone IPA
Bells Two Hearted
Bells Amber
Bells Oarsmen
Brooklyn Lager
New Albanian Black and Bluegrass Saison
New Albanian Beaks Best
Bloomington Brew Co. Rye IPA
Upland Rad Red
Fountain Square Brewing Big Nugs
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale
People's Notorious B.I.P
Sun King Big H
Goose Island 312
Boulevard Double Wide
Founders Porter
Flat12 Summer Cycle
Bier Brewery Belgian Blonde
Bier Brewery CLA
Bier Brewery Good Pils
From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:
All Scotty’s locations are now serving Thr3e Wise Men Beers!! Come join us on Monday August 6th when we launch the Thr3e Wise Men @Brewhouse Brown #AwesomeSauce at all of our Scotty’s Stores!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington is now serving Angry Orchard Crisp Cider! Come and enjoy this very tasty cider on Tuesday evenings for only $5.00 for a 48oz. Pitcher!

Scotty’s Brehouse Downtown Indianapolis is now pouring Fountain Square Tri-IPA! Come enjoy this very tasty IPA on Thursday for $3.50!

From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven:
Events:
Brew Haven 2012
Saturday, August 4 • 2pm-6pm • Downtown New Haven, Indiana



Here we go! The initial beer list has been posted on the BeerFinder at brewhaven.triontavern.com. (More still to be added.) 45 breweries. Unique, rare beers from all over. 20-tap trailer of specialties. Shloads of top-notch homebrew. Hammer-Schlagen! Coffee. Cheese. All under tents in a small-town setting next to the Trion Tavern which boast 58 taps and a user-friendly Interactive Daily Tap List, 50+ fine bourbons and carry-out beer.  
General admission tickets ($35 advance/$45 day of) include: UNLIMITED samples, a souvenir tasting glass, MEAL and water. A VERY limited number of $60 VIP Packages are also still available. These add early entry, 1-hour prior sampling, commemorative t-shirt, glass-holding lanyard. Designated driver tickets are only $5 and include a meal and unlimited soft drinks. Buy tickets online here or at the Trion for cash only. 
Also, a small number of tickets are available for the inaugural Brew Haven Pre-Fest Private Beer Feast being held the evening before the festival on Friday, August 3 at 6pm. More info and menu here….”gourmet beer dinner” doesn’t even begin to sum up this dining opportunity. Tickets can be purchased at the Trion Tavern for cash only. 
Follow the Trion Tavern on Facebook: /TrionTavern and Twitter @BrewHaven
From Mike at Yogi's Bar and Grill in Bloomington:
From the Distributors:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:
NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE
Two Brothers Take Two - Pale Lager; Special Release; 22oz bottle only
Two Brothers 1713 - Scotch Ale; Special Release; 22oz bottle only
Two Brothers Brown Fox - Session Ale; Special Release; 22oz bottle and draft
Finch's Fascist Pig - American Strong Ale; Special Release; 22oz bottle and draft
New Day Re Thinker Mead - Dry-Hopped Blueberry & Honey Wine; New Everyday Offering; draft only
New Day Snap Dragon Mead - Apricot & Honey Wine fermented with Orange Peel, Corriander, Hallertau hops and a Belgian Yeast Strain; Seasonal Release; draft only  
UPCOMING EVENTS
  
7/28 - Finch's Tasting @ Mr. G's in Noblesville; 3pm-5pm
7/28 - Kahn's Hoppy Birthday Event; 5pm-7pm
8/2 - New Albanian Tasting @ Shooters in Madison; TBA
8/4 - Brew Haven Craft Beer Festival; Downtown New Haven; 2pm-6pm; $35 general admission
8/7 - Founders Tapping and Special Firkin @ Chatham Tap in Fishers; 6pm
8/7 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Birdy's; 6pm-8pm; $10
8/9 - Craft Tasting @ Dicky's Wild Hare in Ft. Wayne; TBA
8/10 - Craft Tasting @ Liquor Stockhouse in Crown Point; 4pm-7pm
8/13 - Beer 101 featuring Peoples Beers @ The Real Enchilada in Corydon; 7pm
8/16 - Founders Dinner @ New Albany Exchange; pre sold tickets available
8/17 - Craft Tasting @ Cap N Cork in New Haven; TBA
8/24 - Craft Tasting at State Street Exchange; 5pm-8pm
8/30 - Craft Tasting @ Big Red Liquors on N College Ave in Bloomington; 6pm-8pm
9/1 - New Albanian Beer Brunch @ Fire By the Monon; 11am; RSVP at Fire By the Monon
9/4 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Birdy's; 6pm-8pm; $10
10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm
11/16 - Celebrate Election Day with Elector at Yogi's; Bloomington; all day event

Upcoming Events
From Kyle at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Hoppy Birthday : Saturday, July 28th : 5-7p
This was our most highly attended beer event ever. It seems that people enjoy hops... Well, we're doing it again and this is open to any and all interestingly hopped beers or any style. We'll obviously rely heavily on pales and IPAs, but everything is welcome if it has any sort of unique hop-related attribute. Last year we tried to get as nerdy with it as possible by listing the hop varieties and educating people as much as we could.


From Mark at DESTIHL in Normal, Illinois:
Join us for 'Barrel & Firkin Fest' on Saturday, July 28th at DESTIHL-Normal from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

A 'Beer Connoisseur' VIP ticket is $45 per person, and includes a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited festival beer samples.






From Christine at Prairie View Golf Club:
Beer & Bacon Dinner at Prairie View Golf Club, Saturday, July 28, 6:30pm
Enjoy a 5 course tasting menu featuring dishes inspired by house cured bacon paired with craft beer.

Chef Alan will be present to give everyone a Beer & Bacon education. The brew starts flowing at 6:30pm. Reservations required.

Please call for reservations 317-816-3100.

$45 for non members, $38 for members.

Menu
Appetizer Course: Amuse Bouche (Miso Glazed Bacon on a Chinese steam bun)
Pairing: Hefe Weizen or Dark Lager

Salad Course: Endive salad with fresh goat cheese, smoky lardon (bacon), Poached egg, and Dressing
Pairing: Wheat Beer, Blanche

Fish Course: Seared salmon over roasted vegetable medley, unsmoked bacon (pancetta essentially), and a Smoked wood broth
Pairing: Smoked Beer, Pilsner, Blanche

Meat Course: Grilled Hanger Steak with bacon butter, fine herb salad, something else
Pairing: Pale Ale, Porter

Dessert: Praline Bacon over vanilla bean ice-cream with a raspberry coulis
Pairing: Framboie or chocolate stout

From Charles at Six Pack of Stories:
In recent years, we've seen an explosion of creativity in the craft beer community, both in the development of new styles of beer and in how breweries have integrated themselves with the visual arts, music, and other forms of creative expression. But the combination of beer and creative writing has been left largely unexplored. That is, until now.

Story Brewhouse LLC is seeking submissions for the anthology A Six Pack of Stories - a collection of creative short stories that feature beer in meaningful ways. How did beer shape the world, or how will it shape the world of the future? How does it help people connect to one another, and how can it drive us apart? How do we interact with beer in our lives, in both profound and seemingly trivial ways?

Once the stories have been selected, beers will be paired with each story to enhance the reading experience, and the collection will be polished and published in electronic and hard copy formats in early 2013.

In recognition of the fact that good storytelling can come from anywhere, especially when it comes to beer, we are seeking submissions from published and unpublished writers alike, and we look to the community of beer lovers in particular. If you are interested in submitting,

please read the Submission Guidelines, found on www.6packstories.com, then email your story to storybrewhouse@gmail.com. Submissions will be accepted through October 26th.

Links
www.storybrewhouse.com
www.6packstories.com
www.facebook.com/asixpackofstories
@SixPackStories (https://twitter.com/SixPackStories)

From Rita Kohn, author of Following Lydia: Down the Ohio in 1824:
Pioneer Village at The 2012 Indiana State Fair presents
Following Lydia: Down the Ohio in 1824

A new play by Rita Kohn

Featuring “The Fair Lady Players” Sandra J. Barton, Sandra K. Dosterglick, Myra L. Dworski, Jeannette Simpson Edwards, Susan Harless, Franne Lucas, Janet Tyner

Produced by Tim Nannet

Hop on a steamboat with seven spirited ladies starting new lives in the new states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana – Free with entrance to The Indiana State Fair 
Sunday, August 12, 12:30-1:30 p.m. on the Pioneer Village stage
Tuesday, August 14, 11:00-noon on the Old Opry Stage
Tuesday, August 14, 1:00-2:00 p.m. on the Old Opry Stage
Wednesday, August 15, 10:00-11:00 a.m. on the Pioneer Village Stage
Wednesday, August 15, noon-1:00 p.m. on the Pioneer Village Stage

Dedicated to 7 inspiring people: Deborah Asante, Cindy Hoye, Charles E. “Chuck” Parrish, Clayton Taylor, Dark Rain Thom, James Alexander Thom, Dorothy Webb

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. 

25 July 2012

Beer/Cheese - June and July



Corsendonk is a classic European beer and one certainly worth trying if you've never had it. It doesn't exhibit the traditional Belgian yeast profile that comes to mind when you think of trappist ales, but it has a wealth of flavor that you can't find in another famous brown ale of Europe - Newcastle. Corsendonk starts off with a nutty aroma that has a background of cocoa and roasted malts. The flavor is somewhat unsurprising, with healthy doses of cocoa, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and clove. A full flavored and quintessential Belgian dubbel and a required experience for any beer geek.

The Old Amsterdam borders somewhere between a sharp cheddar and a well aged gouda, with its official style being the latter. If I didn't know better, I would have assumed it was something closer to cheddar, with a light tartness exhibited by the sharpness of the cheese. The first thing that came to mind when tasting it was the idea of this making an excellent macaroni and cheese, and I can now confirm that my assumptions were correct. July's distribution was close to a pound, so it's likely you'll have some left to experiment with. The sweetness of both the cheese and the beer match each other wonderfully, while the effervescence and spices of the beer help cut the sharpness of the cheese and exhibit more creaminess.



At first glance, I thought "Hey look! Cheddar!" But don't let looks deceive you. This gouda does not have the sharpness of cheddar. It cut smoothly and finished slightly dry and it made me think of walnuts. And the walnut flavors work well with the dark fruit flavors of the dubbel.


You can't go wrong with cheese that's been in space. That's my motto anyway. Old Amsterdam is an aged Gouda from the Netherlands. This Dutch cheese is easily sliced and creamy in texture, especially close to the center. Working your way from the center out, the rind becomes firmer and the flavor is a bit sharper. I could easily see using this cheese in any cheese-based cooking dish. Grilled cheese, mac-and-cheese, straight from the wedge, whatever. It is good.

Corsendonk is a Belgian dubbel, mid-range abv (7.5%), typical Belgian loveliness. It has a malty backbone wrapped in some Belgian funkiness. It has some spicy notes along with the dark fruit and chocolate as mentioned on the label.  

The pairing is quite nice. Each have a sweetness that plays off the other, and the slight fizziness from the beer helps cut the creamy texture of the cheese. We hope you enjoy (or perhaps enjoyed as this is out a bit late) and we look forward to the next one (Tronchon, anyone?)

Thanks again to Goose for another month of tasty treats!

July's cheese - Tronchon

23 July 2012

Zwanzigz Pizza and Brewing

One of the great things about the Indiana Microbrewers Festival is getting the chance to try beers from all of the new and upcoming breweries that we have in Indiana. When I joined Hoosier Beer Geek, it was easy to keep up with all of the new places opening up, but now it seems like I hear about new places all of the time, and I am not able to keep up with all of the changes here in Indiana. What an awesome time we are living in for better beer here in the Hoosier State!

At the Microbrewers Festival this year, one of the new places I was very impressed with was Zwanzigz Pizza and Brewing from Columbus. I was pouring at the real ale tent, and I kept heading just across the grounds to hit them up several times for their beer.

I talked the wife into going down to Columbus for the evening by using the outlet mall as bait. Zwanzigz is in downtown Columbus not too far from the outlet mall.  

From what I can gather online, it looks like Zwanzigz has been open for a couple of years as a pizzeria and has recently added a full scale brewing operation to it. They have a web page for the pizzeria, but I cannot find any information about the brewing side of the business online.  

When you drive into downtown Columbus, you keep seeing blocks of housing that remind you of what life used to be like in a bygone era, and then suddenly I saw the tanks of the brewery from a window, and then saw the awning for the restaurant. It seems like this was built in the middle of the neighborhood. The space for the restaurant is easily laid out. It is covered in wood and has lots of seating. The brewery itself is in the back of the building. You do not get table service here though. When you walk in and find a seat you have to go to the center island and order your drinks and pizza. They give you a number and then bring out your food to you. The menu is mostly pizza, subs, and calzones. 

I opted for the flight of their beers. They sell a few other bottled beers in the cooler, but I was really floored by how many people I still saw drinking Bud Light. To each his own though.  


(Sorry for the phone pictures. I brought my nice camera, but realized my memory disk was still in the computer at home). 


The Stout was another personal favorite. 

The Wheat and Nut Brown were very solid offerings. 




Blueberry Beer.  A personal favorite. 


Back bar with the brewing equipment. 

More tanks

The pizza was pretty good and the beer was excellent. I really enjoyed my visit to Zwanzigz. I look forward to trying more of their beer in the future. I see them as another great addition to the Indiana brewing community. 

Another place to go in Columbus is an old fashioned ice cream parlor that has been in business since 1900 called Zaharakos. We had never been there before, but my four year old declared it her favorite ice cream ever. So if you are a beer lover who needs to disguise your beer trip with shopping and ice cream, Columbus is a very viable option.

Cheers!

Matt 

20 July 2012

Random Beer Roundup - The One Small Step Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers
From Darren at Bier Brewery in Indianapolis:
Here's what is on tap this week:
Special K Kolsch
Good Pils
Belgian Blonde
Belgian Red
Mild Brown
Cascadian Light Ale
Chinookalicious IPA
Rye IPA


From Richard at Big Dawg Brew Haus in Richmond:
The Big Dawg Brew Haus in Richmond Indiana has its Blues, Brews, and Barbeque on Friday July 20th at 7:00 p.m.  We will have local blues performers and a local barbeque competitor as well as our beers for everyone to enjoy.  We will tap the Smoked Scotch Ale on Friday as well.  I hope you can make it.


From Bob at Flat12 Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:
-Flat 12 Amber and Pogue's Run Porter are available in 12 oz bottles at many liquor stores throughout the state. As shelves get stocked, Beer Spy offers one option for finding their whereabouts.
-Thursday, July 26th Brewer-Butcher Tour and Dinner. Flat 12 and Smoking Goose team up for a joint tour and taste on Dorman Street.
-Monday, July 30th Beer Dinner at the Indigo Duck, Franklin.
-Saturday, August 4th, Brew Haven @ Trion Tavern in New Haven

-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.


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

http://web.newalbanian.com/blog/2012/06/28/25-years-beer-loathing/


From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co. in Indianapolis:

Upcoming Events:

IMA Summer Nights Film Series
Fridays throughout July/August
Every Friday at 9:30pm view a classic
film and enjoy Fresh•Local•Beer

WTTS 20th Anniversary Party
Thursday, July 26th 6pm - 11pm
Sun King South Parking Lot
Live Music & Fresh•Local•Beer
Featuring the Tapping of WTTS Summer Daze Wheat

NUVO Best of Indy Party
Saturday, July 28th 2pm - 7pm
Sun King South Parking Lot
Best of Indy Winner for food, music & more will be on hand for fun plus Fresh•Local•Beer

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:
Thr3e Wise Men delivers Beer & Pizza. Yes, that is correct we deliver growlers of our awesome craft beer to your home. Take a look at this map to know our delivery area.


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, O’Rye-n Galaxy Pale Ale, I-65 Baltic Porter, (Oak Aged) 5 Barrel Brown, Fortshire British Mild (2012 Replicale)

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...
Circle City Derby Girls at Fisher’s Forum July 21 join Triton at the Fishers Forum (9022 E. 126th St.) 
Tasting & Cornhole Tournament at The Hawthornes July 27 7:30-9pm (12255 Club Point, Fishers) 
Creation Café July 27 (337 West 11th Street) 
10-01 Food & Drink August 16 (1001 Broad Ripple Avenue) 
Clustertruck at Triton Brewing August 22, 5-9pm join 7-8 of your favorite food trucks for our 4th #Clustertruck event at Triton Brewing Company.


From Charles at Upland Brewing Co in Bloomington/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 Jessica at the Pine Room Tavern in Nashville, Indiana:
Here at the Pine Room (51 E. Chestnut Street Nashville, IN 47448, (812) 988-0236) we have 9 draught beers and about 50 other bottled beers on our list.  Every Wednesday we have $2.75 (select) draught beers.  Several times a year we try to have beer dinners where the Executive Chef and I pair 6 beers with 6 courses.  We have had a German beer dinner, Belgian beer dinner and a Porter Gastro Pub beer dinner in the past year.  Additionally, we have had numerous firkins (working on a Bells Two Hearted firkin for the end of the month!). 
From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Broad Ripple:
Sahm's Place is on a hiatus of beer events for the next few weeks. Trivia is taking a Brain Hibernation but will restart mid August, and we will start out new monthly beer pairing dinner, called 3rd Thursday, the third week in August. 3rd Thursday wil be a small event with 30 tickets for sale at $40 per person, and will feature 5 original Sahm's Place dishes paired with 5 sponsoring brewery beers. Our intent in this event is to provide everyone, beer geek or other, with a chance to enjoy an affordable, tasty, and well balanced beer dinner. There will be more information and a flyer coming out in the next few weeks, but for more questions feel free to email me at Sahmsplace@sbcglobal.net.

As far as beer is concerned for this week, we have a lot of great selections to be had. The hot weather just does not want to quit, so we will make sure to have plenty of A/C pumping to make the experience slightly more enjoyable!

Beers in stock:
Brooklyn Blast
Flat12 Summer Cycle
Bells Two Hearted
Bells Oberon
Bells Amber
Sun King Wee Mac
New Albanian Black and Bluegrass Saison
New Albanian Beaks Best
Bloomington Brew Co Rye IPA
Founders Porter
New Day Meadery South Cider
Peoples Farmer Daughter Wheat
Bier Brewery Cascadian Light
Bier Brewery
North Coast Pranqster
Stone IPA
Great Divide Wolfgang Dopplebock
Great Divide Rumble IPA
Goose Island 312
Fountain Square Big Nugs
Triton O'Ryens Galaxy
Triton Fieldhouse Wheat
Flying Dog Gonzo
Schlafly Oatmeal Stout
Boulevard Single Wide IPA
From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:
Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington is now serving House of Shandy Curious Traveler. You can get a 48oz. pitcher of this refreshing beer every Tuesday for only $5!

Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving People’s Notorious B.I.P. Stop by on Wednesday and get a 48oz. pitcher of this great beer for only $9!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Southport is now open! We have brought our Thr3e Wise Men beer to the Southside of Indianapolis. We are serving Centennial Martyr Double IPA, Golden Zoe IPA & Snow Bunny Blonde.

From Adam at Trion Tavern in New Haven:
Events:
Brew Haven 2012
Saturday, August 4 • 2pm-6pm • Downtown New Haven, Indiana


Brew Haven 2012 is going to be even bigger and better than last year's event! We're adding lots more space for a second tent full of breweries. We already have more than 30 breweries on board and that number is sure to steadily increase. Check out our BeerFinder for an updated list of the breweries (with beers to be added) and an evolving interactive map of the festival to make it easy to find the beers you want to sample. We are currently expecting 43 breweries to be pouring draft beer at the fest and that number only continues to increase! Watch as the number of beers grows and is sure to exceed 200. Then, there's the Homebrew...our talented local club will be pouring 50 of their tasty concoctions and have invited their contemporaries from around the region to add theirs. Make sure you're following Brew Haven on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.


From Mike at Yogi's Bar and Grill in Bloomington:
Two fer Tuesday:  New Holland Tap Takeover AND Beer School!  
From the Distributors:
From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:
NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE
The Bruery Tart of Darkness - Sour Stout; special release; 750ml bottles only
Two Brothers Outlaw IPA - Indian Pale Ale; New everyday offering;6 pack cans and draft
Peoples Notorious BIP - Black IPA; special release; draft only
UPCOMING EVENTS
7/20 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Paradise Liquors in Whiting; 4pm
7/21 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Duneside Liquors in Portage; 4pm
7/27 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Cap N Cork on N. Coliseum Rd in Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm
7/28 - Finch's Tasting @ Mr. G's in Noblesville; 3pm-5pm
7/28 - Kahn's Hoppy Birthday Event; 5pm-7pm
8/2 - New Albanian Tasting @ Shooters in Madison; TBA
8/4 - Brew Haven Craft Beer Festival; Downtown New Haven; 2pm-6pm; $35 general admission
8/7 - Founders Tapping and Special Firkin @ Chatham Tap in Fishers; TBA
8/7 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Birdy's; 6pm-8pm; $10
8/10 - Craft Tasting @ Liquor Stockhouse in Crown Point; 4pm-7pm
8/13 - Beer 101 featuring Peoples Beers @ The Real Enchilada in Corydon; 7pm
8/16 - Founders Dinner @ New Albany Exchange; pre sold tickets available
8/24 - Craft Tasting at State Street Exchange; 5pm-8pm
8/30 - Craft Tasting @ Big Red Liquors on N College Ave in Bloomington; 6pm-8pm
9/1 - New Albanian Beer Brunch @ Fire By the Monon; 11am; RSVP at Fire By the Monon
9/4 - Craft Beer Tasting @ Birdy's; 6pm-8pm; $10
10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm
11/16 - Celebrate Election Day with Elector at Yogi's; Bloomington; all day event

Upcoming Events
From Kelly at Buckhead Mountain Grill in Jeffersonville:
Buckhead Mountain Grill is teaming up with Southern Tier Brewing Company to feature a Five Course Beer Dinner inspired by pairing and cooking with craft beer on Monday, July 23. Our guest host will be Jason Schuster, certified Cicerone from River City Distributing, along with Bryan Beach, General Manager of Buckhead and chef for the evening, and Tisha Gainey, Beverage Director for Buckhead Mountain Grill.

Bryan will create delectable dishes for the evening, which will include complimentary flavors from the characteristics from the beers as well as the food. Come join us for some fun with beer and food.

Welcoming Pint of Southern Tier's Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Pale Ale begins at 6:30pm.

The Dinner Courses begin at 7pm with the following:

1st Course: Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Southern Tier 2XIPA
2nd Course: Smoked Salmon & Baby Arugula Salad with Apple & Hop Sun Vinaigrette and pickled vegetables
3rd Course: Crab & Corn Chowder with Southern Tier 422 Wheat
4th Course: Smoked Brisket with Ancho Chocolate Rub & Southern Tier Mokah Stout BBQ Sauce
5th Course: Crème Brulee Ice Cream with Southern Tier Crème Brulee Stout.

Reservations are required due to limited seating. The five course dinner with welcoming pint is $40 per person. Gratuity is not included in this price. *Please note, the dishes for the Southern Tier Beer dinner are very carefully designed to complement the beers; therefore they cannot offer substitutions to the price fixed menu.

For Reservations, please call Buckhead Mountain Grill at (502) 456-6680.
***************************** 
Join us at Rocky's Sub Pub on Tuesday July 24th for a Sierra Nevada Tap Takeover with the premiere of the Beer Camp Beer: Solar Storm. Our own Beverage Director, Tisha Gainey (aka the Queen of Beer), was chosen to go to Sierra Nevada's Beer camp in March. She was able to brew a once in a lifetime opportunity beer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California.
Steve Theil, Sierra Nevada representative, will be hosting a special Sierra Nevada Brewery presentation in our private party room for the first 40 guests to RSVP a space by calling Rocky's at 812-282-3844 from 6-7pm. Guests will learn about the Sierra Nevada brewery with samples and appetizers provided from Rocky's and Sierra Nevada. If you are unable to attend the presentation, Steve will be at Rocky's for the rest of the evening to discuss beer and one of the oldest craft breweries in the United States. Tisha Gainey will be there too, to talk about her Beer Camp experience and to raise a pint with you in the honor of craft beer.

The tap takeover begins at 6pm with the Solar Storm tapping at 7pm. Additional Sierra Nevada Beers that will be featured: Pale Ale, Ovila Quad, Summerfest, Tumbler Brown, Southern Hemisphere, Hoptimum, Bigfoot, Kellerweiss, Ruthless Rye, Torpedo IPA and BRUX, a Russian River/Sierra Nevada collaboration beer (limited bottles). Sierra Nevada collectable glassware will be available with certain beers as a souvenir to keep, while supplies last.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Premiere Party & Tap Takeover
Tuesday, July 24
Rocky's Sub Pub
715 West Riverside Drive Jeffersonville, IN 47130
(812) 282-3844


From Kyle at Kahn's Fine Wines in Indianapolis:
Hoppy Birthday : Saturday, July 28th : 5-7p
This was our most highly attended beer event ever. It seems that people enjoy hops... Well, we're doing it again and this is open to any and all interestingly hopped beers or any style. We'll obviously rely heavily on pales and IPAs, but everything is welcome if it has any sort of unique hop-related attribute. Last year we tried to get as nerdy with it as possible by listing the hop varieties and educating people as much as we could.


From Mark at DESTIHL in Normal, Illinois:
Join us for 'Barrel & Firkin Fest' on Saturday, July 28th at DESTIHL-Normal from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

A 'Beer Connoisseur' VIP ticket is $45 per person, and includes a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited festival beer samples.






From Rita Kohn, author of Following Lydia: Down the Ohio in 1824:
Pioneer Village at The 2012 Indiana State Fair presents
Following Lydia: Down the Ohio in 1824

A new play by Rita Kohn

Featuring “The Fair Lady Players” Sandra J. Barton, Sandra K. Dosterglick, Myra L. Dworski, Jeannette Simpson Edwards, Susan Harless, Franne Lucas, Janet Tyner

Produced by Tim Nannet

Hop on a steamboat with seven spirited ladies starting new lives in the new states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana – Free with entrance to The Indiana State Fair 
Sunday, August 12, 12:30-1:30 p.m. on the Pioneer Village stage
Tuesday, August 14, 11:00-noon on the Old Opry Stage
Tuesday, August 14, 1:00-2:00 p.m. on the Old Opry Stage
Wednesday, August 15, 10:00-11:00 a.m. on the Pioneer Village Stage
Wednesday, August 15, noon-1:00 p.m. on the Pioneer Village Stage

Dedicated to 7 inspiring people: Deborah Asante, Cindy Hoye, Charles E. “Chuck” Parrish, Clayton Taylor, Dark Rain Thom, James Alexander Thom, Dorothy Webb

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.