Random Beer Roundup - The Asteroid's Moon Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers:

From Amanda at Cutters Brewing in Avon:

Festival - History on Tap 5/31/2013 6pm 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers

Festival - Keg Liquors Fest of Ales 6/1/2013 3-7pm 320 North Sherwood Ave., Clarksville

Tap Take Over - Bennigan's 6/5/2013 5pm 2521 E Center St, Warsaw

Festival - Zoo Brew 6/13/2013 7-10pm Mesker Park Zoo,  Evansville

Beer Dinner - Usual Suspects 6/11/2013 6pm 6319 Guilford Ave, Indianapolis

Tasting - Kahns liquors Downtown 6/13/2013 6-8pm 25 N. Pennsylvania st, Indianapolis

Festival - WINE(ona) Hops at the Shop 6/13/2013 1-5:30pm 700 Park Ave. Suite G, Winona Lake

Tap Take Over - Fickle Peach 6/14/2013 5-9pm 117 E Charles St, Muncie

Festival - June Fest 6/14/2013 10am Downtown Winchester, Winchester

Indy Wine & Beer Fest 6/14/2013 7-10pm Broad Ripple Station Parking Lot, Indianapolis

Festival - June Fest 6/15/2013 10am Downtown Winchester, Winchester

Tasting - Outside The Box 6/20/2013 6:30pm 1143 E. 116th St., Indianapolis

Festival - Brew Ha-Ha 6/22/2013 3-7pm 700 Block of North Park Ave Indianapolis

From Shane at Daredevil Brewing Co:

This Saturday we will be pouring at the Fest of Ale in Clarksville, Indiana and we hope to see many of you in person. 

In addition here is our upcoming event lineup and you can always keep up by following our Facebook event page.  If there is an event you think we should be at please contact us at info@daredevilbeer.com

• Fishers on Tap Summer, Saturday, June 15th
• Brew-Ha-Ha, Saturday, June 22nd
• Indiana Micro Brewers Festival, July 20th
• Beer Dinner at Indiana Downs, July 26th (more information coming)

On a limited release beer note we are sold out of Rip Cord Double IPA. The warehouse is empty so get it while it lasts where you see it. 

Daredevil Brewing Co. | Current beers available 

Lift Off IPA: Our flagship beer

A bounty of American Hops delivers the signature clean and crisp finish of a perfectly balanced West Coast style IPA.

Muse Belgian Golden Ale: A Belgian seasonal 

A delicate Belgian perfume of pears and apples compliments complex spicy phenolics and lightly sweet alcohol with an inspiring clean, bright finish.

You can always find the full list of locations that carry Lift Off IPA and our limited release beers on our website and we continue to add new locations weekly. Also, you can keep up with the latest news and learn about new locations to find our beers first by following us on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Want to know what people are saying about our beers? Check out our profile on Untappd. 

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis: 

Friday, May 31st: History on Tap at Conner Prairie 

Friday, May 31st: Brew at the Zoo, Nashville, Tennessee

Saturday, June 1st: Rocker's Reunion Afterparty, 6:30 pm (Vintage bikes)

Saturday, June 8th: Better Blocks, East Washington St./Rural, 12-5 (Neighborhood taproom pop-up)

Also coming in June: Axis Hefe, German Hefeweizen and Japanese Sorachi Ace Hops. Draft only. 

From Roger at New Albanian Brewing in New Albany:

Tricentennial Ale at the Garden Party on June 1.  More information at http://newalbanian.com/tricentennial-at-the-garden-party-on-june1/

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple:

Thr3e Wise Men will be tapping our next beer, Czech Yo’ Self Big Pimpin’ Impin’ Pilsner, on Tuesday June 4th! Put this date down on your calendar so you can make it in. Don’t forget every Tuesday our pints are only $2.50!

Are you a bar or restaurant owner/operator? If you are then you can now serve Thr3e Wise Men Beer at your great establishments. We are now distributing through Cavalier Distribution of Indiana. Talk to your local Cavalier rep. Click here for more info.

From David at Triton Brewing in Indianapolis:

TRITON HOUSE BREWS

Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, McQueenie’s (Smoked) Scotch Ale, Pink Ribbon Saison, Wit or Wit-Out You, Bourbon Barrel 500 Monks and Bourbon Barrel 500 Sour Monks 

GUEST BREWS

Chimay Triple, Crispin Cider (bottle), Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Ommegang Art of Darkness, Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont, Sixpoint Resin and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle) 

TRITON BREWING EVENTS

History On Tap at Connor Prairie, Friday, May 31, 6:30-10pm an evening celebrating Indiana’s rich tradition of brewing world class craft beer, past and present. Sample an array of brews from some of the area’s most popular brewers. Enjoy craft brewing demonstrations, historical beer tastings, food, music and more at this one-of-a-kind event. 

Wednesday, June 19^th, 5-9pm #Clustertruck! Join us for your favorite Indy Food Trucks food trucks, craft beer and fun!

At Bars, Restaurants, & Home Brewing Suppliers:

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse: 

Scotty’s Brewhouse Bloomington is now serving Thr3e Wise Men Rocky Ripple Pale Ale! Come enjoy a 48oz Pitcher of this refreshing beer every Wednesday for only $9.00!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Mishawaka is now pouring Bell’s Oberon. You can stop by every Thursday and get a pint of this summer favorite for only $4.00!

From Adam at Tuxedo Park Brewing Supply:

The Tuxedo Park Brewers family would like to thank Co-Founders Jason Burk and Brent Chapman for all they have done for us and our customers. From starting up a new home brewing supply shop and teaching and sharing their home brewing expertise, to their effort in improving the local brewing community. We wish them nothing but the best after their departure from the company and in their future endeavors. 

We’d also like to let everyone know that the rumors of our closing are greatly exaggerated. We will continue to serve our dedicated customers with the quality supplies, equipment, service, and expertise that they have come to expect and deserve. We appreciate the support and recommendations from all of our friends in the community and beyond. 

Tuxedo Park Brewers is located at 1139 Shelby Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46203. Parking and entrance is at the back of the building, accessed from the alley. We are open Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturday, 11:00am to 5:00 pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Find us on the web at www.tuxedoparkbrewers.com. I want to personally thank everyone that has helped make this shop what it is today, and what it will become in the future. As always, Happy Brewing!

From Mike at Yogi's in Bloomington:

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

Beer Events/Fundraisers

History on Tap - May 31, 6:30-10:30pm, Conner Prairie

Join us and some of our closest friends in the craft brewing industry for a special night at Conner Prairie History Park to learn about and celebrate the rich tradition of Indiana craft brewing – past and present.  The event is put on by Conner Prairie’s young professional group, the Horizon Council, and all proceeds go to supporting the mission of Conner Prairie. 

Typical of Conner Prairie, you will learn about craft brewing history “in ways that textbooks cannot” through interactive experiences such as tastings from us and over ten other local brewers, seeing the craft brewing process from live demos performed by Tuxedo Park, and listening to local brewers tell their unique stories in a panel discussion – “Brewer Innovation: A taste of the past, present and future.” 

If you enter in our exclusive code TUXEDO20 in to their ticket registration form found at www.connerprairie.org/historyontap.aspx you will receive 20% off your ticket(s) purchased.

Beer MBA 

There are a some seats open for the next series of classes, which will start this Saturday and will continue on July 6th & August 3rd.  See the www.BeerMBA.com website and specifically this page...  http://www.beermba.com/classes.php for class details.  Recent classes have been Selling Out, so sign-up now!  The classes are designed to be taken in sequence, and to take all 3 of them and get your Beer MBA Certificate.  Class 1 is a prerequisite for the other 2 classes, so once you have taken it, you can take the other classes in a future series if you have date conflicts. Get more information about this class and upcoming trips to Germany and Belgium on Facebook.  

Indiana Summer Beer Class with Master Cicerone Rich Higgins

Monday, June 3, 2013
6:00-7:30 PM
Tickets: $25
http://richhiggins.eventbrite.com
Tomlinson Tap Room
222 E. Market St., Mezzanine Level, Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-423-2337

One of five Master Cicerones in the country, Higgins is an experienced teacher, beer lecturer, and beer traveler. He will lead a fun and informative tasting of six beers as an exploration of three summery styles of beer -- pilsner, Belgian farmhouse, and India pale ale. In Europe, each of these styles was traditionally brewed to slake the thirst in warmer seasons. Higgins will explain the historical and cultural background of each style, and the tasting will feature two Indiana- brewed craft beers from each style to illustrate the artistic and stylistic differences.

Higgins joins the Tomlinson Tap Room to present the event. Located on the mezzanine level of the Indianapolis City Market, the Tap Room is Indiana?s hub for fresh, local beer, pouring the delicious beers of the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

Featured pilsners -- real golden lagers with nuance, personality, and peppery, herbal hops:
• Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner
• Three Floyds Jinx Proof
Featured Belgian-style farmhouse ales -- with flavorful, rustic, Belgian yeasts and a sparkling, dry finish:
• New Albanian Black & Bluegrass
• Bloomington Brewing Biere de Mars
Featured American IPAs -- built around bold malts and citrusy, floral hop aromas, and so much more than just brash bitterness:
• Daredevil Lift Off IPA
• Oaken Barrel Superfly IPA

 Tickets cost $25, and include tastes of 6 beers, plus a pint of your favorite choice after the tasting. Soft pretzels, chips, and popcorn will also be served. Tickets are more information are available at: http://www.richhiggins.com.

The Indiana capital is one of several stops on Higgins?s Summer Tour of Beer Events, in which he is hosting beer events in June in several cities, culminating in New York City with a ?Bootcamp? the day before the Brewers Association?s SAVOR event, the nation?s premier beer and food pairing event. Higgins is based in San Francisco.

Higgins was the third person to earn the title Master Cicerone; he brewed professionally for eight years and owns the consultancy, Consultant à la Bière. Master Cicerone is the highest credential in beer service, akin to the title of Master Sommelier in wine service. It is administered by the Cicerone Certification Program, and those who achieve this certification possess encyclopedic knowledge of beer and highly refined tasting ability.

Girls Pint Out: Indy Brew Bus for Girls Rock!

We love our friends at Girls Rock! Indianapolis and how they are boosting the self-esteem of young girls with their awesome rock camp. We want to help them raise money for camp scholarships this summer with a trip on the Indy Brew Bus on Thursday, June 13th. Stops that night will be:

• Indiana City Brewing Company 

• Black Acre Brewing Company

• Fountain Square Brewery.

Buy your ticket now!

Brew Bracket featuring Pale Ales
“BB7: The Cure for all Your (pale) Ales"

Date: Saturday June 15th
Time: 3-7PM
Place: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Participating Brewers: Flat 12, Upland, Bloomington, Barley Island, Triton, Brugge, Rock Bottom College Park, Half Moon, RAM, Iechyd Da, Three Wisemen, Union Brewing, Indiana City, Rock Bottom Downtown Indy, Peoples, and Evil Czech Brewing
Tickets details: $35 participant (350 tickets); $45 VIP – come an hour early, Q&A and extra samples with two brewers that have won prior events (50 tickets)
Where can I stock up: bbpales.eventbrite.com

Fishers On Tap - Summer

The Rotary Club of Fishers, is hosting Fishers On Tap - Summer, at the new Fishers Amphitheater on Father's Day weekend, Saturday June 15, 2013.  This outdoor beer tasting fundraiser will feature 12-15 local Indiana brewers, live music from Soul Street, hand chosen food trucks.  All proceeds will be given back to our local community to service organizations that help those in need.

Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM VIP Tickets
         5:00 - 8:00 PM General Admission Tickets

Price: General Admission $40.0
         VIP   $60.00
         Designated Driver $10.00

Current Line up of Breweries:
Bier Brewery
Daredevil Brewing
Fountain Square Brewery
Flat 12 Bierwerks
Sun King Brewing
Union Brewing Company
Upland Brewing Company
Brugge Brasserie
Big Woods Brewing Company
Cutters Brewing Company
Bloomington Brewing Company
New Albanian Brewing Company
Four Horseman Brewing Company
Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
Tuxedo Park Home Brewers

Food Trucks
Edwards Drive-In Dashboard
Nacho Mama
NY Slice
Taco Lassi
LICK Local Ice Cream

Girls Pint Out: Beers, BBQ & a Lesson in Homebrewing

Always wanted to learn how to brew your own beer? Now is your chance! The guys at Balls Brewing have volunteered to give us a lesson in brewing their amazingly delicious IPA. Join us Saturday, June 22nd from noon to 5 pm for a day of brewing, complete with a cookout, and, of course, beer drinking. Samples of Balls Brewery homebrew will be provided throughout the day. 

Tickets are $15 and include a Girls' Pint Out pint glass and food during the eventOnly ten spots are available - so reserve yours now! This event is ladies only.Get your ticket here!

Girls Pint Out:  Pint Night at Bier Brewery

It is always a special occasion when Bier Brewery serves pints! Come have a pint with us Wednesday, June 26th from 5-7!
You will also be able to buy cute clothes, fun accessories, adorable growler bags, and delicious cupcakes. We will also be joined by:

• Shop Retro 101

• Growler Girls 

• Sugar 

Oh sure...we'll let the guys hang out with us, too. 

First Impressions | Indiana City Brewing Company

One way for a new brewery to distinguish itself in Indianapolis's ever-growing craft beer scene is to make the brewery's location a destination in and of itself. Indiana City Brewing Company, a production brewery that held its grand opening on Saturday, has done just that. The building at 24 Shelby Street, which now contains the brewery and taproom, once housed the bottling works of the Home Brewing Company, a brewery that was shut down during Prohibition. Further, the taproom showcases the work of local artists. Currently on display is the art of Aaron Scamihorn, who also designed the labels for Indiana City's flagship brews. Add to this the exposed brick, the granite bar top, and the vintage light fixtures and you have one of the most inviting brewery spaces in the city.

But having an attractive and historic space isn't enough for a brewery to survive. The beer, of course, has to attract folks as well. Fortunately for Indiana City, founder/brewer Ray Kamstra and brewer Dustin Dahl have rolled out a solid line-up of beers.

The brewery's flagship beers are Yacht Rock (if you aren't familiar with the term "yacht rock," check this out), Shadow Boxer, and Beyond the Pale. Yacht Rock is billed as a "Belgian-style wheat ale," which might have craft beer enthusiasts thinking of a witbier. But that's not what's going on here, at least not to my eyes or palate. Rather, the golden Yacht Rock reminds me more of a German weissbier with its banana esters, albeit with a faint Belgian spiciness in the background.

Shadow Boxer is a well-balanced oatmeal stout with a faint sweetness backed by chocolate and coffee notes. Beyond the Pale is an American Pale Ale with a unique pine and resin flavor profile. And the seasonal, Dock 7, is a dry American IPA that bears a nice citrus character. All four of the beers are well-done and distinctive. I can see the easy-drinking and flavorful Yacht Rock becoming a local favorite, particularly among folks new to craft beer.

For the time being, Indiana City is brewing on a two-barrel system and has plenty of room to expand the brewhouse. Based on their initial beers, I'd say that they should be prepared for expansion because Indy's beer drinkers are probably going to be making plenty of return visits. The brewery sells growlers and has pint service. I look forward to seeing what the brewery has in store for future seasonal beers.

Scenes from HBG Pint Night | May Edition

This past Thursday night was the May installment of Hoosier Beer Geek's Pint night.  We were graciously hosted by the team at Tomlinson Tap Room.  This month's beer was Ruby Bloom from Bloomington Beer Company served via Nitro and normal CO2. This also happened to coincide with Tomlinson Tap Room pouring eight beers from Bloomington Beer Company.  

A big thank you to all the people that came out for a few pints with us and a big thank you to Tomlinson Tap Room for hosting us, and to Circle City Soups for staying open to serve up some fantastic food for the evening.  

We were hoping to highlight how the way a beer is served can have significant effects on the the flavor of the beer.  Neither good or bad, but seeing how flavors can either be highlighted or muted based on how the beer came out of the tap using a different gas to pour your pint.  

Nitrogen in beer is most commonly associated with Guinness.  It is gaining in popularity at more and more places across the US across a wide variety of styles.  The original reason that nitrogen was first used was to try and make a beer mimic the body and flavor of traditional cask conditioned ales. 

Nitrogen is largely insoluble in liquid, which is what contributes to the thick mouth feel. You can always spot the Nitro tap at a bar due to the restrictor plate that forces the beer through tiny holes on its way to your glass. 

Carbon Dioxide or CO2 is the more common way of serving beer in the United States.  The vast majority of draft beer in the US is going to be served via forced carbonation. 

The process can have a dramatic effect on a beer and will produce different flavors and will mute other flavors.  Nitro beers tend to really help malt forward beers, but it will mute brighter hop flavors. 

Nitro pour on the right and the CO2 pour on the left.  

Nitro pour with restrictor plate

A pint of their 10 Speed hoppy wheat.  A very nice example of an American pale wheat ale

 We hope to see you in June.  We will put out those details as soon as we get them finalized.

Cheers!

HBG

Where to Drink in Indy | A Visitors Guide for Indy 500 fans

Do you know folks from out-of-town who are coming in this weekend for the Indy 500? Are they looking for places to drink better beer? If you answered "yes" to both questions, we invite you to steer them to our Where to Drink in Indy guide.

We hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Random Beer Roundup - The Vroooooooom Edition

Hoosier Beer Calendar

Events are subject to change

From the Brewers:

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis: 

Thurs - Sunday: Regular Taproom Hours during Memorial Day Weekend. Plastic 32 oz growlers avail for track, campground, etc

Wednesday, May 29th Brew Mile at Flat 12 with Blue Mile (US Top 50 Running store) 

Friday, May 31st: History on Tap at Conner Prairie

Coming in June. Cucumber Kolsch. In bottles and on draught.  

From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple:

Thr3e Wise Men will be tapping our next beer, Czech Yo’ Self Big Pimpin’ Impin’ Pilsner, on Tuesday June 4th! Put this date down on your calendar so you can make it in. Don’t forget every Tuesday our pints are only $2.50!

Are you a bar or restaurant owner/operator? If you are then you can now serve Thr3e Wise Men Beer at your great establishments. We are now distributing through Cavalier Distribution of Indiana. Talk to your local Cavalier rep. Click here for more info.

From David at Triton Brewing in Indianapolis:

TRITON HOUSE BREWS

Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, McQueenie’s (Smoked) Scotch Ale, O’Rye-N Galaxy Pale Ale, Pink Ribbon Saison, Wit or Wit-Out You, Bourbon Barrel 500 Monks and Bourbon Barrel 500 Sour Monks

GUEST BREWS

Brouwerij Liefman Goudenband, Chimay Triple, Crispin Cider (bottle), Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale,  Sixpoint Resin and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle)

TRITON BREWING EVENTS

WTTS Music Sampler Tasting at Kahn’s Keystone, Friday, May 24, 5-7pm

History On Tap at Connor Prairie, Friday, May 31, 6:30-10pm an evening celebrating Indiana’s rich tradition of brewing world class craft beer, past and present. Sample an array of brews from some of the area’s most popular brewers. Enjoy craft brewing demonstrations, historical beer tastings, food, music and more at this one-of-a-kind event.

Wednesday, June 19th, 5-9pm #Clustertruck! Join us for your favorite Indy Food Trucks food trucks, craft beer and fun!

From Ray at Indiana City Brewing in Indianapolis:

Indiana City Brewing
Grand Opening
Saturday, May 25th, 2-8pm
24 Shelby Street, Indy

indianacitybeer.com | facebook.com/indianacitybeer | twitter.com/indianacitybeer

At Bars, Restaurants, & Home Brewing Suppliers:

From Anita at Great Fermentations in Indianapolis:

Great Fermentations has announced that they will be opening a second store in beautiful Avon. They plan to open in September at the Northwest corner of US 36 and Dan Jones Road, in the Avon Crossing Sopping Center.

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse: 

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th street Indianapolis is now pouring Thr3e Wise Men Rocky Ripple Pale Ale! Come by on a Wednesday and get a 48oz Pitcher for only $10.00!

From Chelsey at Union Jack Pub in Broad Ripple:  

Union Jack Pub--Broad Ripple has made a commitment to serving more unique craft beer and expanding our tap list. We've just scratched the surface and cannot wait to share all that is to come including additional tap lines, flights, and more. Here's what's happening now:

 On Tap Now

15 beers on tap including: Cutter's Half Court IPA, Founder's Dirty Bastard, Rogue's JJ Dead Guy, Triton's Fieldhouse Wheat, Bier's Rye Pale, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Bell's Two Hearted, Bell's Oberon, and Strongbow

On Deck (because a keg doesn't last forever!)

Victory's Summer Love, Schlafly's Raspberry Hefeweizen, Goose Island's Sofie Pardisi, Brooklyn's Mary Maple Porter, Bier's DFG IPA, Fountain Square's Working Man's Pilsner, Sun King's Bitchin' Camaro 

Upcoming Events: Save the Date!

Friday, June 7: Bell's Two Hearted Firkin Tapping at 7:00pm
Later this summer look for information on a Goose Island Beer Dinner.
In the coming weeks there will be a Brooklyn tap takeover which will include their 25th Anniversary Doppelbock. Look for more information in the coming roundups!

We're Hiring!

Want to be a part of the Union Jack Pub--Broad Ripple beer revolution? We'd love to hear from you: http://www.snagajob.com/job-seeker/jobs/job-details.aspx?postingid=13690331&ref=dmtestquickonepack

From Mike at Yogi's in Bloomington:

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

Beer Events/Fundraisers

History on Tap - May 31, 6:30-10:30pm, Conner Prairie

Join us and some of our closest friends in the craft brewing industry for a special night at Conner Prairie History Park to learn about and celebrate the rich tradition of Indiana craft brewing – past and present.  The event is put on by Conner Prairie’s young professional group, the Horizon Council, and all proceeds go to supporting the mission of Conner Prairie. 

Typical of Conner Prairie, you will learn about craft brewing history “in ways that textbooks cannot” through interactive experiences such as tastings from us and over ten other local brewers, seeing the craft brewing process from live demos performed by Tuxedo Park, and listening to local brewers tell their unique stories in a panel discussion – “Brewer Innovation: A taste of the past, present and future.” 

If you enter in our exclusive code TUXEDO20 in to their ticket registration form found at www.connerprairie.org/historyontap.aspx you will receive 20% off your ticket(s) purchased.

Indiana Summer Beer Class with Master Cicerone Rich Higgins

Monday, June 3, 2013
6:00-7:30 PM
Tickets: $25
http://richhiggins.eventbrite.com
Tomlinson Tap Room
222 E. Market St., Mezzanine Level, Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-423-2337

One of five Master Cicerones in the country, Higgins is an experienced teacher, beer lecturer, and beer traveler. He will lead a fun and informative tasting of six beers as an exploration of three summery styles of beer -- pilsner, Belgian farmhouse, and India pale ale. In Europe, each of these styles was traditionally brewed to slake the thirst in warmer seasons. Higgins will explain the historical and cultural background of each style, and the tasting will feature two Indiana- brewed craft beers from each style to illustrate the artistic and stylistic differences.

Higgins joins the Tomlinson Tap Room to present the event. Located on the mezzanine level of the Indianapolis City Market, the Tap Room is Indiana?s hub for fresh, local beer, pouring the delicious beers of the Brewers of Indiana Guild.

Featured pilsners -- real golden lagers with nuance, personality, and peppery, herbal hops:
• Fountain Square Workingman's Pilsner
• Three Floyds Jinx Proof
Featured Belgian-style farmhouse ales -- with flavorful, rustic, Belgian yeasts and a sparkling, dry finish:
• New Albanian Black & Bluegrass
• Bloomington Brewing Biere de Mars
Featured American IPAs -- built around bold malts and citrusy, floral hop aromas, and so much more than just brash bitterness:
• Daredevil Lift Off IPA
• Oaken Barrel Superfly IPA

 Tickets cost $25, and include tastes of 6 beers, plus a pint of your favorite choice after the tasting. Soft pretzels, chips, and popcorn will also be served. Tickets are more information are available at: http://www.richhiggins.com.

The Indiana capital is one of several stops on Higgins?s Summer Tour of Beer Events, in which he is hosting beer events in June in several cities, culminating in New York City with a ?Bootcamp? the day before the Brewers Association?s SAVOR event, the nation?s premier beer and food pairing event. Higgins is based in San Francisco.

Higgins was the third person to earn the title Master Cicerone; he brewed professionally for eight years and owns the consultancy, Consultant à la Bière. Master Cicerone is the highest credential in beer service, akin to the title of Master Sommelier in wine service. It is administered by the Cicerone Certification Program, and those who achieve this certification possess encyclopedic knowledge of beer and highly refined tasting ability.

Brew Bracket featuring Pale Ales
“BB7: The Cure for all Your (pale) Ales"

Date: Saturday June 15th
Time: 3-7PM
Place: Indiana State Fairgrounds
Participating Brewers: Flat 12, Upland, Bloomington, Barley Island, Triton, Brugge, Rock Bottom College Park, Half Moon, RAM, Iechyd Da, Three Wisemen, Union Brewing, Indiana City, Rock Bottom Downtown Indy, Peoples, and Evil Czech Brewing
Tickets details: $35 participant (350 tickets); $45 VIP – come an hour early, Q&A and extra samples with two brewers that have won prior events (50 tickets)
Where can I stock up: bbpales.eventbrite.com

Fishers On Tap - Summer

The Rotary Club of Fishers, is hosting Fishers On Tap - Summer, at the new Fishers Amphitheater on Father's Day weekend, Saturday June 15, 2013.  This outdoor beer tasting fundraiser will feature 12-15 local Indiana brewers, live music from Soul Street, hand chosen food trucks.  All proceeds will be given back to our local community to service organizations that help those in need.

Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM VIP Tickets
         5:00 - 8:00 PM General Admission Tickets

Price: General Admission $40.0
         VIP   $60.00
         Designated Driver $10.00

Current Line up of Breweries:
Bier Brewery
Daredevil Brewing
Fountain Square Brewery
Flat 12 Bierwerks
Sun King Brewing
Union Brewing Company
Upland Brewing Company
Brugge Brasserie
Big Woods Brewing Company
Cutters Brewing Company
Bloomington Brewing Company
New Albanian Brewing Company
Four Horseman Brewing Company
Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
Tuxedo Park Home Brewers

Food Trucks
Edwards Drive-In Dashboard
Nacho Mama
NY Slice
Taco Lassi
LICK Local Ice Cream

Opening: Indiana City Brewing

Just a quick reminder that Indiana City will host its official opening Saturday, May 25th from 2 - 8pm.  They expect to have three regulars plus their seasonal IPA available for purchase.  They will have live music and beers pouring outside as well as inside the tasting room.  The outside beers are cash only, but they do accept cards inside the tasting room.  Enjoy!

HBG Classics | Mr. Wizard Goes to Irvington

This post from Serious Eats recently came to our attention. Putting beer in a French press? Sounds like a great idea. Back in June 2009, we did some of our own experimenting with a French press and had a great time doing it. We thought you'd enjoy seeing the results of our experimentation. So courtesy of the Wayback Machine, here's our write-up of what happened when we tried combining beer and other stuff in a French press--


  Regular readers of this site will know that we aren't above tomfoolery. In fact, you might say that on occasion we can be downright buffoonish. I wouldn't have you believe for a second that we aren't aware that our wanton disrespect for common sense is anything more than a ploy to entertain ourselves and those reading.

Our experiments don't always start out with folly in mind - in some cases we're actually trying to prove something. But when a group of us gathers, the chance of hijinks is multiplied exponentially. It all started out like this:

Hey Jason,

I was wondering if you ever followed up on that coffee/beer infusion thing - I just read about a place doing an Oberon through blood oranges tapping and I'm thinking maybe a french press kinda thing might work... anyway... what did you do?

-Mike

* * * * *

The short of the coffee beer is I took a french press, filled it with porter, and pushed coarse ground coffee through it. Turned beer (Wabash Cannonball Porter) into better beer.

-Jason

* * * * *

I'd like to try that technique with a few other things, so if you'd like to make it into a longer experiment, let me know....

-Mike

The result? A beer and food blending experiment of what some might consider epically stupid proportions. We just thought it was fun. And in a few cases, tasty.

We plopped down on Jason's porch in Irvington and lined up the following victims:

Wabash Valley Cannonball Porter vs. Kroger Private Selection Medium Dark Roast Coffee
Upland Wheat vs. Strawberries
Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen vs. Bananas
Brugge White vs. Oranges
Brugge Black vs. Cherries
Brugge Black vs. Red Stag Whiskey
Bell's Oberon vs. Blueberries
Founders Cerise vs. Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate
Bell's Expedition Stout vs. Bell's Double Cream Stout
Bell's Hopslam vs. Grapefruit
Erdinger Weissbier vs. Cucumber
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus vs. Whoppers Malted Milk Balls

One thing worth noting -- running beer through a French press might automatically make it worse. Every beer blend seemed to be under-carbonated - an effect that was either caused by the blending or the tools used. Since we didn't try any beer straight through the French press, we don't really know. So much for the scientific method.


The bad pairings:







Wabash Valley Cannonball Porter w/ Kroger Private Selection Medium Dark Roast Coffee - Tastes like the bottom of a day-old pot of decaf.

Jason's note: When I did this previously, I seemed to remember it tasting better. I think maybe fresher coffee would be good (this coffee was ground at least 3 months ago).


Upland Wheat w/ fresh strawberries - The most bizarre result. Smells and tastes like warm bologna. Disgusting.

Gina's note: I didn't get bologna out of the Upland Wheat/strawberry combination.


Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen w/ fresh bananas - Much worse than expected. Tastes like a banana that's been sitting on a shelf in the basement, gathering dust for a few weeks. We added fresh oranges to the mix later. No improvement. If anything, the mix tasted crappier with the oranges in it.

The "meh" pairings:

Mike's note: The Annoy Ted Division


Brugge White w/ fresh oranges - Disappointing, but not terrible. Tastes like a flat Belgian wit with a touch of orange juice.


Brugge Black w/ fresh cherries - Sort of chocolately with a little hint of cherry zip. Not great, but not bad.

Jason's note: I thought this was a winner of a combo. I suggest that Ted takes this idea and runs with it. Seriously. I also mixed the Black with a Jim Beam Black Cherry Bourbon. Better than any boilermaker I've ever had. Also, better than any Boilermaker ever to come out of Purdue (but that's not really saying much now is it?).


Bell's Oberon w/ fresh blueberries - The blueberries produce no effect. Tastes like a regular Oberon.

The good pairings:


Founders Cerise w/ Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate - Tastes like a chocolate-covered sour cherry. And the chocolate from the bottom of the French press tasted heavenly after being steeped in the beer.

Bell's Expedition Stout/Double Cream Stout Blend - We didn't do this in a French press; we simply mixed the two beers in a pitcher for a reprise of a blend that Bell's has done at beer festivals. Brown sugar, licorice, and pecans in the nose; hoppy and sweet flavor with chocolate, vanilla, and brown sugar notes. The blend nicely subdues the licorice whomp of the Expedition Stout. I may have to make this at home.


Bell's Hopslam w/ fresh grapefruit - Tartness of the grapefruit melds well with the piney/peachy hop character. If you mixed a DIPA with a Belgian sour ale, this is what it might taste like.

Gina's note: With all of the pairings, the carbonation of the beer disappeared almost completely in some cases, so it makes sense that the higher alcohol beers, like Hopslam, were able to stand up to the additions.

The bizarrely good pairing:


Erdinger Weissbier w/ fresh cucumber - Hey, it's beer gazpacho! Think of getting a buzz from a cucumber salad; that's what you have here.

Jason's note: A week after we did this, I was at a trade show where a booth had jars of ice water for our enjoyment. One had lemons in it. One had strawberries. And one had cucumbers. I love fresh cucumbers. And the flavor that the cucumbers add to beer or water is phenomenal. Is there a cucumber soda?

The grand champion:


Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Porter w/ Whoppers malted milk balls - Lovely. Tastes like a really sweet milk stout with a hoppy bite. Fizzed up like a nitro stout when we mixed the two.