28 June 2013

Random Beer Roundup - The Summer's Heating Up Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers:

From Shane at Daredevil Brewing:
We are having a great time getting to meet many people at all the summer craft beer events .... and we added a few new ones to the upcoming schedule this week. 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
·   Back in the day 90's Dance to benefit INCASA.org, tonight, Friday, June 28th 7:30 pm (admission includes first 2 drinks) at The Speak Easy
·    Make it Local BeerDinner at Chef JJ’s Backyard, July 12
·    Indiana Micro Brewers Festival, July 20th
·    Beer Dinner at Indiana Downs, July 26th (more information coming)

We continue to add more fun locations for you to find Lift Off IPA and our current seasonal beers across the state of Indiana. Some of the most recent additions include Zest! Exciting Food Creations (Indy/Broad Ripple), The Inn at DePauw (Greencastle), and The Omni Severin Hotel (Indy/Downtown). 

You can always find the full list of locations that carry Lift Off IPA and our limited release beers on our website.  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. And if you are looking for some Daredevil Brewing swag check out our online store

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 made in the Belgian Strong Ale style 
A delicate Belgian perfume of pears and apples compliments complex spicy phenolics and lightly sweet alcohol with an inspiring clean, bright finish.

Vacation Kölsch: Our limited release summer seasonal
A delicately balanced, authentic Kölsch style ale brewed with the finest German malts, hops and yeast to provide a crisp, clean and refreshing match for summer relaxation. 

From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks
Thursday, June 26th: Elbow Room 80th. Karousel Kolsch tapping
Thursday, June 27th: 4p Taproom tapping of Kiwi Kiwi Hefeweizen
Saturday: June 29th Pennsy Trail Art + Music (Greenfield), Greenwood Freedom Festival and Knoxville BrewFest (Calendar)

Taproom: Special Hours Wed the 3rd and Thursday the 4th. 12-7
R&R Extreme Wings and Pierogi Love food trucks in the house, respectively.

Thursday: July 4th. Emmis Downtown  

From Beth at Sun King Brewing:


Join Sun King Brewery and My Old Kentucky Blog for a celebration of four years of Fresh•Local•Beer; Saturday, July 6th from 4-10pm at Sun King. Festivities include the tapping of Sun King's most anticipated seasonal beer, Grapefruit Jungle, accompanied by some of Indy's best food trucks and live rock and roll, honky tonk, blues and soul from Sturgill SimpsonSaint Paul and the Broken Bones, and Luella and the Sun.

Tickets are on sale now for $10 online or at Sun King. http://www.mokbpresents.com/event/266169-sun-king-4-indianapolis/.

A portion of the proceeds will go to IPS Education Foundation Teaching with Technology program. Check them out at www.ipsef.org
From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men:



 Thr3e Wise Men will be tapping its newest creation, Red, Wheat & Brew American Wheat, on Tuesday July 2nd! Come join us that evening for $2.50 pints of this new beer or one of our other house beers.

Come join us at Tomlinson Tap Room on Wednesday July 3rd from 4pm – 9pm for a Thr3e Wise Men Tap Takeover! They will be tapping our Two Lucys Blackbeery Wheat, Hubbard & Cravens Porter, Rocky Ripple Pale Ale, Golden Zoe IPA & Czech Yo’ Self Big Pimpin’ Impin’ Pilsner.
Do you love Thr3e Wise Men beer? Tell your local Bar/Restaurant to pick us up on their tap list. We are now distributing through Cavalier Distribution. Talk to your local Cavalier rep. Click here for more info. 

From David at Triton Brewing:
TRITON HOUSE BREWS
Fieldhouse Wheat, Four Barrel Brown, Magnificent Amber Ale, Deadeye Stout, Railsplitter India Pale Ale, Sin Bin Belgian Pale Ale, Gold Trans Am Ale, McQueenie’s (Smoked) Scotch Ale, Bourbon Barrel 500 Monks and Bourbon Barrel 500 Sour Monks 
GUEST BREWS
Chouffe N’ice, Crispin Cider (bottle), Flying Dog Citra Imperial IPA, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Hinterland Cherry Wheat, Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont, Sixpoint Resin and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle) 
TRITON BREWING EVENTS
Trivia at Sahm’s Place, July 3, 7-10pm with a special Grapefruit Zest Railsplitter Firkin!
Lawrence Fourth of July Festival, July 3 & 4 Carnival rides, food trucks & live music!!
18th Annual Microbrewers Festival July 20 in Broad Ripple, 3-7pmhttp://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/events
From Justine at Union Brewing:

This Saturday we will be tapping Up All Night Dry Irish Stout. This is the very first batch brewed on our new system. The guys were literally up all night brewing this one, working out the kinks and familiarizing themselves with the new equipment. Needless to say, things are going much smoother now and we'll have more and more of our own beers coming back on line over the next couple weeks.

In the meantime, we are featuring a couple delicious guest beers on cask. Don't miss out on the opportunity to try People's Amazon Princess IPA & Space Cowboy DIPA on cask and pulled through one of our beer engines.

As always we have some amazing food coming your way this weekend courtesy of Indy Food Truck Alliance.
Friday 6/28: Scratch Truck
Saturday 6/29: Cutie Pies

You can also catch Pub Grub every Sunday, Monday & Wednesday serving up items fresh off their enormous outdoor grill and made to order just how you like it.

UBC is the place to be next week for the 4th of July! We will be open for business as usual on the 4th and 5th. We are also just a short walk up the Monon Trail from the 21st annual CarmelFest celebration, and don't forget we have a huge, FREE parking lot for you to take advantage of. Our back patio is the perfect place to take in the fireworks show Thursday evening while enjoying a cool pint!

At Bars, Restaurants, & Home Brewing Suppliers: 

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen:
Currently on tap we have Bier's Dunkelweizen, Three Floyds Pride and Joy, KY Brewing is represented with Bourbon Barrel ale (which is soon to blow) and their Kolsch is just tapped, Upland's Double Dragon fly, Fountain Sq.'s Tour Ride Pale (I think it is a summer special), Flat 12 is the Half Cycle IPA, La Trappe Quad is a perennial, New Albanian Naughty Girl Belgian Blonde IPA is quite tasty, and we believe we are going to tap a keg of Flat 12 Summer Cycle when it arrives today!
From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse
Come join us at Scotty’s Brewhouse for Pint Night every Thursday this Summer! All Draft Beer is $2.50 a pint! (Excludes Mishawaka Location)
SundayFunday.HomePage-01.jpg

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th Street Indianapolis is now pouring Thr3e Wise Men Rocky Ripple Pale Ale! You can enjoy a pint for $2.00 every Sunday this summer!  
From Mike at Yogi's:
http://www.yogis.com/index.php/about/blog/beer-blog/244-6-25-13

Beer Events/Fundraisers

Girls Pint Out: Happy Hour on the Patio
Scotty's Brewhouse (Downtown)July 10th 6:00-9:00 pm
It is everyone's favorite time of year: patio-drinking time! Join us for a night on the patio at Scotty's Brewhouse downtown. It will be a night of craft beer antics and fun. A representative from Thr3e Wise Men will also be joining us. 
This is a ladies only event.
RSVP here


Girls Pint Out: Beer Cocktail Contest
Mass Ave Pub July 16th 6 pm
Rules of the contest:

  • Recipes must contain at least two ingredients.
  • At least one ingredient must be a craft beer and another must be a liquor
  • All ingredients must be accessible and legal to consume
Top three recipes will be available on July 16th for voting.
The top recipe wins $100 and the winning concoction will be available for the remainder of July at Mass Ave Pub.
This event is open to everyone!  

18th Annual Microbrewers Festival:
The Indiana Microbrewers Festival makes its 18th showing on July 20 in Broad Ripple. Your favorite Indiana breweries will be joined by a select group of guest breweries from around the country at Indiana’s largest craft beer event. Over 300 beer selections to choose from!
There are tickets available for every level of beer enthusiast; from casual drinker to the major hop-head: 
VIP Experience: $100 (very limited, online only)
Includes early admission (2:00) and access to exclusive VIP Experience Tent (special tappings and food pairings), tasting glass and unlimited beer samples 
Early Bird: $55 (limited, online only)
Includes early admission (2:00), tasting glass and unlimited beer samples
General Admission: $40 (advance purchase)
Includes tasting glass and unlimited beer samples
Tickets available at Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Liquors stores and online 
Designated Driver: $10 (available online and at the gate)
Includes unlimited soft drinks in special Designated Driver area 
*ADULTS ONLY
This is a 21-and-over event. All guests must present valid, current photo ID at the gate.
Tickets on Sale starting June 1st
Online at Etix.com
Follow the Indiana Brewers Guild on Facebook and Twitter for announcements!
Ticket Page
http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=4144&performance_id=1725671&language=en&country=US 
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/lIndianaMicrobrewersFestival 
Our Webpage
http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/events/details/18th-annual-indiana-microbrewers-festival 
Our Twitter 
twitter.com/drinkindiana 

Girls Pint Out: Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity Night at New Day Meadery

Thursday, July 25th from 6:00-8:00 pm drink some delicious mead and ciders, play a little game called Cards Against Humanity, and make new friends.

Warning: If you are easily offended Cards Against Humanity might not be the game for you. If you haven't already played, check out their site -www.cardsagainsthumanity.com

This is a ladies only event and space is limited. A free ticket reserves your seat at a table to play Cards Against Humanity. Set your alarm clocks - tickets will become available Thursday, June 27th at 9:00 a.m. Get your ticket here!

Just want to drink and socialize or you didn't get a ticket in time? No big deal. Come hang out with us in the tasting room.

I'm a horrible person. Save me a seat!

Brews Across the Wabash
 The event is set for Saturday, August 24.  VIP admission opens at noon with general admission at 1 pm.  The event wraps up at 5 pm.
Tickets available at www.beersacrossthewabash.com or http://beersacrossthewabash.eventbrite.com 
Beers Across the Wabash
Sponsored by Village Bottle Shoppes
Friends of Downtown is proud to present the 2nd Annual Beers Across the Wabash.  Join us for a fantastic afternoon of sampling craft brews from 25-30 of Indiana's finest small breweries.  The event will be held on the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Wabash River between Lafayette and West Lafayette- probably the most scenic beer festival location in all of the Midwest!  In addition to delicious beers, admission includes a commemorative sample cup and live entertainment by Woodstove Flapjacks and others throughout the afternoon.  Look for homebrewing information and demonstrations from Tippecanoe Homebrewers Circle and Homebrewing Organization of Purdue Students.  On-site foodservice will also be available for purchase from D&R CateringOutpost Catering by Sgt. Prestons and The Lafayette Optimist Club.
Looking for the ultimate beer fest experience?  Purchase our VIP ticket and you'll receive early admission to the Beers Across the Wabash festival grounds (noon vs 1 pm); complimentary food and beer pairings; and a ticket to the Uptown Jazz & Blues Festival set for downtown Lafayette later in the evening.  We're also offering a Combo ticket which entitles the purchaser to general admission to Beers Across the Wabash plus admission to the Uptown Jazz and Blues Festival. 

26 June 2013

Chicago Beer Diary | Neighborhoods

A well-worn adage is that "Chicago is a city of neighborhoods." This certainly is true. Ask residents of the city where they're from and they'll probably give you the name of their neighborhood rather than a "side" (e.g. north side, south side) of the city. And in the current craft beer and brewery boom that Chicago is experiencing, chances are that the beer you drink might originate in your favored neighborhood. Do you live in Lakeview? You might gravitate toward brand new brewpub DryHop. Do you like to hang out in Logan Square? You'll probably be found at Revolution. Is Wicker Park or Bucktown your thing? You might be downing pints at Piece.

6.13.13 | The Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park & Andersonville

Near the DePaul campus in Lincoln Park is Local Option. Here you see the slogan, Scheiß Bier kann tödlich sein: Shitty beer can kill you. If ever wiser words were spoken...


The vibe is metal; think Sinking Ship if you're Naptowner. 31 taps of craft beers from across the country and abroad, along with countless bottles and stoic but efficient service...I would frequent this place if I lived in Lincoln Park or anywhere remotely close for that matter. I might not be metal enough to completely fit in at Local Option--the closest I come to being metal is liking Motörhead--but I would do my best.


Bierwerker, which is Local Option's brewing arm, brews at other breweries, but they don't like to be called gypsy brewers or even contract brewers. Whatever you want to call Bierwerker, they make a formidable beer in American Muscle DIPA, which they brewed at Louisville favorite Against The Grain. American Muscle is sweet, potent, citrusy, sneaky. A second snifter is tempting, but I have another place to visit for a drink.


Up the Red Line to the city's far north side and I disembark at the Berwyn station for a westward hike to my Andersonville destination, the Hopleaf. I've been to the Hopleaf many times over the last five years, but I cannot pass up the opportunity to visit again. This place is comfort incarnate, and in my experience, the tap and bottle list has no equal in the city (really, look at this menu). It's an ideal place for Indy folks who enjoy Brugge Brasserie because the focus is Belgian--Belgian food and as well as Belgian beers. It's also a good place to strike up a conversation with a stranger. No one drinking or dining here is pretentious. Making new friends is easy.


Rarely do I encounter a gueuze on tap, so St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition on the draft list grabs my attention. Exceptionally tart; pleasingly crisp; notes of apple, oak, and berry. Further delving into the tap list reveals Tart Hopfentea, a unique Berliner weisse brewed in collaboration with the Hopleaf by Perennial Artisan Ales. Lightly sour, herbal, spicy, notes of tropical fruit.




6.14.13 | The Neighborhoods: West Loop and Loop

Green Line from the Loop to the West Loop. West Randolph Street, to be precise. This area is teeming with bars and restaurants. Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard has two acclaimed restaurants here. And it's home to Haymarket Pub & Brewery. As far as brewpubs go, Haymarket is the pressed tin ceiling variety of brewpub. The food isn't exceptional but is still solid. A friendly and knowledgeable staff. A bartender named "Drogo," as in "Khal Drogo." I was tempted to instruct him to carefully disinfect any cuts lest Mirri Maz Duur needs to be called in and everything goes to hell. Next thing you know, Khaleesi is smothering him with a pillow.



At Haymarket, the beer is the real attraction. Loads of house beers and quality guest taps. The Mash Made in Heaven VI White Peach Wit is a memorable quaff. An unfiltered witbier brewed with coriander, sweet and bitter orange peel, and white peach juice. It's the peach juice that pushes this beer from the good to the exceptional category. There's also Girl & the Goatee IV, a Belgian pale ale which is a collab brew with Stephanie Izard that features rhubarb and blackberries. Dry, a bit tart, floral, spicy, delicious.

Wit in the middle; Girl & Goatee on the right.

Two other special beers in the Haymarket lineup are Defender American Stout and Ombibulous American IPA. Defender is heavily dry hopped with Pacific Northwest hops, resulting in a chocolaty and citrusy brew. Best characterized as a Tootsie Roll in a pint glass. And the Ombibulous could also be called "Hop Cornucopia"--Citra, Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo, and Crystal are all in there. Super citrus and pine abound. A hop-head's best friend.

Defender on the right; Ombibulous in the center.

A return to the Loop and to the Palmer House, which is my house for the evening. The blend of Baroque and Art Deco in the hotel lobby brings to mind the scene in The Untouchables where Eliot Ness confronts Al Capone on the grand staircase of the Lexington Hotel. I half expect the lobby bar to use Al Capone's shoe as a cocktail shaker. You know, the one that Geraldo Rivera found in Capone's vault back in the '80s.


Speaking of the lobby bar, it fortunately carries some craft, including Revolution Brewing Company's Rosa Hibiscus Ale in a can. A tart ale infused with hibiscus flowers and orange peel. In the words of a craft-beer-ignorant friend, "Sounds girly." But it's not girly. Rather, it's a fitting nightcap for an expedition through some of Chicago's neighborhoods. And I'll be back to explore more of them.

21 June 2013

Random Beer Roundup - The Summer Solstice Edition


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers:


From Amanda at Cutters Brewing in Avon:


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



From Bob at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis: 

Summer Cycle IPA: available on draught at Sinking Ship. Twenty Tap, Matt the Miller's Tavern, The Tap, Yogi's and Chumley's. 
Friday, June 21st: Noon. Taproom tapping of Summer Cycle IPABrian Deer and Brett Cantrell perform. 
Saturday, June 22nd: Brew Ha Ha at Phoenix Theater 
*Thursday, June 27thElbow Room 80th. Karousel Kolsch tapping 7:30 p
Thursday, June 27th: 4p Taproom tapping of Kiwi Kiwi Crystal Weiss*

*Check date. Anniversary celebration all week. Tapping is Thurs.
**Astute readers may notice that the Hefe became 'Crystal Weiss'. This is not some clever moniker dreamed up by the marketing monkey, but actually a reflection of the Kiwi Kiwi 2013 filtering process. If the marketing monkey were to tagline it, it might be "same great taste, no haze." Not gonna do it. It's delicious and can speak for itself. 


From Beth at Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis:


Join Sun King Brewery and My Old Kentucky Blog for a celebration of four years of Fresh•Local•Beer; Saturday, July 6th from 4-10pm at Sun King. Festivities include the tapping of Sun King's most anticipated seasonal beer, Grapefruit Jungle, accompanied by some of Indy's best food trucks and live rock and roll, honky tonk, blues and soul from Sturgill SimpsonSaint Paul and the Broken Bones, and Luella and the Sun.

Tickets are on sale now for $10 online or at Sun King. http://www.mokbpresents.com/event/266169-sun-king-4-indianapolis/.

A portion of the proceeds will go to IPS Education Foundation Teaching with Technology program. Check them out at www.ipsef.org
From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple:


Thr3e Wise Men would like to say THANK YOU to everyone that attended Brew Bracket this past Saturday. There were some amazing beers brought to the event and we are incredibly honored to have been awarded the Best Pale Ale.

Thr3e Wise Men has a great lineup of upcoming events. Please join us at one of the following events.
·    Saturday June 22nd: Brew-Ha-Ha

·    Tuesday June 25th: Tap Take Over @ Fireside Bar & Grill in Sellersberg, IN 7pm – 10pm

·    Wednesday June 26th: Tapping @ Old Chicago in Merrillville, IN 6pm

·    Tuesday July 3rd: Tap Take Over @ Tomlinson Tap Room Downtown Indianapolis 4pm – 9pm

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, Gold Trans Am Ale, McQueenie’s (Smoked) Scotch Ale, Pink Ribbon Saison, Bourbon Barrel 500 Monks and Bourbon Barrel 500 Sour Monks

GUEST BREWS

Crispin Cider (bottle), Flying Dog Imperial IPA, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Mort Subite Kriek Lambic, Ommegang Biere D’Hougoumont, Sixpoint Resin and Widmer Omission Lager (bottle)

TRITON BREWING EVENTS

‘A Tasteful Affair- at Montage, Allison Pointe- Thursday, June 27, 6-9pm. Join us to help raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of America. Delectable dishes, wine and craft beer! Cost: $50. For more information, call 317.225.4400.
Lawrence Fourth of July Festival, July 3 & 4. Carnival rides, food trucks & live music!!

18th Annual Microbrewers Festival July 20 in Broad Ripple, 3-7pm at Optimist Park http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/events


At Bars, Restaurants, & Home Brewing Suppliers: 

From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse
Scotty’s Brewhouse West Lafayette is now serving Thr3e Wise Men Rocky Ripple Pale Ale! Stop by on Thursday to get a refreshing pint for only $2.50!

Scotty’s Brewhouse 96th Street Indianapolis is now serving Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. Come enjoy a 48oz Pitcher of this awesome summertime favorite every Wednesday for only $7!
From Chelsey at Union Jacks in Broad Ripple:
GOOSE ISLAND BEER TASTING: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 7pm. Hang around for Pub Feud at 8pm, it's free to play!

SMUTTYNOSE WELCOME: A brewery out of Portsmouth, NH--Smuttynose Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in 1994 and named after one of the Isles of Shoals. Smuttynose makes its Indiana appearance on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 and we are welcoming them with a Smuttynose TAP TAKEOVER!

GOOSE ISLAND BEER DINNER: Join us for a 5 course meal featuring Goose Island Vintage Ales: Matilda, Pepe Nero, Pere Jacques, Sofie Paradisi, and perhaps a surprise beer!

THE DETAILS:
Thursday, July 25, 2013
7pm
$40/person or $75/couple
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THE PUB or email Chelsey Wetzel at chelsey.wetzel@unionjackpub.co

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY $4 PINTS

ON NOW:
Stone's Arrogant Bastard
Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce
Flat 12 Cucumber Kolsch
Sun King's Batch 999
Bell's Two Hearted
Bell's Oberon
Bier PDG Pale Ale

ON DECK:
Left Hand Milk Stout
Schlafly's Raspberry Hefe
Abita Turbo Dog
BBC Rooftop IPA
Cutter's Full Court Imperial IPA
Fathead's Goggle Fogger Hefeweizen
Flat 12 Hinchtown
Ommegang/Duvel Rustica
3 Floyd's Blackheart

From Mike at Yogi's in Bloomington:

http://www.yogis.com/index.php/about/blog/beer-blog
Yogi's will be announcing two special tasting events before the end of June. Please give us a follow @yogisgrillbar and friend us on Facebook (Yogi's Grill and Bar) to get the "breaking news". 

From the Distributors

From Mat at Cavalier Distributing:
Smuttynose Brewing Co. announced a new distribution agreement with Cavalier Distributing-Indiana, to bring the New Hampshire craft brewer’s beers to the Hoosier State. Though details, including launch events, have yet to be finalized, the first shipments should be in stores by the end of June. All of Smuttynose’s offerings will be available around Indiana including limited release Big Beers and experimental Short Batch releases.

Indy Area
- Boom Booz - tap takeover - Wednesday July 3rd
- La Margarita - Tap Takeover Thurs, June 27th
- Chatham Tap Downtown - Tap Takeover Wed, July 3rd
- Ralston's Draft House - Keep the glass night Thurs, June 27th
- 20 Tap - Tap Assault Monday, June 24th 5pm
- Union Jacks - Tap Takeover July 2nd

Bloomington / Terre Haute
- The Tap - Bloomington - Tuesday July 2 6pm - 8pm
- TGIF Friday’s –Terre Haute - Thursday June 27 7pm - 9pm

Northern Indiana
- Pats’s Liquors - Porter, IN Tasting 3-5 – June 27
- Constant Spring - Goshen, IN Tap Assault 6pm - June 27
- Trion Tavern – New Haven, IN - June 29
- Beer Geeks - Highland, IN Tap Assault 8pm – July 6
- Nick’s Liquors - Merrillville, IN Tasting 3:00pm – July 12

Southern Indiana
- The Liquor Locker – Evansville, IN 4:00pm-6:00pm Bottle Tasting – June 26
- The Gerst Haus - Evansville, IN 6:00pm-?? Tap Assault/Pint Night – June 26
- Keg Liquors - Clarksville, IN 5:00pm-7:30pm – June 27
- Rocky's Restaurant - Jeffersonville, IN 5:00pm-?? Tap Assault/Pint Night – June 27
- Bridge Liquors - New Albany, IN 5:00pm-7:00pm Bottle Tasting June 28
- New Albanian Pub & Pizzeria - New Albany, IN Smuttynose IPA, and Robust Porter will be draft feature all day. June 28

Beer Events/Fundraisers

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 event.  Only 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:

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


Girls Pint Out: Happy Hour on the Patio
Scotty's Brewhouse (Downtown)July 10th 6:00-9:00 pm
It is everyone's favorite time of year: patio-drinking time! Join us for a night on the patio at Scotty's Brewhouse downtown. It will be a night of craft beer antics and fun. A representative from Thr3e Wise Men will also be joining us. 
This is a ladies only event.
RSVP here


Girls Pint Out: Beer Cocktail Contest
Mass Ave Pub July 16th 6 pm
Rules of the contest:

  • Recipes must contain at least two ingredients.
  • At least one ingredient must be a craft beer and another must be a liquor
  • All ingredients must be accessible and legal to consume
Top three recipes will be available on July 16th for voting.
The top recipe wins $100 and the winning concoction will be available for the remainder of July at Mass Ave Pub.
This event is open to everyone!  

18th Annual Microbrewers Festival:
The Indiana Microbrewers Festival makes its 18th showing on July 20 in Broad Ripple. Your favorite Indiana breweries will be joined by a select group of guest breweries from around the country at Indiana’s largest craft beer event. Over 300 beer selections to choose from!
There are tickets available for every level of beer enthusiast; from casual drinker to the major hop-head: 
VIP Experience: $100 (very limited, online only)
Includes early admission (2:00) and access to exclusive VIP Experience Tent (special tappings and food pairings), tasting glass and unlimited beer samples 
Early Bird: $55 (limited, online only)
Includes early admission (2:00), tasting glass and unlimited beer samples
General Admission: $40 (advance purchase)
Includes tasting glass and unlimited beer samples
Tickets available at Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Liquors stores and online 
Designated Driver: $10 (available online and at the gate)
Includes unlimited soft drinks in special Designated Driver area 
*ADULTS ONLY
This is a 21-and-over event. All guests must present valid, current photo ID at the gate.
Tickets on Sale starting June 1st
Online at Etix.com
Follow the Indiana Brewers Guild on Facebook and Twitter for announcements!
Ticket Page
http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=4144&performance_id=1725671&language=en&country=US 
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/lIndianaMicrobrewersFestival 
Our Webpage
http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/events/details/18th-annual-indiana-microbrewers-festival 
Our Twitter 
twitter.com/drinkindiana 

Brews Across the Wabash
 The event is set for Saturday, August 24.  VIP admission opens at noon with general admission at 1 pm.  The event wraps up at 5 pm.
Tickets available at www.beersacrossthewabash.com or http://beersacrossthewabash.eventbrite.com 
Beers Across the Wabash
Sponsored by Village Bottle Shoppes
Friends of Downtown is proud to present the 2nd Annual Beers Across the Wabash.  Join us for a fantastic afternoon of sampling craft brews from 25-30 of Indiana's finest small breweries.  The event will be held on the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Wabash River between Lafayette and West Lafayette- probably the most scenic beer festival location in all of the Midwest!  In addition to delicious beers, admission includes a commemorative sample cup and live entertainment by Woodstove Flapjacks and others throughout the afternoon.  Look for homebrewing information and demonstrations from Tippecanoe Homebrewers Circle and Homebrewing Organization of Purdue Students.  On-site foodservice will also be available for purchase from D&R CateringOutpost Catering by Sgt. Prestons and The Lafayette Optimist Club.
Looking for the ultimate beer fest experience?  Purchase our VIP ticket and you'll receive early admission to the Beers Across the Wabash festival grounds (noon vs 1 pm); complimentary food and beer pairings; and a ticket to the Uptown Jazz & Blues Festival set for downtown Lafayette later in the evening.  We're also offering a Combo ticket which entitles the purchaser to general admission to Beers Across the Wabash plus admission to the Uptown Jazz and Blues Festival. 

19 June 2013

HBG June Pint Night | Thursday, June 27, Mass Ave Pub, 6:30 p.m.

We finally have details for this month's Hoosier Beer Geek Pint Night. We apologize for the delay, but your patience will be rewarded because we're pretty sure that you'll like what's going to be on tap.

Join us at the Mass Ave Pub (745 Massachusetts Avenue, 317.974.0745) from 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, for two beers from New Belgium Brewing's Lips of Faith series. Our two featured beers will be Heavenly Feijoa Tripel (a collaboration brew with Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!) and Cascara Quad.

Here are the beer descriptions from New Belgium:
Heavenly Feijoa Tripel combines Dieu du Ciel!’s love of hibiscus flowers with New Belgium’s passion for strange and worldly fruit. Feijoa, also known as pineapple guava, has a sweet, aromatic flavor, which makes the aroma of Heavenly Feijoa Tripel luscious and tropical. The beer has Belgian yeast and Nelson Sauvin hops, combining to make a sweet fruit taste, mild spicy tones and a sharp bite. Hibiscus adds a cranberry tartness and an ambrosial quality to the color.
Cascara Quad is a dark, strong and surprisingly delicate ale made with dates and coffee cherries. Channeling the Trappist tradition, it’s brewed with an ethereal malt bill, and spiced with the fruit of the coffee bean (cascara). The aroma brings dates, cherries and pipe tobacco right to the nose and builds layers with hints of spice and fruity Belgian yeast. Once on the palate, Cascara Quad starts swinging clove, fig and molasses. Each sip offers sweet warmth, deep complexity and fleeting dryness.
These are sipping beers, so Mass Ave Pub will be offering 9 oz. pours for $4.00 a piece.



What's the purpose of Pint Night? To feature beers at a reasonable price and, if you're interested in learning, to educate you about the particular beers on tap. In fact, we'll provide an information sheet on the beers and welcome your suggestions for which beers we should feature at future HBG Pint Nights. So come on out and enjoy some great beer and conversation with us.


"Skunked" Beer, "Light Struck" Beer, and the Impact of Temperature Changes

Jake Wrote:

On multiple occasions in the last year, I have heard people use the term "Skunked" to describe an off flavor that they perceive in a beer. I have also been asked by friends if the myth that cooling a beer, letting it come back to room temperature, and then cooling it again will cause the beer to get "Skunked". I read a really informative post on the Binny's (Chicago store) Blog and I want to re-post it to make sure that it gets preserved. For reference, Adam Vavrick ("Vav") is one of the most respected guys in Chicago craft beer and is the primary beer buyer for the Binny's Lincoln Park location that is about to expand to 50,000 square feet of beer, wine, and liquor.

The Blog starts with a customer question:
I just bought a case of Petrus Aged Pale Ale. I opened it up when I got home and noticed it was cold. I thought this was probably a mistake since most people buying in bulk would want it warm so they can cool it at their leisure. I called to see if I could exchange it, and the guy said could but the beer would be fine. Basically it’s a myth about the warming/cooling of beer that leads to aged taste or skunkiness, and exposure to light matters. I was confused, having thought that was a factor.
- D.G.

And then Vav provides the answer with a side of great customer service: 
Hi D.G.

The beer is absolutely fine for a number of reasons. Bear with me. There’s a lot of science coming up.

“Skunking” is a specific occurrence in beer, not a catch all for when beer goes bad.

Beer uses hops as its bitter component to balance the sweetness of malt. When hops are added to the beer during the boiling, they release Iso-Alpha Acids, which are the main components in hop oil. During the boil alpha acids isomerize, or transform into different molecules, which are very bitter. These, along with other hop oils, remain in the beer, contributing hop aroma. Some of the oils are quite volatile, and will break down when exposed to ultraviolet light. The reaction is quite fast: literally a matter of minutes and the isohumulone will break down into a chemical similar in makeup and aroma to the chemicals that come from a skunk’s anal scent glands. This is why beers from certain big European breweries smell skunky: green glass offers almost no protection from light. Clear bottles offer no protection. Brown bottles offer great but not perfect protection. A fun experiment is to grab a four pack of either Pilsner Urquell or Beck’s in cans. Pour a couple ounces into a clear glass, and put it on a sunny windowsill for two minutes. Then pour a few ounces into a second glass and smell the beer in both glasses. The difference will shock you.

Some beers like Corona and some Miller products use hop extracts that have been chemically altered to prevent skunking, even in clear bottles. So that’s where skunking comes from. In fact, we also call it Light Struck.

Still with me? Go grab a beer and then come back. There’s more…

The other part of your question is temperature variations. There is some truth to temperature fluctuations affecting beer, but it’s negligible. Basically, beer’s biggest enemies are time, light and oxygen.

Beer is partially a solid. Around 2% of beer is solid: carbohydrates, sugars, and more. This  makes up the body and head of a beer. These solids, given a long enough time, will settle out of solution to the bottom of the container. Some beers hold up longer than others; it depends on the makeup of the beer, like how much residual sugar is left after fermentation, or how attenuating (thorough, basically) the yeast was, and so on. When beer is stored cold, it stalls the aging process. So purely as an arbitrary example, a Pale Ale with, say, a 6 month shelf life, might have a 5 month shelf life when stored at room temperature, a 4 month shelf at 85 degrees, 3 month at 95, etc. These aren’t exact numbers, but you get the idea. The warmer the beer is stored, the shorter the shelf life.

One way to accelerate the aging process is drastic temperature swings from near freezing to near boiling. In fact, many breweries do just that in their labs, subjecting their beer to harsh conditions to see just how durable they are as part of their quality control procedures. The negligible amount this happens in the real world when you take a beer out of the cooler, allow it to warm, and then re-chill it is is absolutely harmless. And even if it did speed up aging, it certainly wouldn’t cause skunking.

Petrus Aged Pale Ale (good choice, by the way) is a sour ale. In fact, it is a pale ale that uses a very small amount of hops, which then goes into 200 hectoliter oak tuns, called foudres, where it sits for upwards of 3 years. In general, sour ales require less hops because you WANT infections from various little funky bugs and yeasts. Hop oils, in addition to bittering, also have preservative qualities. By using less hops, it allows those funky bugs and yeasts to go work unimpeded. Additionally, most sour ales, particularly lambics, use aged hops, most typically hops that have been aged for three years or more. This aging drives off many of the oils that contribute to both the preservative effects and aromatics, leaving only the bittering potential.

So there you have it. Your beer is just fine. If you’re still uncomfortable, of course we’ll take them back, but rest assured that they are just fine.

So, next time your friends say that they want to buy beer warm because they are going to transport it, or say that something "Skunked" their beer, do us all a favor and point them to this post. I wish someone had done that for me in my early days of craft beer drinking.

Full disclosure: Petrus Aged Pale is one of my all-time favorite beers